Golden Retriever Puppy

[JazzTheDog]

Do any wise people who have done puppyhood with a Golden Retriever have a preference for male versus female?

We have been talking about getting another dog for some time (our last rescue greyhound passed in 2016). A change of job for me at the start of the year meaning I no longer do 12.5 hour shifts and DH working from home in the long term now meant that we contacted a couple of local(ish) breeders to be added to waiting lists. As the owners of 4 cats and multiple poultry we decided that a GR would be the best breed to add to the family. We live rurally on a farm (but not farmers).

We have now been contacted by a breeder who has a litter and is giving us a choice. I don't think I have a particular preference but all my dogs so far have been female.

Any voices of experience out there? I hope to commence training via the breeder for the dog to develop as a therapy dog as well as being a much loved family pet.

I am slightly stressing at the responsibility of naming a puppy and keep swaying towards a girl simply to use unused baby names (my kids are boys!)

What a lovely young chap! Snivel and sniff - still mourning my gr.

Btw my oaf never cocked his leg. He was an eternal puppy... I like Benny (Benedict). Grs have to have noble but silly names - think posh first-world war pilot. And dogs like two-syllable names that end in “eeeeee” when you call them, as in “Ben-eeeeee!!!!!!” (repeated ad nauseum as they completely ignore you - grs please themselves and know you won’t be too cross!)

Benson is lovely, gentle Ben.

DH has just pointed out that we could actually call him anything and just use the name of the area we live (which begins with B) for his KC registered name...

That makes it even harder!

Bedford !!!!! Barnsley !!!!!! Bradford !!!!!! Yes, they all work...

Bideford !!!! Beaminster !!! Hmmmm, not so much.

I think we're going with Buddy, it was my first thought and 2 out of 4 men in the house agree!

Budweiser ;)

I knew a goldie called Bentley - suited him so well.

@Ellmau

Budweiser ;)

That is a genius suggestion!

Bailey is in the baby names section at the moment, if you're interested in names that have an alcohol link. Several people have suggested it makes a better name for a dog. He's a beautiful puppy. I grew up with GRs so I have an enormous soft spot for them.

Not Boris.

Anything but Boris.

(he's lovely - I would go for Benji)

Oh my, he looks like a very god boy indeed!

We've always gone for female just because of the size. We do a lot of country walks and occasionally end up having to lift dog over stiles, 29kg female is much easier than 35-40kg male.

My boy is Bowie 😍

(He was bonkers as a puppy, make sure you have plenty of wine to hand OP).

Gorgeous dog! Can I ask how much you paid for him if that is not too impertinent? We have been looking for about 10 months but not finding any for under £3.5k and even then the breeders have 500 replies to their ads

Same here. I was even gazumped!!

Golden retrievers are very gentle (when they eventually grow up) but I agree are very heavy, particularly when they tread on your toe or want to sit on your lap...

@Saggyoldsofa

Gorgeous dog! Can I ask how much you paid for him if that is not too impertinent? We have been looking for about 10 months but not finding any for under £3.5k and even then the breeders have 500 replies to their ads

We are paying £1000 and he is KC registered. The breeder has planned her litters and is charging what she would normally charge.

She did say that she is working her wait list differently and that because I had already told her about us and our circumstances we were selected.

That is an amazing price. She must be a good breeder. I'm absolutely despairing! It's harder than planning a baby....

£1000 !!!!!!!!!!

Greedy toads round here are charging £3,800 at the very least

He’s gorgeous, good luck, he looks like a Beau to me.

Aww how lovely. We have a 18m male goldie and we love him to bits.