AKC KENNEL INSPECTED AND CERTIFIED
Thank you for taking the time to visit our page! I like everyone coming to this webpage to know right off the bat that all our dogs are beloved pets and family members first and foremost. You will find no animals living in dirty cages or dogs kept their whole life in outdoor dog runs here. All my dogs live indoors full time and are beloved and treasured family members. We do not believe in keeping tons of dogs here on our property as many breeders do. We feel this is both irresponsible and unethical as there’s no possible way for a breeder to meet all the emotional and physical needs of that many dogs every day. We only have one dog, Ivy, whom lives with us permanently at our home as our pet and we utilize guardian homes (please see “Guardianship Opportunities” tab for more info on becoming a guardian!) for all the rest so that all our dogs can live as spoiled and beloved pets just as they should! Breeding, in our opinion, should never be the primary reason for anyone having a dog but simply a secondary undertaking to bless other families with quality best friends, service and therapy dogs. We have undergone rigorous kennel inspections by the American Kennel Club and have been certified to not only meet but exceed all general caretaking, health, wellbeing, cleanliness, record keeping and ethical puppy raising standards. Additionally, we have been thoroughly vetted by the 3rd party organization gooddog.com and awarded the good breeder badge for responsible breeding as well as rated “excellent” for going above and beyond on our health testing practices. We have verified reviews from past puppy buyers there as well. A link to our gooddog profile linked below:
You really can’t claim to love dogs and only be in favor of rescue. If you truly love dogs and want the best for the species, you need to also support the idea of responsible and purposeful breeding. If the only dogs you deem acceptable to own are the sad and sickly dogs made by irresponsible breeding practices bought through the proxy of rescue, and demonize the practice of responsible preservation breeding then the idea you’re ultimately supporting is that the only dogs that should have a place in this world are those bred irresponsibly. We should want – DEMAND – better for our dogs. And that means advocating for the responsible breeding of better dogs. Dogs that can live long and happy lives free of hereditary health problems and emotional damage from being raised in a puppy mill void of human love, care and critical early bonding and trust with people. Rescue will always be necessary, but if we continue to vilify and discourage responsible breeding we simply won’t have any healthy, well adjusted dogs left to enjoy. My mission is to bring healthier and better bred dogs into our community through responsible and ethical breeding practices. Dogs that have had only loving and positive interactions with humans from the start, correct socialization and full health testing to ensure they are unaffected by the many health conditions common in golden retrievers.
Sadly, the golden retriever breed currently has so many health issues because they have been so poorly bred by irresponsible breeders over the last 40 years. These “back yard breeders” or “puppy mills” as they are commonly called target popular and desirable breeds simply to make a quick buck off the puppies. They breed without investing any money into health testing the parents prior to breeding and thus end up producing masses of puppies that are affected by severe genetic disorders. Species experts predict if major preservation breeding efforts are not made by responsible breeders, this amazing and beloved breed may cease to exist in 30 years or so. In addition to a plethora of health problems, many of these puppy mill and backyard bred dogs have little to no positive human interaction, no socialization and no training prior to going to new homes. They often are fearful and have anxiety or aggression issues from previous neglect and abuse.
I, personally, cannot see a future without this incredible and loving breed and so I am working very hard to bring this breed back to health so we can continue enjoying America’s most popular and beloved family dogs
Guardianship with River Heights Golden Retrievers
I have been a guardian with River Heights Golden Retrievers for four years. It has been such a positive experience that I want to share what I’ve learned in case someone is considering being a guardian.
My first experience with Rebecca Peterson, owner of River Heights Golden Retrievers, was when she came to my house to interview me (and I her) for the possibility of being a guardian for a female dog that she had coming from Ukraine. The interview was more like a conversation with a friend. Rebecca talked about her expectations, asked me about my experiences with dogs (my most recent dog had recently passed away), and had a quick tour of my backyard. It was a delightful chat. I so appreciated that she wanted each of her dogs to live in a home and be loved and cared for as a treasured pet. By purchasing dogs from overseas, she was trying to improve the breed her in the United States.
When Ellie arrived, I went to Rebecca’s home to meet her and bring her home. Rebecca had kept her for about a week so Ellie would recognize her and the environment so that when it came time for her to have puppies, she would be more comfortable.
Ellie wasn’t bred that first year with me. Rebecca wanted her to just become “my dog” and get acclimated to her new “forever” home. When she did have Ellie bred that 2nd year, Rebecca did all of the work of getting Ellie together with the male dog, etc. Then about a week before the puppies were due, she had Ellie come and stay at her home where the puppies would be born. Rebecca kept me up-to-date as to how Ellie was doing and sent me lots of pictures of both Ellie and her puppies. When Ellie had weaned the puppies, I brought her home.
This transition of leaving her puppies (and her new friend Ivy, Rebecca’s Golden) was sad for Ellie and so I asked if she ever had a guardian dog returned? Rebecca said no, almost never. Well, about a week later she let me know that one of her guardian families was moving to Texas and couldn’t take Winnie with them. So, we had the girls meet and next thing you know, I was guardian to two beautiful girls. Now I have two happy Goldens.
Working with Rebecca has been such a joy. I feel like we have become good friends. When I have any kind of question regarding the care or behavior of my dogs, she is ALWAYS helpful, even if it has nothing to do with their breeding.
Rebecca truly cares about her dogs and their puppies. She wants them all to live in homes where they will be loved and well card for. She wants what is best for each dog. What a delight to know a breeder who cares more about her dogs then the bottom line.
If you are considering being a guardian, I would highly recommend you do so with Rebecca at River Heights Golden Retrievers. It is awesome way to get a very well bred Golden Retriever and the golden opportunity to work with an amazing and caring breeder.