Posted on 10/04/2006 7:37:38 PM PDT by AnAmericanMother
She is so beautiful.
Won't take her long to figure out she isn't the big dog yet.
Nothing like a puppy.
Thanks for the ping HOTD
A new puppy is always a wonderful thing.
what a little beauty!
Congrats on your new little (but not for long) puppy!
Oh! SoooooooooOOOooOOOOooOOoOoOOoOo Cuuuuuute!!!!! i just love "puppy breath" :-)
Congrats on your new addition to your family.
I received my German shepherd pup on a New Year's Eve via the airport! Best package I ever got. I love labs, too. Congrats.
What a doll baby! Puppies are so wonderful.
I wish my 12 year old girl were a puppy all over again.
What a great addition for the holidays!
He's adorable!
Congrats! He's so cute! And, I can't forget your lab, who is adorable, too!
You're gonna have a great time with those two together!
Congrats!
AWWWWWWWWWWW! AWWWWWWWWWW! AWWWWWWWWWWW!
I just LOVE furry babies!!! Congrats on your new addition!!
Have you considered the name Sneaux (Snow)? ; )
If her daddy were one of the two popular sires right now call-named "Roux" (both in LA flyway area), it would be perfect. She's not Louisiana bred, though.
Her sire is FC/AFC The Man In Black, call name "Cash". So the obvious name is a Johnny Cash song. I narrowed it down to "Candlewood Give My Love to Rose", "Candlewood Rock 'n' Roll Ruby", and "Candlewood Katy Too." "I Walk the Line" doesn't have a good call name for a girl, "Lina" just doesn't roll off the tongue, and "Walker" is really for a boy. She doesn't LOOK like a "Rose" - not sweet and shy at all, plus that's such a sad, sad song. "Katy Too" is upbeat and cute, but given this dog's personality, she may end up being a "Ruby". She's brash and forward and will clearly have tons of energy . . . if she had them, she would kick her high heels off and let her stockings down, and rock on all the tables and rock on the floor . . .
Shelley profoundly appreciates your remembering her. She's feeling just a little bit miffed right now, with the puppy getting so much attention.
I like German Shepherds too, friends of mine do obedience with two very fine German-bred Shepherds . . . but as a first-time dog owner with two small children when I got my first dog, I went for a Lab as "Least Likely to Take Offense At Little Terrors", and now I'm hooked on Labs!
Congrats. Beautiful dog.
Precious! And the reason she arrived via mail order is because? (I know you show dogs, but what makes her so special -- besides the way she looks?)
BTW, a beautiful farm near where I work has been displaying a sign for the last couple of weeks, "Golden Retriever Pups for sale."
Max and I notice it every time we drive by on the way to, or from, work. It is all I can do to stop myself from going in and taking a peek. Do you think that if I asked to see the pumpkins (also for sale) that I could sneak a peak at the pubppies and then gracefully extricate myself by taking home a couple of pumpkins?
Max probably wouldn't like a rival, although he'd accept it eventually. However, I don't think I could handle TWO big dogs! OR all the fur. LOL.
That clarification having been issued . . . < g >
The reason this little girl is so special is that she was bred by the lady who is the premier field trial breeder in all of the U.S. and Canada. Field trials are for the retriever breeds - Labrador Retrievers, Goldens, Chessies, Flat Coats, and a few oddballs like the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. They test the dog's ability to retrieve game -- like hunt tests, only field trials are more difficult and technical, and the dogs compete against each other rather than against a standard as we do in the hunt tests. The really really big field trial is the Nationals, held once a year. In twelve years, Mary Howley bred nine National Champions (the very best retrieving dog in the U.S.) and she has dogs that are consistently trainable, fast, birdy, and good hunters.
She bred my first dog's mother, and I was so impressed with Shelley's performance as a retriever, even though she started retrieving very late (she was almost 3), that I wanted to get another Candlewood dog. So, lots of telephone calls and correspondence later, here she is!
It's important to buy a pup from a serious hobby breeder, not from a chance neighborhood breeder, or, worse, from a puppy mill.
You can find out if it's a registered kennel, and also if the owners belong to a breed association and compete their dogs in some discipline or other (whether conformation or performance.) The Golden Retriever News and their associated clubs keep close tabs on who's reputable and who's not, and brytlea (who does Goldens) will probably know more sources for you.
Unfortunately, Goldens are very popular, and the riff raff have moved in and are selling puppies that are poorly bred and have tons of genetic problems -- bad hips, bad eyes, seizures, heart problems, tumors, you name it. All breeds have some genetic issues, but the most popular breeds have the most and the worst.
Just because the puppies are at a beautiful farm doesn't mean much. They might be brought there to sell. You can ask to meet the mother, and the father if he's available, but that's not a foolproof method.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.