UPCOMING LITTERS

Email me at lovecrookedcreek@cs.com for more information.

ALL MY PUPPIES ARE SOLD WITH COPIES OF THE PARENTS HIP,ELBO,HEART,and EYE CLEARENCES and PEDIGREES

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IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHEN BUYING A GOLDEN.

First of all, I have to say that raising puppies is like raising kids. Everyone has their own way of doing things. The opinions of one breeder may be totally different then the opinions of another. That does not mean either is necessarily wrong. As a puppy buyer, you need to find the breeder who you trust and agree with their Philosophy. This website is a reflection of my ideas and way of doing things. It is not my intention to imply that anyone else's way is wrong.

Goldens like all breeds, have their known problems that serious breeders try to breed out. The three most common hereditary problems with goldens are Eyes, Hips and heart problems. Elbow displasia is also becoming more common.

OFA is the organization that certifies the parents hips. If the parents have been cleared by OFA then there is no sign of hip displasia. OFA also certifies elbos. Dogs can not be officially certified until they are 2 years old, but a prelim can be done at 6 months of age. 89% of the prelims come back the same on their 2 year x rays. Puppies can not be checked at 6 weeks for this, so you want to make sure the parents are OK. There are however no guarantees. Genes are a little unpredictable. I am trying to get to the point where my breeding dogs have a whole pedigree (3 generations) of OFAs. Some do. Over feeding a puppy or feeding a bad quality puppy food in their first year can cause a dog with genetically good hips to end up with hip displasia.

EYES-CERF is the organization that certifies eyes. The vet can detect some eye problems at 6 weeks, but an eye specialist is needed to check for things like cateracts. CERF guarantees that there are no hereditary eye problems at that time. A CERF should be done before breeding a dog.

HEART-A vet can check a puppys' hearts at 6 weeks. Occasionally you will have a puppy with a slight heart murmur at 6 weeks. Many of them outgrow them by the age of 12 weeks with no further problems. Some heart problems can hide. Any dog with a heart problem, should not be used for breeding. OFA also does a heart certification on dogs over a year old.

LINE BREEDING-It is a common practice among show kennels to line breed their dogs to try to get the best puppies. Unfortunately, line breeding (or inbreeding, as it is called everywhere else) can cause some serious genetic faults in health and temperaments. Many times, kennels will line breed a litter, so they can keep the best of the breeding for themselves, they then sell the genetic flaws as pets. When buying a golden, or any dog, check the 3 generation pedigree for any names that repeat. (Past 3 generations, you may not need to worry, talk to your vet if you are concerned about this.) Some breeders will breed as close as a half brother to a half sister. Make sure you know what you are getting. I do not breed parents that are related within 3 generations. (Great grandparents) . No vet has ever recommended it to me. I trust their judgment.

VET CHECKED - All puppies should be checked by a vet before being sold. This is to protect the buyer and seller from problems that may otherwise go unseen.Be leary of a breeder that claims to do their own vetwork. I sell all my puppies with a vet record filled out by my vet.

Worms and other parasites are very common in puppies. They are only a problem if they are not treated. You should expect to take your puppy to the vet at least 2 times after buying them. (They usually go at 3, 6, 9,12, and 16 weeks of age.) Then every year for shots and a check up.

OTHER-Any dog with any known health problem should not be bred. These could be...cancer in it's background, skin problems, chronic ear problems, bad allergies...etc. Also any serious disposition issues (Consistent barkers, Hyper dogs, etc. ) should rule out a dog for breeding.

PRICES -My prices will vary according to the parents pedigrees, and health clearances. I don't actually price them until they are born. Most of my puppies are $800 and up. There will be an additional cost and requirements for anyone wanting a full registration for showing or breeding their puppy. Your dog will make a better pet and have a better temperment if you spay or neuter it.

CHAMPION LINES: When you see Champions (CH) on their pedigree, it shows that those dogs not only have good conformation (which makes for a healthier dog), but also the wonderful temperment that you want in your golden. You can look at the website www.K9Data.com and type in any of my goldens registered name to view pedigrees. If you can not find one, contact me and I can send it to you.

Several of my dogs have their International Champion titles. The International shows (http://www.internationaldogshow.com/) judge the dogs against the standard. It is not as prestigious as an American Champion title, but the dogs are required to do the same thing. I especially like the shows because each judge gives you a written critique of your dog. Which helps you to know what they are looking at and why they made the decision they did. It makes these shows more of a learning experience.

Puppies are born in a whelping box in our basement. The mothers are given free choice of Puppy Food (usually Pro Plan large breed Puppy or Eukanuba), and water. I think it is very important to feed a good quality food that says particularly "Large Breed" puppy or adult food. The needs of large breed dogs are very different from the needs of a small breed dog. The pet food companies know this and make their foods accordingly. If a dog food is labeled "Large breed puppy food" it is designed specifically for a large breed puppy.

When the puppies are between the ages of 3-4 weeks old they are started on Puppy food themselves. At this point, they are moved out to the barn or outside, if the weather permits. They stay here for 1-2 weeks. Here they are exposed to lots of TLC from the barn visitors. They also go to the vet for their first vet appointment at 3 weeks.

Sometimes the weather just will not permit the puppies going outside that early. In this case they stay in the basement, in a 6 ft round tub with shavings, and go out when the weather permits.

I try to get the puppies acclumated to the weather as soon as possible. I believe that learning to poop in the grass and dirt at a young age is an essential start for early potty training. The puppies are usually moved to a kennel where they have concrete on one side and dirt/grass on the other. By the time the puppies leave here, most of them know that they should be pooping on the grass as opposed to the concrete. (A lesson tought naturally by their mothers. Why not get her help?)

DEPOSITS: I usually start making a list of people interested in a litter as soon as the parents are bred. I, however, do not take deposits until the puppies are born and I am sure that they are all healthy. At that point, I start going down the list, calling people to see who is still interested. They then have one week to send me their $100 nonrefundable (except in the case of a health problem coming up) deposit, to maintain their number on the list. I do not actually let people start picking their puppies until they are at least 5 weeks old. It is hard to see personalities before then. I allow puppies to go to their new homes after they go to their 6 weeks vet appointment. I will keep them as long as 8 weeks, if a new owner wants them to stay longer. However, I feel that by 6 weeks the mothers have weaned the pups and the puppies are ready for the individual attention that they get in their new homes. Puppies left in the litter longer tend to be more succeptable to problems with worms and other parasites. I believe this is because they are not smart enough at a young age to know that stepping in their poop and walking in their food is not a good idea. These things are not a probalem as long as they are treated.

WHAT FOOD SHOULD YOU GET FOR YOUR NEW PUPPY?

The puppies are started on Purina's Pro PLan Large Breed puppy food. I will give you a small sample of this food to take home with your puppy. It is not a good idea to change your puppies diet in the first weeks of bringing your pup home. When you do, it should be a gradual change. I am not going to tell you what kind of food to feed your dog, but their are a couple things you should look for. First of all, a real meat should be the #1 ingredient, not corn or meat by products. Rice is also a good thing to see in the first ingredients. Also, feed your golden a food which is made specifically for Large breed dogs. I look for something that says good for joint care since all large breed dogs are prone to hip problems. I really believe that nutrition and environment is 25% of how your dogs hips will turn out. If your puppy grows too fast, it will be more at risk for hip problems. Small breed puppy foods are designed to help them grow faster. If your puppy gets fat, he is growing too fast.

Guarentee: As a breeder, I do everything I can to prevent health problems in my puppies; however, I am not GOD. Just like having a baby, there are somethings that we have no control over. I do quarentee that the parents of your puppies have no known hereditary health problems. And I do guarentee that a vet has checked the puppy for any obvious problems before they leave here. I welcome new puppy owners to come with me to their puppies 6 weeks check up. Dr Mark Green at Mallard Creek Animal Hospital has been seeing my puppies for 15 + years, and I trust him totally to find any problem with the pups.

If a puppy does end up with a hereditary problem, I encourage people to let me know, so I do not breed those parents again. I will take your puppy back in exchange for a new puppy, if your vet finds a hereditary health problem within 6 months of the date of purchase. I need a signed letter from your vet explaining the problem. I WILL NOT PAY VET BILLS ON ANY PUPPY AFTER IT IS PURCHASED.

I have only had one puppy come back to me in 14 years, and it was never proven to be a hereditary problem.

(704) 455 3042 (leave a message. I spend a lot of time outside.) Or email me at lovecrookedcreek@cs.com