nicholberry goldens: February 2010

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Meet Titus. Seriously, do I have to say more? We have long been an admirer of Dreamkeeper Kennel in Canada, and words cannot express how delighted we are at the honor of having one of their boys join our family. He arrives tomorrow morning into L.A.X., and our entire family is abuzz with excitement! Knowing how fabulous Dreamkeeper is, I already know how wonderful this puppy will be. And absolutely breathtaking. Stay tuned for many more pictures and stories about this rising star!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

A Boy and His Dog

One of my favorite shows when I was a kid was Lassie. I loved that Lassie performed miraculous and heroic acts, understanding the needs and commands of her owners as if she spoke English. Through the years, I have marveled at the real-life stories of canines who performed miraculous and life-saving acts. One of my favorite quotes is on the home page of our website: "He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, until the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."
This morning, there is a heartwarming story about just such a dog - a golden retriever, in fact - who faithfully protected and saved her 11 year old master from a cougar, even to the last beat of her heart. Her name is Angel and she certainly lived up to her name this morning. It's worth the read!!!

BREEDING PHILOSOPHY

All our puppies are of the highest quality with champion bloodlines. They are sold with AKC registration (limited) and are raised in our home and socialized with tender loving care. They are available to their new families 8 weeks after they are whelped. We believe it is critical for new puppies to be surrounded by their siblings, mother, other dogs and our family until they are 8 weeks of age. We do not push them out the door earlier as we feel this is a very important time for development and that it is not in the puppy's best interest to leave earlier than that.

At Nicholberry Goldens, we care deeply for our dogs and their puppies. We make sure each puppy is touched and petted from the very first day. After a couple of days, we handle each puppy a little bit more as this gets them used to being handled and starts their socialization with people. This also helps them adjust and bond to their new owners much more easily. As they get older, we continue our one on one time and also increase our time playing with the whole litter. We also socialize them with our other dogs, an important part of becoming a well-adjusted puppy. All puppies are weaned from their mother completely by 6 weeks, at which time they also go for their first vet visit and appropriate shots. When the puppies go to their new home at 8 weeks, they are current on their shots and de-wormings.