1. What is the difference between an American Golden Retriever and an English Cream Golden Retriever? Both are AKC registered dogs. Both are considered to be part of the same beloved golden retriever breed. Both have the typical golden retriever temperament-meaning that they are great family dogs- which is why we love them.
Genetically, English Cream goldens have descended from European bloodlines, instead of American bloodlines. The most obvious difference is the color. English Cream goldens are very light, almost white in color (like our Millie), while American goldens range in color from light golden to a very dark golden color. There are some studies that suggest that rates of cancer may be lower in dogs that are descended from European bloodlines, but those studies are not necessarily conclusive. In general, English Cream golden retrievers tend to be stockier and have blockier heads. They are also thought to be a little more mellow than their American counterparts. More or less, choosing one version of the breed over the other is a personal choice, based on what you are looking for in a dog. For us, as time has gone on, we have chosen to breed dogs that are lighter in color and have blockier heads. Picking an English Cream golden retriever was the next logical step for our family. The most important thing to us is that our dogs have their clearances for hips and elbows, and have descended from dogs with excellent clearances. Stephen is also a veterinarian and is able to assess our dogs' health and suitability for breeding. For these reasons, we think our dogs will be a great choice for your family and are excited to continue breeding excellent golden retrievers.
2. Is Gateway Goldens a kennel? No. We have three golden retrievers that are primarily our pets. For this reason, we do not always have puppies available. However, we have had many years of experience in breeding and raising golden retrievers and have successfully bred and raised several litters of puppies throughout the last 15 years. Stephen's family also owned and bred golden retrievers throughout his growing-up years. Our dogs are a part of our family, and we all enjoy taking care of them and our new puppies.
3. Can we visit the puppies/ what is your process for reserving a puppy? We will reserve puppies in the order that deposits are received. When you decide that you would like to purchase a puppy from us, we will send you a contract and request that you send a non-refundable deposit to hold the puppy. If you would like and are able to, you may visit the puppies when they are about five weeks old and pick out your puppy. We will schedule these visits in the order that the puppies have been reserved. If you are unable to visit the puppies, we will work with you to pick out the puppy that best suits your family's preferences.
4. What health guarantees do you have for your puppies? Please refer to our CONTRACT to see our health guarantee.
5. Do you ship puppies? No.
6. What do we need to do to get ready for our new puppy? Your puppy will be well-socialized from its first day of life. He or she will be vet-checked and have its first round of shots, and be de-wormed when you take him or her home. Your puppy will also be micro-chipped in order to provide permanent identification. You should have a safe place for the puppy to sleep (we recommend planning on crate-training your puppy) and quality large-breed puppy food. (We use Purina Pro Plan.) We would also recommend the usual items of a collar, leash, food dishes, and durable puppy toys; goldens love to play with toys and are easily taught to fetch! You may also want to consider some sort of fence for your dog, whether it be a physical fence or an invisible fence. We have had great success training our dogs on an invisible fence. Please feel free to talk to us about any other questions you have about bringing your puppy home! The thing that he or she will want most of all is you!