The ideal golden is a great upland hunter and retriever…in all kinds of weather. Photo by Dana Oaks.

So what's wrong with popularity? For starters, it encourages "casual" breeding by people interested in money rather than the breed. To be kind, I'll call the dogs from such breedings "pet stock," but that euphemism doesn't improve their quality.

What serious breeders call the "drag of the race," that is, the tendency of successive generations of casually bred dogs to deteriorate in quality, has seriously damaged today's huge population of pet-stock goldens. Thus, many of them resemble the breed standard only faintly.

Many have little or no working ability. Many suffer debilitating and even life-threatening hereditary health problems. And worst of all, at least some of them exhibit an atypical aggressiveness toward other dogs and even toward people.

In short, they are goldens in name only. Worse still, such "goldens" are bred and bred and bred. Why? Because the puppies sell well.

Consequently, some experts estimate that 85 to 90 percent of this country's current golden population is of this inferior pet-stock type. Clearly, to get an ideal golden, you must be very careful, very selective, and above all, very knowledgeable.

Breed Split
Even before the breed became so popular, it was beginning to split into two types, one for conformation shows, the other for field trials. Since both of these dog games are highly competitive, each encourages a different kind of specialization. The Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA) now sponsors two non-competitive events, one for conformation testing, the other for field testing.

The former awards a Certificate of Conformation Assessment (CCA) to goldens with acceptable conformation. The latter awards a Working Certificate (WC) or Working Certificate Excellent (WCX) to goldens that perform adequately in GRCA field tests. The intent of these two programs is to mend this breed split. Being non-competitive, given enough time, they could do that. Check the GRCA Website (see GRCA Sidebar) for more information on these programs.

The huge population of pet-stock goldens constitutes another split, one that offers no real hope of correction as long as the breed remains so popular and pet-stock puppies sell so well.

More recently, a fourth split has been started, this one by agility and obedience competitors intent on breeding smaller, quicker goldens that can compete with border collies. (Why, you ask, don't they just buy border collies? Beats me!) If this split continues, it won't lend itself to an easy solution.

Lorie Jolly, the self-described "high-maintenance tomboy." (Notice the nail polish and coif.) Photo from Lorie Jolly.

As you can see, to find your ideal golden, you have to learn a lot about the various kinds of breeders.

Hereditary Health Problems
Finally, goldens suffer the usual hereditary health problems that affect almost every breed today: hip and elbow dysplasia, heart disease, eye disease, and cancer. See the GRCA Website (GRCA sidebar) for more information. Serious breeders breed only sound animals. But serious breeders are in the minority today, so caveat emptor.

Finding An Ideal Golden
If you're a golden person, you won't mind doing all the research it takes to find an ideal pup for yourself. In fact, you'll enjoy it. Check the GRCA website (see GRCA Sidebar) for bountiful information on the breed, its various problems today, and how to find responsible breeders. Then check out a few.

See their breeding stock in action. Examine their dogs' health clearance certificates. Get references and contact them. Then opt for the breeder who measures up and with whom you have a comfortable rapport. Select a litter that fits your goals, even if you have to wait several months for the breeding.

Which puppy? Play with them all, and then go with your heart. Choose the one that somehow gets to you.

Since this will probably be your first golden, let me close by wishing that he pleases you as much as my first one, Duffy, has pleased me, first for over 16 years in life, and now for over 24 years in memory.