Breeder: Julia & Merle

🐾 BREEDING PHILOSOPHY & EXPERIENCE

How long have you been breeding, and how did you get started?
We purchased our first golden in 2000 right before getting married and purchasing a property. Our parents have been breeding 🐶 goldens for many years so we have grown up with goldens and raising puppies!

How do you ensure your puppies are well-socialized before going to their new homes?
We use the ENS stimulation technique when the puppies are young and we try to play with our puppies often and have a large yard for them to run around in! They love playing with our two-year-old son! 🧒🏼🐾

What steps do you take to ensure the health of your puppies (e.g., vet visits, health testing, etc.)?
Our adult dogs are all OFA tested and genetically tested to ensure our puppies have a great start! We also have a great veterinarian who visits us at our home for routine check-ups! 🩺🐕

🏡 FAMILY LIFE

Can you tell us a little about your family and your personal hobbies, or other areas of expertise or work?
We are a family of three (four by October… Lord willing! 😉) We have a 5 and a half acre property that we purchased in 2000. We enjoy fishing, camping, and catching fireflies with our son on summer evenings! We enjoy taking care of our many animals—our golden retrievers, a horse, sheep, ducks (and ducklings), roosters and chickens, finches, fish in the pond, and even a few turkeys! Life is never dull around here 😄

🏠 HOME ENVIRONMENT & SETTING

What kind of space do your puppies grow up in, and do you have any favorite spots where you like to sit with the pups or let them play?
We have a kennel for our dogs/puppies, they have doggy doors and a large yard that they can access anytime they wish! Indoors we have large kennels where they can escape the sun but they can often be found snoozing under the shade trees on summer days! We enjoy sitting in the shade watching the pups play! 🌳☀️

🐶 PUPPY CARE & PERSONAL TOUCHES

How do you prepare each puppy for their new home?
Each puppy gets a vet check before leaving our home and a warm bath and blow dry before they leave our home! We also introduce them to potty training at a young age using a doggy door! They watch mama and soon discover how to do their business outside! Each puppy is also microchipped and up to date on vaccines and dewormers! 🛁💉

What do you send home with each puppy?
With our puppies we send their certified vet certificate, AKC registration forms, health guarantee, information on vitamins, and a packet with tips, ideas, and recommendations! Also included is a sample packet of vitamins and a baggie of food! 🧾🎁

What advice do you usually give to new puppy owners?
We advise our new puppy families to give the puppy lots of exercise and play! A young puppy will tire out quickly but frequent, short playtimes will help your puppy sleep better at night! 🐾🛏️

What’s one thing you wish every family knew before bringing home a puppy?
Something we wish everyone knew before bringing their puppy home… a new puppy takes a lot of patience. It’s a big change for the puppy so be patient and gently introducing them to their new home will help them settle in! ❤️🏡

Do you have a favorite past puppy or one that especially stands out?
We have many past puppies that we are very proud of! One of Bear and Ariel’s boys, Bronco.thegolden has 19k+ followers on Instagram and is a very smart boy! 🏆📸🐕