The goal of the breeding program for Brigadoon Goldens is to first and foremost advance the quality of the breed through careful and deliberate breeding focused on health, genetic diversity and quality of the dogs.
We want to provide the families welcoming one of our pups into their home with a healthy and stable dog that will fit with their lifestyle and activity level.
To accomplish this, all our litters are from purebred Golden Retrievers who have been completely health tested, listed with OFA, and registered with AKC.
Our dogs are bred for performance. They will be smaller and have less coat of the dogs normally found in the show ring.
The color of our dogs, and their litters, varies from a dark red to a light blonde. All are within the breed’s standard for color variations. Below is the section from the breed standard regarding color from the Golden Retriever Club of America.
Color — rich, lustrous golden of various shades. Feathering may be lighter than rest of coat. With the exception of graying or whitening of face or body due to age, any white marking, other than a few white hairs on the chest, should be penalized according to its extent. Allowable light shadings are not to be confused with white markings. Predominant body color which is either extremely pale or extremely dark is undesirable. Some latitude should be given to the light puppy whose coloring shows promise of deepening with maturity. Any noticeable area of black or other off-color hair is a serious fault.
Some people ask about “English Cream” Golden Retrievers. The GRCA has a great article regarding this. You can read it here.
We do not breed for specific colors or bodily features. We want only healthy and stable dogs.
Health Testing
We have all our girls tested for a number of items that could be passed down to the puppies in a litter. We also ensure that any of the males that we use for breeding are completely tested as well.
The primary ones are:
- Hips
- Heart
- Elbows
- Eyes
We have recently began testing for ichthyosis and a set of genetic testing.
While health testing of the parents does not preclude the possibility of one of the pups having a health issue later down the road, having passing and clear results on the tests does drastically reduce the odds of that happening. Corrective surgeries can start at around $1000 and can go up past $5000. With that kind of possible vet bill, we want to give the puppy families the best possible odds that they can get.
Temperament Testing
For each of our litters, we use the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test. The aptitude, or temperament test, gives us and the potential families a snap shot of the puppy’s personality in regards to a key aspects for dogs. The test attempts to show the degree of prey, pack, fight and flight instinct the puppy has. This is helpful in determining which puppy can fit with which family.
While the Volhard test does a decent job of showing what the personality of the pup is like, there are a few draw backs. Some of the responses do not always match up with how the puppy reacts to the stimulus. This is why we have starting recording the tests to give the potential families a better understanding of how the puppies reacted.
Puppy Home Requirements
Some dog breeders have a list of requirements for their buyers. What to feed, how the puppy will be housed, daily exercise, when to spay/neuter and so on.
This is something that we do not do. When a puppy goes home, they become part of those people’s family. They need to make the decisions regarding vet services and how they live with their new addition. We will make recommendations regarding food, crating, training and vet visits.
What we want to make sure of is that the puppies are going to loving and safe homes that will care for their puppies like a member of their own family. This is something that we screen for during the conversations between us and the potential buyers.
How to get a Puppy
If you think a Brigadoon puppy is for you, contact us to find out when we will be having another litter.