Thinking of buying a golden retriever for your company?
13 reasons to not have a golden retriever:

1 - if you're looking for a dog which always stays outside the house.

What makes a golden be "of gold" is his affection, because
they are docile and sweets by nature.
Not having contact or having restricted contact with their owners makes them very unhappy.
A confined golden in the backyard can only become
destructive and / or noisy. Imagine if you leave your kids
alone most of the time from their childhood on.
The unsocially skilled child you'd see would be similar to what would become of your golden. If you do not plan to make your golden a part of the family ... Then the golden retriever is not the breed for you!

2 - you don’t like
furry dogs.

Goldens drop hair – not often but still, once or twice a year, it makes a "general exchange"! If you are having problems in accepting the part of the golden hair there is also the part of their fibre diet (or if you have the habit of dressing in black) - this is not the breed for you! Goldens also need the oportunity to go to "beauty salons"

3 - you have no
sense of humor.

Goldens are born "loving a good joke”, some though ...
of bad taste! If you don’t see any fun in waking up with a cold and wetly drooled tennis ball in front of you, or with a puppy who decides that 2 am is the perfect time to play... maybe you should consider another breed to buy.

4 - you are a freak cleanner.
Dirty paws with wet clay, snout marks at the window
of your house and your car, (and did I mentioned the hair already?!)... Anyway ...
If you don’t relax and enjoy, you and your dog
will be in an eternal conflict.
5 - you love sitting
on the couch all the time and... hope that your dog likes it too.

Goldens are athletic, raised for games like "hide and seek." They need regular exercise, especially when young, or they can become very unhappy.
If your biggest hike last month was from the sofa to the bed... then perhaps a sedentary pet matches your
lifestyle better.

6 - you like
everything exactly here you left it.

Goldens have Retriever as a surname.
This comes from the Latin "put everything into your mouth and take it /bring it back!"
The retriever instinct should really be part of all goldens.
So... if you wouldn’t like to come home and find your dog with your underwear in its mouth, for example, extremely happy and wagging its tail and wanting to play with you,
it may also be better to continue looking for a more
ideal breed for your behaviour.

7 - you are considering to get a dog for only a short time.
Goldens are not only visitors but also, hopefully, will live
a long time. Being a dog owner is a compromise for the
life-time of the dog in question. If you think that when your children grow up and go to school the dog will also go, please reconsider the idea of having a dog in your house.
In places where there are mutts you can find several
breeds of dogs, perhaps even goldens, which were
abandoned because of a change in the life of the family.  
There are many volunteers who help these pets, but this solution should not be necessary, if all were responsible for these lives they promisse to be one day.  
A dog is a living being, who loves and suffers like us.
With something better ... An ability to be loyal for its whole life and love unconditionally.
Then, think 10 times before you buy your dog.
8 - you don’t like to make new friends.
Your new member of the family need some lessons of obedience to help him  behave well as a canine citizen.
This is also a “dangerous” and easy way to make new friends. It is almost impossible to walk with a beautiful golden in the street and don’t be stopped by strangers who ask about the aesthetics and sympathy of the breed. Goldens are "magnets for people." Do you have problems with that?
Then perhaps some guard breed is more
appropriate to you.
9 - you want to
make money quickly
in breeding dogs.
Some assistance in the US, of golden retriever rescue, spent thousands of dollars to save hundreds of dogs.
And this happens because the dog-owners intended to rear them to breed puppies and make some extra money, but these people had the slightest idea of the inbreed techniques and mainly over the ideal place for the pups.
These doggs, unfortunately, are proof that there are many irresponsible people. If the correct trade of puppies is being done, rarely it will be a profitable venture (ask the breeders!) Health, veterinary and food are just some of the various expenses needed for an puppy.
So, breeding is something serious and should only be done by recognized professionals in the area. Easy and healthy.
10 - you are looking
for a watchdog. 
Did I mentioned that goldens simply love everything and everyone? They would probably help the thieves entering your house to carry away the silverware.
(They are retrievers, remember?). If you are looking for protection this probably isn’t the best idea.
Maybe that well-known watchdog breed is more
suitable to you.
11 - you look at that cute furry ball and
pray in silence it will stay this size forever.
Goldens should grow to a size in between 20-24
inches tall and weight about 62-83lbs. This is quite a dog! If you plan not to accept my advice about the obedience classes and create little rules for your furry friend, you will be faced with an out of control and happy furry ball whose tail can sweep the coffe table clean in a second!  
Alternatively, there are other wonderful breeds for children (many without a tail) from which you can choose.
12 - you think dogs
are a great nanny
for young children and a wonderful lesson
of responsibility for teenagers.

You are partly right. A golden retriever and a child usually
form an inseparable team. However, the responsibility of any living being should always be the one of an adult.
Children can be great coaches, game partners, but they need an adult to instruct them as well. You should also remember that goldens, although very docile, are large enough - even when they still are puppies – to push down a very small child, for example. Children with (young) dogs should always be supervised by an adult, for the well being of the both. And in case of teenagers...
Consider that the "promises about the care and the walks” made by them to acquire a dog, aren’t not always fulfilled! Coexistencing rules will be very welcome
(and necessary!) to both cases. And the number one
reason to not buy a golden...

13 - if you think the ideal place to purchase a golden is in the store at the corner of your  home or at a dog’s fair, where they are sold at "kicking prices”.

Goldens have the tendency to some health problems, especially dysplasia. Heart disease, eye problems, epilepsy, premature cancer and behaviour problems, ranging from hyperactivity to aggression, are some of the events that you don’t want inside an establishment, even more in an initial goldens retrievers. It is essential that you look for a responsible breeder; serious and ethical if you are looking for a healthy and well bred puppie.

Now ...if you are not intimidated by the 13 reasons and still
want to take home a furry golden partner... Why not to buy a golden.
Congrats!

Now ...if you are not intimidated by the 13 reasons and still want to take home a
furry golden partner... Why not to buy a golden. Congrats!
You're ready to have the wonderful experience of having a golden
retriever by your side.

For informations about where to find a good breeder, visit sites like cbkc
(www.cbkc.org/)  and / or check the links of the closest kennel to you.
Visit various breeders and buy your dog where you feel the
confidence and professionalism.  

Suitable text
(with apologies to Mr. Letterman)
Printed with Permission - Cheryl Minnier

The National Rescue Committee is a committee of the
Golden Retriever Club of America (www.grca.org)

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