Please call or email about reserving a puppy.

(360) 652-8742  or  kcalpaca@premier1.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 SPECIAL NOTICE REGARDING GRAIN-FREE: SOME DOGS DEVELOP A SERIOUS AND EVEN LIFE-THREATENTING TAURINE DEFICIENCY RELATED HEART CONDITION WHEN FED GRAIN FREE  FOODS.  CONSULT WITH YOUR VETERINARIAN ABOUT FEEDING GRAIN FREE BEFORE YOUR DOG IS SERIOUSLY AFFECTED.

 

Hello! Golden Retrievers have been the third most popular AKC breed for a long time and for good reason. Once you've owed a Golden you will fall more and more in love with the breed.  They LOVE people, are very intelligent, very easy to train, eager to please, devoted and patient, and are very obedient and respectful. They are just beautiful dogs, inside and out.

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We breed for overall health as our primary goal. Our AKC European "English Cream" Golden Retrievers are from imported champion European bloodlines. Please know that the term "English cream" is a color term only based on the English GR breed standard and puppies can range from very light to dark cream and into the golden shades as their adult coats grow in. There are no genetically pure white Golden Retrievers.

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For best results, please don't pick a puppy from a cute picture.  The best way to pick a puppy is to make sure it comes from health tested parents and then to meet the litter and pick the personality you like best. Generally speaking, males are devoted and loyal and females are sweet and precocious.  Both are great!

 

We will help you find the best puppy match whether you are looking for a family pet, service / therapy work or field / hunting companion.  When you visit us, you will see where and how we raise our puppies and you will get to meet both parents of your puppy. We work hard to produce healthy, robust, sound, beautiful dogs with correct dispositions through consultation with various veterinarians, research, trait selection and health testing parents for eyes, heart, hips and elbows as well as genetic testing for heritable conditions with Paw Print Genetics, the later of  which enables the breeder to choose to produce puppies that will not have certain tested genetic conditions such as Icthyosis and the PRA (progressive retinal atrophy) eye diseases and other conditions.  With time and effort we can completely remove these diseases from the breed.  How cool is that? 

 

What is the difference between an American and an English / European Golden Retriever?

1) There is only one Golden Retriever breed in the world and it was originally created and developed in Scotland.

2) There are different Breed Standards for the GR breed:  American, Canadian, English.  Since these standards are different, over many decades the breed developed differently in different parts of the world.  The English standard allows for extremes of coat color and is the standard used in Europe.

3) "English Cream" is a color name only.  Some people like the golden shades and some people like the creams. Golden coat colors generally darken during the first couple years.  A light "cream" puppy can end up a light to medium golden color at 2-3 years old. (Note: There are no genetically pure white Goldens, just very light cream.)  We love them all for their beauty and wonderful dispositions.  Our puppies will range from very light cream to honey golden as adults.

4) Please note: IF YOU WOULD LIKE THE BENEFIT OF A POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER CANCER RATE AND LONGER LIFE SPAN, THEN YOU NEED TO BUY THE PEDIGREE (EUROPEAN BLOODLINES), NOT JUST THE CREAM COLOR.  Large studies in 1998 (US) and 2004 (Europe) on Golden Retrievers indicated longer life (19 mos.) and much lower cancer rates (38.8% versus 61.8%) in the European bloodlines which have used different dogs for the last 8-12 generations. However, our veterinarian told us that these days most Goldens live full lives.  Good news!

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​​We do three types of testing: physical, genetic and behavior.

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A) Physical Testing for Sires and Dams - Eyes, heart, elbows, hips.  We have our dogs hip tested using OFA certification, Penn Hip and / or Ortolani procedure so that we only breed dogs with the tightest hips which a veterinarian with 40 years of experience told us is highly heritable and the main factor in healthy hip joints over the life span of the dog. In 2019 we hip tested 6 four month old females from our litters in order to keep two of them and they all passed! We also assess our adult dogs  by the breed standard looking for correct amiable disposition, coat type, overall conformation (structure), balanced body proportions, head style, bone size, and movement in all gaits.

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B) Genetic Diagnostic Testing through Paw Print Genetics - Identifies heritable conditions (known in the breed and with identifiable gene markers) and carrier, affected or clear status which allows breeders to choose to produce puppies that are not affected and not carriers, so eventually, certain health conditions can be completely eliminated from the breed. 

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C) Puppy Behavior Testing - Several simple tests done after seven weeks of age...notes each puppy's first response during the test. Many people find this information helpful when choosing their puppy.  We've found with the Golden puppies that when they know the tester they don't respond as needed and that the results are very consistently in the middle. We will do this assessment upon request.

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GUARANTEES: We stand behind every puppy we sell with a comprehensive health guarantee for specific heritable conditions that, by remote chance, become severe.  For Goldens, the hip guarantee is for three years, as long as you keep all receipts for having fed a large breed puppy / dog food of your choice and there was no inappropriate exercise, accident or injury as determined by a veterinarian.

 

​​Laura has over 23 years experience carefully breeding award-winning registered livestock...alpacas, and over 12 years breeding canines starting with Great Pyrenees (2 dogs)  and then English Springer Spaniels (3 dogs) before switching to American Cocker Spaniels  (3 dogs)  and Golden Retrievers (a pack!). After acquiring our first breeding Goldens, we now typically retain the best females from our own litters to be  future moms...just like we do with the alpacas, so that we know we have the best specimens to produce future generations. 

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With all the right ingredients, beautiful puppies become beautiful adults...

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​COCKER SPANIELS: We also raise a wonderful healthy and beautiful line of AKC American Cocker Spaniels that are a blend of field and bench (show) types and from parti and solid colored lines being combined with the goal of  genetic diversity for better health and longevity, but still purebred AKC Cockers and like they looked about 50 years ago. They are typically slightly taller with more traditional head styles, tight eyelids, level toplines with lower tail set, and more easily managed coats, even dispositions, but still with that great big Cocker love, devotion, sweetness, enthusiasm and physical abilities.  See Puppy page for more Cocker Spaniel information.

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(At this time, we do not have a customer testimonials page simply because we don't like to pat ourselves on the back.  That said, in over 12 years of selling four breeds of purebred dogs we have not had one serious illness, premature death or complaint from our puppy buyers for the simple fact that well bred dogs usually don't get problems early in life.  We offer extensive guarantees for your peace of mind.)

 

Thank you for visiting Tradition Kennel at Kissin Coussens Alpaca Farm.  Visitors are welcome - By appointment.

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PHYSICAL, GENETIC & BEHAVIOR TESTING:

Our parent dogs are on site and carefully selected for type, conformation and disposition as well as health tested for eyes, heart, hips and elbows and genetics tested for breed-specific diseases with Paw Prints Genetics in order to produce puppies that are as healthy as possible. 

BUYING A PUPPY:

Reservations can be made any time.  A $500 deposit is required to hold your puppy reservation and your position in the pick order.  You can visit the litter any time by appointment. Puppies are picked at eight weeks of age in the order people contact us, so the day you pick you puppy is the day you take it home!

Current pricing listed on Puppy page.

See Puppies page for more details.

    INCLUDED WITH YOUR PUPPY:

• Sales contract with guarantees.

• AKC Registration (Limited).

• Beginning handling, socializing and voice training.

• Physical Health Guarantee.

• Dewormed regularly.

• First vaccination (1 DAPPv).

• AKC Reunite Microchip.

• Detailed veterinary exam at 8 weeks with report for each puppy.

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." -Anatole France