Anonymous wrote:If you are okay with getting an 80 lb female golden, then you should just get an 80 lb Bernie that your husband wants.

But they can be more and this golden may be 70-75. I also heard Bernese are harder to train? They're gorgeous though. Hmmm

If you are okay with getting an 80 lb female golden, then you should just get an 80 lb Bernie that your husband wants.

OP here: So I want a Golden Puppy (or even adult) doesn't need to be today but would like within next 3-6 months tops. The reputable breeders still have long waitlists, and rules (as they should) we don't have fenced yard. I want the pups to have clearances of course. And I'm not going through a website where the dogs aren't tested obviously. That being said, is there any in between? Meaning a place that they test dogs but perhaps aren't breeding the exact size or have a lot of dogs or don't raise them with children around constantly etc.. this just seems impossible. My kids are in HS and I want the dog before they leave!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the risk of making sweeping generalizations, the fact that this Golden Retriever breeder is calling to tell you they have multiple available puppies is a red enough flag on its own that this is not a top notch breeding operation. Most have waitlists before the breeding even happens. That said, 4 adult dogs doesn't sound like a puppy mill so much as a backyard breeder, and if you're not looking to show or improve the breed yourself, there's nothing wrong with buying the kind of puppy you want from a situation where no adult dogs are being treated poorly to turn a profit.

There 4 adult girls and 4 boys. So 8 total I think.

I wouldn't buy from this place, because that is a high enough number that I'm assuming they keep them mostly kenneled or caged to prevent unplanned pairings. Have you visited? If the adult dogs can't live indoors like pets, I don't want to support the operation.

+1. I don't think I've ever seen a legit breeder with this number of dogs onsite. This one is the biggest I've seen, and they have 2 males and 5 females, but some of them are retired now.
https://www.firehousegoldens.com/
Sorry, OP, but this all sounds a little sketchy. I mean, odds are it will probably be fine....but it's not a great situation, and you're making a 10+ year commitment here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How big are you? I have a 6 month old puppy that is 34 lbs right now and she can yank pretty hard. Remember that your puppy will get big before it is fully trained and chill and you need to be able to control it.

I'm 108lbs. Help lol. But would I really control a 65 lb dog any more than a 75 lb?

Marginally... maybe? Just so you know what you are getting into, I'm 160 lbs and I have to make sure my footing is secure and I'm paying attention when I walk the 34 lb pup down a hill or stairs. She's not going to get away from me, but she could pull me off balance if she decides to go for a squirrel or whatever and I'm distracted. I'm a lot bigger than you and my dog is significantly smaller than what you are considering (will probably top off around 45-50 lbs). If you get a big dog start on obedience training and leash walking ASAP and keep reinforcing good behavior.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How big are you? I have a 6 month old puppy that is 34 lbs right now and she can yank pretty hard. Remember that your puppy will get big before it is fully trained and chill and you need to be able to control it.

I'm 108lbs. Help lol. But would I really control a 65 lb dog any more than a 75 lb?

I am petite too and we had a golden male who was about 65 pounds at adult size/weight. You will definitely feel the difference in 10 pounds. We recently met an 80 pound golden and I could not control him whereas I could with the 65 pound dog.