About the Breed

Golden Retrievers are by far the all-around greatest family dog.  They are intelligent, friendly, affectionate and very loyal. They live to please you with their happy-go-lucky attitude. We believe they are a perfectly sized dog being a medium-large breed.

Goldens do have a double coat, which ranges in color from light cream to a dark golden. They do require regular grooming with weekly combing and occasional bath and tidying up of their coats. They will shed and blow their coats a couple times a year.

Males usually average around 75-85 lbs.

Females around 55-65 lbs.

They can be high energy and active especially in those first few years, requiring daily exercise.  They love playing fetch, swimming, and long walks. They are very trainable, making them perfect pets for both a first time dog owner and the experienced dog owner.

Goldens life spans are 10 years and over.

Breeder Support

I want everyone to know that I offer a lifetime of Breeder Support! 

There is never a stupid question, so please call, email or text me anytime! Here is a list of my recommendations and products I like to use. 
 

Annual Exams

Annual exams are needed to keep your pet healthy. They provide you a chance to establish a relationship with your veterinarian.  They also can detect early health issues and prevent new ones from occurring.

 

Vaccines

Vaccines are recommended every 4 weeks up to the age of 20 weeks an average a puppy should have 3-4 puppy boosters within that time. Rabies is usually given between 16-20 week of age and is good for up to 1 yr. at that time they will receive another rabies vaccine and that will be good for 3 years. 

  •  I personally do not like vaccinating if not needed so at one year when pups are due for their 1 year booster i like to titer test instead of vaccinating. Titer test is a blood test that will tell you if your pup has the antibodies to protect him/her or if they need boosted. Its not uncommon to require 1 more booster at that time but usually from there on out 9 out of 10 times your dog will be protected for the rest of their lives and never need a vaccine booster again .  I believe our dogs are way over vaccinated and that is what is causing a lot of health issues we see day to day.  Please do your own research and be an advocate for your puppy! It is very important to find a vet that will work with you and respect your input. If they don’t, find a new vet!!
  • Rabies is required by law here in PA, so we do boost every 3 years. Please follow your state guidelines.
  • DO NOT vaccinate for things your pups not at high risk for.  You don’t need a bordatella vaccine if you are not boarding/kenneling/taking pup to grooming shop, etc. Do your research before letting a vet vaccinate your puppy.

 

Basic Care 

Goldens are pretty low maintenance as far as grooming but there are a few things you need to stay on top of. 1. Comb out at least once a week, paying close attention to his Maine, behind the ears and back of legs. 2. Trim nails regularly foot health is extremely important. I grind my babies nails every week, they grow that fast. if you get them use to doing this when they are babies it won’t be a fight as they get older. 3. A good bath and all over groom every 3-4 month.

 

Crate Training

Crate Training is not cruel, its essential!!  Crate training keeps your puppy a safe and comfortable. your puppy is a baby and needs a cozy place to nap through out the day and a safe place to stay when you can’t be watching them. Puppies will get into everything and you need a way to make sure they don’t get into something that can harm them. I also recommend covering your crate with a blanket (it gives their crate a den like feel) I also recommend section it off just big enough for the puppy to get up and turn around. puppies need to learn where and when to go potty, they don’t like to potty where they live and sleep so if you make the crate just big enough for them to turn around in they will learn to hold it real quick. you give them a little more space as they grow and learn to hold it longer and longer.  Remember they will have a few accidents in their crate the 1st few weeks, you need to make sure you keep blankets and beds clean at all times.

 

Socializing

Everyone is always so excited to bring home their new baby and show it off.  You need to Remember  your puppy is not fully protected from all the diseases your puppy can get. I DO Not recommend taking your puppy to pet stores, dog park, home depot, anywhere, where you can put your puppy at risk of catching something. If you have friends and family over make sure they take shoes off and wash hands. once your puppy receives his last vaccine and is fully protected it is extremely important to socialize as much as possible. A lot of stores allow you to bring your puppies into store with you, home depot, lowes, marshalls, home goods are just a few. I DO NOT recommend dog parks at anytime.!! A lot is unknown at a dog park. You have no idea what kind of dogs your puppy will come into contact with or wether that dog has worms/kennel cough or be aggressive and grab and hurt your baby or even worse kill him/her. There are a lot of controlled dog play groups that you can get your puppy involved in if you want them in that kind of environment. socialize, socialize, socialize It will make a world of difference!!!!

 

Training

I recommend finding a highly recommend training center in your area and start as early as possible. The more time you invest in your puppy now will pay off over and over again.  There is nothing better then a well behave dog.

 

Flea/Tick Control

I like the Seresto collar verse the topicals you apply to the skin or ingest.  If your pup happens to have a reaction to something its much easier to remove the collar, then deal with the alternative with the other products.  I’m big on as natural as much as possible so you can also look into Earth animals herbal flea tick collars or Beneficial Nematodes (they are microscopic organisms) that can be sprayed directly on to your yard, I order my Nematodes from www.arbico-organics.com

 

HeartWorm  

I recommend  Heart guard plus or interceptor plus

Remember that vets make their money off  annual exams, products they are endorsing and vaccines.  The more you know the better you can care for your puppy.  Don’t get me wrong we need our vets but veterinarian medicine has turned into a corp. business, not what’s best for my dog. Finding a good holistic veterinarian is like finding the right family doctor for your family.

** Educate yourself, use common sense and if it doesn’t make sense to you don’t be afraid to ask questions!!  If your Vet is un willing to work with you, Find a new Vet!!!!!!!


Nutrition

We all know how important nutrition is for us, why wouldn’t it be just as important for our pets.  Imagine how you would feel if you ate fast food everyday for a week let alone a month or longer. its no different for our puppies. We want to keep them in the best shape possible, including their eyes, ears, coats, skin, teeth, breath its all the whole package. You can tell a dog on a poor quality diet by just looking at them. They will have dull eyes and coats, dry skin, poor muscle tone, excessive shedding, it is that easy to see. that’s just the outside that we are seeing so you can imagine what’s going on inside and how many years you will take off their lives.

  • I recommend a variety in any dogs diet I personally  feed kibble and homemade.  feeding a home made isn’t for everyone i do understand that, its expensive and very time consuming. So if you choose not to feed that way that’s ok there are few easy things you can add to your dogs kibble that will completely aide in improving the quality.
  • I will discuss with each and every one of my new puppy owners in detail how you plan on feeding your new puppy, and I will share all my information I have gathered through the years so that we can come up with the best diet for your puppy that works for you and your lifestyle.
  • I recommend for everyone feeding kibble, feeding a high quality kibble from Acana, natures logic, Farmina, open farm. Rotate proteins and brands often. If you add three simple supplements to your dog’s diet you will tremendously increase the quality of your dogs food.
  • Every dog needs a digestive enzyme, omega 3, and probiotics. I recommend adding a high quality sardine or salmon oil and Carna 4 (ground sprouted seeds)—this has the live probiotics and enzymes all in one.

 

Resources

Here is a list of resources that I love. I’m always finding and trying new stuff, so when I find something that I can’t live without I’ll be sure to share.

colloidal silver - glacierpeakholistic.com  there is a paper in your puppy pack with a list of uses for this product. its fabulous and you can use on yourself, kids as well as your dog

NuVet - excellent immune booster  www.nuvet.com/839224 (must have)

Nematodes - www.arbico-organic.com awesome for flea and tick control

seresto collars - chewy.com       

Earth animal collar -  www.earthanimal.com

carna4 ground sprouted seeds - (probiotics and digestive enzymes) amazom.com

Bertes immune blend - (probiotics and digestive enzymes) www.b-naturals.com

sardine oil (iceland brand) either chewy.com or amazon.com - omega 3

Bertes EPA omega -3 fish oil - www.b-naturals.com

Kelp -  natural immune booster, great for skin and coat www.b-naturals.com

Unique pet odor stain eliminator-  amazon.com

 

Dr.Judy Morgan DVM - I love love love her!  I follow her on FB offers great information daily

** book - Yin & Yang Nutrition for dogs by Judy Morgan DVM

Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs by Lew Olson

Whole Dog Journal complete guide to natural dog care and training, www.wholedogjournal.com

 

Revival Animal Health - They carry quality health products, you can call any time with a question and they will advise you accordingly  www.Revivalanimal.com