Not all Golden Retriever litters are created equal, even good quality litters/dogs within a litter will have a range of temperament and energy level. Some are more laid back couch potato type while others are the workaholics that want to be kept busy; with every energy level in between. It is important to find the right litter that matches your needs. It is important to think about how this new member of your family will fit in, and what expectations you have. Will this be a hunting companion, a dog to play ball with the kids, a dog to go for long walks? Just because a reputable breeder has a litter available it does not mean the litter is right for you. I first try to determine if a litter is appropriate for a particular family by asking how they see the puppy fitting into their home. If I feel a potential home and a litter are a good match I will accept a deposit. However I usually do not actually accept the deposit until I know that bitch is pregnant, which is 21 days following the last breeding date. When a deposit is received I send the new family a packet including pictures of sire and dam, all health clearances, naming criteria, and copy of contract. In the future all this information may be available from my web page. Included with the deposit I also request a letter from the family usually reiterating the things we have discussed such as sex preferred, ages of children, family member who will take primary responsibility for the pet, special needs such as hunting, etc and in general how they see this new family member fitting into their family. I use these letters to help remind me of specific traits and situations when I am doing the Puppy Aptitude Testing to help me determine which puppy goes to which home.
Puppy Aptitude Testing (PAT) is performed at 7 weeks of age. This testing helps us evaluate potential differences among littermates. PAT was developed from a combination of different research projects. Puppies are tested on both social and obedience aptitude. These tests help give us indications of different personality traits of different puppies. We use this information to help determine which puppy goes to which home. Puppy owners do not pick out their own puppy. It’s not a matter of people coming out and say “oh that one’s cute” They’re all cute. Cute is not a problem for Golden Retriever puppies :). We try to match the right temperament with the right home. After watching a litter develop and then evaluating the temperament test we are better able to pick the right puppy for the right home.
