Why do you call them English Style Golden Retrievers? Are they really healthier than American Golden Retrievers?
In a nutshell, All Golden Retrievers are Golden Retrievers. It is just one breed. However, the English Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club have slightly different definitions of what the ideal standard for the Golden Retriever should be, thus the designation of "English Style" (Known by some people as English Cream Golden retrievers), as our dogs have been bred from the English standard and imported from Europe. Some of these variances are minor, like a slightly differently shaped head, and some are more noticeable, like a more level back. They are all variations of our beautiful, well-loved breed.
A big reason we love our English style Golden Retrievers is there may be some benefits in longevity to the slightly different genetic lines. The jury is somewhat out on why this is.
I love this very well written article written by a veterinarian on the genetic lines behind "American" vs "English" golden retrievers. According to the article, research has found significant differences in cancer rates between American and English Golden Retrievers. She notes, "According to a 2019 study, around 60% of American Goldens will develop cancer in their lifetimes, compared to 40% of English Goldens. This discrepancy is likely rooted in the different set of founding dogs each type descends from. Dr Read goes on to say, "...The average lifespan for an [American] Golden Retriever is 10-12 years. English Golden Retrievers tend to live slightly longer, with an average lifespan on the higher end of the range at 12 years. According to a 2004 UK Kennel Club Survey, English Goldens had a median longevity of 12 years 3 months. For American Golden Retrievers, the typical lifespan is 10-11 years. In a 1998 study, the Golden Retriever Club of America found that American field line Goldens lived a median of 10.5 years, and American show line Goldens lived a median of 11 years."
You can read her whole article Here: American vs English Golden Retrievers: An In-Depth Comparison - 33rd Square
Newer research, however, is calling into question whether or not this link to greater longevity is actually related to different genetic lines or the more common practice in Europe to leave dogs intact rather than getting them "fixed", as hormones in Golden Retrievers may provide a bigger protective benefit against Cancer than in other breeds. It may be that there is no difference at all in longevity when you take into account this difference in practice and that the deciding factor is actually humans taking away the hormones in these dogs at a higher rate in America than in Europe. Here was that recent study along with recommendations that seems to draw that conclusion. Frontiers | Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence
So are English Goldens truly a longer-lived genetic variation? I am not sure. Science is always evolving, so I will be very interested to see the results of ongoing research. We personally still prefer the look of the blockier heads and slightly stockier build of the English Type Goldens and selected dogs for our breeding program with lots of longevity in their lines. Hopefully we will also see increased life spans and decreased rates of cancers.
A big reason we love our English style Golden Retrievers is there may be some benefits in longevity to the slightly different genetic lines. The jury is somewhat out on why this is.
I love this very well written article written by a veterinarian on the genetic lines behind "American" vs "English" golden retrievers. According to the article, research has found significant differences in cancer rates between American and English Golden Retrievers. She notes, "According to a 2019 study, around 60% of American Goldens will develop cancer in their lifetimes, compared to 40% of English Goldens. This discrepancy is likely rooted in the different set of founding dogs each type descends from. Dr Read goes on to say, "...The average lifespan for an [American] Golden Retriever is 10-12 years. English Golden Retrievers tend to live slightly longer, with an average lifespan on the higher end of the range at 12 years. According to a 2004 UK Kennel Club Survey, English Goldens had a median longevity of 12 years 3 months. For American Golden Retrievers, the typical lifespan is 10-11 years. In a 1998 study, the Golden Retriever Club of America found that American field line Goldens lived a median of 10.5 years, and American show line Goldens lived a median of 11 years."
You can read her whole article Here: American vs English Golden Retrievers: An In-Depth Comparison - 33rd Square
Newer research, however, is calling into question whether or not this link to greater longevity is actually related to different genetic lines or the more common practice in Europe to leave dogs intact rather than getting them "fixed", as hormones in Golden Retrievers may provide a bigger protective benefit against Cancer than in other breeds. It may be that there is no difference at all in longevity when you take into account this difference in practice and that the deciding factor is actually humans taking away the hormones in these dogs at a higher rate in America than in Europe. Here was that recent study along with recommendations that seems to draw that conclusion. Frontiers | Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence
So are English Goldens truly a longer-lived genetic variation? I am not sure. Science is always evolving, so I will be very interested to see the results of ongoing research. We personally still prefer the look of the blockier heads and slightly stockier build of the English Type Goldens and selected dogs for our breeding program with lots of longevity in their lines. Hopefully we will also see increased life spans and decreased rates of cancers.
What Health testing do you do?
I believe that one of the differences between our breeding program and many others, is that we follow all the recommended health screenings by the GRCA. We also do genetic testing to make sure our dogs are not affected by any known genetic concerns like Ichthyosis or NCL. Lastly, we remove from our program any dogs that have undesirable traits that cannot be genetically tested for, but would still potentially be able to be passed on to their puppies, like resource guarding and anxiety.
You can read about the recommended health screenings by the GRCA here: Health Screenings for the Parents of a Litter - Golden Retriever Club of America
You can read about the recommended health screenings by the GRCA here: Health Screenings for the Parents of a Litter - Golden Retriever Club of America
Can you tell me more about the training methods you use to socialize your puppies?
We are always "tweaking" how we train because we and our dogs are never done learning. But currently with our litters, we are following the recommendations of 3 main training programs. They all have many similarities.
The training programs I am using are:
All 3 of these resources are fabulous in producing well balanced and eager to learn puppies and if you have any interest in learning more about what goes into those first 8 weeks, I recommend them all!
(actually, all 3 go much further than the first 8 weeks, so are great resources for you as you continue your puppy raising journey. I listed them in order of "user friendliness" and cost).
The training programs I am using are:
- Avidog (get their free downloadable 97 ways to create great puppies, here). Avidog is a great easy to use program.
- Puppy Brain. I can't say enough good about this book if you are a reader or dog lover book by Kerry Nichols. Kerry captures her love of puppies and their learning stages in a gentle and engaging manner. You can hear the depth of thought and research she has put into her program. She also has a blog on substack that has tons of additional content (you pay a small subscription fee).
- Most formally, we use the very inclusive and in-depth program Puppy Culture. Puppy culture helps me make sure we get the right learning at the right time so by 8 weeks these puppies are ready for new horizons.
All 3 of these resources are fabulous in producing well balanced and eager to learn puppies and if you have any interest in learning more about what goes into those first 8 weeks, I recommend them all!
(actually, all 3 go much further than the first 8 weeks, so are great resources for you as you continue your puppy raising journey. I listed them in order of "user friendliness" and cost).
What vaccines or other healthcare can I expect my puppy to have done when I get them?
All our puppies are wormed at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age. They get their first DAPP vaccines at 8 weeks of age and then a vet check and microchipped before they come home to you. I highly recommend you continue their vaccination series until they are 16 weeks of age and then confirm immunity by titer with their vet. The University of Wisconsin Veterinary medicine has some great information about titering for immunity and the importance of doing so that you can read Here. Read the recommended vaccines for dogs from the AAHA Here. I do not treat for heartworm/ticks as our incidence here is low and I have had a dog that had a very severe reaction to Bravecto in the past when I did treat. If you want to put your dog on a preventative like Bravecto, please carefully weigh the benefit vs the risk in your area.
What is the most current recommendation for Spaying/Neutering my puppy?
The AKC has had a significant departure from their earlier stance on Spay/Neuter, specifically for Golden Retrievers as they found a statistically significant difference in Cancer rates between altered and non-altered Golden Retrievers (see above notes on longevity). Added to what they had already discovered about significantly increased risk of joint problems in Golden Retrievers with early neutering, our current strong recommendation is that you wait til they are 2, and then you do an ovary sparing spay for female dogs, and get your male dogs neutered.
You can read those recommendations here. New Study Updates Spay-Neuter Timeline for Popular Dog Breeds
or the study they were based off here. Frontiers | Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence
You can read those recommendations here. New Study Updates Spay-Neuter Timeline for Popular Dog Breeds
or the study they were based off here. Frontiers | Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence
What books or websites do you recommend to learn more about training my puppy?
Where to start. I have linked my 3 favorite training philosophies on this page in my FAQ addressing how I raise your puppy above, and I also recommend the AKC puppy training resources for good articles. I would also strongly encourage you to look for a trainer before you ever bring your puppy home, so that you already have that resource vetted and are on their schedule.
What food do you recommend we give our puppy/dog?
Dog foods are a constantly moving target, however, there are a few caveats for Golden Retriever puppies that are important to note.
1. Please do not feed your dog a grain free kibble unless recommended by your vet! There is a known, proven link to Goldens developing heart problems on grain free diets due to a taurine deficiency!
2. Large breed puppies have different protein and calcium requirements than small or medium puppies. Please feed a feed specifically for large breed puppies.
3. Please look for open recalls or companies with a history of lots of recalls and avoid those. Dog Food Recalls | DogFoodAdvisor
4. Aim to find foods that have been ranked 4 stars or higher by the Dog Food Advisor. Best Large Breed Puppy Foods 2024 | Dog Food Advisor
5. For more information on healthy food for dogs, if you are inclined to raw feed, or if you just want to learn more about healthy diets for dogs, I strongly recommend the book, The Forever Dog.
1. Please do not feed your dog a grain free kibble unless recommended by your vet! There is a known, proven link to Goldens developing heart problems on grain free diets due to a taurine deficiency!
2. Large breed puppies have different protein and calcium requirements than small or medium puppies. Please feed a feed specifically for large breed puppies.
3. Please look for open recalls or companies with a history of lots of recalls and avoid those. Dog Food Recalls | DogFoodAdvisor
4. Aim to find foods that have been ranked 4 stars or higher by the Dog Food Advisor. Best Large Breed Puppy Foods 2024 | Dog Food Advisor
5. For more information on healthy food for dogs, if you are inclined to raw feed, or if you just want to learn more about healthy diets for dogs, I strongly recommend the book, The Forever Dog.
Do you show your dogs?
In a word, "NO!" And while I wish I had time in my life right now, between my job as a nurse, my farm and my family, I do not see that changing soon unless one of the children decide they want to start showing. My job requires me to work every other weekend and my farm duties use up much of my other weekends. We do show our dairy goats in some local shows but that is the extent of our showing. Most dog shows happen around weekends, and I generally don't have the time to add any other away from home weekend duties. I am hopeful someday to have the ability to travel that is required to show and title dogs.
That said, our breeding stock are dogs that come from show lineages or therapy lineages that have been proven over time in conformation, temperament and health. These dogs are happy, healthy and have great temperaments. If you are looking for a puppy to show, please let us know when you put in your application.
That said, our breeding stock are dogs that come from show lineages or therapy lineages that have been proven over time in conformation, temperament and health. These dogs are happy, healthy and have great temperaments. If you are looking for a puppy to show, please let us know when you put in your application.