POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

*** THIS PAGE IS UNDERGOING FURTHER CONSTRUCTION – THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE ***

 

Our Breeding Objectives

  • To preserve the kind, friendly and confident disposition, quintessential to the Golden Retriever breed and its role as a loving and faithful family companion.
  • To produce structurally sound, intelligent and biddable Golden Retrievers who are true to classic type, free of major heritable defects and possess a natural working ability to perform activities such as obedience trials, agility, search and rescue, and traditional field hunting and retrieval work.
  • To produce quality Golden Retrievers conforming to the Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC) Dogs Australia  breed standard.

 

Health Clearances

Our breeding dogs are screened for the following conditions:

  • Hip Dysplasia (HD)
  • Elbow Dysplasia (OCD)
  • Hereditary Eye diseases – eyes are examined annually by a Specialist Veterinary Ophthalmologist
  • Heart disease (Sub Aortic Stenosis aka SAS) – test performed by a Specialist Veterinary Cardiologist

 

Other heritable defects we DNA test for:

  • ICT (Ichthyosis) presents as shedding of skin flakes (much like dandruff) in affected dogs.
  • PRA-1 / PRA-2 / prcd-PRA – Progressive Retinal Atrophy is a group of degenerative eye disorders causing blindness over time.
  • DM (Degenerative Myelopathy) is a progressive disease of the spinal cord in senior dogs.
  • MD (Muscular dystrophy) affects the muscles and is typically first seen in young dogs (eg 1-3 months of age). In affected dogs the body produces a defective version of a protein called dystrophin causing stiffness and a defective gait that worsens over time.
  • NCL (Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis) is a degenerative disease of the brain.

 

Wait List

Placement on the Wait List

*** WE DO NOT FORMALLY OPEN A WAIT LIST UNTIL SUCH TIME AS WE HAVE PUPPIES AVAILABLE AND/OR A PREGNANCY CONFIRMED ***

As per information outlined on the ‘LITTERS’ page of this website, to be considered for one of our puppies, the first port of call is expressing an interest via our online puppy enquiry form. Upon establishing a family’s suitability an email is sent out to the family with advice of an approval. Any further information, if required, will also be requested at this time. Once approved, families are encouraged to join our private Facebook group page where they can follow both video and pictorial updates on a litter, as well as follow/connect with other Filigrigold puppy families who share their experiences and adventures with their puppies.

Pregnancy Confirmation & Litter Size

To help us determine if a mating has been successful, and estimate the approximate size of an upcoming litter, the dam has an ultrasound examination between day 28 to 32 post-mating.  We reasonably cannot ‘guarantee’ the size of any litter, nor are we able to determine gender and/or gender ratios (ie number of males to females) in a litter prior to birth.

Communication

  • If the ultrasound confirms a pregnancy a notice will be posted on the ‘LITTERS’ page of this website.
  • Families on the wait list for an upcoming litter are notified by email when the puppies are born.
  • Families of reserved puppies will receive litter updates either by email or our Facebook group page (or both)
  • Leading up to the collection day of puppies, a series of weekly emails is sent to each family on the distribution list, containing resource materials from our “Puppy Information Series” pertinent to raising, training, exercising, feeding and general care of the puppy.

 

Puppy Placements

  • Once puppies are 72 hours old, a deposit is required to reserve a puppy. The balance is due prior to picking up the puppy (if necessary, a puppy may be left with us for an additional period for a nominal charge).
  • Meeting families on our group ‘Puppy Family Day’ is a prerequisite (ie attendance is not optional, it IS required) and is arranged when the litter is between 6 to 7 weeks old. Individual visits following PFD are available by appointment only. Families will be provided with a copy of our Kennel booklet to take home.
  • Parent health clearance certificates are presented in a folder for viewing on Puppy Family Day (NB: Copies are available to families who are current registered ANKC members, proof required).
  • We currently only place our puppies with families within Australia thus no International placements are available at this time.
  • Puppies are registered with DOGS Qld on a Limited Register (meaning the puppy cannot be shown in conformation classes nor used for breeding purposes).
  • Puppies must be picked up from Filigrigold Kennels by their new families and be driven to their new home (unless the puppy is being sold and flown interstate).
  • At 8 weeks of age the litter undergoes a Veterinary wellness exam, during which each puppy also receives its first vaccination (C3), and is microchipped.  All placements are conditional on each puppy receiving its health clearance during this primary Veterinary examination.
  • Puppies go home with their own portfolio and puppy care package. Lifetime breeder support is available to new puppy families via our private Facebook group page “Filigrigold Golden Retriever Families” and or by phone or email directly.

 

(More information coming soon!)