More and more people seem to want perfect golden retrievers. You know, the ones that are always happy and well behaved. The ones who are gentle with little kids and love other dogs and cats and bunnies and hamsters. The ones who never growl or get grumpy. The ones who aren't bothered by thunderstorms. The ones who don't mind being left alone for hours. The ones who never jump up or bother you for attention. The ones who are healthy and don't require visits to the vet except for their annual check-ups. All these "ones" wrapped up in one dog.
I have never met a perfect golden retriever. I share my life with four golden boys and none seem to be perfect. They each have flaws. And some of those flaws cost a lot of money and certainly test my patience some days. If you are looking for a perfect golden retriever, you need to rethink that. AGA does not have perfect goldens for you to foster or to adopt. We certainly have wonderful dogs, but each requires lots of time being put into them, and not just for training.
Goldens
More and more people seem to want perfect golden retrievers. You know, the ones that are always happy and well behaved. The ones who are gentle with little kids and love other dogs and cats and bunnies and hamsters. The ones who never growl or get grumpy. The ones who aren't bothered by thunderstorms. The ones who don't mind being left alone for hours. The ones who never jump up or bother you for attention. The ones who are healthy and don't require visits to the vet except for their annual check-ups. All these "ones" wrapped up in one dog.
I have never met a perfect golden retriever. I share my life with four golden boys and none seem to be perfect. They each have flaws. And some of those flaws cost a lot of money and certainly test my patience some days. If you are looking for a perfect golden retriever, you need to rethink that. AGA does not have perfect goldens for you to foster or to adopt. We certainly have wonderful dogs, but each requires lots of time being put into them, and not just for training.
Goldens require more attention than the average dog. They were bred to be companion dogs and not to be left alone. Goldens have health issues like many of the most popular breeds. We often say if you can get a golden retriever past 7 years of age without cancer, you have a great chance of having a senior golden by your side.
So, whether you are one of our wonderful foster families, an adopter or an applicant, please know that we can't produce a perfect golden retriever for you. We try our best to fix the health and behavior issues, but we will never fix everything.
Those of you who are lucky enough to share your life with a golden retriever, we know you wouldn't trade him or her or them for the world. You see, perfection is in the eye of the beholder and thankfully, we all need glasses.
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