Welcome to The Golden Virtues — A Home for Golden Retriever Lovers
Thank you for visiting! We are a small Golden Retriever breeder located in Gunnison, Utah. Our dogs live in our home and are a big part of our everyday lives. From hiking and exploring the outdoors to relaxing with the family, they are involved in just about everything we do.
We invite you to learn more about our dogs, our breeding program, and the puppies we lovingly raise here at The Golden Virtues.
Our Commitment to Health and Temperament
Health and temperament are at the heart of every breeding decision we make. We carefully select our dogs based on health testing, temperament, structure, and overall quality.
How We Raise and Care for Golden Retriever Puppies
Because I work from home, I spend every day with my dogs and personally take care of all their training, daily care, and whelping. During the first three weeks, I keep the puppies in a whelping box in my bedroom so I can monitor them closely, even through the night. It feels a lot like being a new mom, I sleep lightly and wake often to check on them.
When they’re about three weeks old, I move them to a larger, fenced area in the dining room where the puppies can see, hear, and smell the daily bustle of life. Around four weeks, I start letting them explore outdoors, gradually increasing their time outside as they grow.
I clean their bedding several times a day, handle the puppies frequently, and introduce early training exercises. Both the mother and puppies eat a high-quality diet.
Our Breeding Goals
Before deciding to breed a dog, we carefully look at health, temperament, longevity, and structure. We want to make thoughtful breeding decisions and feel confident that we’re producing healthy, well-tempered Golden Retrievers.
Once the puppies are born, our focus is on giving them the best possible start in life. We spend a lot of time handling, socializing, and introducing them to new sights, sounds, and experiences. Our goal is to help them grow into confident dogs that are comfortable in a variety of situations.
By limiting ourselves to just 1–2 litters each year, we’re able to give both our adult dogs and puppies the time, attention, and care they deserve.
