Probably an eight week old golden retriever. That's what my current dog started out as, and the dog I had as a child. Well, started out as in the sense that that's when my family and then later I acquired them.
However, that won't be until my current dog passes away. He's only four years old, so if he lives an average lifespan for a golden, he'll have another 6-8 years.
It's also contingent on me being able to find a golden of the appropriate age that I can afford, that my health doesn't further deteriorated beyond my ability to stretch myself and care for a puppy, and that I still have a place that will allow a dog of that size.
It took me probably six months of searching and haggling with people before I found an eight week old golden retriever at a rate I could afford the last time. I almost gave up.
I am not sure what I'd do if I couldn't find another one at the appropriate time. I love this breed, and I cherish the experience of raising a puppy to adulthood a lot. As it looked less likely that I would find an eight week old golden the last time, I talked to people offering other breeds and other ages at different prices, but struggled to pull the trigger. I'd certainly think about it, but in the end it's a tough compromise in the sense that a dog is a big financial, physical, and emotional commitment that usually lasts a decade or more. I am so set on this breed and raising a dog from being a very young puppy that having to adjust to a different situation might tilt the balance and make the whole thing a less viable path for me.
I think if I absolutely could find a golden puppy who was eight weeks old, I might consider something like an eight week old Cheasapeake Bay Retriever, an Irish Setter, or a Labrador, but the firs two breeds tend to have limited sellers who demand even high prices than Golden Retrievers breeders, and I haven't interacted with dogs from either of those two breeds, so the odds of finding one who would slim, and I'd probably actually want to interact a little with the pappa or momma dog and get a feel for their adult temperament.
Labradors seem a bit more readily available, especially if one is willing to settle for "mostly Labrador" mixed breed, but when I've interacted with them, while they do seem like less dogs that are largely similar to goldens on a surface level, there is a certain spark and personality that is very different and almost less developed. I think maybe goldens have a little more intelligence and a little stronger personalities. Labs are sort of the more generic version that moves back to a mean that is broadly acceptable to dog owners whereas goldens are sort of bred to an extreme that if you like, you have a hard time not seeking it out again and again, and, if you don't, you really don't. I clearly love the breed.
I think if I ever strayed away from golden retrievers as a choice rather than as something dictated by what my available options were, it'd probably be under a scenario where I had two dogs simultaneously, which doesn't seem likely. I'm a one dog kind of guy and don't really have the finances or the physical strength to keep up with more than one at a time, but you never know- were I to somehow wind up married or something (Unlikely) and we could keep a 1 to 1 dog to people ratio and have two incomes coming to bare, I could see getting my dog a friend, and I doubt I'd want two of the same species at the same time (Seems a little redundant). That's where I'd sort of open things wide up and really see what's out there. I'd probably want something really different as a second dog if I already had my favorite breed.
Actually, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers have always intrigued me. I've never seen one, but I've always wanted to meet one and see what they are like. I've often heard they are very close cousins to Golden Retrievers, but have their origins in my extended region rather than the UK, and are a relatively small (in terms of total numbers, not dog size), and are a very interesting breed in general with a lot of interesting quirks. If anything could ever voluntarily move me off a series of golden retrievers in succession, it might be the Chesapeake Retrievers. I just find it unlikely that a) I'd ever move off of having a golden as a pet voluntarily, and that b) I could find a CBR that I could afford. I'd love to learn more about the breed, though.
Anyone here own or have a chance to interact a lot with Chesapeake Bay Retrievers?
However, that won't be until my current dog passes away. He's only four years old, so if he lives an average lifespan for a golden, he'll have another 6-8 years.
It's also contingent on me being able to find a golden of the appropriate age that I can afford, that my health doesn't further deteriorated beyond my ability to stretch myself and care for a puppy, and that I still have a place that will allow a dog of that size.
It took me probably six months of searching and haggling with people before I found an eight week old golden retriever at a rate I could afford the last time. I almost gave up.
I am not sure what I'd do if I couldn't find another one at the appropriate time. I love this breed, and I cherish the experience of raising a puppy to adulthood a lot. As it looked less likely that I would find an eight week old golden the last time, I talked to people offering other breeds and other ages at different prices, but struggled to pull the trigger. I'd certainly think about it, but in the end it's a tough compromise in the sense that a dog is a big financial, physical, and emotional commitment that usually lasts a decade or more. I am so set on this breed and raising a dog from being a very young puppy that having to adjust to a different situation might tilt the balance and make the whole thing a less viable path for me.
I think if I absolutely could find a golden puppy who was eight weeks old, I might consider something like an eight week old Cheasapeake Bay Retriever, an Irish Setter, or a Labrador, but the firs two breeds tend to have limited sellers who demand even high prices than Golden Retrievers breeders, and I haven't interacted with dogs from either of those two breeds, so the odds of finding one who would slim, and I'd probably actually want to interact a little with the pappa or momma dog and get a feel for their adult temperament.
Labradors seem a bit more readily available, especially if one is willing to settle for "mostly Labrador" mixed breed, but when I've interacted with them, while they do seem like less dogs that are largely similar to goldens on a surface level, there is a certain spark and personality that is very different and almost less developed. I think maybe goldens have a little more intelligence and a little stronger personalities. Labs are sort of the more generic version that moves back to a mean that is broadly acceptable to dog owners whereas goldens are sort of bred to an extreme that if you like, you have a hard time not seeking it out again and again, and, if you don't, you really don't. I clearly love the breed.
I think if I ever strayed away from golden retrievers as a choice rather than as something dictated by what my available options were, it'd probably be under a scenario where I had two dogs simultaneously, which doesn't seem likely. I'm a one dog kind of guy and don't really have the finances or the physical strength to keep up with more than one at a time, but you never know- were I to somehow wind up married or something (Unlikely) and we could keep a 1 to 1 dog to people ratio and have two incomes coming to bare, I could see getting my dog a friend, and I doubt I'd want two of the same species at the same time (Seems a little redundant). That's where I'd sort of open things wide up and really see what's out there. I'd probably want something really different as a second dog if I already had my favorite breed.
Actually, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers have always intrigued me. I've never seen one, but I've always wanted to meet one and see what they are like. I've often heard they are very close cousins to Golden Retrievers, but have their origins in my extended region rather than the UK, and are a relatively small (in terms of total numbers, not dog size), and are a very interesting breed in general with a lot of interesting quirks. If anything could ever voluntarily move me off a series of golden retrievers in succession, it might be the Chesapeake Retrievers. I just find it unlikely that a) I'd ever move off of having a golden as a pet voluntarily, and that b) I could find a CBR that I could afford. I'd love to learn more about the breed, though.
Anyone here own or have a chance to interact a lot with Chesapeake Bay Retrievers?
