Golden retrievers

[icecreamsundae32]

Can anyone advise what are good hip/elbow scores, the dam has 5/6 for hips and 0/0 for elbows, the sire has 1/2 for hips and 0/0 for elbows. What other health tests should golden retrievers ideally have had before breeding? Also any other important things to look out for when looking at a litter?
Many thanks

These are the health tests currently recommended by the KC.

This page has information about heritable health issues present in the breed, both those which can be tested for/screened against and those which can't. Of the latter various cancers are the biggest concern, approximately 60% of GRs die from cancer.

Also check the inbreeding coefficient of any litters you're interested in. There's a couple of pages here and here which explain what that is and why it's important.

Thank you for the information. I am torn between golden retrievers and labradors. Obviously both are very popular breeds with families and am concerned about finding reputable breeders... are working or show lines better for a family?

I would potentially consider a rescue if any would consider rehoming when one of the children is 2? Any experience with rescuing either of these 2 breeds? Are rescue dogs likely to be with health issues due to being puppy farmed?

are working or show lines better for a family?

Definately working in my opinion.
And you'll likely struggle to get a rescue with a child of 2.

Dams hips aren't too bad, the Sires are great for a golden retriever. As for rescue many rescues may turn you away as you have a young child. Unless the dog has had experience with children in a previous home rescues won't place a dog with children as the risks are too high. The breed club website lists the tests that the breeders should be carrying out.

Personally show lines are better for a family, unless you have plenty of time to exercise and mentally stimulate a high energy working dog.

Personally show lines are better for a family, unless you have plenty of time to exercise and mentally stimulate a high energy working dog

Working dogs don't need huge amounts of exercise and stimulation...

It just makes them fitter (thus requiring more and more exercise to get them tired) and in some cases unpleasant to live with due to overstimulation.

Working breds often have a more stable temperament as they are bred for working which requires a good temperament.
Shows are bred for looks.

In the golden retriever (and cocker/springer spaniel) some lines have extremely severe resource guarding problems, evident from only 8 or 9 weeks where the pups will guard ridiculous items like bottle tops or blades of grass or rooms and will bite and draw blood.

In Golden Retrievers at least it is thought to stem from one highly used stud in the show circuit...

In my experience working line dogs need more input from the owner than show line. They need more training (as they tend to have more ambition to go and do stuff) but they are very trainable, so you end up with a well-mannered dog with which you have a close bond.

I'd agree with Fucks that their exercise needs are not huge. I have a young dog out of two working parents who gets about an hour and a quarter's exercise each day (rarely less, sometimes more). She's fit and fine on that provided that four or more times a week, we have a 20-30 min training session to work her brain.

Without that, I suspect she'd be a bloody nightmare.

I have a Goldie and I waited until my youngest child was 7 until we got him.
I know loads of people cope with large boisterous dogs and small children but it wasn’t for me due to an accident involving a littermate of a previous dog and a small child. Goldies grow into lovely family pets, although they remain big and strong and some are more gentle than others but as puppies they are Bitey and rough.
There’s a reason rescues are very cautious when rehoming to families where there are young children

And yes to the possible resource guarding, never had it with previous Goldies but my current one was a nightmare when younger
Fine now but it took work

Fabulous dogs. I would never have another breed.

Last one was working lines, complete nervous wreck but loving and loyal, recall was terrible until he was 5. Died from cancer at 9 and a half 😢

New one now 7 months old. Show lines. Very calm, incredibly loving is going to be bigger and stickier than our last boy. He's a mummies boy so far. Very friendly,bouncy with dogs and adults but amazingly gentle and calm with children.

Literally cannot recommend them enough.

Obviously you need a good breeder (current one great breeder, 1st one not so much and although not puppy farm the pups weren't raised in the home which probably explains his fear of Hoover's and washing machines)

Health tests are very important.