1. Do I get to pick out my puppy?
Most of our puppies go to homes outside of Utah. Logistically it is incredible difficult to schedule and have enough time on video calls with families to be able to make an informed decision about picking a puppy. We are able to really get to know the puppies through out their first 6-8 weeks of life with us. We do a formal temperament testing process right around 6.5 weeks old, where we will formally match each puppy with the family that best fits their temperament. We make sure that a dominate or pup that has more bird drive goes to a family that is planning to hunt and use those characteristics. A more reserved calmer pup would be placed with a family who may not be wanting to hunt but wants an active family member. Temperaments and personalities are our top priority when placing pups, but we will also pay attention to size and color requests as well if we are able to. Tyce, having trained and worked with thousands of dogs over his career, can assess and determine personalities/temperaments very well. We are proud of how our system has worked, and think we've done a pretty great job of getting the right puppy with the right family!
*We reserve the right to retain a puppy, male or female, from any litter.
2. What food do you use?
We have used “Purina Pro Plan Sport Performance All Life Stages High-Protein 30/20 Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food” for many years. It is a well-proven food that we’ve had great success with. Your puppy will be eating dry kibble when they go home with you. No need to soften or wet the food. If you would like to switch to another type of food we still recommend buying a small bag of PPP to help you make a slow transition to the new food. A nice slow transition will make sure your puppy doesn’t get an upset tummy.
3. What size carrier do I get for traveling.
A standard airline carrier size is great. The puppies are still typically under 10 lbs by the time they fly home after 8 weeks. If you want to have the new airline carrier shipped to us, we are happy to have it ready, and help you puppy acclimate to it with naps etc before they fly home with you.
We are also affiliated with Gunner Kennels. They are the best dog kennel we've found on the market. Incredible safe, and will last the lifetime of your dog. 5-star crash test rating. We can help you with purchasing a Gunner kennel, and have it drop-shipped to your home. We are an affiliate, and can pass on a small discount. We have and use the "Intermediate size". That size is great for travel, hunting trips etc.
4. What supplements do you like?
We have really liked using NuVet Supplements with our dogs.
From the NuVet Website “The manufacturing process of pet food is essential to keeping the quality of food high. Pet foods that are cooked (almost all) tend to kill off vital and naturally occurring nutrients from many of the ingredients. For instance, vegetables, when you cook them, you’re cooking away crucial minerals, enzymes, and vitamins. This is why many food companies may add synthetic vitamins. Unfortunately, synthetic vitamins are not absorbed the same as are natural vitamins (like those contained in the NuVet Plus®). NuVet Labs uses a “cold processing” method in our manufacturing practices and none of our ingredients are exposed to heat, which removes crucial nutrients in the natural ingredients. Take, for example, the chicken liver. We use real chicken liver that is paddle-dried using a patented process. This ensures the fragile Vitamins A, E, B1, Digestive Enzymes and Omega Fatty Acids are not destroyed. The “cold-processing” of NuVet Plus® ingredients also ensures it is easy on the metabolism of your pet (easy to absorb and process). This is why the multivitamin supplement is still necessary and beneficial for your pet, even if they are getting a good dog food. Even good dog food uses grains and by-products, so make sure you read your pets dog food label before purchasing.”
NuVet is a Direct to Consumer company and isn’t found in stores in order to help keep costs low. Please use the link www.nuvet.com/56496 to order your supplements. It is an affiliate link, and we do receive a small bonus when you sign up with that link. We always recommend using the NuVet Plus K-9 Wafers for at least the first year of your pups life to help with that crucial growth and development. NuVet has a very convenient auto ship programs as well.
5. How do I pay for the puppy and/or the deposit?
We accept cash, Venmo, Zelle, or a personal check*. We can also accept a credit card payment, although there are additional merchant fees applied.
*Personal Checks* If you would like to pay with a personal check we need to receive it at least two weeks before your puppy pick-up date in order for there to be sufficient time for funds to clear. We unfortunately will not send your puppy home with you if you show up with a personal check at take-home day.
6. When Can My puppy go home?
Puppies are fully weaned at 6 weeks and ready to go home at 7 weeks at the earliest. We do prefer to keep them until 8 weeks, but there are arguments for an earlier (7 week old) take home date. Most puppies will go home between 8-9 weeks old. If you need us to hold your puppy after 9 weeks old, we are happy to hold them, but there will be an additional boarding fee.
7. Do you ship my puppy?
After Covid, airlines are no longer shipping puppies via cargo unless you are law enforcement or service animal. Shipping via cargo was always a last resort for us, and it is just no longer available.
We highly prefer to have you pick up the puppy here at our farm. We are able to chat, answer questions, and you are able to meet momma etc. Most people will fly in and make a day of it.
If you are looking for a fast turn-around with a flight, we are able to meet you at the airport for an addition $120 fee. Please do NOT make flight plans unless you have confirmed that we are able to meet you at that time. We typically try to avoid Sunday’s for traveling to the airport and puppy pick-ups, but are understanding and can be flexible if needed. Again, just please clear any travel times with us to make sure we are available.
If traveling to pick up your puppy is not an option there are transport services available. We do know of a car transport option, as well as flight nannies. We can point you in the direction of some of these services, but it is the responsibility of the puppy family to make final arrangements and pay for these services.
8. My work or home life has changed drastically and I won't be able to get a puppy anymore, is my deposit refundable?
It is in everyone's and the puppies best interest to make sure you are in a good place to bring a puppy home. Deposits are non-refundable at any time. We always try to be mindful and aware that these changes occur. To help with that please do not put a deposit down unless you feel confident that you'll be able to get a puppy sometime within the next year. When a puppy is born and you are up on the waitlist we will of course give you the option for that puppy. If for whatever reason you aren't able to take a puppy home in 8 weeks from that time, you are able to defer your spot for a later litter.
If you agree to a certain litter and take-home date and something comes up during that 8 week timeline to where you are no longer able to take a puppy home, please communicate with us as soon as possible. If you back out of an agreed upon litter after puppies have reached 5 weeks of age you will FORFEIT your deposit and be required to place another deposit. That leaves us scrambling to make sure we have a home for the puppy. Even if we have others still waiting on our waitlist it is difficult to change and make travel plans to pick up a puppy on such short notice.
We pride ourselves on being understanding and flexible, just please communicate if plans or things change.
9. I don't hunt- are your pups still ok for me?
Our main goals in breeding are to produce trainable, intelligent, and motivated family dogs. Currently about 50% of our pups will go to homes that don't necessarily plan to hunt, but they are looking for active family members. There are some field golden breeders out there that focus solely on Field Trialing, and hunt testing and sometimes those dogs may not be the best candidates for non-hunting homes. Often these types of breeders will specify that their pups can only go to working homes, or homes that plan to hunt and do some sort of trialing/testing.
Hunting is not the only outlet for our pups, but please do not consider one of our pups if you do not have plans for some kind of activity with your dog. It may be nice long walks, hikes, running, playing fetch etc. They do need mental stimulation and exercise! While they do enjoy being active and typically need an outlet for that energy, they are still lovable golden retrievers, and love to calm down and be inside with the family. Often attempting to be lap dogs if you'll let them! We have always trusted our dogs and pups around our small children, and many go to homes with small children. Kids are great socializers!
Whether you plan to hunt, hunt test, field trial, dock dive, avalanche rescue, do agility... be prepared for the puppy crazies, and plenty of zoomies! They are smart and love to please, with consistent training these pups are capable of just about anything. It is an absolute joy to see our dogs excel in multiple arenas.
10. What kind of training do you provide?
Our training website is www.utahbirddogtraining.com. That has all of the information on our training programs. The programs typically start at 6 months of age or older, and we are a board and train facility. We can do just obedience training, basic gun dog, foundation work, and complete retriever work. Training programs range from 2-10 months.
That way your dog is able to go home with you, bond with you, get socialized well, potty train etc. That six month mark is when they start to hit the "teenage" phase- where they start to test limits and boundaries a bit. It's a great time to have them get that solid foundation in training.
If you would like to have us keep your puppy and get it through training you would purchase the puppy at 8 weeks, and then would pay the monthly training tuition after that. Our training programs are completely customizable and we can definitely work with what you are looking for.
Most of our puppies go to homes outside of Utah. Logistically it is incredible difficult to schedule and have enough time on video calls with families to be able to make an informed decision about picking a puppy. We are able to really get to know the puppies through out their first 6-8 weeks of life with us. We do a formal temperament testing process right around 6.5 weeks old, where we will formally match each puppy with the family that best fits their temperament. We make sure that a dominate or pup that has more bird drive goes to a family that is planning to hunt and use those characteristics. A more reserved calmer pup would be placed with a family who may not be wanting to hunt but wants an active family member. Temperaments and personalities are our top priority when placing pups, but we will also pay attention to size and color requests as well if we are able to. Tyce, having trained and worked with thousands of dogs over his career, can assess and determine personalities/temperaments very well. We are proud of how our system has worked, and think we've done a pretty great job of getting the right puppy with the right family!
*We reserve the right to retain a puppy, male or female, from any litter.
2. What food do you use?
We have used “Purina Pro Plan Sport Performance All Life Stages High-Protein 30/20 Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food” for many years. It is a well-proven food that we’ve had great success with. Your puppy will be eating dry kibble when they go home with you. No need to soften or wet the food. If you would like to switch to another type of food we still recommend buying a small bag of PPP to help you make a slow transition to the new food. A nice slow transition will make sure your puppy doesn’t get an upset tummy.
3. What size carrier do I get for traveling.
A standard airline carrier size is great. The puppies are still typically under 10 lbs by the time they fly home after 8 weeks. If you want to have the new airline carrier shipped to us, we are happy to have it ready, and help you puppy acclimate to it with naps etc before they fly home with you.
We are also affiliated with Gunner Kennels. They are the best dog kennel we've found on the market. Incredible safe, and will last the lifetime of your dog. 5-star crash test rating. We can help you with purchasing a Gunner kennel, and have it drop-shipped to your home. We are an affiliate, and can pass on a small discount. We have and use the "Intermediate size". That size is great for travel, hunting trips etc.
4. What supplements do you like?
We have really liked using NuVet Supplements with our dogs.
From the NuVet Website “The manufacturing process of pet food is essential to keeping the quality of food high. Pet foods that are cooked (almost all) tend to kill off vital and naturally occurring nutrients from many of the ingredients. For instance, vegetables, when you cook them, you’re cooking away crucial minerals, enzymes, and vitamins. This is why many food companies may add synthetic vitamins. Unfortunately, synthetic vitamins are not absorbed the same as are natural vitamins (like those contained in the NuVet Plus®). NuVet Labs uses a “cold processing” method in our manufacturing practices and none of our ingredients are exposed to heat, which removes crucial nutrients in the natural ingredients. Take, for example, the chicken liver. We use real chicken liver that is paddle-dried using a patented process. This ensures the fragile Vitamins A, E, B1, Digestive Enzymes and Omega Fatty Acids are not destroyed. The “cold-processing” of NuVet Plus® ingredients also ensures it is easy on the metabolism of your pet (easy to absorb and process). This is why the multivitamin supplement is still necessary and beneficial for your pet, even if they are getting a good dog food. Even good dog food uses grains and by-products, so make sure you read your pets dog food label before purchasing.”
NuVet is a Direct to Consumer company and isn’t found in stores in order to help keep costs low. Please use the link www.nuvet.com/56496 to order your supplements. It is an affiliate link, and we do receive a small bonus when you sign up with that link. We always recommend using the NuVet Plus K-9 Wafers for at least the first year of your pups life to help with that crucial growth and development. NuVet has a very convenient auto ship programs as well.
5. How do I pay for the puppy and/or the deposit?
We accept cash, Venmo, Zelle, or a personal check*. We can also accept a credit card payment, although there are additional merchant fees applied.
*Personal Checks* If you would like to pay with a personal check we need to receive it at least two weeks before your puppy pick-up date in order for there to be sufficient time for funds to clear. We unfortunately will not send your puppy home with you if you show up with a personal check at take-home day.
6. When Can My puppy go home?
Puppies are fully weaned at 6 weeks and ready to go home at 7 weeks at the earliest. We do prefer to keep them until 8 weeks, but there are arguments for an earlier (7 week old) take home date. Most puppies will go home between 8-9 weeks old. If you need us to hold your puppy after 9 weeks old, we are happy to hold them, but there will be an additional boarding fee.
7. Do you ship my puppy?
After Covid, airlines are no longer shipping puppies via cargo unless you are law enforcement or service animal. Shipping via cargo was always a last resort for us, and it is just no longer available.
We highly prefer to have you pick up the puppy here at our farm. We are able to chat, answer questions, and you are able to meet momma etc. Most people will fly in and make a day of it.
If you are looking for a fast turn-around with a flight, we are able to meet you at the airport for an addition $120 fee. Please do NOT make flight plans unless you have confirmed that we are able to meet you at that time. We typically try to avoid Sunday’s for traveling to the airport and puppy pick-ups, but are understanding and can be flexible if needed. Again, just please clear any travel times with us to make sure we are available.
If traveling to pick up your puppy is not an option there are transport services available. We do know of a car transport option, as well as flight nannies. We can point you in the direction of some of these services, but it is the responsibility of the puppy family to make final arrangements and pay for these services.
8. My work or home life has changed drastically and I won't be able to get a puppy anymore, is my deposit refundable?
It is in everyone's and the puppies best interest to make sure you are in a good place to bring a puppy home. Deposits are non-refundable at any time. We always try to be mindful and aware that these changes occur. To help with that please do not put a deposit down unless you feel confident that you'll be able to get a puppy sometime within the next year. When a puppy is born and you are up on the waitlist we will of course give you the option for that puppy. If for whatever reason you aren't able to take a puppy home in 8 weeks from that time, you are able to defer your spot for a later litter.
If you agree to a certain litter and take-home date and something comes up during that 8 week timeline to where you are no longer able to take a puppy home, please communicate with us as soon as possible. If you back out of an agreed upon litter after puppies have reached 5 weeks of age you will FORFEIT your deposit and be required to place another deposit. That leaves us scrambling to make sure we have a home for the puppy. Even if we have others still waiting on our waitlist it is difficult to change and make travel plans to pick up a puppy on such short notice.
We pride ourselves on being understanding and flexible, just please communicate if plans or things change.
9. I don't hunt- are your pups still ok for me?
Our main goals in breeding are to produce trainable, intelligent, and motivated family dogs. Currently about 50% of our pups will go to homes that don't necessarily plan to hunt, but they are looking for active family members. There are some field golden breeders out there that focus solely on Field Trialing, and hunt testing and sometimes those dogs may not be the best candidates for non-hunting homes. Often these types of breeders will specify that their pups can only go to working homes, or homes that plan to hunt and do some sort of trialing/testing.
Hunting is not the only outlet for our pups, but please do not consider one of our pups if you do not have plans for some kind of activity with your dog. It may be nice long walks, hikes, running, playing fetch etc. They do need mental stimulation and exercise! While they do enjoy being active and typically need an outlet for that energy, they are still lovable golden retrievers, and love to calm down and be inside with the family. Often attempting to be lap dogs if you'll let them! We have always trusted our dogs and pups around our small children, and many go to homes with small children. Kids are great socializers!
Whether you plan to hunt, hunt test, field trial, dock dive, avalanche rescue, do agility... be prepared for the puppy crazies, and plenty of zoomies! They are smart and love to please, with consistent training these pups are capable of just about anything. It is an absolute joy to see our dogs excel in multiple arenas.
10. What kind of training do you provide?
Our training website is www.utahbirddogtraining.com. That has all of the information on our training programs. The programs typically start at 6 months of age or older, and we are a board and train facility. We can do just obedience training, basic gun dog, foundation work, and complete retriever work. Training programs range from 2-10 months.
That way your dog is able to go home with you, bond with you, get socialized well, potty train etc. That six month mark is when they start to hit the "teenage" phase- where they start to test limits and boundaries a bit. It's a great time to have them get that solid foundation in training.
If you would like to have us keep your puppy and get it through training you would purchase the puppy at 8 weeks, and then would pay the monthly training tuition after that. Our training programs are completely customizable and we can definitely work with what you are looking for.
