Frequently Asked Questions

Golden Retrievers are intelligent, friendly, and incredibly loving dogs. Originally developed in the Scottish Highlands to retrieve game for hunters, they quickly became beloved as family companions. They are known for their patience with children, eagerness to please, and versatility in service roles. At The Golden Virtues, we focus on raising well-balanced Golden Retrievers that embody these amazing traits, making them wonderful family companions.
Learn more from the AKC here. or Learn more from our blog post here.

My program is special because I focus on raising healthy, well-mannered Golden Retrievers in my home, never in kennels. I am devoted to doing things the right way with full health testing, hands-on daily care, and early socialization. I never cut corners and put my whole heart into giving every puppy the best start possible.

Our puppies are raised right in our home, where they receive lots of love, attention, and daily care. We keep their space clean, safe, and full of new experiences as they grow. Their mom is fed a high-quality diet to help keep her healthy while she raises her puppies.
From birth, the puppies are gently introduced to new sights, sounds, smells, textures, toys, grooming, car rides, adults, children, other animals, and everyday life around our home. We also use Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) and begin basic crate training and simple obedience before they go home.
Every puppy is raised with the goal of giving them the best start possible so they can grow into confident, well-adjusted family companions.

Your puppy will receive veterinary care before going to their new home, including:
Deworming at 2, 4, and 6 weeks
First round of vaccinations at 6 weeks
A full vet exam at 6 weeks to ensure they are healthy and ready
A second round of vaccinations at 9 weeks, if needed

All of our breeding dogs complete extensive health testing before they are ever bred. We complete the health testing recommended for Golden Retrievers, including genetic testing for over 250 inherited diseases, as well as OFA clearances for hips, elbows, heart, and eyes.

Yes, we provide both short term and long term guarantees. The details are included in our purchase agreement, which we’ll review with you before any payments are made.
While responsible breeding and modern health testing greatly reduce the risk of hereditary disease, no breeder can guarantee that a living animal will be completely free of every health condition. Some conditions simply cannot be predicted or tested for. It’s simply part of life.

We place puppies only in homes where they will be treated as family members. This includes providing:
Daily love and attention, living indoors with their people, a healthy diet, regular veterinary care, and plenty of exercise, training, and mental enrichment.
We ask all potential families to complete a pre-screening questionnaire available on our contact page.

At 8 weeks old, you will receive a puppy starter kit, which includes:
AKC registration paperwork
Copy of purchase contract
Vaccine and deworming records
Small bag of the food they’ve been eating
A couple pee pads for travel
Travel bowl
A stuffed toy
Blanket

We do not ship puppies unattended. However, we offer several safe options:
Home Pickup – Come to our home to get your puppy.
Local Meet-Up – We can meet halfway for a fee of $50 per hour of travel.
Airport Pickup – Fly into Salt Lake City Airport; we’ll meet you there.
Pet Transporter – You can hire a flight nanny or a ground transporter to accompany the puppy.
Our priority is your puppy’s mental well-being and safety during travel.

From the day they’re born, we spend time getting to know each puppy’s personality. By the time they’re 7 weeks old, we have a good understanding of their confidence, energy level, and temperament. At that time, each puppy also completes a professional temperament evaluation.
We combine what we’ve learned from raising the puppies with the temperament evaluation and the information you share about your family, lifestyle, and goals. From there, we recommend the puppy we feel will be the best fit for your home.

Families choose their puppy in the order deposits are received. A couple of weeks before Puppy Selection Day, I’ll send everyone the date and details.
On Puppy Selection Day, I’ll contact each family in order when it’s their turn to choose. You can choose your puppy by phone, video call, text, or email, whatever works best for you.

To help keep our puppies healthy and safe, visits are by appointment for families who have placed a deposit. Visits can begin once the puppies are 6 weeks old and have received their first vaccinations.
This gives families a chance to meet the puppies and see where they are being raised. Puppies are not chosen during visits. Each family will choose their puppy on Puppy Selection Day, in the order of the waitlist, so everyone has a fair chance to choose.

Puppies are ready to go home at 8 weeks of age. We encourage families to pick up their puppy during the standard pickup window so they have time to bond and settle into their new home during this important stage of development.
8–9 weeks: Standard pickup window (no holding fees)
9–10 weeks: $50 per day holding fee
Holding fees help cover the cost of continued care, food, socialization, and enrichment while your puppy remains with us. Puppies must be picked up by 10 weeks of age.

Our puppies are $3,700. This reflects the quality of our dogs and the time and investment that goes into each dog and litter. This includes health and genetic testing, training, quality pedigrees, club events for titles, breeding expenses, and veterinary care throughout the process. Once the puppies arrive, it also covers their veterinary care and the time we dedicate to raising, caring for, and socializing them during their first eight weeks. Each puppy also receives a temperament evaluation, a puppy starter kit, and lifetime breeder support.

We do, but we are extremely selective. We only work with breeders who uphold the same high standards in health, ethics, and dedication to the breed.

Start by completing the Puppy Request Form on our contact page. Once you submit the form, we’ll send you an email confirming whether your request has been approved. We love talking about our dogs, so feel free to reach out anytime with questions by email, text, or phone. More details are available on our puppy page.

To stay informed about upcoming litters, puppy availability, and news from The Golden Virtues, follow us on our website and social media. We post regularly and love sharing our journey!