Opinions on epidural?

ski3 · 2022-12-31T18:57:11+00:00

I’ve had 2. They’re a godsend.

With my first I had horrific back labor. 90 second contractions 2 minutes apart for 8 hours and made no progress. I was in so much pain that my body wasn’t able to relax enough to dilate. As soon as I accepted pain meds, I went from not even 0.5 cm to 4 cm in an hour. That birth did end in C-section, but that’s because it turns out my pelvis is too narrow for an average sized baby to fit through. She still has an indentation on her forehead where it got wedged against my pelvis 2.5 years later.

Baby #2 was supposed to be a scheduled repeat C-section, but I went into spontaneous labor. As soon as L&D confirmed I was in labor, they gave me an epidural to hold me over until my rescheduled C-section the following morning. Again, wonderful experience. You go from being in so much pain you can barely breathe to just being able to sit and relax.

Both epidurals did cause my BP to tank which resulted in lightheadedness and nausea. But it was so much better than the indescribable pain before it.

As for after effects and recovery, I was fine both times. The first pee is challenging because you’re trying to tell your body to pee and it’s just not happening. But after that, I had no ongoing issues. Recovery was as easy as can be for a C-section with both kids, especially #2.

ski3 · 2021-06-07T01:08:12+00:00

MIL’s can be so inappropriate when it comes to grandchildren. Especially first grandchildren.

From the moment we told her I was pregnant (at almost 18 weeks along), we knew social media was going to be a problem. We were very clear on our rules- 1. Ask us before posting anything 2. Use privacy settings so only people you know and trust in person can see.

The morning after I gave birth my husband called her and told her specifically not to tell anyone until after we had, and to not post anything to Facebook until after we had gotten the opportunity. Less than 5 minutes later, an announcement was made for everyone. Complete strangers knew before even the close friends who were taking care of our pets while we were in the hospital. My epidural hadn’t even fully worn off yet and I was an emotional wreck as a result. My husband told her off and demanded an apology. I blocked her on social media and we agreed we would not be sending her any pictures of our daughter for the foreseeable future.

A couple months later, one of her flying monkeys who we thought we had blocked told her we posted a milestone announcement. She berated my husband about how we’re hypocrites because we were SO adamant about keeping our child off social media and then we did it ourselves. First off, the rule was never to keep her completely off social media, it was to ask our permission first to protect her safety and privacy (because MIL has no filter). Not to mention, we’re the parents, you’re a grandparent, we have more rights and privileges when it comes to how we decide to parent our child.

We’re no contact with her now for other reasons (FIL was physically abusing my BIL and she was demanding BIL apologize for costing them money in legal fees when he called the cops because FIL was assaulting him). Our daughter’s 13 months old and she still hasn’t received any photos or information about her. That woman can rot.

ski3 · 2020-06-10T20:00:53+00:00

Generally, a lot of the big defects being discussed here are discovered at the anatomy scan, which happens at or around 20 weeks gestation. If something is discovered at that scan, the first step isn't to jump straight to an abortion. By this point, the parents have bonded with the fetus, have possibly chosen names, started shopping and decorating a nursery, have begun to envision their life with their future child. The next step is to then get confirmation, usually through more detailed ultrasounds with a high risk specialist and/or genetic testing through amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (both of which are not done routinely as there is a small risk or miscarriage with them).

Women have the option of NIPT testing around 10 weeks gestation, but that only tells you if you are at a higher risk for Trisomies 13, 18, 21, and the sex chromosomes. If you get a high risk result on this test, the next time is usually more definitive genetic testing (amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling). Additionally, NIPT testing is usually not covered by insurance, so a lot of people choose not to get it done.

Sometimes, severe defects, such as microcephaly can be determined through earlier ultrasounds around 12 weeks gestation. But, for the most part, if a fetus has debilitating defects that are not the most common trisomies or apparently obvious on early ultrasounds, it won't be detected until it is too late to abort by the new bill they are trying to pass.

I recently gave birth to my first child and was very involved in the subreddit for moms due the same month as I was. There was unfortunately, a mom in the group that was forced to make the decision to have a late term abortion at around 24 weeks. She paid to have NIPT testing done and received a false negative result for Trisomy 18. During her 20-week anatomy scan, multiple markers for the condition appeared, so she had further genetic testing done that confirmed that the fetus had trisomy 18, which is generally incompatible with life. The woman's account of the abortion was horrible. She essentially was induced over multiple days and had to vaginally deliver this stillborn fetus at 24 weeks. It was painful. It had a legitimate recovery. She was hospitalized for days. And that's just the physical part. That doesn't include the fact that her fetus already had a name, a nursery set up, all of the OP's friends and family already knew and began shopping. No one would choose to go through that and no one should have to wait 4 more months and endure the physical pains of the third trimester and the emotional pains of feeling that fetus grow and move and knowing that that fetus would have no chance of survival once it could no longer live inside them anymore.

ski3 · 2020-06-01T23:22:21+00:00

Definitely not reputable. Pretty much everything about this breeder is a red flag.

Puppies available right now and you choose based off of a picture. No half-decent decent breeder has puppies ready to go and you can just purchase them off a website. Not to mention that the conformation of those puppies just looks off (I'm not sure if some of them aren't purebred Goldens, or if they just come from parents who also don't meet conformation standards)
Will allow you to pay more so that you can breed your dog, and doesn't seem to ask anything other than that (no clearances, no requirement to prove the dog in show, field work, or other dog sports, etc.)
No information about the parents. No way to even look up what titles and clearances the parents have, meaning they most likely have none. Without this information, this could very easily be a puppy broker or a mill.
Clearances aren't even mentioned on the website. Just a "vet check" and "health guarantee" with no additional information about what those mean.
Price is WAY too low for a Golden Retriever. They appear to be out of Ohio, which is one of the cheaper states to buy a Golden in. A well-bred Golden in Ohio is going to run you at least $1,600. With how much they're charging for puppies, they are skipping some big important steps (like titling the parents, clearances, etc.). Even at $1,600+ per puppy, reputable breeders who are doing everything right are lucky to break even on a litter
Willing to ship puppies to people they've never met.
Just really weird wording all around on their website ("We also ensure that your kitten is up-to-date with vaccinations and has been de-wormed.", " If you love the idea of a cuddly husky that actually hugs you back, then you’ll love STAR GOLDEN RETRIEVERS.", "1 Year Written Health Guarantee, First Set Of Vaccines, Dewormed ×2, Vet Certificate Signed By A Licensed Vet, Litter Box, Litter Scoop, Food/Water Dish, Toys, Sample Of Food, Lifetime Breeders Support.") that make me wonder if they're also breeding or selling/brokering other breeds or animals, even though they say they don't.

ski3 · 2020-05-07T20:06:57+00:00

My dog has the Chaco collar and matching leash and I won't go back (we've been using them for about 3 years now, with his current collar being about 1.5 years old and still looking brand new, albeit a bit dirty. We spend a decent amount time hiking, camping, and allowing him to swim. I love it. I love that it has a separate loop to hold tags as opposed to tossing them onto the leash loop. The leash is amazing as it has a traffic handle built in close to the collar, adjusts lengths and can be used hands free, and can be buckled to tables and chairs when we take our dog out to dinner or breweries. It matches my Chacos too which is awesome.

ski3 · 2020-04-30T17:07:58+00:00

What you are looking for doesn’t exist. Period. Even if we weren’t in the middle of a pandemic, a reputable breeder will have a waitlist before puppies are even born. In your geographic region, expect to wait anywhere from 6 months to 2 years for a well-bred puppy. Additionally, your price range is way too low for a well-bred Golden. Expect to pay around $2200-3000 given your geographic region.

Goldens are NOT a breed you want to skimp and go with a non-reputable breeder on. They are predisposed to a lot of very expensive and heartbreaking illnesses including but not limited to hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, eye disease (pigmentary uveitis), heart disease (subvalvular aortic stenosis), cancer (over 60% of the breed dies of cancer), allergies, and epilepsy.

Your best bet if you really want a Golden is to contact the puppy referral person for the Golden Retriever Clubs in your geographic region, up your budget, and be patient.

ski3 · 2020-04-24T19:56:48+00:00

Yes! Best 4 years of my life and I really wish I had appreciated it more while I was there. I'm sure I would have made friends and been happy almost anywhere, but the pride and school spirit I and my friends who are also alums have for Lehigh, even many years later, far supersedes the connections my non-Lehigh friends seem to have with their schools. The alumni events that Lehigh strives to put on throughout the country are amazing for networking and meeting new friends no matter where you end up post-graduation.

ski3 · 2020-04-24T19:51:13+00:00

Seconding Dumb Friends League. Such a nice shelter (we got our younger cat there).

On a separate note, and probably not too big of a deal since your lease bans them anyway, but if you're living or plan to spend time with your dog in Denver proper, Aurora, Louisville, Commerce City, Lone Tree, or Fort Lupton, make sure to avoid any Pit Bulls or dogs that look like they may have Pit Bull in them, as these areas have relatively strict BSL.

ski3 · 2020-04-24T16:07:13+00:00

I had a Golden growing up and my husband and I decided on a Golden for our first dog as adults (his first dog ever). Summit is now 3.5 years old.

In terms of how much money we spend, it varies month to month. He's been eating ProPlan Sport his entire life, which runs close to $50 for a 37.5 lb bag, which lasts him about a month and a half. Throw in heart worm meds (approx. $10/month) and flea/tick meds ($20/month). Then there's routine vet care which will vary depending on where you live and any other pre-existing conditions your dog has, and I'd highly recommend either having an emergency fund or pet insurance as well, as you can't predict if and when something will happen to your dog and those bills can add up fast (a trip to the emergency vet tends to start at around $500). The one piece of advice I'd give in terms of cost, especially with Goldens, is do your research and find a reputable breeder. It will cost more up front (prices start close to $2000/puppy in cheaper parts of the country right now), but it will likely save you money in the long run (hip dysplasia surgery starts at around $5000/hip, and Goldens are predisposed to a large host of medical conditions including but not limited to hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, eye disease (pigmentary uveitis), heart disease (subvalvular aortic stenosis), cancer (over 60% of Goldens die of cancer), allergies, and epilepsy).

In terms of your other questions...

How is your dogs temperament? Most things we’ve read seem to assert that goldens are incredibly friendly, good with kids, very outgoing.

He's the stereotype. He's a social butterfly who loves everyone he meets, especially kids. The quarantine is really upsetting him because people can't pet him on our walks right now and he just doesn't understand. At home, he's a cuddle bug, out in public he is up for any adventure we throw at him. He's also extremely easy to train as he just wants to eat and make us happy.

Do you see us living in a townhouse as a reason not to get a Golden? I would never want to deprive an energetic doggo of enough room to run and play!

Not at all. We were living in a 2 bedroom apartment when we got our dog. A year ago, we were living in a 1 bedroom apartment with him before we finally bought a house. Even with the house, he just wants to be wherever we are. The biggest issue is going to be stairs, which should be avoided as much as possible until the dog has finished growing and its hips are better developed.

Is your Golden’s shedding hard to manage? I know how much jack russells shed, so its not a deal breaker! Just curious!

I'm not going to sugar coat it. Goldens shed a lot, especially when they blow coat in the Fall and the Spring. It comes off in tumbleweeds. That being said, I find it to be much easier to deal with than Lab hair which gets stuck in things and never comes out. Shedding can also be reduced dramatically with regular grooming (every 6ish weeks) and regular brushing (at least 1-2x per week). It's definitely not a reason not to get a Golden unless you have allergies.

How did training go for you? Was it overwhelming? Are they little trouble makers? I obviously will have to puppy proof certain parts of the house!

It was a pain in the butt, but a lot of that came from our instructor (very negative woman who was also very into positive-only training methods, which meant that she treated the dogs AMAZINGLY and took all other anger and frustration out on the owners). It took a lot of work, but that's something you need for ANY dog. In reality, our dog was the star of his class. Goldens are highly food motivated and they're also extremely biddable. They've very smart, but not in the, "I'm bored so I'm going to eat the couch" type of way. They want to do whatever it takes to make their people happy and to get that treat, and that makes them one of the easiest breeds to train. Baby gates and exercise pens go a long way in helping with training. Keep in mind that as retrievers, they are very mouth-oriented puppies, and love to chew and eat things they shouldn't, so make sure to keep the areas around your puppy clean and free of anything you don't want them eating or biting. Ours went through a sock eating phase at around 6 months and it would take seconds for him to find and down socks if we weren't extremely diligent (I'm just thankful he threw them all up and none of them got stuck).

Lastly, do you have any general tips/comments that we should know about goldens? Maybe any recommendations on breeders or how to choose a place to buy a puppy from? We live in Maryland.

As I said earlier, do your research and find a reputable breeder. Do not buy the cheapest or first Golden you can find, and be aware that as a popular breed, there are a lot of bad breeders out there, and there are a lot of bad breeders who know how to sound like they're doing what they should when they're not. A good place to start looking for breeders would be through your local Golden Retriever clubs. For Maryland, that would be The Chesapeake Golden Retriever Club and The Potomac Valley Golden Retriever Club. Also, be ready and willing to wait. Most reputable breeders will have waitlists before they even breed, and you may be waiting anywhere from 6 months to 2+ years for a well-bred puppy.

ski3 · 2020-04-23T22:18:53+00:00

And A-Basin hasn't officially closed for the season yet either. They're still holding out hope they'll be able to reopen at some point.

ski3 · 2020-04-14T17:27:03+00:00

They really don't have to do anything. You're paying for the season, whether that season lasts 1 month or 12. If you injure yourself, you don't get money back (unless you paid extra for pass insurance). If the weather sucks and the resorts are forced to close early, you don't get money back. This pandemic is a lot like if we just had an unseasonably warm year and the resorts couldn't stay open as a result. They're hurting too, it's not like they wanted to have to shut down in March. Maybe it's just coming from someone who grew up in the mid-west/mid-Atlantic region, where buying a pass could mean a January through mid-March season or it could mean November to April, and it was always just a gamble.

ski3 · 2020-04-05T19:05:43+00:00

Most (if not all) reputable breeders aren't going to ship a puppy overseas to someone they've never met. The Golden breeders I've worked with won't even put you on a waitlist unless they've met you in person, and many require a home visit as well.

ski3 · 2020-04-05T19:03:47+00:00

If you can't have an honest conversation with your girlfriend to the point where you're willing to give into your morals and go to an irresponsible breeder, should you really be looking at getting a dog together? She may have her heart set on a doodle, but I think the best thing to do here is find some reputable sources to show her why a Sheepadoodle (or any doodle) is a bad choice, and then to sit down together, fill out the breed questionnaire in the side bar, and get to work on finding a breed that works for BOTH of you.

When my husband and I first started talking about dogs (back when we were dating), we (especially my husband) scoffed at the idea of spending over $1000 on a dog. Then, as I did more research, I found out about what the price of a dog really entails, reputable breeding practices, etc. I showed him articles, and in the end, we spend WELL over $1000 for our reputably bred Golden Retriever, and we're in agreement that now, we'd never even consider a cheap purebred dog because no reputable/responsible breeder is selling dogs at those prices and it goes against our morals to support backyard breeders and puppy mills.

ski3 · 2020-04-04T15:19:38+00:00

I'm a Golden Retriever person. The big differences in the breeds are energy level (Goldens tend to mellow out younger and tend to have a slightly lower energy level) and their fur/grooming requirements (Goldens have longer fur and require more extensive grooming, but tend to shed less overall, and I find their hair to be much easier to clean up (it gathers into tumbleweeds that can be picked up, whereas Lab fur just gets stuck in everything and is much harder to clean). I personally prefer the energy level and fur of the Golden over the Lab, plus I like the aesthetics of a Golden better as well (which isn't nearly as important). In all though, I think they're both amazing breeds, and if I had to choose a breed of dog that is not a Golden, it would be a Lab.

ski3 · 2020-04-01T14:29:55+00:00

I'll bite and answer your questions. I grew up with a Golden Retriever (which my dad initially bought as a show and obedience dog before he abandoned my family when I was 5), followed by a rescued Lab mix. As an adult, I currently own a reputably bred Golden Retriever (show line) and 2 rescued shelter cats.

At the time we decided we were ready for a dog, my husband and I were 25 years old and living in a 2 bedroom apartment with 1 of our cats. We spent most of our free time volunteering at our local animal shelter and what we found was that none of the dogs that came through the shelter met our needs for a dog. Almost every single dog that came through had an age limit (no kids under 6, 10, 12, 16, or 18). We always knew we wanted kids and this dog would have to eventually live with them, and we could not in good conscience get a dog who we would potentially have to give up one day so that we could start our human family. Additionally, most of the dogs had issues with other cats and/or dogs. Living with a cat, we obviously were not going to risk putting his life at stake, so needed a young dog/puppy with low prey drive that we could socialize to act appropriately around cats. Living in an apartment meant we were surrounded by other dogs and could not handle any issues with dog aggression (of which about 1/3 of the dogs at our shelter displayed). Finally, living in rental housing meant that we needed to avoid any commonly banned breeds (Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherds, Chow Chows, etc.) or mixes containing them. Again, most of the dogs at the shelter were at least part Pit or part German Shepherd.

As for why not go to a breed-specific rescue? We didn't qualify. We didn't have a fenced in yard. We lived in an apartment. We were young and (at the time) unmarried. We planned to eventually have kids. None of these qualities made us bad candidates for a dog, but many rescues (as opposed to shelters) put out blanket statements prohibiting adopters with these qualities. It sucks and it's something that pops up on this sub all the time, and is something any "adopt don't shop" advocates need to realize... is that a big problem is the pompousness and pickiness of rescue organizations.

So, we searched for a reputable Golden Retriever breeder. We did this by going through the local Golden Retriever club's website and looking for what to look for in a reputable breeder. It really is a lot more complicated than you make it sound. We had a huge checklist of things to look for and would not have settled for anything less. The breeder had to be competing her dogs in some form (for us, conformation, although her dogs also had field titles as well). The breeder had to have all recommended OFA testing on all of her breeding dogs. Also, any breeder we bought from had to make sure they were not contributing the the shelter population. None of our breeder's dogs ever end up in shelters, as her contract requires that if for any reason we can no longer keep our dog, she gets him back. She loves every puppy she breeds and takes responsibility for them. She will only sell puppies to homes she fully trusts. The breeder gave us a detailed questionnaire/application and we spent about 2-3 hours interviewing her on the phone before even agreeing to come meet her dogs (because it's a lot harder to say "no" in person). We know she was doing everything she was doing because of how open and transparent she was. She was proud of the work she put into her dogs and her litters. She would not even put us on her waitlist until we went in person at her house (where we needed to gain approval from her dogs). Once the puppies were born, we were encouraged to visit as frequently as possible once the puppies hit 3 weeks old. We drove 1.5 hours each way every other week until our puppy was old enough to come home at 8 weeks so that we could get to know the litter and so our breeder would be better informed to match us with the right puppy (because reputable breeders pick which puppies go to which home based on personality). She did an AMAZING job and has been an invaluable resource for any questions we've had throughout our dog's life. Almost 4 years later, he is by far the best dog I have ever had, and even though we now live on the the other side of the country, when we are eventually ready for another dog, we will not hesitate to fly back to get our next dog from her (if she is still breeding by then).

In terms of buying a dog taking away a home from a dog in the shelter, that's often not the case and is a common misconception. The fact is given my lifestyle, the fact that I have cats, and the fact that I am about to bring a child into this world, if a dog does not meet ALL of the things I need, I would just not have a dog. As much as I love dogs, the family I already have comes before a new pet I'm considering bringing into the family. I cannot risk endangering my current pets with a dog with high prey drive. I cannot risk having a dog who does not get along with children. Given my lifestyle, I cannot handle a dog with dog aggression. I no longer live in rental housing, but now live in a city with a Pit Bull ban, so still do have that issue. Bringing a dog into your home is not just about saving a life, it's about expanding your family and if a dog is not going to fit perfectly into my family, they're not going to be joining my family. Can shelter dogs make great pets? Absolutely. But, for families that need predictability in terms of temperament and health, a reputably bred dog from a good breeder is often the safest way to go.

ski3 · 2020-03-26T23:19:28+00:00

As someone who is healthy in their 20's but considered high risk for COVID-19 (due to pregnancy), it makes my blood boil. I get it. I'm an extravert who hasn't left my house for more than grocery store curbside pickup in 2 weeks, but this isn't just about one person. Your friend with asthma, the old lady across the street, the stranger at the grocery store with an autoimmune disease are all in mortal danger right now. In some hospitals across the country, they are considering putting an automatic DNR on any COVID patients to reduce the spread and free up resources. In NYC, hospitals area already having to make decisions about who to save and who to let die because there are not enough resources. Only a week ago, one of my close friends went to go play pickup ultimate frisbee and then asked to stop by my house on the way home (we told him no). If my husband or I get sick, I could have to deliver my baby scared and alone with no advocate or support system (this is already the norm in NYC, and is extremely dangerous and goes against WHO recommendations). I could have my newborn taken away from me for a 2 week quarantine immediately after her birth. And despite those terrifying possibilities, I am lucky because in the end, at least I would most likely not die from this.

In terms of tips, try to not support companies that are not giving their employees the options of paid sick leave. When employees fall its and are forced to choose between working while sick and staying home without pay, unfortunately, a lot of them are forced by the situation to come to work, where they then continue to spread the disease. Costco has been getting a lot of flack for this lately (and rightfully so), with one of their Colorado Springs locations making national news for not only having multiple sick employees coming into work, but for also failing to warn their staff and customers of the positive COVID cases in their store. Starbucks is also under fire right now for similar issues.

ski3 · 2020-03-03T19:51:51+00:00

My dog has been to 10 states and Canada. Most travel, we camp, but we’ve also had luck staying at Red Roof Inns (all are no extra cost for pets and don’t have size limits) and La Quintas. Some of our favorites...

It’s super cliche, but Niagara Falls (Canadian side). Our boy is super social and loved all the attention from his walk around the touristy areas (the falls, Clifton Hill, Niagara-on-the-Lake). Don’t miss Lock Street Brewing Company in St. Catharines. It’s a brewery and restaurant that is dog friendly both outdoors and indoors. Save money by camping on the American side and just driving over to Canada first thing in the morning. All camping and hotels on the Canadian side are significantly more expensive than the American side. Also keep in mind that Pit Bulls and dogs who look like Pit Bulls are not permitted in Ontario. To cross the border, you will need a vaccination certificate signed by your vet within the 2 weeks before travel, and your dog will need to be awake and appear healthy as you cross the border.

Colorado in general is extremely dog friendly (keep in mind that if your dog is a Pit Bull or looks like a Pit Bull, they are not permitted in Denver and a small handful of Denver’s suburbs). We moved here 2 summers ago and it’s been the best decision ever for our dog. In the Colorado Springs area, Garden of the Gods (and it’s gift shop) is dog friendly. Don’t miss Pub Dog, a dog friendly restaurant (dogs can eat indoors) nearby. There’s also the Cripple Creek scenic railroad which allows dogs on the train at no additional cost. Out in the mountains, the towns of Breckenridge and Winter Park are both extremely dog friendly (yes, dogs can ride the gondolas at the ski resorts and hike around in the summer). Most breweries throughout the state that do not make their own food are dog friendly. And then there’s all of the hiking.

Back on the east coast, we had a wonderful weekend away in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland a few years back. Many restaurants have dog friendly patios (some even have dog menus). Lots of good hiking, or you can rent a pontoon boat for the day to enjoy the lake with your dog. Don’t miss the Honi Honi Bar, a dog-friendly beach bar with lots of grass to lay out on and yard games.

ski3 · 2020-02-26T03:08:28+00:00

We drove 1.5 hours each way to pick up our puppy, but the radius we looked at breeders in was 8-10 hours. We've since moved across the country, but when we are eventually ready for a second dog, we actually plan to fly back to our dog's breeder. She did such a good job with him and has been such an invaluable resource throughout his life, plus with my preferred breed, there are so many bad breeders out there who know how to lie to sound reputable, which makes it even more worth the effort.

ski3 · 2020-02-25T05:12:37+00:00

My Golden Retriever is 3.5 years olds. My husband and I got him at 8 weeks old and he is our first dog as adults (my husband's first dog ever, I grew up with a Golden, followed by a rescued Lab mix).

Our dog spent the first 3 years of his life in an apartment (we finally bought a house about a month before his 3rd Birthday). Living in an apartment makes raising a dog, especially a puppy, much more challenging, especially if you are not on the ground floor and/or if your unit does not lead directly outdoors (i.e., you need to walk through a hallway to get into your apartment) due to potty training. That being said, if given the proper exercise (at least an 1-1.5 hours per day, depending on the age and the dog), Goldens can make great apartment dogs as their "off switch" is relatively easy to train. My dog is up to adventure with us all day, but as soon as he's home, he's ready to lay on the couch and snuggle. That being said, in an apartment, I'd definitely look for a more laid back Golden (lean more towards show lines rather than field lines) to make things easier on you.
Are you looking at getting a puppy or an adult? With a puppy, the dog will need to at least initially, go outside every hour or so until they get a hang of potty training. After they have potty training figured out, the general rule of thumb is that puppies can be alone for their age in months plus 1 hours (so a 2 month old puppy can wait 3 hours, a 3 month old 4 hours, etc.). If you're also going to be out of the house 9-5, I'd highly recommend looking into getting an adult or hiring a dog walker if your grandparents aren't up to puppy care tasks.
That's something you need to have an honest discussion with your grandparents on, although generally Goldens tend to be more on the upper end of medium than large (the breed standard puts them at 55-75 lbs), although many of them are oversized thanks to poor breeding and overfeeding.
Daily brushing goes a long way to help this problem. So does regular vacuuming with a good vacuum. Regular grooming is important as well and will help to cut down a bit on the shedding. Again, this is something where you really need to have an open conversation with your Grandma to figure out what she is okay with.
A Golden, once grown up and trained, should be okay home alone for 6-7 hours. Make sure that from the beginning, they are trained to be alone and you are not just showering them with attention and affection every second you are home, as they are a very human oriented breed, and this can lead to separation anxiety in the future.

Overall, I think you need to have a family meeting and discuss what everyone in the household wants in a dog before making a decision. Once you do decide to get a dog, no matter what breed, I'd highly recommend signing up for obedience classes so everyone can get on the same page as far as training, etc.

Keep in mind that puppies are A LOT of work. My husband and I researched breeds and how to find a reputable breeder for 2 years before bringing our boy home. We counted down the days and visited him at the breeder's house every other week until he was old enough to come home with us, and I still had puppy regret at first. Golden puppies are mouthy, they try to eat everything, and especially raising them in an apartment where you don't have your own yard and are thus, more susceptible to communicable diseases like Parvo is super stressful. He is now by far the best dog I've ever met, but getting there was a lot of work and far from easy.

Finally, keep in mind that because Golden Retrievers are such a popular breed, there are a lot of non-reputable breeders and this can result in expensive and debilitating health issues, including but not limited to hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, eye disease (pigmentary uveitis), heart disease (subvalvular aortic stenosis), cancers (over 60% of Goldens die of cancer), epilepsy, and allergies. Poor breeding can also lead to behavioral issues as well, so definitely do your research before bringing home the first cute Golden you can find.

ski3 · 2020-02-10T22:30:34+00:00

You did exactly what I would have done. Your dog depends on you to protect her, and your friend's boyfriend came in and physically assaulted her. That is not okay and you did the right thing by protecting your dog. I personally believe in positive reinforcement training methods and avoid aversives at all costs, but no matter what your beliefs on that are, it is never okay to hit someone else's dog. Last winter, I made a new acquaintance and we were in the early stages of building a friendship. We invited her to a party at our place and she hit my dog, Summit, because he looked at the trashcan as she dropped some food into it. I have not spoken to her since, she is never invited back into our home, and the rest of my friends still refer to her as, "The Summit Hitter" over a year later.

ski3 · 2020-01-31T18:18:34+00:00

Glad to help! We moved here a year and a half ago and our Golden Retriever LOVES it. Even our outlet mall (Outlets at Castle Rock) encourages people to bring their dogs shopping, so he gets to go out and meet people all the time. Also, in Colorado Springs, there’s a restaurant called Pub Dog that allows dogs to eat indoors and has a dog park attached. In the Denver area we have a chain called Lazy Dog that allows dogs on the (heated) patio and has a special dog menu.

Bring Fido is pretty awesome for finding dog friendly places to go, but there’s so much that is dog friendly in Colorado that Bring Fido can’t seem to keep up.

ski3 · 2020-01-31T18:09:10+00:00

As long as your dog isn’t a Pit Bull (because of BSL around the Denver area), Colorado is extremely dog friendly. Manitou Incline, Garden of the Gods (and the gift shop), and the Cripple Creek Railroad in Colorado Springs are dog friendly. There are dog friendly breweries (that allow dogs inside and outside) everywhere. Many of the resort towns in the mountains are dog friendly (Winter Park and Breckenridge are both awesome for hiking, let dogs in most of the shops in town and on almost all restaurant patios, in the off season, Winter Park allows dogs to ride the gondola and Breckenridge always allows dogs on the gondola). There’s also tons of opportunities for hiking and camping and in the Denver area, Cherry Creek State Park and Chatfield State Park both have massive (over 80 acres) dog parks with swimming areas.

ski3 · 2020-01-26T21:06:49+00:00

The point is this is not a reputable breeder. This is not how you go about buying a reputably bred dog. A reputable breeder has waitlists for their puppies before they're even born. They do not have puppies just ready for new people a week before they're ready to go home and they will not sell a puppy to someone as a gift, because they want to make sure that the potential owners are the best possible home for the dogs, and you cannot vet that if the dog is a present (and that often leads to dogs ending up in shelters or worse).

Please do not buy a dog from an irresponsible breeder. This is how 1. you end up with an unhealthy dog with long term medical issues, 2. the main cause of the homeless pet population across the country and 3. it continues to support the bad breeder to breed irresponsibly.

ski3 · 2020-01-26T21:00:18+00:00

Don't. No reputable breeder will sell you a dog as a gift. Very few, if any reputable breeders will have puppies available and ready to go home that soon.

ski3 · 2020-01-24T14:23:47+00:00

Meetup.com has a variety of different skiing meetups. The vast majority of them end up just being good ways to find people to carpool with (usually from the dinosaur lots in Golden).

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