Testimonials

We are committed to raising the very best Golden Retrievers. We look for excellence in temperament, health, and conformation. We have done extensive research to bring you the very best bloodlines from the United States and Europe.

We take pride in delivering world-class service and producing world-class dogs. Read what some of our satisfied clients have said about us, our dogs, and their new puppies.

Sam is incredible & doing very well!
We have been enjoying the dish towel gifts.  He whimpered for maybe 2 minutes last night before falling asleep for the night.  He's hearing some sounds hanging outside at night with me that he is getting accustomed to.  Tonight I have an outdoor fireplace going.  He is around but laying behind me.  As I'm writing you, "leave it" worked very well with the frog that invaded our space.
I know you have been breeding for years, but you cannot tell me that Sam leaving you was easy.  My read was that it was very difficult for you.
Debbie & I thank you for all you have done with Sam.  It has helped us all more than you can imagine.  The pressure is on us to make it to your wall of fame.
We look forward to you & the family visiting in the near future.
You are amazing which made Sam amazing!!

Thank You!
~ Dan Larner, NC ~ Owner of Sam ~ 8 Week Puppy Academy Graduate 

"Last night at class he REALLY showed off his stay-both sit and down. More accurately, he had it mastered. I could turn my back, walk away, chat with the instructor as all of the other dogs were running around, and he held it until he received a command! No one could believe it!!! I was so proud :) We will have to teach Graham modesty and humility if he is going to make any dog friends because they are definitely jealous, hehe.

He also has a great heel, and sits every time we stop. It is just wonderful. We are so happy with this pup!"
~ Alisha Hauge, ND ~ Owner of Graham ~ 8 Week Puppy Academy Graduate

“You all have done such a great job with Luna. She is smart, calm, lovable and beautiful. We couldn't have asked for a better puppy.”
“We just wanted to send you an update and pictures of Luna. She is doing so well. Everyone just loves her. She is the Mayor of the block. All the kids come out to see her. She tries so hard to play with the cats but it depends on the moment with them. She made a dog friend down the road and has a blast with him. On our walks when we pass the driveway she stops to see if he can come out and play. Hope you all are well. Luna sends kisses."
Christy Spelman, NY ~ Owner of Luna ~ 8 Week Puppy Academy Graduate 

"Hey Christine!
We PASSED!!!
For our TDI test, we had to travel to Bemidji, MN.
The evaluator was a little suspicious of Graham's young age when we registered. No dog THAT young has passed with her before. "They still have too much puppy in them"! (My husband thought I was crazy for signing him up the day after his 1st Birthday) Low and behold, out of the 6 dogs registered to test, 2 failed. One failed because of whining during the supervised separation segment. The other dog failed for not holding a 'sit-stay' from 8 ft on leash. The youngest dog apart from Graham was 3 years old.
Graham was honestly a superstar. During the last part where kids are brought in to run and play and the dog is evaluated on their reaction to the children, Graham even got hit in the face with the beach ball and he didn't even move!! I almost ducked and flinched!!!
The evaluator was genuinely impressed and told us at the end she has never seen a dog like Graham before. As we were waiting for the other dogs to finish and get our paperwork, Graham went over and placed his head in a residents lap and fell asleep getting pet. It was beautiful. In 6-8 weeks we will get our official ID and booklets in the mail.
Thank you Christine for such a wonderful dog! Every day we are grateful for finding you and developing this friendship."
~ Alisha Hauge, ND ~ Owner of Graham ~ 8 Week Puppy Academy Graduate

"The first night was great! Murphy knows where the door is and is letting us know he needs to go out. He hasn't had any accidents, and is quick to do his business and get his rewards.
After weeks of Mike proclaiming the puppy wouldn't be sleeping in our bed, Murphy claimed his spot right next to him and slept peacefully from 10-1:30, then fell right back to sleep until about 6:15 this morning.
He's spent a grand total of about 30 minutes in his crate, but that will be longer today with us having to go out for a bit.
Murphy loves having his own bed in the kitchen, and has stashed his favorite toys there. The others, he takes in and out of his "toy box" and he actually does "bring it" to help clean up!
We practiced his "roll overs" last night, and he is learning that if he sits very still and "stays" the kitty will come to him and he doesn't have to chase him.
He is everything we hoped for and are so thankful to you Christine."
~ Melissa Millard, UT~ Owner of Murphy & Hudson ~ 4 Week Puppy Academy Graduates

"So then Christine...here's a copy of a little thing I sent out to some friends about Scamp's first unofficial therapy visit. I'd say the Volhard test got it really right... it seemed like it was in his genes to know exactly what to do when he was with the residents. He's occasionally a bit wiggly around strangers... excited to greet them and sometimes a bit over exuberant. Not this time... he was, in a word, AWESOME with the people, controlled, gentle, loving and calm. He's a credit to his early days with you. Thanks again... he's going to be a great therapy dog.

At the invitation of the nursing home administrator, Scamp was invited to make his first visit today. Having gone there for 7 1/2 years with Bear it was a really bittersweet time for us as we watched little Scamp step off into what I can see will be an awesome career as a therapy dog when he is old enough to get certified. The welcome he received from all the staff, from the top down, touched me so much. Bear was so loved there, and they opened their hearts to little Scamp with such joy and enthusiasm.
In my mind's eye I saw our beautiful Bear striding purposely down the corridor as he always did, tail wagging a mile a minute, eager to get to the first of "his" people. And yes, a tear slipped loose for a moment. At the end of my leash was this gorgeous ball of puppy fluff almost instinctively leading me to follow Bear's favorite route. I forgave him his leash walking flaws... he was a little man on a mission, curious, inquisitive but strangely focused as he pulled me to the first person he saw in the hall and sat confidently next to their wheelchair as if he'd done this all his young life. Next was the rehab room, Bear's favorite place. He pulled me right thru the door to that and went straight to one of Bear's favorite nurses. He wiggled around and through all the strange equipment to get to people with total confidence and no fear. A little man on a big mission for sure.....
There were maybe 15 people in therapy, patients and staff. Scamp took his time with each, snuggling in for pats and dispensing kisses. My little, sometimes excitable wiggle worm had himself totally under control and showed me without a doubt that, like his big brother Bear, he "gets it". Occasionally easily distracted, he was instead focused, calm and so amazingly self assured. We were incredibly proud. His instinctive understanding of what his job was truly blew us away. I didn't lead him... he showed me.
Through the halls and around nurse's stations he pulled me with such determination. Somehow he knew where he was going... straight to Bear's favorite person's room. For 7 1/2 years Bear and this profoundly handicapped man have had a special love affair. There was a unique bond of understanding between them and because of the handicaps, Bear had a special way of approaching him in his bed. With absolutely NO prompting from me, Scamp knew just what to do as he mimicked the approach of the brother he never met. More tears in my eyes as I watched the start of a new love affair... yup, he "gets it" alright. And just as with Bear I had to coax him when it was time to leave this very special person.

After an hour of putting smiles on faces and joy in hearts we left. I truly think he could have gone another hour easily. This morning a little 4 month old furry angel found his calling in life and we received the best Christmas present we could ask for. .
Merry Christmas indeed!"
~ Penny Atwell, MA ~ Owner of Scamp ~ 2 Week Puppy Academy Student/Graduate

"Christine – Beau is resulting in several inquiries that actually want to know where they can find such a BEAUTIFUL dog. I hope you don’t mind that I provided your website and email address.
We love our Beau more and more every day. He passed his intermediate obedience training and is growing into a beautiful dog. I think he’s very happy here; he likes being able to run the 1 acre of fenced yard; go for long walks on the 17 acres of land and on the road. We will have to work on the water still; maybe we will experiment over Memorial Day while at the beach. He loves running across our pool cover so I think he will like the pool.
Oh and yes the cats….they all come in and rub up against him. They love to sleep in his bed and eat his food and he is so good about it. Sometimes he chases the two boys –Dini & Bean –but I think they kind of like it.
Thanks again for bringing such joy into our lives. We are so lucky to have found you and Beau. We still miss Titus every day and dedicated our pavilion to him with a nice engraved plague. On May 10th he would have been 14years old.
We did the same thing with Titus. We lost our Chester on May 11th and Titus was born on the 10th of May. We lost our Titus on September 5th and our beautiful Beau was born on the 2nd. Nice time to grieve but also prepare for the next love of our life."
~ Susan Keys, VA ~ Owner of Beau

"I just got back from a delightful walk with Romeo and wanted to send you a quick update email. In short, he is such a joy and everything we hoped for in a golden puppy. Please know that we sincerely thank you for all the work you put into these puppies....all the care, socialization, getting used to the leash, shots and worming, potty training, the choosing of the parents and why--the list is endless! But all of your work is absolutely manifested in this puppy and we are so grateful."
~ Diana Pardee, KY ~ Owner of Romeo

Hey Christine!
It's been a while since we've had a chance to visit with you and thought we would send some updates.
Graham is still amazing! No surprises there. We have been getting more and more active with Hospice of the Red River Valley. He really, truly has a special gift. The biggest shock factor for people is his young age. Being only 1 year old still and he behaves as though he was 6.
Have we said "thank you" enough for this amazing family member?! If not: THANK YOU!!! :)
I've attached a picture of when he is tired after a long day at the nursing home visiting many people, not just our patients. We have never been able to enter and leave quickly. He draws so much attention, for good reasons.
We are going to be the 'featured volunteer' on Hospice's Facebook page next week. He's a celebrity; I'm merely the door opener! (The way it should be).
We look forward to hearing back from you soon.
-Alisha & Graham Hauge
~ Alisha Hauge, ID ~ Owner of Graham ~ 8 Week Puppy Academy Graduate

Christine,

We took some pictures of our beautiful, sweet Ruby Rose and we wanted to share them with you, Kevin and the boys.
We love her so much! She is all that we hoped she would be. She is sweet, funny, beautiful, loyal and loving. Thank you so much for entrusting her to our care. She is such an important member of our family.
Take care and have a wonderful Thanksgiving. We are thankful for Ruby Rose.

We would be honored to have our pictures and comments posted on your website. Also, please list me as a reference in case people considering getting a dog from you would like to contact me. I will sing the praises of you, your family and Sophie!
~ Barbie Breedlove, TN ~ Owner of Ruby Rose

Hello Christine,
Hope you’re all doing well! I wanted to give you an update on our boy Romeo out of Cherri & Cal (April 2014 litter).
Romeo has graduated from 6 weeks of puppy school and 6 weeks of Companion Dog I Training. We’re in Companion Dog Training level 2 right now. He’s very smart. He reminds me of some horses I’ve worked with where we have to keep him busy doing a job. He has a great personality.
Here’s a little bit about his personality:
He’s very brave…our neighbors have 5 Australian Shepherds they compete in agility and when we walk toward the trail all those dogs come charging at us and sometimes they test him and he stands his ground (at 5 months). He’s also very alert around our home and is the one to let us know when he sees something out of the ordinary.
He’s amazing in the crate….doesn’t bark to get out or do anything obnoxious. He’s also well behaved in the car.
When he’s outside and wants to come inside he’s patient and doesn’t bark at the door like my other golden.
We’re waiting for the shedding to start…..he doesn’t shed.
He’s always happy.
He has a strong constitution….he really hasn’t had any situations where his stomach gets upset (like my other dog). They both ate some acorns and Romeo was fine but our other dog, Dante not so much.
There are all kinds of great things I could tell you about him. As breeders I thought you’d appreciate hearing some feedback about one of your pups. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
I’ve attached a couple of recent pictures.
Best Regards,
Shawn
~ Shawn Ducey, MA ~ Owner of Romeo & Aspen

"Daisy went to the vet yesterday and is a happy, healthy puppy. She has adjusted very well, as have we! She is eating and drinking regularly and comes when called. She has lots of toys and has already begun to whimper at the door on occasions when she has to go out. We are so impressed with her temperament. She is a very lovable puppy. I have attached a few pictures. Thank you again."
~ Gail Osborne, NC ~ Owner of Daisy & Molly

"Goliath sleeps in the girl’s room with them; I just took a picture of him sleeping outside his bed on the ground next to the bunk bed-- he is a very good puppy with very few accidents. He is also a very brave puppy. He likes to explore the woods with the girls; under supervision of course. He is so sweet and gentle!  Thanks again and many blessings."
~ Minnie Pineiro, NC ~ Owner of Goliath & Lucy

"We've started taking Layla to daycare on Wednesdays and she is loving it! As soon as we pick her up after work, she falls asleep the rest of the night, just exhausted! Everyone at Camp Bow Wow just loves Layla :) We can watch her on video and it’s hilarious. They have a little plastic hill outside that the dogs can get on, and she will stand at the top of the hill and when another dog tries to get on it she walks down the hill so they can't, it’s like she’s playing "keep off" or "queen of the mountain". Her personality shines right through!"
~ Jennifer Boland, SC ~ Owner of Layla

Hi Christine,

Sabre is definitely Mr. Personality! He is very smart. He remembers what he is taught the first time, especially if food is involved. He also watches hand signals. He already knows some things: his name, hand signal for come, sit, beg (stand on 2 legs), gives paw to shake, fetch and bring and give a ball or toy. He sleeps on a dog bed next to my side of the bed. One of his favorite toys, especially when he wakes up is the green alligator you gave him. Sometimes he carries the blanket he came with around our bedroom in the morning. We haven't washed his blanket so he can still smell his family.
This week he started standing by the door to let us know he has to go potty.
He is getting taller than the cats now and has grown into the small size harness this week.
He is used to seeing ducks, geese, and chickens up close as they are on the other side of the yard fence. The horses also come up to the fence, so he sees them as well.
When I go to feed the horses I leave Sabre on the screened patio where he will be safe and so he can either sleep or still see me at the barn. He watches for me when I'm coming back, especially when I open the noisy chain gate. Then it's his turn to play fetch with me on the patio so there are no distractions.
Our veterinarian makes house calls to give him his shots and worming as she has had too many sick dogs come to her clinic and doesn't want him exposed since he is still a puppy. She also trimmed his nails.
He is definitely a people dog as he plops down wherever John or I am. We are enjoying him. Thank you for the opportunity to make him a part of our family.
Irene
~ Irene Olijnyk, FL ~ Owner of Sabre

Christine,

Thank you so much for the pictures! She did great on the way home! She got here and went potty before we came in, met Buzzy, played, explored, ate lunch, went out to potty again, ran around the yard and explored more, and then we gave her treats in her crate. She whined for maybe 10 minutes and is sound asleep. We knew she would sleep after a full belly and she did! :) She is so, so sweet! We are in love already and she seems happy! :)

Robin

~ Robin Whiting, SC ~ Owner of Gracie

Hey Christine!
All is good. Dylan is getting a new backyard, and she loves it so far. There’s lots of grass, pine straw, new shrubs and the edge of the pond to explore. She likes to forage / graze and had an upset tummy last Sunday, but has recovered nicely with some medicine from the vet. Several vet techs were interested in taking her home because she was so cute and sweet during her overnight stay. Dylan finished up her shots today and is scheduled to start AKC Star Puppy in mid-September. She's now 33 lbs, and is growing into her smart bump. She still enjoys the bath, but still hasn't gotten used to the car. We'll be practicing some more next week. Most impressed that she still is responding to "Dylan come." :)
Love the pictures on the website!!!
Beth
October 2014 Update: Dylan passed AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy!
~ Beth McCoy, WY ~ Co-Owner of Dylan

Hi Christine,

Well Henry is now registered as Prince Charlie's Noble Knight Sir Henry :-)
I just wanted to give you an update on him. He is amazing!!!!! This is the sweetest puppy ever! He is so unbelievably good and polite. He's funny, smart, and well mannered - he's just everything good in life :-) We are all totally in love!
He has not had one accident in the house. I started him in the crate at bedtime and he wasn't having that :-) He wormed his way into the bed - I know - but he's doing great with it. I stay in bed reading or computer work until about 11:30 and he sleeps. I wake him then and we go out for potty - come back in and he goes right back to sleep and he snuggles :-) He's sleeping all night - no accidents - he wakes me about 7am by whimpering in my face and we immediately go out and he's fine! He is just incredible!
All 3 dogs have acclimated very well. He and Nellie have become fast playmates as I thought would happen. Bentley is as gentle as a lamb with him and Henry likes napping with him during the day. Miss Izzy kitty lets him lick her face and ears  :-) He's very gentle and calm with Izzy so she's very good with him being all around her.
He's eating and drinking well and bathroom habits are good and normal. He loves all of his toys. He and Nellie like to play chase through the house with the stuffed animals :-)
We had our first vet visit today and of course everyone fell in love immediately! They all think he should do TV and print commercials :-) Jessica (my vet) was incredibly impressed with him and you as well. Of course he got a clean bill of health, had his 9 weeks vaccination and he weighs 16 pounds.
I will send you some pictures from my phone but I wanted to get this update to you so you'd know how he was doing. I also just want to thank you again for all that you do so wonderfully and ethically in order to provide us with such an amazing new family member. We truly absolutely adore him! Please share this with your mom and tell her we said hello :-)

Cindy
~ Cindy Henson, NC ~ Owner of Henry & Spencer

Hi Christine,

Just had to share :-)  Spencer is wonderful!!  We are just as in love with him as Henry and Nellie.  He is a MESS ;-)  He believes he is all grown up just like his brother!!  He's quite the character but is a very good boy!  He's extremely intelligent - quite intelligent!!  He learns fast and never forgets.  He also is a "watcher" and misses nothing so therefore he keeps me on my toes :-)  All 3 dogs get along beautifully and play so well together but he and Henry - inseparable:-)

He sleeps through the night, is house broken, knows sit, down and is quite good with "here" - recall, and is a great retriever!  He actually does bring the ball back to you :-)

The pic of them on the floor is today after Spencer's 12 week check up so he was tired from the excitement.  But wanted you to see the growth!!  He was 25 pounds today and he actually is quite lean - not a chubby butterball!!  He's going to be a big boy and he is taking on much more of that blocky/jowly look every day.  I just wish you could see them all playing.  It is more fun than we ever dreamed!!  Threw in the picture of Henry on the sofa the other day with a bone hanging out of his cheek for giggles.  He's a silly boy :-)

Hope all is well with you guys!  Hi to your mom and let me know if you're heading this way - would love to see you!

Cindy

Our Promise to you...

We will be here for you every step of the way! You can look forward to pictures of your puppy as he/she matures from birth to 8 weeks of age (when you pick up your new puppy) and beyond for Puppy Academy Puppies. Feel free to ask us any questions; we want to be as helpful as we can. We provide health, nutrition, and training information when you take your puppy home and we are here to answer your questions as your puppy/dog matures. You become part of our extended family; we look forward to pictures and stories of your puppy's experiences and achievements.

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

We have a long list of satisfied customers who will tell you about our commitment to raising healthy, happy, show quality puppies. Our clients are always telling us that people stop them everywhere they go to ask about their puppy/dog. Some of the best compliments are not only on their puppy's/dog's beauty; but also on their temperament, intelligence, and behavior. In addition to our outstanding puppy references we have many satisfied customers who have sent their puppy through our Puppy Academy. Puppy Academy families are always telling us how people stop and ask about their puppy and how amazed people are with the obedience/good behavior at such a young age. We are proud to include our Veterinarian of over 20 years on our list of owners and references.