Versatility
As Breeders, it is up to us to use great care and thought in order to continue to breed sound, well-constructed and happy Golden Retrievers for the future. While I have tried to maintain Golden Retriever characteristics of quality & consistent conformation, I can’t over emphasize the importance I place upon the temperament of all of our dogs & their pups. This is so important to me because most of our pups join families with children or they will be regularly exposed to children & we wish for our dogs to be a joy & a blessing to a family - not a source of concern or fear. Often our pups are companions to the elderly or at times being exposed to elderly folks – so their manners & behavior is quite important to us & to their owners. Because of their special sensitivity & responsiveness to people – (ie. the breed’s superb temperament, willingness to please and unique ability to communicate) – Goldens today have diversified into all walks of life. Both young & old, new owners often plan a wide variety of ways to use our Goldens besides being a family pet, in sport or in show. These fine dogs can be seen as part of therapy programs for hospital, rehabilitation &/or residential nursing homes. They are often trained as dogs for blind, deaf & disabled people. Goldens are also noted for their specialized & highly refined training ability for Search & Rescue Works of many kinds. We have been pleased to stay in contact with many happy owners of our dogs over the years & their temperament has remained consistently gentle. We have even had clients return, wishing to add a second or third Golden to their family! Although we have not had the time or interest in showing our dogs on a professional basis ourselves, they all come from champion bloodlines & many owners of our pups have gone on to show them quite successfully in the Show ring, Obedience competition or the Working Field Trials & Tracking.. In our part of Connecticut, as well as throughout much of New England, hunting is quite popular. The “Golden Retriever” makes an excellent choice as a hunting companion, or gun dog. Many of our dogs are currently proving themselves to be extremely successful ‘retrieving” in the field. They train so easily when quite young - they are by design, a “working” dog – exhibiting a wide range of unique skills & capabilities.
As a breed, Golden’s are not generally intended to be “watch” dogs, but they do possess a keen awareness of the unusual. Most people are cautious of a dog this size & who will alert their owners by barking or showing signs of uneasiness when things seem wrong. We feel these are good qualities, especially around a family with children. These dogs want to be where the children are. It has always been a comfort to us to have the dogs with our children, & now our grandchildren, especially with the many unknowns in our society & communities today. Children need all the protection they can get!