Before You Breed Think About This... by Kathy Carbone Goldens carry several genetic diseases that are passed onto the young. It is unethical to breed a dog that might have hip dysplasia, cataracts, retinal disease of the eye, heart disease, thyroid disease, etc. In order to be sure none of these diseases are carried by the animals BEFORE breeding them, you need to do tests (you can't tell just by looking if most of these diseases exist). The tests include: An "OFA" (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) evaluation of a hip X-ray done AFTER the age of two years with a rating of excellent, good or fair. YEARLY ophthalmologist exams by a board-certified vet ophthalmologist certifying that the dog does not have cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy or eyelid diseases considered major inheritable illnesses. An exam over age one year by a board certified Vet cardiologist certifying that the dog does not have subvalvular aortic stenosis or other inheritable heart disease. A thyroid test is also a good idea because low thyroid (hypothyroidism) is common in Goldens. And, finally, the dogs should be assessed for good temperament and should not have seizures or severe allergies... again all thought to have a significant inheritable component. In addition, it is a good idea to have a sound reason for adding to the huge population of Goldens in the world... did you know that of the millions of dogs killed in shelters each year about a third of them are purebred? That Golden Retriever rescues all over this country rescue (literally) thousands of homeless Goldens facing euthanasia each year and work hard to place them in new homes? It's not too hard to find homes for puppies...but a lot of those homes turn out NOT to be good, lifetime homes and the dogs end up abused, dumped at shelters or worse. Our local Golden Rescue, GRREAT (northern Virginia), places almost 200 Goldens in new homes per year. Most of these dogs come from backyard breeders or small scale "puppies for profit"/puppy mills (a person with a few dogs bred repeatedly for the money with little understanding as to the health, breed standard, pup placement and long term follow up for pups sold). Breeding (right and responsibly) is hard work. Reasons for breeding that are common but NOT APPROPRIATE include: Making money. First, you have to have pups good enough to sell for a decent price, and the public IS getting better informed about OFA, eye clearances, etc. If you don't have this information, you won't have as easy a time selling the pups. AND if your litter is four pups and she has to have a Cesarean, you will lose a thousand dollars or so on the attempt. It is a well known fact in doggy circles that it is very, very tough to breed responsibly and make any money. For the experience for the kids. There are videos now available which show the "miracle of birth" for the kids. Bitches deliver at night (and the kids aren't getting up for that, I can tell you) or while they are at school. And, somehow, bringing ten or so lives into this world seems a big price to pay for a ten hour experience for the kids. Because you love your dogs. Well, we all love our dogs, but breeding isn't cloning...you may end up with a dog that doesn't resemble the one you love at all. And you may end up with a very sick dog if you have bred two animals without checking their health first... I could go on, but you get the picture. Finally, the dogs should be evaluated for their "accordance with the breed standard" before breeding. There are several physical characteristics which are considered serious faults (or so-called disqualifying faults) in Goldens and it's important NOT to breed animals with only one testicle descended, males that are outside the 22 - 25 inch and females outside the 20.5 to 23.5 inch height requirements, or animals that have front teeth that are over- or under- shot, to name a few. And, to end it all, the reason I say one can't buy puppies with the plan to breed them, is that no one should "count" on breeding a Golden before they have all the health checks done. And, quite frankly, a lot of dogs will fail these tests (particularly if they come from pet shops ­ which sell "puppy mill" dogs that are generally unsound, or from "backyard breeders" that breed without checking these health tests first). I'd suggest you get in contact with a local Golden Retriever club and get some first hand advice on these issues.... Good luck.   Return to Support Corner