My family trains and breeds hunting retrievers as a hobby. Hip displaysia, heart disease and eye disorders run rampant in the breed, particularly in show lines where the dogs are expected to be pretty and not be particularly athletic. Organizations like the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (http://ofa.org/) maintain public databases of genetic clearances for dogs in the effort to combat these problems.

If you want a purebred, adopt a rescue or buy one from a breeder that properly runs genetic clearances.