What is different and special about your breeding program?

Our dogs are all raised in our homes with us, they are not kept in a kennel facility. This allows us to really get to know them and understand their temperaments. Our litters are also whelped in a home environment, so the puppies get a very early start on experiencing the hustle and bustle of a normal home environment. As veterinarians, we have a wealth of experience with dogs of all breeds, and have a special appreciation for health and genetic issues. As such, we are very diligent about health testing with our breeding stock as well as providing a high standard of medical care for each puppy that we produce. Our training programs also give us the advantage of being able to give our puppies the best start possible, and to ensure that their transition into your home is one that will be seamless and a joy for everyone. Our trainer has 8 years of experience training dogs, and she is dedicated to bringing out the best in each puppy.

Will I have to go on a wait list? How often do you have puppies available?

We breed on a limited basis, and we do take a waiting list for each litter that we breed. This is to ensure that we have homes for all of the puppies. We do occasionally have reservations available. We also typically hold back a puppy or two that will enter our training program to be placed in a home as a trained older puppy or adult. We really like to get to know our puppy buyers, so it is best to contact us as early as possible, both to ensure a wait list spot and so that we can start to get an idea for what type of dog you are looking for.

Can I pick out the puppy that I want?

Our goal when we place puppies is to match their personalities with the personality and lifestyle of the person or family that they will be spending the next 12+ years with. While we do try and take your preferences into account, our main goal is that you are happy with the type of dog that your puppy is. For example, if you are a very active person, you might not be happy with a puppy who is more of a couch potato. Likewise, if you are not as active, you probably would not have as much fun with a very high energy puppy.

What is health testing and why is it important?

Health testing is a series of tests that our dogs are evaluated under to ensure that they are free of genetic health conditions. For example, our dogs get their hips and elbows x-rayed and submitted to OFA for evaluation to ensure that they do not have hip or elbow dysplasia. Other common issues in golden retrievers include heart problems, eye problems, hypothyroidism, and ichthyosis. By performing tests for these conditions, we can help ensure that each succesive generation of our dogs is healthier and healthier. These are complicated conditions and we can't prevent all cases by testing the parents, but litters from clear parentage are far less likely to ever develop genetic health issues.

What is the benefit to doing a training program?

Our training programs are designed to make owning a new puppy less work and more fun for you, the new puppy owner! We will start everything from house training to socialization to obedience training. The training that we do with these puppies isn't just about having a trainer teach them things in one environment, under zero distractions. Our goal is to instill behaviors that the puppy enjoys doing, that will transfer well to their owner, and that will help make them a joy to live with in the house. While the training may seem expensive, you are investing in the life of a dog that will live for 12-14+ years, and those years are so much more enjoyable with a trained dog.

Example: Let's say that Calvin the golden retriever puppy was purchased by a wonderful family at 8 weeks of age, but they decided to keep him in the training program until 12 months of age. The family spent $15,000 for Calvin and his training. That includes a year's worth of premium dog food and first year vet care, as well as all of Calvin's grooming, daily care, heartworm prevention, and flea/tick prevention. Calvin will have learned on and off leash obedience (heel, sit, down, stay, come, place, name), learned some tricks, earned a Canine Good Citizen, received extensive socialization, learned how to swim, reliably play fetch and frisbee, relax in the house, and be able to practice all of his obedience in highly distracting environments. To achieve all of this takes thousands of hours of care and training, and our work continues after Calvin goes home in go-home lessons and lifelong support.