Sunny Ridge Golden Retrievers

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High standards for puppy care

We take the health and welfare of our dogs very seriously. We only breed dogs that exhibit outstanding health, pass all of the accepted veterinary tests for genetic diseases, and display the excellent Golden Retriever temperament that is known far and wide.

The custom puppy room is off the living room for easy access and a happy family atmosphere. There is a private entrance from the puppy room to the backyard for convenient play breaks

Before buying a puppy

Prepare yourself and your home

Before you buy a puppy, you need to prepare yourself and your home. The following guidelines have been adapted from Barbara Fleischaker. PLEASE THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR YOUR NEW PUPPY BEFORE YOU BRING HIM/HER HOME.

1. Do you have food, water bowl, food bowl, bed, collar, and leash for the puppy?
2. Have you set aside a place in the house that is the puppy's place, safe and undisturbed?
3. Have you determined what the rules for the puppy are? Is he/she to be allowed on the furniture, carpeted areas, or in the garden? The house rules should be established and followed consistently.
4. Do you have safe and sensible toys for the puppy to amuse himself with?
5. Have you chosen a veterinarian to care for your puppy? You should have visited the veterinarian, talked about the puppy you are getting, checked on prices and services before you need veterinary services.
6. Have you removed all toxic materials, dangerous plants and other dangerous items from puppy height?
7. Have you checked fences and gates to be sure they are secure and puppy proof?
8. Have you worked with your children to make sure they respect the puppy's right to be undisturbed, not teased or hurt? You should also make sure that your children understand that toys, books, apparel, and edibles left at puppy height are at risk.

Disadvantages of Golden Retrievers

Believe it or not, a Golden Retriever is not the ideal pet for everyone. Although initially Goldens may seem like the ideal pet, there are DISADVANTAGES to owning an animal of this type. Below are many items that need to be considered before purchasing a Golden Retreiver puppy. This list was adapted from the GRCA and Liz Jennings-Watford.

1. SIZE: Goldens are medium-sized animals. The average size for males is 23-24 inches at the shoulder and 65-75 pounds. The average size for females is 21.5-22.5 inches at the shoulder and 55-65 pounds. They quite often possess extremely active tails making clean sweeps of coffee and end tables. Quite simply they need room. Uncluttered houses and fenced yards are a must.
2. EXERCISE: Goldens were developed as a sporting breed to be able to handle a day's hunting routinely. They need to have consistent daily exercise (20-30 minutes twice daily is usually sufficient) or they may have a difficult time adjusting to the "calm house pet" role that is expected by most owners.
3. SHEDDING: Goldens are a long coated breed and shed a minimum of twice a year. If you require a fastidiously-kept house, DON'T GET A GOLDEN RETRIEVER! You will always have dog hair around, especially in rugs, on furniture, and, oh yes, occasionally in your food.
4. HEALTH AND CARE: Feeding one medium-sized dog for a year will cost between $200 and $400 dependent on the type of food. Veterinarian expenses for the first year average $200 to $500. Also, don't forget food bowls, leashes, collars, toys, shampoos, etc.
5. TRAINING: Many wish to make their Goldens into good canine citizens. A good beginner's obedience class may cost between $75 and $150. Training by professional trainers is even higher. And don't forget the cost of special training equipment - leashes, collars, training dummies, auto fuel for traveling to and from training sessions, etc. Moreover, Goldens tend to be sensitive or soft to training methods. They must be handled carefully with a loving, firm, but nonetheless GENTLE hand.
6. ADDICTIVE: Very few people own only one Golden because we all need more love in our lives, and Golden Retriever love is addictive!

Buying a puppy from Sunny Ridge

We are a low production, high quality kennel. Including the first litter in 1982, we have produced approximately 20 litters of puppies, all of them Golden Retrievers. We love Golden Retrievers and we aim to keep the breed healthy and vital for current and future generations.

Some forms are provided below in Portable Document Format (PDF) which requires that you have Adobe Acrobat Reader or equivalent software installed on your computer. If you don't already have this software installed, you can get the Reader utility free of charge at http://www.adobe.com.

The total cost for a puppy is $1200 for limited registration. For full registration, please inquire for a price. Limited registration is for pets and for dogs that compete in performance events only. Full registration is needed if you plan to show the dog in conformation or breed the dog. Please be prepared to pay the balance due either before the puppy goes home or at the time you pick up your puppy on the day it is ready to go home (eight weeks of age). The conditions of sale are provided in the Puppy Contract that is completed and signed on the day a puppy goes to its new home. We reserve the right to decline a deposit and sale.

If you are interested in having one of our puppies join your family, please follow the procedures outlined below.

Before the puppies are born...

1. Review the information on this website and email us if you have any questions. Please be aware that puppies are available on a discretionary basis only.
2. Print and complete a copy of our Questionnaire for Potential Puppy Buyers. Make sure that you follow these steps when completing the questionnaire:
   • Fill out the questionnaire completely and sign it on the last page;
   • Send the questionnaire by snail mail only (U.S. Post) to the address listed on the questionnaire.

After the puppies are born...

1. If a puppy is available for you, we will let you know. We won't know ahead of time how many male and female puppies will be born. Therefore, we do not accept deposits on puppies until we have an idea if a puppy will be available for you. Once you hear from us, please send a deposit of $500 (non-refundable). The order of pick for puppies is determined by the order in which questionaires are received, and deposits secure that order.
2. If you wish to visit the puppies before they are ready to go home, please let us know.

On the day the puppies are ready to go home...

1. All puppies in a litter go to their new homes on the same day (typically on a Saturday) once they have reached the age of eight weeks. On that day, new puppy owners come to Sunny Ridge in the order of their pick (first, second, etc.) to select their puppy. The first appointment (first pick) is scheduled in the morning, and subsequent picks are scheduled at approximately one hour intervals all day long.
2. New puppy owners should free up their schedules in advance in order to pick up their puppy at the designated time on the scheduled day.
3. The remaining balance of $700 (for limited registration) is due at the time of pick up. Cash is preferred.