Thinking of buying a golden retriever? Great idea! Golden retrievers are wonderful family dogs with sweet, friendly dispositions. I have a five-year-old golden, and know numerous families that own goldens. They all unanimously agree that adding a golden retriever to their family was one of the best ideas they ever had.
My family got our dog as a 10 week old puppy. My mother-in-law had purchased a puppy from a breeder in eastern Pennsylvania, about three hours from our home, so we bought Skylar from her. He’s a laid back, loveable lump of a dog, but I admit he was sort of pricey.
So what can you do if you don’t have $800-1500 in your budget for a golden retriever puppy? (Yes, they really do cost that much.) Why not look into adopting a rescue dog? In Pennsylvania there are at least four golden retriever rescue organizations to choose from. All of these groups are dedicated to finding forever homes for the dogs they have rescued.
Where do rescue dogs come from? The information I have found on these rescue groups’ sites states that their dogs come from: puppy mills, strays found by the police or area families, broken homes (people divorce and their situations change), older adults moving into assisted living situations where they can not have a dog, and families relocating. I’m sure there are a multitude of reasons why people surrender their golden retrievers to rescue organizations, but sometimes it’s just because they got caught up in a situation where they couldn’t keep their golden. The dog wasn’t bad-mannered or difficult, or unloved. There are many loveable dogs at these facilities.
What does this mean for you? It means there are tens of goldens, aged from puppies to senior citizens, waiting for a good home for a reasonable price. All rescue organizations provide shots and veterinary care for dogs they take in, and if the dogs are not spayed or neutered this is normally also done or expected of the new owners. Puppies, who are most sought after, can be more expensive, and older dogs are less expensive or even free if they are special needs or of advanced age.
Why would you want to adopt an older dog? There are a list of reasons. An adult dog is normally house-trained and may even have some basic obedience training. That means no midnight to four AM trips outside to teach a puppy to piddle in the grass instead of on the new living room carpet. Adult dogs still like to chew on things, but puppies like to chew on everything! A rescue group will be able to tell you if the dog you’re adopting needs something to chew on and whether the dog already knows how to sit, lie down, and walk on a leash. Some basic obedience commands might already be in place giving you a jump on training.
Rescue groups are a great source for dogs because they have a professional staff that will spend time with each dog and decide what sort of home is best for them. They try to expose their rescue dogs to other dogs, kids, cats, other animals and let potential adopters know where they think they will fit best. If the golden has been in a puppy mill and is timid or frightened by new experiences, they won’t send that dog to a home with small, lively children. They’ll recommend the dog goes to a quiet home with one or two adults that have experience with dogs and time to devote to rehabilitating the golden.
On the flipside, if they have a four year male golden who loves other dogs, gets along with cats and enjoys playing with kids, the sky’s the limit. A friendly, well-adjusted adult dog can be placed in a variety of home settings. What sort of dog would fit in best at your home? If you don’t know, the adoption staff will help you figure it out. On adoption days you can meet numerous of the dogs they are currently trying to place and between the two of you, you can pick the best dog for you.
It’s a win/win situation. You can adopt a dog with a good general understanding of what he or she will be like in your home. Of course, no one can predict how every dog will react to a new home setting, but I know that rescue organizations try very hard to match dogs with homes, and if it doesn’t work out, they will take the dog back and find a different home for it.
If you’ve decided to give a dog or a puppy to your kids or your parents, why not share your life with a wonderful, loveable rescue golden? It will make everyone’s life a little more meaningful. You’ll love owning a golden retriever, they really are man’s best friend.
Here’s a list of the golden retriever rescue organizations I’ve located in Pennsylvania and Maryland. If none of these groups are near you, you can easily find groups in other regions across the country on the internet.
Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue, Rheinhold, PA – www.dvgrr.org
This is a well-established organization that has been in existence since 1993 and has an extensive facility in southeastern PA. they have placed over 2300 dogs since they opened.
Golden Retriever Rescue of Central PA, Centre Hall, PA – www.grrcp.org
A smaller organization operated by volunteers in Central PA.
Gold Heart Golden Retriever Rescue, Mount Airy, MD – www.goldheart.org
A well-established group serving the southeastern counties of PA, most of MD and DE.
Wags: Golden Retriever Rescue – Pittsburgh area, southwestern PA, www.goldenretriever.rescueme.org/Pennsylvania
This group rescues a large number of strays and also helps other breeds of dogs.
Here’s one for Maryland, DC, West Virginia and South Central PA:
Golden Retriever Rescue Education and Training – www.grreat.org
This group has been in existence since 1983 and finds homes for an average 250 goldens a year.
Sources:
http://www.grrcp.org/goldens.htm
http://www.grreat.org/about.htm
http://www.dvgrr.org/cost_adopt_fees.html
http://wagsrescue.homestead.com/
