Puppies must be exercised with caution as hip problems, particularly dysplasia, are not caused solely by genetics - environmental factors can also contribute to bad hips. Inappropriate or excessive exercise and an unsuitable diet during the first year, when the majority of their growth happens, can affect skeletal development and damage vulnerable joints. Inappropriate exercise being, running up and down stairs, standing up on their hind legs, jumping, or miles of road walking on a lead. Ideal exercise is free running on grass but not to the point of exhaustion, generally 5 minutes exercise per month of age is sufficient in their first year. Muscle needs to be built up slowly to support the joints. Puppies should be ‘grown’ slowly and not allowed to become overweight.

 Golden Retrievers can suffer from various inherited eye disorders. It is important to only breed from dogs that have been certified as having a valid clear eyes – this certificate, like a car tax disc must be within the current date, as it is renewed yearly. Some eye disorders may not develop until the dog is three or four years old or possibly older.

 Hip & elbow dysplasia are crippling diseases that can occur at a very young age. All responsible breeders will do their utmost to prevent this happening to any of the puppies they had bred by ensuring that all breeding stock has below average results, certified by the KC/BVA (Kennel Club/British Veterinary Association). The term dysplasia is a general term that is used to describe the developmental degenerative disease of the hip or elbow joints.

Hip & elbow scoring is done when the dog is one year or older. An x-ray is taken of the pelvis & elbows and sent to the KC/BVA panel, who measure various angles and give scores on these angles for both the right and left hip, these are then added together to give a hip-score. They also assess the grade of the elbows to determine any likelihood of hereditary defects being passed on. An average for the breed is calculated after a minimum of ten dogs of that particular breed having been hip-scored. For example the average for the Golden Retriever is 19. The elbows are also given scores, which are added together, and a score of zero or 1 is ok but 2 or 3 should be avoided. The theory being that breeding from dogs with healthy hips & elbows is more likely to produce offspring with healthy hips & elbows.

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 © Nigel Corbett 2001