Breeder research

The next step was overwhelming. Where were we going to find our little creature? 

Since we both wanted a Golden Retriever, we decided to try our hand at finding a puppy from a breeder first. Our time frame was to get a puppy in mid-May or June so that it would coincide with my graduation and the weather (hopefully) warming up. The idea of training a puppy in the inclement winter months was not really appealing, so we were hopeful that we would find a breeder with some puppies. If not, we would consider adopting a shelter dog.

As it turns out, vetting a breeder is a little more complicated than just typing 'golden retriever puppies' into Google. I very quickly got swept into a rabbit hole of learning all about OFA clearances, backyard breeders, and the warning signs of what to stay away from in a breeder. The most sensible piece of advice that I read over and over was to never go visit a breeder unless you have vetted them first and are fully prepared to purchase one of their puppies. Otherwise, you will fall in love with the adorable faces in front of you and you might find yourself willing to compromise on things like clearances and pedigree. The fact of the matter is, ALL puppies are insanely cute, so it doesn't make sense to fall in love with one that has a higher likelihood of health problems down the road.

We called a couple of breeders near us and were immediately discouraged. One breeder very bluntly told us that since we have never trained a puppy before, she wasn't interested in selling one of hers to us. I understand her point, to a certain degree, but where am I supposed to get a training wheels puppy to raise before I am given the privilege of owning one of hers?! This breeder and a couple of the others that we called also had all of their planned puppies booked already. It is only February... are there no little Goldens coming into the world that we will be able to call our own?

After several failed attempts to get in touch with some breeders, we finally had some luck! J called Barb at Sunfire Goldens and they had a lovely conversation about her upcoming litters. I had fallen in love with the litter due on March 15. The picture on k9data of the dam was a beautiful red girl, just like my Maxine growing up, and the sire was very handsome as well. She told us that she had a lot of interest in this litter, and priority was going to some folks who had recently lost their dogs, but we could call back in a few weeks to see how things were going.

The conversation left us anxious but excited. There was no firm commitment that we would be getting a puppy, but the possibility was there! I had originally thought that sometime in June would work out better for us as a Gotcha Day, but a mid-May puppy will be just as wonderful.