YAY… PUPPIES!

We all love puppies, but good pups are difficult to come by.

Firstly, please be careful of online sellers. Many individuals have been scammed.

KUSA (The Kennel Union of South Africa) has a page that is very useful… Notice – Beware Puppy Farming and Scammers. This article gives a lot of information and should be read in detail.

The link Guideline to Purchasing a Puppy will take you to a more complete list of the questions that one should ask of both the breeder and yourself before buying.

Please keep the following in mind… 

  • Don’t just pay upfront for a pup. You need to go though the following steps…
    • Visit and evaluate the breeder and his kennel
    • See the pups
    • See the parents – at the very least, the bitch
    • See the dog and the bitch’s health documents (as highlighted below).


ETHICAL BREEDING
Our club advocates ‘ethical breeding’ in that…

  • The dogs and bitches used are checked before breeding to ensure that there are no problems with hips, elbows and eyes
  • The breeders do not over use their bitches with respect to the number of litters they produce.


SCAMS – THE IMPACT
Being scammed is one thing, but should you buy from the wrong breeder, You may get a pup that…

  • Is not a thoroughbred dog: This may mean that you do not get the look or temperament that you wanted.
  • The animal may have physical issues: The most common being hip / elbow dysplasia and genetic eye disorders.

This can cause a lot of heartache later on.


DYSPLASIA AND GENETIC EYE DISORDERS
With responsible breeding, we are trying to control genetic problems that Goldens are susceptible to.

With respect to the parents of the pup… 

  • KUSA Registered: Check the actual certificates of the parents to ensure that they are registered with KUSA (Kennel Union of South Africa)
  • Dysplasia: Check that both parents have a Hip and Elbow Dysplasia Certificate indicating their classification and that they are within acceptable levels – See details below.
  • Genetic Eye Diseases: Check that both parents have a certificate for their Eye Examination – See details below.

This will reduce your risks significantly. 

What is Acceptable?
The web has numerous articles on both genetic eye diseases as well as the classification of hip and elbow scores – and what levels are acceptable.

A newsletter from earlier this year… News Letter – April 2020 has an article on Dysplasia that gives you some interesting links to follow. Please do follow these links and it is important to read other articles as well.

Please Note: We are not Vets – so seek professional help with respect to the detail of these genetic issues.


HAVE YOU CONSIDERED A RESCUE GOLDEN RETRIEVER?
You might also consider a Rescue Golden. 

You can contact Liezel Mortimer of Golden Retriever Rescue South Africa – 082 376 2885

You can send her a message via her Facebook Page – Golden Retriever Rescue South Africa. https://www.facebook.com/GoldenRetrieverRescueSouthAfrica/