I am interested in becoming a legitimate breeder for golden retreivers

How is the best way of doing this?

STUDY!!! Read all you can about the breeds origins and purpose, study the breed Standard and attend Dog Shows and/or Working Trials to see what is correct for the breed. Investigate information on Health Issues, especially Hip Dysplasia, as the breed has more than its fair share. If you do not have a bitch already, take the next six months or so to go to shows and study the lines produced by other breeders that appeal to you, based on your Study of the Standard. Talk to people 'in' the breed, and I don't mean those who have been in the breed for less than 10 years. If over time you show a genuine interest the Doyennes of the breed can become your Mentors! They will have accumulated vast knowledge about the dogs in todays pedigrees, having seen or judged many of them, and know their good and bad points, and more importantly where they passed them on. Your reason for breeding should have as its principal aims to help preserve and or improve the Good Qualities of the breed, while striving to elliminate/minimise the bad.

I would wait until the doyennes come out of the ring to speak to them rather than just as they are going in! Join a breed club of your intended breed, they usually hold breed seminars, often health and conformation. Then get the very best bitch you can find both in regard to temperament, health and conformation. There is no point in trying to breed good puppies from mediocre stock and even less point in breeding rubbish!

John