We consider the people who sell to pet stores to be puppy mills as their ONLY motivation is money and the animals, to them, are livestock. For this website, we consider commercial breeders to be large scale breeders who clearly breed, raise and sell puppies with money as a key but perhaps not the only consideration.

Some of these breeders go back to a time when many of the best kennels developed impactful breeding programs because they were able to support large numbers of dogs. Indeed some of these people started with some of the foundation dogs of our breed. Others started as hobby breeders having occasional litters, and now have six to ten litters a year, which certainly moves them into this category.

Those of us who see Goldens more as pets and companions, and who tend to house dogs in our living rooms and on our beds, are distressed by large numbers of dogs spending most of their hours in kennels or crates. But some of these breeders have been involved with Goldens for many years. Some have their best dogs exhibited by top handlers with a view toward achieving their Championships and more, and of course the monies from their puppy sales goes to fund this activity.

Since commercial breeders do treat this as a business (they will always have business cards available), consumers may be protected in dealing with them. These people would not be successful without good customer service and customer relations. Some of the larger operations employ a staff of people to care for the dogs. And even those who don't have paid help, do not stint on dog and medical care. These dogs are their assets.

While they may not be putting the same type of careful thought into a breeding program that a hobby breeder with limited dogs might do, commercial breeders typically get all the necessary eye, hip, elbow and heart clearances that are recommended by the Golden Retriever Club of America. Many of these breeders are active in the National and local Golden Retriever Clubs and some are AKC judges.

Although our recommendation is to work with smaller hobby breeders, in reality the best breeders breed for themselves. So serious hobby breeders will never produce enough dogs to meet the needs of those who want Goldens. And these commercial operations are far superior, for dogs and people, than the puppy mills and backyard breeders.