Natasha's Blog

This is a completely unofficial part of the website. Here I will be sharing some thoughts with you on golden retrievers, the breed in general, its specifics, the litters, the dogs, the training, the diets, the grooming, the shows, the equipment, the tricks, everything GR-related and dogs in general, that comes to my mind.

Dogs take such a part in human life, they have such an impact on who we are, I would like to think that I will be able to provide you some information that you will find useful and interesting. Ask questions, share your opinion, get to know me, our dogs, the breed itself! Thank you for reading!

"Red Flags" when buying a Golden puppy

Last Updated on Friday, 11 November 2011 21:37

Purchasing a puppy is a very serious matter. No matter where you will be buying a Golden (and not a Golden) - here or from another breeder - read this post. It will help you with your purchase.

We've already talked about the importance of parents' clearances on hips, elbows, eyes and hearts. Hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, various eye problems and heart disease are very common inherited health issues in Golden Retrievers for which there are screening examinations. GRCA recommends breeders perform standard health screening tests for these on their breeding stock.

A puppy's Sire and Dam must be screened for these health issues to minimize the risk that their puppies will be affected. The American Golden Retrievers have a limited gene pool. They came from a limited number of Goldens imported from Europe less than a century ago. This genetic limitation contributes a greater risk factor for health defects (one more reason for this upcoming litter to be very good).

All puppies are cute - but DON'T BUY A HEARTACHE! Confirm, confirm, confirm. When you pick up your puppy, ask to see the original documents for the litter parents. The breeder should be able to provide the original documents from OFA and CERF for at least the Dam - in our case, where we do not own the Sire, we will provide you with Leia's original documents and Sire's copies.

"History" of OFA certifications (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc.) doesn't count. Sire & Dam of your puppy must be certified. Not uncle, or brother, or grandma, or someone else.

You can also go to http://www.offa.org and check out the results for both Leia and Mr DJ.

Here are the links for you:

Leia clearances

Mr DJ clearances

Why is this important? In our age of photo-editing software, anyone can fake out any certificate, and email you anything you want.

I am not tooting my own horn, but stating the facts.

A Trick for a Food Label

Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 January 2012 21:28

Dog Food All pet foods must list the ingredients present in the food. The ingredients must be listed in order of weight. This is one of the best ways to determine the quality of the food. With a little knowledge of the ingredients, you can choose a food that is highly digestible and free of unwanted products. Be careful of one tactic used by manufacturers to disguise less desirable ingredients. Breaking an ingredient into several different smaller ingredients and listing them individually is used to lower these undesirable ingredients farther down the ingredient list.

I, as a dog person, have notice how many brands of dog food went grain-free and top-notch first three ingredients in the past year in all of a sudden. I find it hard to believe that everybody just re-did their formulations. For example, a product list could contain chicken, ground corn, corn gluten, ground wheat, corn bran, wheat flour, wheat middling, etc. If we were to group all of the corn ingredients as one, they would probably far out-weigh the amount of chicken, and wheat. So, your dog is eating not chicken with corn, but corn with chicken - big difference! As a consumer, you must read all of the ingredients carefully including the ingredients at the end, to know the type of preservatives and colorings that are used.

Standards set by AAFCO, show there are problems with the pet food industry's labeling practices. The labels follow a secret code, and consumers do not have the key to decipher it. In fact, most consumers do not even realize that there is a hidden meaning in the label's wording.

Puppies go home!

Friday, 13 August 2010 13:10

It's the Release Weekend. We feel sad to let the pups go, because we've got attached to each and every one of them, but with thanks we accept the need to let go because we know that they will have good homes and great loving families) Sad, but happy... And nothing in this endevour beats those happy smiles of the new owners! Thank you to all new Families for sharing their lives with our puppies & trusting us!