Our Story
WHERE IT ALL STARTED...
We have a small breeding program that started in 2018 with our first dog: Nellie. The dream for our program began several years before with lots of research. We studied breed genetics, what pedigrees made champions, interviewed breeders, learned why each health test was important, what practices produced sweet socialized puppies and so much more. It was our passion for dogs that led us to create a business where our lives could be full of goldens and their puppies. Our desire for excellence led us to create a breeding program that worked closely within the English breeding standard and increased the health and longevity of the breed, producing sweet puppies to be enjoyed by families along the way.
After two years of searching, we finally purchased our first dog from a trusted breeder in Finland. Her parents both had excellent health clearances. Her mom was a World Winner (this is a huge title in Europe) and her dad had won multiple championships. We were hoping she would be a good foundation for our breeding program. And she was! From the moment she got off the plane she was the sweetest girl. After becoming an international champion herself, she only had one more step to complete, health screening! We only breed dogs that have exceptional health results, and at two years old Nellie passed them all. This was only the beginning of our adventure with goldens, having now grown in size with expanded goals for the program. However, it was our initial research and determination in finding the perfect first dog that laid the foundation for our program.
OUR LIFESTYLE...
We are blessed to live in the Oregon high desert. This unique landscape is filled with cold winds in the winter and warm dry summer days. It may not be the most hospitable environment to greenery, though the lakes, rivers, and mountains make it the outdoorsmen's haven. Every day is an adventure here! Our dogs love joining us on the trails, on boats, or in the snow. It's fun seeing them explore nature.
Our dogs love to walk along the trail that winds through our 20+ acre property of juniper and sagebrush. Dogs are not the only animals that live on this farm, our goldens are companions with horses, goats, chickens, cats, and pigs! It is important to us that all of our dogs get the love and training they need, this is why we only have a few dogs, and make them an integral part of our lives. When our girls have puppies it is only natural that their babies get treated the same way. We also understand that household chaos is not always best for newborns. We follow routines and balance home life with training and socialization techniques to ensure that our puppies are well-adjusted to home life.
WHY ENGLISH GOLDEN RETRIEVERS...
We chose Golden Retrievers because of their mellow temperament, desire to please, and athleticism. They have the energy to run, hike, and explore but are also able to relax at their master's side at the end of the day. As we began researching we started to notice some substantial differences in the health and behavior of English Goldens compared to the, often redder, American Golden. Though they are the same breed they have for years been bred to two different standards, one is outlined by the American Kennel Club and the other by the Kennel Club in the United Kingdom. We decided that the standards the English type are held to were closer to what the breed was originally intended for, in both their physique and temperament. The confirmation standards of the breed give them a thicker build and broader chest, they have the ability to cut through brush to retrieve fowl better, which is what the breed was created to do. The English line has maintained the temperament of a gentlemen's breed, making them the perfect family dog. They can retrieve ducks (or balls) but are also content to cuddle on the couch. It has also been shown that English goldens tend to have fewer health problems like cancer and hip dysplasia. While there is only one breed of goldens, we wanted to be a part of preserving and improving the breed to the standard laid out by FCI (International Canine Federation) and KC (the Kennel Club). There is an additional excitement in being a part of developing a style of the breed in a continent from which it did not originate. This is also met with unique challenges since the majority of shows for the English style goldens are held in Europe. We show our dogs in shows they are qualified for in the states; while working closely with breeders in Europe to improve the lines of English Golden Retrievers in America.