Farmington Valley Golden Retrievers

My cousin Ron forwarded some photos of their goldens swimming that I thought all would enjoy. Sandy is about six years old now and a product of an earlier litter of ours, while Maggie is one of our pup Lucy’s sisters.

And if anyone ever wondered if goldens of different ages have any problem adjusting to each other, Ken’s Holly and Lucy’s sister Rosie, put that myth to rest with these touching photos.

Reminds me how fast time is passing and what friendship means to a happy life. Hug someone today!

Last weekend I went to my sister Mary’s home in Hebron. More like a Norman Rockwell farm than a home, she was having a graduation party for my niece, Morganne. My aunt Grace took some photos of Mary’s animal friends and passed them along. Mary told me she wanted to add one of our puppies to her family next Spring.

I think you will agree that that is going to be one very lucky dog that joins her household. Shucks, if I could walk on all fours and grow a little chest fur, it would be a great place to retire to!

Back to reality again…

We’ve been trying to get our backyard in some kind of shape for visitors and enjoyment. Seems like every year it takes longer and longer before we achieve that moment. Due to the magic of chemistry, chlorine, and Barbara’s unceasing efforts for the past two weeks, the pool is starting to look more inviting.

So far the dogs have listened to us saying no when they look longingly at the water. Not sure how many more hot days it will be before they decide to take a swim despite our no’s. Probably waiting for Barb to say the water chemistry is perfect.

Of course Lucy is in the thick of things.

Always willing to help when I water.

PS. I think the computer program that sends out the posts had a hiccup last night. Not sure why it sent the mother’s day post again. Sorry for the rerun. I hope this doesn’t mean it has a virus or something! Will ask my website gods for an answer.

Have a nice weekend.

We started our web site and blog in September of 2006. Then came Emma’s litter in December of 2006. We went on the internet search engines in March of 2007. It has been quite the learning experience. Although we have been breeding dogs for years, this internet way of meeting clients and selling pups is a whole new world.

We have heard from many nice people from all over the states, each with their own precious story of a “golden companion or two”. We have been asked by numerous people to allow them to visit and see our dogs in person, most recently by a gentleman from Alaska who was passing through visiting family here in CT. We had a couple inquire about taking a puppy with them when they move to India in 2010. Many have sad stories about recent losses of their lifelong golden friend to cancer. The variety of the life stories is incredible.

Up to now we have had everyone fill out their questionnaires, and then begin the long and unpredictable wait for mother nature to bless us with a golden in heat. After months of waiting, people’s plans and lives change, and so does their interest in a dog. Keeping potential clients on an updated list has taken on a life of its own. It is time consuming, and as I recently found out, not very reflective of what is happening in the lives of our potential clients. So effective immediately, here are our revised rules:

• In order to be considered for a puppy, the puppy questionnaire has to be filled out, submitted, and accepted by us in order to get a potential place in the whelping box.
• We do not discuss your place in line until there are puppies on the ground. As an obstetrician, I well know the hazards of pregnancies of any species. No need to raise mother nature’s ire by being presumptuous.
• When the pups arrive, potential clients who have passed the puppy questionnaire, will have the chance to see the litter and then place a non refundable one hundred dollar deposit for a puppy.
• Clients can choose male or female, but the ultimate placement of a dog with a family is dependent on the temperament testing done by professionals at our home at seven weeks. With Emma’s last litter everyone got their choice except for one family with young children that was best served with a puppy with an especially easy going disposition. That family is extremely happy with that decision and is awaiting a second dog.
• The price of our next upcoming litters will be 1300 $. There is no room for negotiation. Our breeding business is vet recommended. We have so far never had a puppy returned, and the price reflects ongoing costs not profit.
• We do not ship dogs.
• All our dogs are sold with limited AKC registrations which means no breeding allowed.
• Except in special circumstances, we only allow visitors to our home when one of our females is pregnant, or a litter is present. These dogs are our canine children and live in our home not a kennel.

I will not be keeping lists of potential clients other than to keep the names of those who have passed the puppy questionnaire. It is the client’s responsibility to keep track of what is happening in our dog world, and to contact us when they have made up their mind about a puppy, and are ready to place a deposit.

As you can see from the above photo of our then two year old Riley, and five month old Lucy, we breed gorgeous animals with dispositions to match. Every care is taken to insure the best of health, personality, and genetics in our Goldens. The above rules reflect what we need to do to continue to offer our clients the best puppy we can for a lifetime of adventure and companionship.

As for the internet and its ever expanding ways of doing business, I continue to learn every day.

My summer schedule at home now goes something like this… Up at 5 AM with the dogs. Breakfast for them, and then an hour of garden chores for me to let them digest their food. Then if my work schedule allows, we are off to the fields. It is still a little dark when I come downstairs. They are all there at the gate impatiently awaiting the words “let’s walk”. The yellow light reflecting from their eyes is kind of spooky and other worldly. Five “Cujo” look alikes if I didn’t know them better.

The silence in the kitchen then erupts into howls and barks and growls, and the energy level rockets skyward with their excitement. They have seen that I have my running clothes on.
So we arrive at the high school fields once again. With this summerlike heat blanketing us, the mudholes have thankfully dried up.

However Riley was the first to find some dusty part of the field and enjoyed a dry dirt bath.

I thought the wet muddy dog scene was over for awhile. I was mistaken. Running and searching all over the fields, the girls found an irrigation cover that always has a puddle of clear cool water. Now it has become their community water hole on their adventures.

This does save me from having to bring water along on our runs as the weather heats up.

Home again, peace prevails as they lie contented and tired, while my day now really begins.

Hi. I don’t want any of our upcoming clients to be thinking that we have forgotten them. Some of you filled out the puppy questionaire months ago. So here is an update on Riley.

She is looking great and feeling good. She is a big boned female with the heart of a gentle lioness. She weighed in at about 78 pounds two months ago, but with the increased exercise lately and watching the kibble, she is down to 72 pounds. We recently did a Snap 4DX blood test for heartworm, Lyme, and Erhlichea to be sure there wouldn’t be any weird infections that could make her breeding cycle a bust. She passed all with flying colors.

We just got an updated photo of her blind date to be, Rudder, courtesy of Cindy Jones of Goldenjoy kennels. He had a recent sperm test and is just fine. All beefcake!

So as best as we can possibly determine, we expect good results from Riley’s mating when her heat comes in in the next several months. I will be emailing the top eight folks who have submitted questionnaires by the end of this week and inquire as to their continued interest. We cannot at this time give you really a line number. Barb and I co-own Riley with two of our breeding friends. I had to do some old fashioned horse trading to get them to part with her. We all recently re-read the contract we signed two years ago. They each have first dibs on a puppy if they choose. So their decision could affect where people stand in line. At this time I do not believe either one will choose a puppy. Our average litter size has been nine to ten. The cost of one of these pups will be 1300$.

Our next litter mom, Solo, will have her hips Xrayed this summer after her second birthday in June, to complete her breeding requirements.

We continue to turn away potential owners to be sure that we do justice to those who have kept faith in us by waiting these long months.

Again, I will contact the top eight families on our list by the end of next weekend. If any have changed their plans, I will continue down the list. Once this is done, I will then notify the next eight potential owners so they know where they stand with Solo’s litter. Have a nice week.