# Considering a Collie or Golden Retriever



## Merqutio (Oct 11, 2008)

I was considering purchasing either a rough collie or golden retriever. Has anyone out there ever owned any of these breeds?

Do collies overheat easily (I live in Florida)? How active are they? Would they make good running partners? How do I know if a breeder is reputable? I was considering purchasing a collie from the following breeder: http://www.terryscollies.com/ Do they seem like reputable breeders?

If anyone out there has had a golden retriever, how difficult is their grooming? How active are they? Would they make a good running partner? How much should I be willing to pay for a golden retriever? Some of the breeder websites I have found charge between $1,000 and $1,500.


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

That collie breeder does NOT look reputable to me. No mention of the parents' eye status, any other health checks or any proving of the dogs other than having a few champions in the pedigree. Also no mention of the other problems that can occur in collies- bloat, epilepsy, thyroid problems, etc. You can do MUCH better. 

Living in Texas with a rough and a smooth, I can tell you that my rough tolerates the heat just fine, but DOES slow down a LOT faster when we're outside on a warm day. (And her definition of warm is anything over 75.) If you're really active, I would probalby encourage you to consider a smooth rather than a rough. (PLus, the grooming's a lot less.)


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## Filnyyena (Jul 24, 2008)

And the fact that they are being harassed is a red flag to me..Why are they being harassed?


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

That breeder looks like a typical BYB with a fancy website. Bought a couple of puppies from champions and *poof* they're in the puppy making business! I'd look for a breeder who is active with their dogs in both conformation and other activities (obedience, herding, flyball, agility....). Not just someone who has a stud dog and a couple of bitches making puppies to make a buck. Also, as mentioned earlier, there's no reference to health status of parents or grandparents, other than to say they are vet checked. Big whoop.


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

Don't know where is Florida you are located but have you considered a rescue?

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10458870

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=11220816


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## Merqutio (Oct 11, 2008)

Thanks guys... I guess will skip over that breeder for now. I did some more searching, and the reputable breeders that mention all of the health examinations charge a lot for golden retrievers. The cheapest golden retriever price I've found today is $1,500. The most expensive I found was $2,500. What is a decent price for a golden retriever puppy?


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## pamperedpups (Dec 7, 2006)

You get what you pay for. Proven, healthy (tested and guaranteed) stock is not cheap. You can take your chances and everything may end up okay, or you may end up like my mom (or worse) who has a year old Shih Tzu with juvenile cataracts and no help from the breeder. Big dogs may end up with hip or elbow dysplasias that will cripple them, among other serious health conditions that are tested for and guaranteed against by good breeders. If you think you want to take your chances anyway, I highly suggest you rescue.


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## Filnyyena (Jul 24, 2008)

Oh yeah. My mom's friend spent $1500 on her purebread Golden..great dog..

Like Pampered said, expect what you pay for..Do your research..ask for help (as you are now) and hope for the best..Or you can save a dog  Not to put any pressure on you on you or anything 

Hah good luck with your decision  I hope you find a wonderful dog regardless! Keep us updated


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## Tankstar (Dec 30, 2006)

My collie does fine in the heat. although we dont live in flordia, we live in Canada, but in my area summers stay at around 30-35C for 2-3 months. And hover around 15-30 for a few other months of the year. We do alot of water activites (play fetch in the creek, go out to cottages and swim ect. So he is always cooling off. collies are great dogs and would make a great running partner, mine does great one 1-2 hour long bike rides, offleash in the woods so on all kinds of terrian and hills. 

Look for a good breeder who properly tests her/his dogs. shows them one way or another and has a good reputation.


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## txcollies (Oct 23, 2007)

I'd stay away from that breeder. Be sure to find one that does check eyes.

I live in TX. I've got a rough and 4 smooths. My rough tolerates the heat just fine. In fact, she tolerates it better than one of my smooths!

You have some good breeders around in your part of the country. It shouldn't be too hard to find a nice pup.


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## FriendsOfZoe (Aug 7, 2007)

Merqutio said:


> If anyone out there has had a golden retriever, how difficult is their grooming? How active are they? Would they make a good running partner? How much should I be willing to pay for a golden retriever? Some of the breeder websites I have found charge between $1,000 and $1,500.


To be honest, the most reputable breeders don't necessarily charge the most. They are not usually in it to make money as much as to produce quality puppies. I would contact your local puppy referral person through the national GR club, as they can put you in touch with better breeders: http://www.grca.org/allabout/puppyreferrals.html

For your other questions...grooming is not difficult at all. They need regular brushing to keep them clean, but are really quite easy to groom. They can really vary in activeness...some are quite mellow even as puppies, others could power a small nation if only their energy could be harnessed, but in general, they are quite active as puppies, which is about the first three years of their lives. I would highly recommend looking into rescue, as there are plenty of great goldens in rescue and if you get an older one, you can have that ideal companion much sooner than with a puppy.

As for running, well, it really depends. Goldens have high instances of hip displasia and joint problems. You CANNOT go running with a puppy. They need to be at least 18 months old (when the growth plates have closed) and most people recommend waiting until at least 2 years old to run with them. Even then, you need to check with a vet to see how strong the hips are. If you could run laps around a baseball field or on trails (so your dog can run on a softer surface than concrete), that would help.

In terms of heat, I will say that goldens definitely slow down in the heat. However, they are water-loving dogs, and if you have access to a pool or lake or ocean where your dog can safely swim, you will be all set. Swimming is probably the best exercise possible for a golden, and a great way to beat the heat. Plenty of people live in Florida and other hot places with goldens and do just fine, letting them exercise in the summer either by swimming or by taking walks in the morning and after sunset.


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## Rowdy (Sep 2, 2007)

I have a rough and a smooth. In the summer I tend to take them out earlier, when it's cooler, but they both do OK in the heat.

Both breeds are great family dogs. They both love to be with their people. From the collies that I've met they seem to be less *emphatic* about it than the goldens. They'll come and check you out, lean against you, and put their heads in your lap, but mostly they're not crazy tail-wagging-jump-all-over-you-forever dogs like the goldens.

Both can be great running dogs... or not... depending on the individual dog. Neither of mine are good runners, but they'll hike forever with me. On the other hand, we had a rough collie bitch for 6 weeks last winter, who is related to our dogs, who would've been a great runner/performance dog.


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## LucyGoosy (Mar 19, 2008)

I had 2 rough collies up until last year when they both passed on due to old age.

I live in NY but the collies never seemed to have a really hard time with the heat in the summer than any other dog. One had a much heavier coat than the other and the heavier coated one seemed to tolerate the heat the best. I think it's an individual thing. Your heat in Florida will definitely be worse than ours--we have a couple of weeks in the low 90's pretty much every summer, but mostly summer is in the 80's. 

Grooming a rough collie is more of a challenge than many breeds. They just have a lot of hair and you have to brush them down to the skin at least a couple of times a week to keep the hair from matting. I also took mine to a professional groomer every 2-3 months, which really helped a lot. I let them do the baths because they had the equipment to dry them thoroughly. It's really important that the hair dry all the way down to the skin because dampness trapped underneath can cause hot spots or other skin problems. Groomers have the equipment to do this for the heavy coated breeds.

I agree with Rowdy above that collies are more reserved than goldens. My collies were affectionate, loved being with people, but they were less exuberant about it. Reserved is the best way I can describe it. When I came home from work, they would greet me at the door with tails wagging but they wouldn't be doing back flips like a lot of goldens I know.

My collies were very energetic (moreso than a lot of collies I've known) and loved going for hikes and runs. They had a lot of stamina and were really fun. 

I now have an Australian Shepherd puppy and an Aussie mix. Both are extremely high energy and more outwardly affectionate than my collies were. I don't think they love me any more than the collies, they just show it more. The collies were a little more independent than the Aussies are.

I don't think you could go wrong with either breed you are considering. Both are great people loving breeds with great dispositions. 

About price of collies. In NY state, I can easily find very reputable breeders that do all the health checks for $800-1000 for a pet quality pup. I just checked a few months ago when I was trying to decide on a new puppy. And, these are NICE puppies with all the appropriate health checks and guarantees. But, I'm sure it does vary from region to region. 

I agree with the others on the website you listed. The dogs look like average collies and I don't see anything mentioned about the health checks that collies should have--eye exam is very important with collies. If this breeder is charging $1000 for a pup, I think they are WAY overpriced. 

Good luck whatever you decide. How exciting for you!!


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## KaseyT (May 7, 2008)

Does it really make sense to get a thick coated breed in a sub-tropical climate given all the short coated breeds available? 

At least a Golden can be cut short in the summer (though they shouldn't of you want to keep a perfect coat), but you would never cut short a rough coated collie.

How about a smooth coated collie?


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

KaseyT said:


> Does it really make sense to get a thick coated breed in a sub-tropical climate given all the short coated breeds available?
> 
> At least a Golden can be cut short in the summer (though they shouldn't of you want to keep a perfect coat), but you would never cut short a rough coated collie.
> 
> How about a smooth coated collie?


This is not correct..... 
a golden should never be trimmed down as you increase the risk of heat stroke and other related problems by shaving as you remove the protective guard hair and leave only the hot undercoat

so it has nothing to do with a "perfect" coat and all to do with the health and safety of the dog

as far as goldens vs. collies 
they are both wonderful breeds 
I can't speak to collies specifically but no dog under the age of 18 mos should do any road work as it is hard on the joints 

goldens specifically have issues with cancer, hip and elbow dysplasia and allergies amongst others and going to a reputable breeder is must 

when you go to the breeder expect to pay around 1000-1500 depending on where you live.... here in the northeast golden puppies are around 1200 from a reputable breeder 

you will want to look for a breeder that does something with their dogs
either confromation or performance events so that they make their dogs prove they are worht breeding.... having champions in the pedigree means nothing.... 

you also want to see 
hip, elbow, heart and eye clearances in a golden retriever 
the heart clearance should be done by a veterinary cardiologist 

goldens are great dogs.... 
they should be fine in florida 
just keep in mind that any double coated breed will be warmer than one with a single coat 

and neither goldens NOR collies should be shaved. 

s


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## 3goldens (Oct 14, 2008)

Hi, We have 3 goldens. Yes, there is a lot of grooming involved and a lot of hair in the house. So please keep that in mind. I would not purchase a dog from anyone online. Please check with local breeders in your area to be sure that you are not getting a puppy mill dog. You will also want hip, elbow, eye and heart certificates for both sire and damm. Also don't forget to check with the Collie or Golden Rescue groups in your area. Good Luck!

3goldens


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## skelaki (Nov 9, 2006)

http://www.collieclubofamerica.org/index.html This is the site for the National Breed Club for Collies. If you contact one of the club officers they'll guide you to responsible breeders for rough or smooth collies. 

Parent Club: Collie Club of America, Inc. 
Breeder Referral: Bill Garland
Regional Contacts: website 


Amd here's a list of Collie Clubs in Florida. http://www.akc.org/clubs/search/index.cfm?RequestTimeout=45 . You should be able to find a good breeder through one of them.


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