Miscellaneous Information
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"Golden retrievers are not bred to be guard dogs, and considering the size of their hearts and their irrepressible joy in life, they are less likely to bite than to bark, less likely to bark than to lick a hand in greeting. In spite of their size, they think they are lap dogs, and in spite of being dogs, they think they are also human, and nearly every human they meet is judged to have the potential to be a boon companion who might, at any moment, cry "Let's go!" and lead them on a great adventure."
                                                 ​~Dean Koontz~

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• Dog food: We believe it's best for puppies to be fed a large breed puppy formula until they reach about 8 months to 1 year old to help with joint development, but then it's okay to switch to either large breed adult food or a general all-life-stage food. Most people don't want to deal with feeding raw and other alternative diets. Dry kibble foods are the most economical option, but many foods do not provide the best nutrition. There is also some research about grain free foods boutique diets causing heart problems (see this article). The FDA and research veteranarians are investigating this. If your dog is allergic to grains, try to get a food that doesn't use peas, lentils, and starches as primary ingredients to compensate for the lack of grains in a grain-free food or try to get a food that has added extra taurine back into the formula. Our normal go-to brand for the price is Purina Pro Plan, but we also use and recommend Science Diet, Royal Canin, and Victor. We also like to keep a rotation of foods rather than keeping the dogs all on one food. This helps keep them from getting bored with the food, helps them to get a variety of benefits from different foods, and helps them to not have sensitive stomachs when they have something different. Mixing and rotating has always worked well for us!
• Saline County Animal Clinic - Our Benton vets and their contact info.
• Little Rock Dog Training Club - Training club run by volunteers with experience training dogs for basic obedience, as well as conformation, rally, agility, etc.
• American Kennel Club - National dog registry that our dogs are registered with.
• Golden Retriever Club of America - The national breed club website.
  • GRCA's position on goldendoodles
• The Heartbreaking Truth about those Doodle Dogs - Doodles have become ridiculously popular, but the only real doodle has an actual breed standard and the breed club is in Australia. If a doodle breeder is breeding a poodle with something else just to make money and not adhering to a set standard for looks, personality, temperament, etc., and not performing any health clearances for ALL the types of breeds that are being mixed with their poodle-mixes, they're just breeding a glorified mutt and the person buying one of these is most likely spending way too much money for a dog that very well could be crazy and truly a grooming nightmare. And you truly won't know what you're going to get. It may or may not be hypoallergenic, it may or may not have a good temperament, it may or may not have the coat you want. Please do not support the irresponsible doodle movement. If you want a doodle, a plain old poodle is your best bet! It has a breed standard that has been carefully developed and cared for by responsible breeders and poodles come in three sizes. They are also one of the most intelligent dog breeds. If you like doodles, why not just get a poodle?
• ​Sunfire Goldens' feature in Purina Today's Breeder magazine - Ben, Wilder's dad, is on the cover and inside the magazine.

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Basics to know about health clearance and breeding standards
So you might be interested in breeding your dogs? You want a puppy, but want to be sure it's healthy? Then this is for you.

I feel that the subject of health clearances is extremely important to anyone looking to add a purebred dog to their family. Many people decide to get a purebred puppy or enter the breeding world with no knowledge of what health clearances are and why they are important. We, admittedly, are among those people. When we got our first golden retriever and then decided to begin breeding, we didn't realize we needed to research and learn everything about our breed and what breeding would entail. We didn't realize how many health risks the breed carries and how genetics plays a role. We were confused about what OFA was and what the big deal was in getting things "OFA certified". Through a couple of our own negative experiences with health issues and through a lot of research and talking to other breeders that were willing to take the time to mentor, we found our way through they why's and how's of health clearances.

Here are some basic things to know about health clearances and responsible breeding:

• Health clearances are NOT the same as simply going to your regular vet for an annual exam and being told your dog appears healthy. They are more in depth and require veterinary specialists. Here in Arkansas, there is no board certified cardiologist, so we have to take our dogs out of state to have their heart clearances done.
• Every AKC recognized breed has a national breed club that advocates for the breed. The AKC national breed club for the golden retriever is the Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA). The purpose of the breed club is to work to improve and enhance the breed in all ways possible. The breed club has a code of ethics for breeding and maintains a list of health clearances for the breed that they consider the minimum required clearances. These required clearances for breeding dogs are based on the most common inheritable diseases within the breed that lessen their quality of life and are, obviously, traits that we don't want to be breeding into our lovely, wonderful goldens. The whole goal is to have a healthy and diverse gene pool with minimal genetic health issues, while also promoting the breed's conformation (show quality) and purpose (primarily hunting, but goldens are good at tons of things!).
• The minimum health clearances required for the golden retriever breed at this time include heart, eyes, hips, and elbows. Each of these things are examined and graded by professionals in the veterinary field. All passing (or failed) submissions to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) are posted on OFA's database. These clearances can be viewed by anyone by searching the dog's registered name or number on the OFA website. All dogs that have passed all of their breed club's required clearances are given what is called a "CHIC" number, and this can also be seen on the OFA website. Some clearances have to be done annually, so if they're out of date, it will be indicated.
• If you are buying a puppy from a breeder that isn't doing health clearances, you're promoting irresponsible breeding. It's easy to want to go for the cute puppy that is much cheaper than that of a breeder that has invested in health clearances, but while you may be still be getting a good dog, you're also taking a big risk. While that puppy may seem perfectly fine when you take it home, without knowing anything about it's genetic background, you could end up having to pay a much heftier vet bill and suffering heartache in a couple of years when your relatively young dog has is going blind, isn't able to get around well due to hip or elbow dysplasia, or abruptly dies due to heart issues. Many less responsible breeders that aren't doing health clearances also probably aren't looking closely at pedigrees and looking at genetic diversity as well - meaning they may be crossing lines that are too closely related. While things like line breeding have been a common practice, we believe strongly in promoting genetic diversity as much as possible to reduce the risk of developing more problems within the breed.
• Buying a pup from health-cleared lines is good insurance that your pup won't have any of the genetic diseases common in the breed, but doesn't guarantee that the pup won't have some sort of health issue. Your chances of having a dysplastic dog is greatly decreased when you invest in a pup with health-cleared parents. However, occasionally there will still be pups that will have issues. Sometimes these things aren't genetic, but, just like in humans, are just the misfortune of an individual pup or are due to environmental or nutritional factors. And, just like in humans, as a dog gets older, there's bound to eventually be something come up, if not just general old age. Other considerations are that the breed does tend to have issues with cancer, and this may or may not be inherited. Thus far, we've been lucky to have no cancer among our dogs or their puppies.
• The best breeders do health clearances and have titled pedigrees. What's that mean? The best breeders in the world are the ones that are actually working and titling their dogs. One of our first goldens had absolutely no interest in learning new things or in retrieving anything. The dog came from a backyard breeder that didn't care about the qualities of the breed, but only making money on breeding, and therefore produced some of the worst goldens I've ever seen when it comes to abilities and temperament. This was when we first started wanting to breed and we didn't recognize the major flaws because we didn't know any better. This is also the same dog that we later found had a couple of genetic health issues. One shouldn't just buy a dog because they like the way it looks, but also because the breed's temperament, energy level, and abilities are a good fit for their lifestyle and their family. Titles are a way to prove to the that the dog is worthy of breeding and is what one expects from that specific breed based on the breed standard. Goldens are a working breed, and therefore being able to hunt and/or work in other areas, along with health clearances, proves that they are worthy of breeding. There are tons of different types of titles, but common ones for the golden breed include conformation (show), obedience, hunting, agility, therapy, versatility, and many more. There are also other types of working certifications, such as for service dogs and those in search and rescue. Basically, every breed was bred for a purpose and have a set standard on how they should look, what their temperaments should be like, their working ability, etc. The breed standard describes the ideal dog for the breed and gives breeders a guideline of what to breed for. Without breed standards, there would be no breeds. We all know exactly what a Golden Retriever, German Shephard, Poodle, etc., looks like and what their abilities and personalities are like because they all have their own distinct standards. The very best breeders are earning titles on their dogs to prove that their dogs are fulfilling the breed's purpose AND doing health clearances on their dogs before they are deemed a suitable breeding prospect. We do currently fall short on earning titles for our dogs, but hope to start doing this in the future. For now, we are investing in pedigreed lines that are still capable of producing nice pups with plenty of ability, and we continue to invest and research to improve.
• TAKE IT FROM US. We've owned several goldens now and we've been quite fortunate overall. However, the absolute BEST dogs we've had are those that we invested more in to acquire from great breeders. The worst dog we have had came from a terrible breeder. We got extremely lucky with Oakley being as amazing and healthy and smart as he is, but he's an exception. We can't give enough credit to the great breeders that we've acquired our pedigreed dogs from - they are all simply amazing thanks to their hard work and dedication to the breed and to producing healthy dogs with perfect temperaments and abilities.

Owning A Golden Retriever

I really like this summary of what to expect in owning a Golden Retriever, which I got from the GRRMF website. It's really pretty spot-on, though there may be a couple of variations with individual dogs and how they're raised and trained. I've italicized the points I would like to emphasize and added red text as my own personal comments:

Golden Retrievers are wonderful, right?  Well then, of course everyone should have one.  Actually – no – they aren’t suitable for every family.  It’s important to consider some key qualities of a golden before deciding to own one.  For some people, these qualities are “features”.  For others, they are “bugs”.  Either way, it is vital that you examine your own lifestyle, needs and wants to see if a golden is right for you.  And, conversely, you need to evaluate if you can meet the needs of a golden retriever.  If you can, we can attest to the fact that owning a golden is one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have!  They are addicting and people seldom have just one in their lifetimes.  Once you have a golden, you’re usually hooked for life.


Here are a few things to consider:

• Size - Goldens are medium to large sized animals. The standard size for males range from 23 – 24 inches at the shoulder and weigh proportionally from 65-75 pounds. Females stand around 21.5 – 22.5 inches and weigh 55-65 pounds. They normally possess extremely active tails making clean sweeps of coffee and end tables. Quite simply they need room. Uncluttered houses are a must! 
  • ​I can't tell you how many people have said they want a really BIG golden. But within the AKC breed standard, goldens really aren't supposed to be giants. Because of the hunting and performance lines we have, some of ours are actually on the small side.
• Exercise - Goldens were developed as a sporting breed able to handle a day’s hunting routinely. They need to have hard consistent exercise daily (20-30 minutes twice a day is usually sufficient) or they may have difficulty adjusting to the “calm house pet” role expected by most owners. A fenced in yard is especially important in providing the dog enough exercise. Another option is a fenced dog park or walking trail.  You must have a plan to give your golden enough exercise on a daily basis or both of you will be miserable. The younger the golden, the more exercise they generally need.
  • ​This is very true for a young dog or pup, but it's also important to be careful about too much hard exercise on slick surfaces, stairs, jumping, etc., as it can be hard on their developing joints. Swimming is the most ideal exercise for a growing pup or young dog.
• Velcro Dog - Goldens are faithful companions. They are usually always by your side, many will follow you from room to room. They will lie in the kitchen while you cook and at your feet while you watch TV.  If you don’t want that much togetherness, a golden isn’t for you!  They must be near their humans to be happy.  Be prepared to do a lot of hands on petting with your golden – they love it.  Some goldens are downright needy in their desire for attention from their humans.
  • ​This extreme love for their people can be a little too much for some people. They will DEMAND your attention and they will literally try to love you to death. This love for people and the need to socialize can cause some separation anxiety, which can also lead to behavioral problems when left alone.
• Leashes - You may have visions of letting your dog play fetch in an open field or running free on the beach.  As a sporting dog they are easily distracted by birds, animals or moving objects; they must be kept leashed when being exercised outside of a fenced yard to keep them from running off.
  • ​I don't entirely agree with this point. Most of our dogs have always been good to stay close and come back to us when called. Having a leash is the best precaution if you don't have full confidence that your dog will stay close, but a lot of this has to do with the individual dog and how well it is trained.
• Shedding - In Florida, goldens shed moderately all year long. Brushing every other day is to your advantage. If you require a fastidiously kept house, a golden is not the dog for you unless you like to do a lot of cleaning.  You will always have dog hair around, especially in rugs, on furniture, and OH YES, occasionally even in your food. With a golden in your house, hair becomes a condiment.  Oh – and you will have to vacuum much more often than before – or little fur balls will accumulate along your baseboards!  The good thing about golden retriever hair is that it does tend to clump in dust bunnies on the floor – it doesn’t have the sticky quality of many shorter haired breeds.  Make sure you have a really good vacuum cleaner that you love using before bringing a golden into your home.
  • ​Here in Arkansas, goldens also pretty much shed year-round, and it's especially noticeable if they're indoors a lot. Brushing, vaccuuming, and a stock of lint rollers is the key to keeping up with the fur, but in my opinion, a true dog person can handle the hair.
• Health - Goldens are prone to allergies, skin problems, cancer and hypothyroidism and you may have to spend a fair amount on vet care over the life of a golden.  Common inherited health issues are hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, various eye problems and heart disease.  Expect your annual vet visit to run about $350 for basic care including an annual heartworm test.  That is relatively cheap compared to if your dog has a health issue and requires veterinary care which today runs as much as human health care.  Routine surgeries can run from $400 – $800, xrays $200, ultrasounds $400, bloodwork $75-250, etc.  We’re not trying to scare you – but for any dog, you need to be prepared to provide veterinary care when your dog needs it.  Setting aside a monthly amount for a future emergency is a must.  There are also quality pet insurance programs available.
  • ​I feel that they overshot the costs of vet care here, but it is certainly good to be prepared for any major costs that may arise. Apart from the health clearances we do on our dogs, I would say that we probably spend about $800-$1,000 on regular basic veterinary costs on each of our adult dogs per year. That includes annual exams, heartworm, preventative, tick and flea treatment, occasional minor medications (like for ear infections), and occasional supplements (salmon oil, joint supplements, etc.). Unless the dog is extremely accident prone, it's not likely that xrays and ultrasounds and bloodwork are going to happen often.
• Care - Feeding one medium-sized dog for a year will run you about $50-$70 a month depending upon type of food and additional supplementation. Goldens must be fed a high quality premium food to prevent costly skin problems – which means you will not be able to buy your food at the grocery or discount store – and will have to make a special trip to the pet supply store.  You’ll have to purchase monthly heartworm preventative, costing around $120 a year. If you do not give your dog heartworm preventative all 12 months of the year, it will probably contract the parasite and must be treated which costs about $1000; if your dog is not treated, it will die. Topical flea preventative medications, which are very effective, cost around $120 a year. There are other expenses such as toys, collars and leashes, brushes, shampoos and soft cozy beds.  A well cared for dog, like its human counterpart, is happier with regular checkups and daily care.
  • ​This is fairly accurate. We spend an average of $40-50 on a bag of dog food, and estimate we go through at least one bag per adult per month, and more when we have pregnant and nursing mommas and puppies. Keeping a golden stimulated and busy chewing on something besides the furniture can be costly when considering the cost of keeping toys and chews around.
• Grooming - Goldens can be adequately groomed at home without expensive equipment.  Grooming includes brushing, bathing, trimming hair from the pads of the feet, light trimming on ears, tails and back legs when necessary, and trimming nails.  You won’t have to pay expensive grooming bills and we recommend against shaving goldens – it’s not good for them.
  • ​Please don't shave a golden. Their grooming is relatively easy and their coat actually protects them from the sun and keeps them cooler than shaving them will.
• Neatness - Goldens are easily housebroken and make great housedogs. They tend to be messy drinkers, dripping water on the floor after they take their drink. They will beg for food so you’ll usually have some warm dog breath on you as you are eating your snack while watching a movie.  You might even encounter a little slobber.
• Training - Goldens are usually easy to potty train and make great house dogs. Many owners wish to make their goldens into good canine citizens. A good beginner’s obedience class can cost between $100-200 plus the cost of any special equipment. Moreover, goldens tend to be sensitive or soft in many training situations. They must be handled carefully with a loving, firm, but gentle approach.  The end result is a well-mannered dog that is a joy to be around.
  • ​Negative training approaches get you nowhere with a golden! Always ignore bad behavior and avoid spanking or being too harsh with them. Instead, give them treats and praise when they do something good and they'll be happy to repeat that behavior. They just want to please you!
• Small Children - People automatically assume goldens are the perfect dog for a family with children.  Golden puppies quickly grow up to be rambunctious, strong bundles of energy that easily can play too rough with young children, especially when they are 6 months to two years of age. We don’t normally recommend goldens for families with children under the age of 7.
  • ​I can't emphasize this enough! If you have small children or intend to have children soon, please be sure you're truly ready to take on a dog, too, or reconsider. The only pups we've ever had to help rehome were pups that were in these situations! And that's just a sad end result for the pup. Either they're stuck with a family that can't give them the attention they deserve or they end up in a shelter or in a different home after they've already formed an attachment to their family. Dedication to training a pup to be a good fit to the family is one of the most important things you can do if you're going to bring one home.
• Guard Dogs - As protective guard dogs goldens are LOUSY!!! Though they may bark and growl defensively, when it comes down to brass tacks – they will gladly hold the flashlight for the burglar and give them a big kiss.
• Outside Dogs - Goldens make poor outside dogs. Especially in Florida, they develop skin problems and flea allergies if kept outside. They frequently develop thunderstorm anxiety. As sporting dogs they are easily able to dig out of a fence or sometimes climb over it when left outside for long periods of unsupervised time because they want to be with people. They also are frequent targets for theft if left outside in a backyard when the owner is away from home. Goldens are very social and are pack oriented. They frequently develop behavior problems when they are kept separated from their families. A happy golden is an inside dog.
• Male or Female? - Many people are fixated on getting a female golden, thinking that females are more laid back and affectionate than males.  This is not true.  Male goldens are blessed with loving personalities.  Many people call them big teddy bears and even prefer male over female goldens.
  • ​Again, I can't emphasize this enough. It's incredible how many people think females are a better option, but males are just as good, if not better, in many cases.

Well, there you have it – the inside scoop on owning a golden.  We’re not trying to scare you off – but rather just make you think carefully about bringing a beautiful fluffy golden retriever into your family so you both may live happily ever after.