PLEASE NOTE: WE HAVE BEEN OPEN AND SELLING PUPS SINCE 2009.  ANY WEB SITE THAT SAYS OTHERWISE IS INCORRECT. SITE UPDATED: 3/24/23.

​Welcome!​

Mar. 2023 - We are very excited to offer trained puppies with professional training from Lisa at Best Paw Forward and Laura. When you come to pick your puppy allow an extra hour for a free lesson.

Formal training has begun and price for these available puppies born Fall 2022 is $2000 (plus tax):

Rosie Litter (10) - 3 Males and 2 Females available, 2 retained.

Joy Litter (6) - All sold; 2 retained.

Gracie litter (6) - 1 Male and 3 Females available, 1 retained.

​​  Email: kcalpaca@premier1.net  (360) 748-3011 house or (360) 708-0083 cell.  Communication technology is not consistent, so if you don't hear back from us in half a day, please try again.  We want to hear from you!

  $500 deposit. We have a fair, two-page contract with a 3 year health guarantee for hearts, hips and eyes.

 We do not use an application...preferring to trust people...just please make sure you are ready to own a dog. 

​TRADITION GUARANTEE FOR HEARTS, HIPS AND EYES: We stand behind every puppy we sell with a health guarantees up to 3 years of age.  From the contract: "Breeder guarantees any puppy found to have a debilitating hip, heart or eye condition, as follows: Severe heart murmur of grade 4, 5 or 6 (out of 6) or severe hip dysplasia to 36 months of age, or cataract in the center of vision (before 36 months old). Buyer may 1) choose to keep puppy and receive a refund of 50% of the purchase price, or 2) ask for a replacement puppy (as soon as available). The hip guarantee will apply only if the puppy has been fed a large breed puppy formula to one year old (must keep receipts), exercised moderately and regularly, is uninjured and not abused/neglected and is not underweight or overweight nor has been bred. Breeder reserves the right to obtain a second opinion from a qualified veterinarian and to acquire DNA for positive identification".  Just ask and we'll send you the sales contract to review.

Pet Insurance: We recommend that you either utilize the AKC's 30 days free health insurance and consider insuring your dog for life, or set up a pooch savings account ($50 or more per month) on your own. If you choose to save for your dog yourself and if the dog ends up not needing it (which is likely) then someday you can choose to buy a new puppy and go on a nice vacation with the money you would have sent to the insurance company. As we all know, vet bills can be very expensive, so being prepared is a really good idea.

AKC Registration - All puppies are initially sold with limited registration.  If you desire a puppy from our program for breeding purposes, then you must let us know when you first contact us.  We work hard to produce overall quality and want to perpetuate the breed, so we will only allow the absolute best from our program to be considered as breeding prospects (and we keep some of those ourselves).  The dog must pass all of it's preliminary health testing for eyes, heart, hips and elbows and have genetic diagnostic tests done.  Then you send us the passing results and a $500 full registration fee along with the status change form with AKC.

We have endeavored to pack this web site with just about everything we know and we want to share that with you for the sake of the breed.  Happy reading!  Please contact Laura if you have any questions or would like to visit and meet the puppies and dogs in person.  As of 2022 we have a new larger location on a 17 acre ranch in Chehalis, WA.  Visitors are welcome and all parents are on site! We look forward to meeting you and and get ready for some Golden hugs!  We practice full disclosure and when you visit you get to see where and how we raise the puppies...whelped in the house, then at 3 - 4 weeks old they go to the puppy pen where they have lots of room to run and play. Laura does everything herself, so you get to talk directly to the one person who knows everything about your future puppy.  All questions are good questions! 

​Please note: All European pedigree Golden Retrievers (bred to the English breed standard) seem to come from the same champion European lineages with generations of various health testing on some of the dogs.  Q. What makes the difference for puppy buyers? A. How the breeder selects dogs and manages their breeding program...and many breeders have different reasoning and ways of doing things!  We select females from our own litters using stringent criteria to make sure we have the absolute best breeding prospects that also reflect the breed standard. Our breeding goals are comprehensive in order to make sure all important traits are carried forward with dogs not too closely related in their pedigrees.  All dogs are tested before breeding and on rare occasion a dog has passed all of it's health testing, but still does not make a good progenitor of the breed so we "cull" those from the program and they get to go to their retirement family early.  For testing results, see individual dogs, OFA.org or contact us for preliminary reports and Penn Hip and stayed tuned for results on future testing.

All photos on this site are our dogs and their offspring.

Goldens absolutely LOVE the farm life and thrive in an outdoor setting where they get to fully express themselves and their many talents! Golden Retrievers, an AKC sporting group breed, 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 this very loving breed.  They LOVE people and they love life!  They are a very intelligent, very biddable / easy to train, very eager to please, loyal, brave, devoted, extremely patient, and are very obedient, caring and respectful breed and they take things in stride...every one of them!  They are amazingly wonderful dogs, inside and out. 

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​​​​"For over 26 years I have raised multiple species with beauty, health and soundness as the top priorities. Since 1997, I have successfully raised show-quality alpacas producing numerous show winners and some champions.  I started raising purebred dogs in 2009. In 2014, English style AKC Golden Retrievers were added to the farm.  I have studied various types of animal breeding for decades now. Breeding animals with comprehensive goals of overall health, and correct phenotype, disposition and conformation is very challenging work and also a labor of love.  You must put selection pressure on all of the traits you want to retain or they could be lost forever and you must select against the traits that you don't want or you could be stuck with the them and we don't want problems like bad dispositions, poor conformation, cardiac problems, or that can not reproduce without assistance.  I'm the full-time caretaker, business manager and manure mover on the farm.  I care for the dogs and puppies personally for hours every day, so you get to talk to the one person who bred, whelped and raised your future puppy.) Tradition dogs are health and genetic tested before breeding; dams are typically bred on their third heat and are not bred on every heat cycle; dams typically have one to four litters; dams are not bred after six years of age. In addition, all puppies are sold with "limited" AKC registration and only after the dog has passed it's first round of testing is "unlimited" status authorized.  This approach helps to ensure that only the healthiest dogs are bred. 

Are we a preservation breeder?  You decide please.

  For your peace of mind, every puppy is sold with specific health guarantees to three years of age on a fair, two-page contract (request a copy for review).

We promise to do everything possible to raise sound, healthy beautiful dogs.  This is my full time job and I will be there for you down the road to provide support, so please stay in touch!" - Laura.

 

 

 

 

 

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We work diligently to maintain the positive traits of the Golden Retriever breed that the breeders of the past worked so hard to achieve.  We breed for overall health, physical / conformation traits, mental soundness / disposition / temperament, normal reproduction/lactation, longevity and Golden Retriever Breed Standards. There is a lot more to consider when making responsible breeding decisions than the basic eye, heart, hips / elbow and genetic testing! Fortunately, we have not yet had cancer or debilitating hip dysplasia reported back to us...and we pray this continues!

 

Based on the numerous pedigrees I have researched, all European "English Cream" AKC Golden Retrievers are from the same collection of imported champion European lineages. 

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Please know that the term "English cream" is a description only (not a breed) based on the English GR breed standard which allows for the much lighter colors and also differs in other ways from the American and Canadian GR breed standards.  The lighter colors are a popular trend in recent years and breeders must select for the lighter colors to produce them...hopefully they are still selecting all of the important traits as well.  Our Goldens have light cream to medium golden colored coats. Our puppies can range from very light to dark cream and sometimes into the medium golden shades as their adult coats grow in. There are no genetically pure white Golden Retrievers, nor should there be as it goes against the breed standard. They were originally bred to be yellow...golden colored.

 

Picking Your Puppy: The best way to pick a puppy is to to get to know it!  So we give you all the time you need to make your choice.  Here, you may visit the litters anytime by appointment and you actually pick your puppy on the day you take it home which is after the pre-purchase veterinary exam has been done. You should have the exam results before you pick your puppy! (And vet's want to see the puppies as close to eight weeks as possible.) Also, seven to eight weeks of age is when their personalities are starting to blossom, so you simply don't know what personality you're getting if you pick at a younger age.

 

Male or Female? Generally speaking, males are devoted and loyal.  Females are sweet and precocious. These tendencies related to the  breeding behaviors of each gender.  Both are wonderful!

 

We will work with you to find the best puppy match whether you are looking for a family pet, service / therapy, or that biddable field / hunting companion with that necessary controlled energy and athleticism.  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.    

 

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

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1) There is only one Golden Retriever breed in the world and it was originally created and developed in Scotland.  Since then, the breed has covered the globe!

2) There are different Breed Standards for the GR breed:  American, Canadian, English.  Since the lines and standards are different, over many decades the breed developed a bit differently in different parts of the world.  The English standard allows for extremes of coat color and is the standard used in Europe, thus some European Goldens have lighter coats, a stockier build and sometimes a calmer demeanor. Some have more drive than others, but all Goldens can be taught to be calm (start early!).

3) "English Cream" is a description, not a breed.  Some people like the golden shades and some people like the creams. Coat colors generally deepen during the first couple years.  A light "cream" puppy can end up a light to medium golden color at 2-3 years old. The off-white puppies will typically stay lighter as adults. There are no pure white Golden Retrievers, nor should there be as it not allowed in the breed standard.  Our puppy's colors will range from very light cream / off-white to honey golden coats as adults.

4) Please note: IF YOU WOULD LIKE THE POTENTIAL BENEFIT OF A LOWER CANCER RATE AND LONGER LIFE SPAN, THEN YOU NEED TO BUY THE PEDIGREE (EUROPEAN lineages), 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. However, our veterinarian told us that these days most Goldens live full lives which is really good news!  To help dogs live longer (like they used to) please discuss with your veterinarian about doing as few vaccinations as possible and doing titer testing to see if boosters are necessary.  Also, a partial raw diet (like chicken RAW skin, meat and bones) may also help your pet live healthier and longer.  Note: Only feed raw bones and NO RIB bones. And, for Golden Retrievers, waiting much longer to spay or neuter or not doing it at all can prevent disease and illness according to research.

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​Physical Testing: CAER Eyes, OFA Cardiac, OFA Hips and Elbows. We have our dogs hip tested using OFA and / or Penn Hip so that we only breed dogs with the better hips.  A veterinarian with 40 years of experience told us that tight hips (determined by Penn Hip) is highly heritable and the main factor in healthy hip joints over the life span of the dog. This is also why as the puppy's owner you need to manage your pet accordingly to avoid joint injuries.  Moderation is key during the first two years of growth.  Please note: There are various types of health testing available and sometimes a dog's results will vary between tests.  For example, a dog with OFA fair, or "indeterminant" preliminary hip results can score better on their final (>24 mos.) test or better than the breed average on a Penn Hip test.  And, a dog with an audible heart murmur can pass an echocardiogram test and have a heart with normal structure and flow and be cleared for breeding by the veterinarians.  A dog with certain findings on an eye exam can be given a "BO" (breeder option) designation.  Suffice to say, not all anomlies are heritable and "the proof is in the progeny".  If any dog passes along abnormalities consistently, then that dog should not be bred.  The important thing is for the breeder to know what they have and to continually strive to make it all better with each generation.  According to the vets, the good news is that nowadays most dogs live long, healthy lives.

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Individual assessments: We assess our dogs  by the breed standards looking for even temperament, amiable dispositions, coat type, skin pigmentation, overall conformation (structure), balanced body proportions, head style, dentition, bone size, and movement in all gaits, etc. And we can not emphasize enough about mothering skills, reproductive efficiency, lactation and the weaning process.  We let the dams naturally wean their puppies and stay with their litters even beyond eight weeks.  Puppies from attentive and caring dams that are weaned gradually and naturally by their dams (not abruptly at 6 weeks) seem so well adjusted and that carries over to their interaction with humans!  Think about it...it's like an intensive puppy boot camp with the dam as the drill sergeant. She teaches the pups "No!" (don't bite me) and "I still love you, but No!" (no more nursing), and (turns around playfully) "I still want to be with you, but the milk bar is closed, so No!", and (kiss, kiss) "You're a good puppy." So, when the puppy goes home with you it is already accustomed to reactions to it's wrong and right behaviors.  This is not to say that the dam does the breeder's job of socializing, but the dam play's a crucial role as the puppy's first teacher...if she possesses good mothering skills and is allowed to stay with her litter! This makes our job of initially teaching the puppy what humans expect of it so much easier and most importantly less confusing and stressful for the pup!!! 

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Genetic Diagnostic Testing: Paw Print Genetics / Neogen Canine Health Check: Identifies markers for heritable conditions (known in the breed and with identifiable gene marker tests available) 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...if all breeders make these breeding choices.

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OFA.org: Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (see OFA.org).  Wiki page for OFA is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthopedic_Foundation_for_Animals

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K9data.com: Web site for keeping track of Retriever pedigrees and also calculates coefficient of inbreeding (COI) and provides other data. 

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VOLHARD Behavior Testing: We have done this testing on four breeds of dogs and Goldens always score in the middle ranges...always.  Just let us know if you would like to do this testing with your puppy and we'll do it together! It requires that a puppy be at least seven weeks old and does not know the tester.  It's just a wink in time, but it can give you a clue as to your puppy's future tendencies. Through our years of experience, we find that at just eight weeks of age Golden puppies consistently either tend more toward a people-pleasing disposition..."Hey, what can I do for you?"or being adventurous with the "Hey, let's go explore!" attitude. Many more personality traits will blossom in your puppy even after eight weeks and how you raise your puppy will teach it how to act for the rest of its life.  (Helpful hint: Start as soon as you get that pup in your possession and remain consistent.  The more you yourself teach it, the deeper your pup will bond with you.)

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​​​Twenty-six years experience carefully breeding award-winning registered livestock...alpacas, and over 14 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!) and we love what we do! (Laura has also bred poultry, rabbit and fish.) After acquiring our first breeding Goldens, we now typically retain the best females from our own litters as breeding prospects.  We own our studs who we obtain from other breeders we know who work constantly to improve the AKC Golden Retrievers from European lineages.

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

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If you purchased a puppy and would like to give us a Google review, that would be very appreciated! 

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We have a WA state business license for the farm (sales tax should be applied to all puppy sales) and a kennel permit with the county (requires inspection). 

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Charities - Over the years, we have donated to The United Way, St. Jude's Children's Hospital and Hillsdale College.

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Thank you for visiting! Visitors are welcome - Please contact to make an appointment.  We look forward to meeting you and getting to know each other on your quest for a wonderful Golden addition to your life!

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