Marithyme Golden Retrievers

On this page I would like to explore the world of the Golden Retriever as I view the breed. I may have started my breeding program in 1980, but was no stranger to dogs before that time. I grew up with many pets including dogs, cats and a pony. I worked very closely with a prominent Great Dane breeder in the late 70's where I learned showing and handling techniques as well as assisting with the puppy deliveries. As noble a breed as the Great Dane is, I knew this was not the breed for me. Later, I took night classes and became an animal technician and landed a few jobs working in large animal hospitals and clinics. It was during that time that I came to fall in love with the Golden Retriever. I was so impressed with their good nature and up-beat spirit. The lovely shades of gold only added to their appeal!

When my eldest son was a toddler, both my husband and I knew we had made a wise decision with our adopted golden, 'Kelly'. She was soft and sweet and very gentle when our son was on the floor toddling about. She would follow him and lie and move where he went. Granted, she was 12 years old when she came to live with us, but when she was loose out doors she moved about with great gusto. So she knew enough to be careful and patient around our small son. This is one of the reasons Golden Retrievers are found in so many homes. They are "people" dogs. I say this because they enjoy humans and want to be with us or around us at all times.

This makes for a wonderful family pet but they are not good at being kenneled or isolated (left alone for extended periods). So please heed my words and do not take home a Golden Retriever if you plan to place the dog out doors as a way of life. Goldens are at their best when raised as a member of the family. They also require a good deal of time to mature, both mentally and physically. This comes down to a few steps forwards and a few steps back. The key to raising a Golden is to have a good amount of patience and a sense of humor. They are comical dogs, some more so than others, and when you live with a large number of Goldens as we do, I often think I live with the cast of, "Saturday Night Live!!!!!!!!"

Having assisted with Golden Retriever rescue, I learned to be a better breeder. I learned what makes Goldens become a rescue statistic. (The flip side of breeding.) It opened my eyes to the reality and responsibilities of breeding and placing those puppies. Place them right and there will be no next time. That is where I developed my policy of selling our puppies by the owners life style, time and energy to that of the individual personalities of each pup. You may have your heart set on an image (color and sex) of the pup you are wanting, that is normal. My advise is to first find a breeder you feel comfortable with and meet the dam of the litter. If she isn't everything you would love in your pup, then why would you want one of her pups? All puppies are cute, even the ugly ones. Like Mum before you even have a look at the litter. We would try to get to know you better and in doing so, this gives me a clearer picture of the Golden that would best suit you. If there is more then one pup within that breeding that might be of the correct nature for a client, then I let the client pick color and or sex from those pups we evaluated for them. This has been working well for us over the years. It takes a great deal of time and energy.

I am proud of our success.

Steffi (Marithyme Goldens)

Breed Information

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