This is a short article with information that can be important when selecting a Golden Retriever puppy if their final coat color is important to you. Many people select a puppy based on what the puppy’s body coloring looks like at 4 to 6 weeks old and that would be a mistake if the final coat coloring matters.
Spoiler alert: Just check the ears once hair starts really growing on them..
Now that I’ve given the spoiler, I’ll use Harley as an example.
When Harley was a tiny pup, she looked like this:
Tiny puppy Harley
When she was around 5 or 6 weeks old, she looked like this:
Harley hamming for the camera
Now look at those ears and realize that Harley looks like this as an adult:
Miss Harley Quinn
The ear color may not be exactly their adult color but it’s typically close and is the best possible indicator so don’t be distracted by the puppy’s body color…. Concentrate on the ears!
About the Authors
Bryan and Terri Curry
Bryan and Terri Curry love all dogs in general, especially Golden Retrievers. They have had dogs for all but 6 months of their long lives and all have lived happy and much longer than average. Bryan and Terri are co-owners of Texas TLC Goldens; a small responsible breeder producing high quality Golden Retriever puppies.
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Terri took Harley to the vet to get an X-Ray in order to have a puppy count. As it turns out, Harley didn’t want to sit still enough so the pictures were blurry. The vet was able to study them and tell us there were at least 9 pups in there but it’s possible there are more!
Harley is due this Friday but the vet tells us it may be earlier. Stay tuned!!
Most people that go to a breeder to get a pure bred puppy do so because they want to have a clue what the dog will be like when it grows up. They also do it because they perceive the dog is less likely to have some unexpected ailment as it ages. The truth is this: there is no way to guarantee no problems but a purebred dog that is properly vetted really makes the odds much better. The key here is to assure the breeder properly tests their breeding animals to give you the best chances. Just because a dog is purebred and registered does not help you in this area. ALL dog breeds have potential issues as they grow that will not necessarily be visible as a puppy and the specific problems vary somewhat by breed. While no breeder can guarantee perfect health or the life of the dog, smart puppy buyers will hedge their bets and REQUIRE testing of the parents for known genetic issues in the breed to dramatically reduce the chances of problems as the puppy matures.
There are many other things that go into what qualifies a breeder as a “Good Quality breeder” so for this article I’ll narrow the down the discussion. Good Quality Breeders of any purebred dog should test the genetics of all their sires and dams and publish the results. The two main areas of concern are genetic defects (DNA) and hip/elbow health (which have a genetic component). I’ve discussed hip/elbow already in my article: “Canine Hip / Elbow Dysplasia” so in this article I will concentrate on genetics specifically for the Golden Retriever breed.
It is entirely possible that you can buy an untested purebred Golden Retriever that will live a long, healthy and happy life but why would you roll the dice? If a dog is “clear” for all the components I list below, they are clear. That means they will not experience any of those specific issues in their lifetime. Unlike Canine Hip / Elbow Dysplasia which has a genetic component and graded on a scale from X-rays, the following potential issues are either true or false and not expensive/difficult to test.
Usual disclaimer: The following information is based on our experience and extensive research. As always, you should do your own research and consult with your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns.
The following is a list and description of genetic defects common to the Golden Retriever breed.
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)
This particular genetic issue is not all that common in the Golden Retriever breed but does happen. It is not part of the standard genetic “panel” for the our breed in some genetics labs but we at Texas TLC Goldens still test for it.
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a progressive neurological disorder that affects the spinal cord of dogs. Dogs that have inherited two defective copies will experience a breakdown of the cells responsible for sending and receiving signals from the brain, resulting in neurological symptoms.
This genetic malady typically starts very late in the dog’s life and usually starts with a weakening of the back legs that eventually leads to the inability to walk. If not contained it can then work it’s way through the body and cause other issues such as bladder control and could eventually make the front legs unusable.
Muscular Dystrophy (MD)
Also referred to as “Muscular Dystrophy in Golden Retrievers (GRMD). The Animal Genetics Laboratory has this to say about this genetic malady:
GRMD is a mutation of the dystrophin gene that causes a deficiency of dystrophin proteins in Golden Retrievers. The lack of dystrophin proteins leads to the progressive degeneration of skeletal and cardiac muscles. The disease is similar to the human disease, muscular dystrophy.
MD presents itself with difficulty walking and/or swallowing and typically starts at 6 to 8 weeks of age. Life expectancy is roughly 6 months for affected pups.
Because this mutation is linked to the X chromosome, only male dogs are actually affected by it for female dogs can be a “carrier” and transmit the defect. Because a single parent can transmit the defect and cause the symptoms in any or all of it’s pups, any sire or dam with this defect should never be bred.
This is a severe defect that can affect the eyes of many different breeds. You will see them listed commonly as PRCD-PRA. Two golden Retriever specific variants have also been identified (GR-PRA1 and GR-PRA2). While all three defects have the same or similar effects, they must be individually tested for.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) is a category of genetic mutations that cause vision loss and blindness. Photoreceptor cells in the retina begin to degenerate, typically progressing from a loss of night vision to complete blindness.
GR-PRA1 and GR-PRA2 are inherited in an “autosomal recessive manner”. What this means is that it takes defective genes transmitted from BOTH parents for the puppy to experience symptoms which is referred to as “affected”. It is possible that the pups will be “carriers” with a single copy of the gene and pass on the defect later but they themselves will not be “affected” by the defect.
Ichthyosis-A (ICH or ICT)
ICH is a defect that can cause very scaly skin and hair loss. We have seen statistics that 30% to 60% of all Golden Retrievers have this defect. If there is any good news here it is that the defect is not fatal and it requires both parents to have the defect to actually make puppies “affected” (show symptoms). It is fairly common for Golden Retrievers to be a “carrier” and is common practice for breeders to carefully breed a sire or dam that is a carrier. A sire or dam that is “affected” should not be bred in our opinion. As far as we can tell this defect is specific to the Golden Retriever breed but do your own research.
Ichthyosis is an autosomal recessive genetic mutation that affects the skin of Golden Retrievers. The mutation prevents the outer layer of the epidermis from forming properly, resulting in skin that becomes darkened and thick and flakes excessively.
It is important that you verify the testing of BOTH parents. If only one parent is a carrier and you are not a breeder then you are fine as long as you spay or neuter your pet. As a breeder, it’s still manageable but requires special attention to breeding pairs. We at Texas TLC Goldens have thus far been able to assure that none of our breeding dogs do not have this defect but have not completely ruled out the possibility of dealing with it in the future since it is so very common in the breed.
There are many different possible genetic defects that are possible in dogs but the list above are the most common in Golden Retrievers. The good news is they are easy and inexpensive to check and ANY breeder that provides good quality pups will test for them all and publish the results.
Testing is cheap, accurate and easy to do so we can think of no excuse for not providing them to customers. We don’t understand why ALL breeding dogs are not tested but it’s possible that the breeder can be sure their breeding dogs are clear “by parentage”. In that case you really should check the tests of both parents of their breeding dog and not take their word for it. For example: We know Emma is completely clear “by parentage” but we will actually test her before we breed her.
Do your research and know what you are getting. After all, you will have that dog for many years and why else would you want to spend the money to get a purebred dog?
About the Authors
Bryan and Terri Curry
Bryan and Terri Curry love all dogs in general, especially Golden Retrievers. They have had dogs for all but 6 months of their long lives and all have lived happy and much longer than average. Bryan and Terri are co-owners of Texas TLC Goldens; a small responsible breeder producing high quality Golden Retriever puppies.
Note to Webmasters and Facebook friends
Please consider sharing links to our blog posts if you find them interesting. It is a simple thing to do and sharing links not only spreads what we hope is good information, it helps our site.
If you are a webmaster and would like to post this article in it’s entirety, please contact us.
We took Harley to the vet to do an ultrasound in order to confirm pregnancy and it is confirmed! We are VERY excited. We do not know how many puppies there are as it’s just too soon to tell.
We counted at least 6 but there are almost certainly more. We plan to do an X-ray to get a better count somewhere in the 3rd week of March but for now, it’s time to start getting excited!
We are fully aware that many on the list will not get puppies this time around and we are sincerely sorry for that but at least the process has begun and we will be doing this again, and again… 😉
Pure and simple math says she should deliver pups on or about Wednesday March 27th but Mother Nature can vary that by a few days.
Harley is doing fine. She’s more clingy and loving than she’s ever been but we enjoy that. Her appetite is definitely increased but she’s eating for many now and she’s taking prenatal vitamins twice every day. She’s gained 3 lbs since breeding and the vet says that’s good.
Keep an eye on Facebook and your email for updates!!
If you’d like to see the video of the ultrasound, I’ve posted it on Facebook HERE.
In most of the places we have lived in our long lives, fireworks were permitted for everyone. Every 4th of July and New Year, fireworks stands open up and sell all manner of explosives and explosive rockets to individuals who them set off their own fireworks shows around their homes. The noise, aerial displays and strong smell of gunpowder fill our senses for around 2 weeks before and during the holiday itself and is tradition for many families. It is great fun for humans but terrifying and painful for Golden Retrievers and most any other breed of dog.
Your furbaby’s reaction can be more than just fear. Dogs can panic so badly they can injure themselves, break windows, knock over furniture and run away, often in such a panic that they run into the street and be killed or injured by passing cars. For most dogs, fireworks represent the scariest thing they will ever encounter and many thousands are lost and/or injured every year in the United States during fireworks displays.
I wrote an article on preparing your pup for the holidays that I also recommend you read but this article concentrates on one thing: fireworks, thunder and loud noises and the wide-eyed panic they can cause in your lovely pup. Note also that I speak to fireworks and to a lesser extent, guns but these practices can also help with fear caused by thunderstorms.
Why fireworks scare them
Golden Retrievers have sense of smell and hearing that are FAR superior to human senses and in fact, better than many other dogs. Imagine if you will that you could hear 4 times better and a 2 times greater range of sounds and without warning, multiple explosions happen near you and concussive waves wash over you and shake the ground. Now imagine that this happens and you have no idea what fireworks are, much less why they are going off. Now couple that with as sense of smell that is 8 to 10 million times better than yours and the unfamiliar acrid smell of gunpowder assails you along with the noise. It would be terrifying and could hurt! This is what it’s like for Golden Retrievers when not carefully trained and desensitized to these sorts of sounds and smells.
Yes, Golden Retrievers can be trained to live with loud noises and often are since they are one of the best hunting retrievers that exist but it takes practice and training from a very early age. In practice most Golden Retrievers are not trained this way since they are most often family pets. Goldens are very emotional dogs. The loving, friendly and loyal nature you value so much also means that they can also fear as much as they love. Fear is irrational and instinctual so it will win the battle of emotions if not properly trained and/or cared for.
Training
If you want your precious Golden Retriever to attend the fireworks with you or become a hunting dog or even sit quietly in the house when it’s all happening outside, training will need to start early, often and be prepared to do this for weeks or months and then occasionally ongoing. Start as a young puppy by making increasingly loud noises around them. Start by simply clapping of hands close to them. Slowly increase the volume and add actual recordings of fireworks at ever increasing volumes. Eventually try popping some firecrackers or shooting guns at decreasing distance from them to add the gunpowder smell and more realistic experiences. In all cases make it a positive experience and/or a game; usually with rewards. The object of the exercise is to desensitize them; in most cases they will never lean to enjoy it since loud impact noises typically hurt their ears but you can make is so that they don’t freak out.
Prepare and plan
If you have not trained out the sensitivity to fireworks then be prepared for a known event and execute your plan. Here are some ideas:
Make absolutely SURE your pet is micro-chipped and that the chip is properly registered.
This is absolutely the most important single thing you can do. Despite your best preparation and intentions, it is possible your panicked pooch could get out and just blindly run from the noise; sometimes for miles.
Massive numbers of pets get loose in their panics and are lost every year during fireworks. A properly registered and functioning microchip dramatically increases you chances of retrieving your loved pet if they get out.
Provide a properly fitted Thundershirt of something similar
Put it on well before the event. Soothing pressure shirts help a dog control their breathing and provide some amount of security but once the dog is scared, it’s too late; get it on beforehand.
Provide a “safe” room
A room that is preferably small with no windows and no outside walls. Basically the most quiet room in the home.
The room should be really familiar and be sure to put beds and toys that are familiar in with them.
If you are not in the room then visit often and sooth him
Crate your Golden
Put the crate in the quietest part of the home, preferrably near where you will be.
Cover the crate so that it’s dark and warm; like a den
Provide familiar distracting noise
Watch a movie that is not upsetting to the dog (Harley watches the TV closely and barks at horses, dogs and obvious villains)
Play some soothing music
Be present
Dogs are pack animals and more specifically for Golden Retrievers; people animals. Just being there and soothing them carries a lot of weight with your pup.
Play games inside the home
Distract your pup with something she likes to do.
Provide some extra high value treats for good behavior
Make it a very exciting treat. Maybe boil up some chicken and chop it into little bites and use it to reward good behavior.
Some combination of these ideas may help or prevent or cure the issue however it’s best if you do these things proactively before they are ever scared by the noise and smell. It is MUCH easier to prevent the panic than to cure learned behavior. If they are already scared it is never too late to soothe them and make them more secure but advance prep and execution is much more effective.
About the Authors
Bryan and Terri Curry
Bryan and Terri Curry love all dogs in general, especially Golden Retrievers. They have had dogs for all but 6 months of their long lives and all have lived happy and much longer than average. Bryan and Terri are co-owners of Texas TLC Goldens; a small responsible breeder producing high quality Golden Retriever puppies.
The pet shipping policy at Texas TLC Goldens is simply: we don’t do it if the puppy will be in cargo. “But wait!” you say, “Doesn’t that limit your potential customers?”. The answer is: yes, but we don’t care. First, we require meeting our new puppy parents and a good parent should want to meet us as well. Shipping is also a “not fun” experience for the dog. We have had two very different experiences with shipping Golden Retrievers on planes, so we will relate them both and you’ll understand why.
Emma
Emma at 6 months old
We got our lovely Emma a few months ago from Europe; from Romania to be exact. We wanted the unique body style and color of a true “English” Crème Golden Retriever but it’s almost impossible when buying domestically to be sure you are getting exactly that since AKC does not recognize the European Goldens as being a different breed and does not note that anywhere in the pedigree. That said, unless both parents were actually shipped over from Europe with a proper “export pedigree” (yes that’s a thing) then transferred to AKC, you just don’t know so we knew we’d need to get the puppy directly from the source.
We found a good broker in Europe that has shipped well over 10,000 dogs, has outstanding reviews by the thousands and attractive policies. We asked extensive questions and required tons of paperwork and pictures before we closed the deal. The cost was not all that much more than a US based puppy even with shipping, so we moved forward.
Emma was 4 months old when she got on the plane. This is a minimum age for shipping since proper vaccinations must be complete; especially the rabies vaccine. She had a heath check by a certified vet just before departure and was placed in a fairly large crate with food and water and started her journey. The airlines used have a special compartment for animals that is properly heated and cooled and has proper cabin pressure. The animals are last on / first off to make their stay in the hold as brief as can be achieved and are never left out in the sun on a hot tarmack.
The first leg of her journey was from Budapest, Hungary to Dubai; a 5.5-hour flight. She arrived around midnight and was offloaded and cared for by what appears to be a really good quality pet service for the next 10 hours. She was bathed, fed, watered and given the chance to get out of the crate for a while. She boarded her last flight the next morning and then spent 16.5 hours in the air; just barely under the 17-hour maximum allowed by the airline. When she arrived in Houston, Texas she was not allowed out of the crate until she cleared customs which took another 3.5 hours, so she had spent 20 hours straight in that crate, most if it in the hold of an airplane.
When we picked her up the crate reeked; I mean REALLY smelled BAD. She was in shock by that time and scared to come out of it. We cleaned her up as best we could, put the crate in the back of our pickup and carried her wrapped in a blanket in the cab. She was quiet and withdrawn; that is until she spotted River and Harley in the back seat. She immediately came alive and was a puppy again! She was hungry, tired and still smelled bad, but she was a puppy again.
We made the short drive to our son’s home in north Houston then bathed and fed her. We also hosed out that horrible smelling crate so that we would not make people ill when we stopped to gas and get snacks. By the time we got home after a 4-hour drive, she was fully puppy again and already fitting in with the pack and has been a joy ever since.
Emma at 6 months old
Would we do this again? Maybe but only if there was no other choice. If you are not a breeder then there are few reasons to do this and I don’t recommend it, at all. We will likely need a good “English” sire in time so it’s possible if we don’t find what we need domestically but we really, really hated seeing how she arrived even though the broker and airlines did their level best to assure as much safety and comfort as possible. Emma is none the worse for wear now but that’s not the point.
Dexter
Dexter 1 week after arrival in Texas
We wanted a beautiful dark Golden Retriever sire and our grandsons needed a puppy, so we decided to put the two things together and went on a search. Our rules were that he had to have dark and beautiful parents that were completely cleared for DNA defects and normal or better OFA clearances on hips and elbows. We were surprised how difficult it was to find what we needed in Texas. Most Golden Retriever puppies of this quality in Texas were either light or medium or had parents that were not fully tested and those that were had breeders so very proud of their dogs that it required a second mortgage to buy them.
We finally found what we wanted but, horrors, they were in update New York. The breeder was a really nice lady that truly cared for her 8 Golden Retrievers on 2 acres in her home and bonus: her husband is a practicing Veterinarian. The Dam was a sweet girl that was not too large and was almost mahogany colored with white accents on her belly. The sire was a magnificent looking boy that was quite dark all over and gorgeous long hair. Both parents were clear for everything we cared about but the Sire; he was a “carrier” for ich. This was almost a deal breaker since there was a 50% chance than any puppy in that litter would be a carrier as well, but the husband volunteered to have Dexter tested and he came back clear! Both parents tested normal or better on hips and elbows and the sire scored a very rare “excellent” on his hips! Typically getting full registration costs as least the price of the puppy (basically the puppy costs twice as much) but they made that bit affordable, so we could afford the trip.
Now the rub: how to get the puppy back to Texas. We were unwilling to ship a 2-month-old puppy in the hold of an airplane after our experience with Emma so we elected to have one of us fly up and carry him back in cabin. I even scored first class seats for the return flights on a sale. there was an extra fee for the pet in cabin but it was manageable. Sound good, right? Yeah read on…
I arrived in Syracuse, NY on a Saturday evening, rented a car and drove the 45 miles to pick up Dexter. I had a wonderful visit with the breeder and her husband and met all their dogs. I then loaded Dexter up in a small carrier of exactly the maximum size allowed to carry in cabin and drove back to Syracuse to a hotel for the night. I discovered when I arrived at the hotel that motion sickness in dogs can be a thing. I had never experienced it before since none of my dogs have ever had it but Dexter , did. He was miserable and a mess and scared, so I threw blankets on the floor of the hotel and slept with him after cleaning him and the carrier up and getting him fed and watered.
I resolved that I would prevent so much misery on the plane, so I called Terri; she researched and found that we should give him half a tab of Dramamine before the flight. I had a 7:30am flight so I got up at 3:30am and drove to a local Walmart to get the meds. As it turned out the first Walmart was closed so I had to find another, and Dexter spent over 30 minutes in the car during our search and again was sick. I’ll spare you the story of my walk through Walmart with a sick puppy but I got the medicine and gave it to him; terrified of what would happen on the flight.
Dexter with grandsons Carter and Ethan
Long story short, we flew 2 hours from Syracuse to Chicago and spent the 4-hour layover in the United lounge after a brief trip outside. We then flew the 3.5 hours from Chicago to San Antonio. Dexter was unhappy but quiet. He did not want water or food the entire journey, but he (and I) survived just fine. Dexter is now happy with our grandsons and a little ball of energy. He’s growing like a weed and should make an outstanding sire as well as a wonderful pet for our grandsons.
Your experience may vary but while the experience could have been better, it works. Knowing what we know now, if we decided to do this again we would come prepared with Dramamine and hand towels just in case. Not all puppies get motion sickness and frankly, this is our first but we’d be prepared.
Side humorous note: I carried Dexter in my arms 100% of the time when in airport terminals. This is not strictly permitted but I did it anyway. I now know what the beautiful people feel like in a crowd. Every single woman and child (without exception) and a few men immediately followed me with their eyes and smiled. Heads turned everywhere I went. Many wanted to pet him and quite a few asked questions. It was a surreal experience.
Summary
Emma and Dexter
So, in the end, based on our experiences, even if we did not require meeting the prospective puppy parents, we do not ship our puppies in the belly of a plane, ever. If the parent wants to fly here and meet us and is willing to carry the puppy in cabin for the flight(s) we are fine with that but be prepared just in case…..
About the Authors
Bryan and Terri Curry
Bryan and Terri Curry love all dogs in general, especially Golden Retrievers. They have had dogs for all but 6 months of their long lives and all have lived happy and much longer than average. Bryan and Terri are co-owners of Texas TLC Goldens; a small responsible breeder producing high quality Golden Retriever puppies.
We know many of you are anxious to have puppies from Harley in the spring so here’s an update.
By our best guess based on her past schedule, Harley should have gone into heat 11/20/2018 but she did not. She is showing all the signs of going into heat (clingy, moody, lots if “interest” from River and Dexter and even Emma at times) but she’s not there yet. This is not all that uncommon for winter heats as they are often delayed due to the short days.
We had a rather expensive progesterone blood test done on her a few weeks ago and she was at “level 1”. This could mean many things but in the end, it does mean that heat “should” be coming. Terri is also running “Ferning” tests from her dried saliva under a microscope a few times per week and we see continued evidence of progesterone. As you can see from the graphic, if free progesterone is present, she’s in her cycle somewhere.
Canine heat is at best a difficult thing to forecast and they can vary. Here are the current possibilities for Harley:
She had an early and silent heat and we missed it or she skipped her heat
Most unlikely
She started heat and then just stopped
Very unlikely
She started heat and stopped and will start again
Called a “split heat” – yes, it’s a thing
She is just late going into heat
Most likely, especially since it’s winter
Canine heat can be late by as much as 2 months so at this point we are at the mercy of Mother Nature and can only wait and watch. We will continue to watch, love, care for, and test her. We do our best to keep you updated with her progress.
Once she is pregnant, the pregnancy lasts roughly 63 days. After the puppies are whelped, they need to be weaned, healthy and at least 8 weeks old before they go to to their forever homes. For now we will let you do the math and will provide better estimates when the action actually starts.
Tucker
We are very excited to have secured Tucker as sire for the upcoming litter. His loving owner has been kept up-to-date and is standing ready when Harley is.
Sincerest thanks for your patience and understanding.
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There are many other things that go into what qualifies a breeder as a “Good Quality breeder” so for this article I’ll narrow the down the discussion. 
Yes, Golden Retrievers can be trained to live with loud noises and often are since they are one of the best hunting retrievers that exist but it takes practice and training from a very early age. In practice most Golden Retrievers are not trained this way since they are most often family pets. Goldens are very emotional dogs. The loving, friendly and loyal nature you value so much also means that they can also fear as much as they love. Fear is irrational and instinctual so it will win the battle of emotions if not properly trained and/or cared for.
A room that is preferably small with no windows and no outside walls. Basically the most quiet room in the home.
We know 
“should” be coming. Terri is also running “Ferning” tests from her dried saliva under a microscope a few times per week and we see continued evidence of progesterone. As you can see from the graphic, if free progesterone is present, she’s in her cycle somewhere.