It is important to me that you know that first and foremost our pets are just that; PETS!  They are beloved family members and whether we breed them or not, they will always be loved.  They chase lizards, eat countless pounds of peanut butter, dig the occasional hole, and some of them (the girls! - Johnny wouldn't dream of getting dirty) wallow in the mud that used to be our pond before the drought.  They are dogs and we let them be dogs (though perhaps they think they are humans?)

It is also important to note that there are increasing numbers of 'Breeders' now with English animals.  I mentor younger programs and think it is an important part of assuring the breed moves ahead in a positive direction.  Please understand however, that you cannot know everything there is to know about breeding your first few litters.  There is no substitute for experience.  I have to chuckle to myself at the websites I see that seem to have my very own words and philosophies.  Please also carefully review the pedigrees of the newer breeders; it takes a long term reputation to access the 'World Class' animals.  You will want the benefits of hands on experience for your new baby.

We DO NOT put them in 8X10 enclosures on dirt or concrete merely to be bred when the time is right.

We DO NOT buy the cheapest dog food we can find. http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/products/showproduct.php?id=61&code=180 In fact, I think this is about as expensive as you can get.  BUT, you would never run a BMW or Mercedes on Moonshine right?  Put the premium in and you'll get excellent performance.

We DO NOT take our responsibility to love and honor our relationship with them lightly.

They DO get the finest food and supplements I can find and I WILL tell you all about it because I think its so important.  http://www.an-nat.com/endurancebooster_showstop.html#Q_&_A_  But there are many others as well.  I have my own special 'doggie omelet' that I utilize at appropriate moments throughout the living and breeding cycles of their year.

They DO have free roam of our acre fenced in back yard that is far more for their pleasure than humans.

They DO have a devoted area in our house to be safe and quiet if its too hot, too cold, too rainy, or they just want some time inside.  And it IS clean (though at times not orderly thanks to my son and husband's new war games table - insert irritated wife grimmace here!), you CAN see it.

They DO come inside our house and share our lives and when you visit my home you will see the white dust bunnies that prove it.  (And I'm perfectly fine with the fact that dog hair is part of my life, though if I brushed more it wouldn't be.)

I WILL be covered in dog hair even when wearing black.  And though I'm fine with this, my teenage daughter is not (insert small 'mom of teenager' chuckle here!).

I WILL talk your head off about how much I love my guys and breeding.  In fact, I think I have a reputation about this and either you will love it or you won't!LOL

I WILL want to hear how much you are going to spoil your puppy because it was my sweet baby first! And as your homework, you will want to watch two episodes of the Dog Whisperer to know, learn, and understand how a dog thinks and how to be YOUR pack's leader!  http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/dogwhisperer/

What sets Lucky Lady Farm's Program above the rest?  The lines and dogs themselves are absolutely the finest you can get.  Even if you lived across the pond, these are the tops!  But that is only half the story.  The care, cleanliness, and conditioning they get from me is also critically important and one of the things that has defined my program.  It would be like comparing two fine race cars.  Both of equal build, quality, and speed.  One is handled by a pit crew who really don't care and aren't very interested in top quality performance - the other handled by a pit crew that is devoted, fast, and always striving to better their technique.  Which team will win the race?  Both have the same car.......you see what I mean? How about the fine race car that has a pit crew that just started being a pit crew last year?  Will they know everything?

There is always room for improvement.  Have an idea for me?  Something I am not doing, the latest research?  I love to learn from anyone and everyone.  Also, as I get asked from time to time - I am happy to mentor a breeding program to the best of my ability and experience.  I don't know everything and I'll always have a new experience to gain.  But, if there are people out there who have a desire to improve and save the Golden Retriever - count me in!  Whatever I can do to help - ethical breeders working together to improve what we have benefits all in the end.  Among great breeders there is no competition.  We proudly contribute to Ask a Breeder for the mutual interest of quality breeding practices.

We are licensed by the County.

We are also proudly inspected by the Department of Agriculture.  Though ALL breeders are supposed to be, few are.  We actually invited them into our home to review our practices.  This assures you that we are quality minded and comforts us by knowing the best methods to use to provide safety for our animals and yours.

Most importantly we're inspected by YOU!  You may meet all the dogs, dog areas, and discuss our practices and procedures.  If you came into my home and found a mess, or a smell, or thought something wasn't right;  THAT would be a problem.

I would rather not sell a puppy than place one in a home that is not perfect for them.  Please understand my commitment is to the animal first. 

On that note please be advised that a Puppy store contains only animals produced in Puppy mills or the desperate leftovers of a back yard breeder.  Good litters NEVER have to go begging for buyers.  NO good breeder would EVER place their precious babies to live for weeks on end in a crate where they eat, sleep, play and deficate.  ALL puppies are cute in a petstore window or in a muddy back yard, its what you don't see that will cause you heartbreak down the road.  Just as two simple examples, though I could write novels on this subject alone. 

1. A puppy would never 'go' in their 'den'. It is just simply not nature's way.  Their Mom and their breeder have carefully maintained clean conditions to reinforce this.    However, a puppy store puppy has no other choice, so they unlearn this animal instinct.  Don't expect them to be easily housetrained once they have been forced to 'go' in their crate for the past several weeks or months.

2.  Pet stores and Back yarders do not care about genetic flaws.  Though no one, not even an excellent breeder, can guarantee their animals are perfect.  It costs a lot of money and patience (not to mention the occasional heartbreak) to test your breed stock and be willing to not breed an unfit animal.  Puppy mills are interested in harvesting any registered unspayed female to increase their number of puppies to be sold.  Back yarders typically have an unspayed female and Rover down the street was registered so they made cute little puppies.  Little did they know or care that Mom maybe had bad hips and though Rover wasn't fixed, he wasn't a very good example of good Golden temperament or sound body type.

I have heard literally hundreds of horror stories from potential puppy families about why they are looking for a new puppy.   It usually includes a tearful account of losing an animal before their true life expectancy.  Or of an animal who could no longer walk or got cancer at a young age.  Please know the lineage and health of your puppy BEFORE you buy it. 

And one final note about the 'Rare White Golden'.  Many breeders have joined the bandwagon in promoting how their animals are superior.  I have discussed on the pedigrees and litters page about the kennel names and countries they are from.  Breeders are thrilled to say how they have an English Golden now.  Believe me, though our numbers are increasing - there are not a lot of English breeders here in the USA!  A light American coat has NOTHING whatsoever to do with what we are talking about when we say English Golden.  I tell people nearly every day who call on the phone as ask that "while their coats are beautiful, its their temperament and health standards" that make them superior.

No breeder whose efforts are based in research and devotion to the standard would refer to the standard as having 'white' hair.  This would be a good clue in telling you how little they know about imported Goldens.  Their kennel clubs DO NOT allow for white any more than ours do!  White fur would indicate an albino animal in this case.  Their standards call for cream to gold while the AKC calls for gold to red.  It is easy to casually say when trying to convince someone how exotic and special your animals are that they are 'rare white goldens', but think about it - is that the best thing they can come up with about their dogs?  I have said throughout this website that though the coats are beautiful, its the genotype that makes them great.  The coat is the icing on the cake!  If you truly have an English/European Golden, then you are aware of these differences.