Information about Harborview Puppies

How I evaluate the dogs in our breeding program's potential for breeding is rather complex, but I will explain it as best as I can. First, the dogs must pass all their health clearances. Then, they must exhibit the proper golden temperament. To me, a golden should be a dog who is happily snoozing while you are busy in the house or just relaxing. But, when you pick up a leash or a tennis ball, the dog should be ready to go have some fun and pursue whatever activity you would choose as well. Their health and temperament are of the utmost importance to me. If the dogs fail in any of the things that I have mentioned above, they will not be part of our breeding program. Lastly, I evaluate them towards their physical soundness in regards to the golden retriever standard. I then plan breedings that I believe will compliment the dogs so that I am adhering as closely as possible to what the standard calls for in a golden retriever.

All of our dogs that are involved in our breeding program are cleared for a variety of different health problems that plague the breed. We clear hips and elbows with the OFA(Orthopedic Foundation for animals), we do eye exams with a veterinary ophthalmologist every year and their hearts are cleared by a veterinary cardiologist. These clearances have been done on our dogs for generations and I feel they are very important. I give everyone who gets one of our puppies copies of the parents health clearances and am more than happy to share them at any time with anyone. We also have the grandparents here for people to meet with most litters that we have.

Our companion puppies are sold on AKC limited registration and spay/neuter contracts since they are companions/pets and should not be bred. I do warantee our puppies against crippling hip dysplasia, eye problems that cause blindness and severe SAS. All our puppies are sold with a written agreement and to APPROVED HOMES only. I do keep a waiting list for any litters that we are expecting.

I don't require a deposit until after the puppies are born and I know that everyone is doing well. If you still would like a puppy at that time, I then ask for a $200 deposit to hold the puppy until 8 weeks so I know how many puppies are definitely spoken for. Up until that time, I just keep a waiting list of families that are interested in a particular litter. Our companion puppies are $1000.

I feel very strongly that the best way for the puppies to be happy and the families to be happy is for their personalities to mesh well. I don't want to see a quieter puppy in a home with 4 young kids. The puppy just isn't going to be what that family is looking for. I also don't want to see a more active puppy with a family that doesn't have children or with "empty nesters". I get to know my puppies very well as they are born in my bedroom and live underfoot with us and are raised with the other dogs. In a litter of pups, the personalities run the gamut and will be quite different just like human siblings. Most of our puppies test out very middle of the road. While that may be similar in the litter, there are little nuances to each puppy that make them different from their other brothers and sisters.

I take our puppies to a variety of different places in the car, I expose them to a lot of different surfaces(grass, gravel, cement and dirt) and spend a lot of time playing with and handling them. My 16 year old son nad our 2 year old grand-daughter spend a lot of time with them and as you can imagine, our house is the place to be for friends and family when we have a litter of pups to play with. It is very important that the pups get a good start with me in beginning their socialization so that they are able to realize their full potential as adult dogs.

I also keep in contact with our families that have our puppies. I don't say good bye when the puppy walks out the door. That is rather the start of everything. I will be here to answer any questions and provide any advice that I can throughout the lifetime of the dog. I will also take the dog back at any time throughout the dogs life. I keep in contact with everyone so that I have the vital information that I need to know that things are going as they should in our breeding program. I also want to be available to provide any help that I can. We have met some wonderful families and made some great friends through the dogs.

I want my puppies to be happy and I want the families that they are with to be happy with them.

If you are interested in one of our puppies, the first step is to fill out our Puppy Questionnaire. I do not place puppies out of the USA or Canada or with pet shops/brokers or any type of chain.

If you have any questions about our dogs or our puppy placement process, please don't hesitate to contact me. If you'd like to meet some of the puppies we've placed and hear what their proud owners have to say please proceed to our Puppy Photo Album.