On this page you will find a LOT of great information about Golden Retriever Breeders, resources to use when looking for a breeder and our own planned litters. You can also find us and our litters on Facebook.

If you are interested in a puppy, please fill out a questionnaire and e-mail the completed questionnaire to jasaragoldens@hotmail.com. If you have any questions, please, do not hesitate to ask. I am an ambassador of the breed and it is my job to guide you through this process.

Please keep checking our Facebook page for any openings as they do happen and will be advertised there.

Find a breeder, get comfortable with them and wait. Reputable breeders waiting lists are completely full right now. I am fielding between 20 and 30 emails a day. If you truly want a healthy puppy from a good and reputable breeder please be patient.

Once a breeding happens it is 60-63 days until the puppies are born and 8 weeks until they are ready to come home. Some females only come in once a year and some vary between 6-14 months. Sometimes you have time to wait other times breeders have a puppy available right away. Breeders may hold on to the top two and grow them up or may have kept an opening on purpose for another breeder or a different reason. Just because they have a puppy available at 8 weeks does not mean there is anything wrong with the puppy. The key to getting a puppy from a reputable breeder is patience.

GR Breeder/Puppy Info and Resources

Please read through it completely. If you have questions ask. That is what we are here for!!

Download information to print

Both parents (sire and dam) have their Orthopedic Foundation (OFA) health clearances. Hip and Elbow x-rays were submitted to OFA and were read by OFA. Eyes should be checked by a Veterinary ophthalmologist every year until the dog’s death. A Veterinary Cardiologist auscultation and/or possibly an Echo or Echocardiogram. To be a member of the Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA) and Mile-Hi Golden Retriever Club (MHGRC) every breeder has to follow these Code of Ethics guidelines. It is recommended the breeder or owner submit Heart and Eye clearances to OFA, but it is not required. If you cannot find them on OFA they do not exist. All my dogs have had all genetic testing (GR-PRA 1, GR-PRA 2, prcd-PRA, DM, Ichthyosis 1 & 2, and NCL) done as well. All results are published on OFA's website . Almost all reputable breeders list their dogs on k9data. Once you click on the link you are taken to the website. If you click on the clearance information it will take you to the dog’s OFA page. Below are two links to the GRCA’s information, on health testing and health information about Golden Retrievers.
https://www.grca.org/about-the-breed/health-research/health-screenings-for-the-parents-of-a-litter/
https://www.grca.org/about-the-breed/health-research

How to use K9Data and OFA websites

The Process

All show, field, or performance puppies are chosen and placed first. I won't know until the puppies are 8 weeks old and we do evaluations, which puppies will be companion puppies and which puppies will be staying and/or going to show homes. What this means is, after the litter is born, I only keep one maybe two spots open for show homes. All those other spots are available for companion puppies. I evaluate them at 8 weeks to see which ones are show quality and which ones will be companion puppies; sometimes show quality puppies end up as companion puppies because I don’t have any show homes. I would never take a deposit from a buyer if I didn’t have a puppy for them. I start compiling names for each litter right away. Once I have the questionnaire, I review it. Everyone has to fill out a questionnaire!!! Once I have reviewed it if I do not have any further questions I place you on a waiting list. If you are on my waiting list you are in the lineup for a puppy. I will not know how many of each sex or how many puppies there are until they are born. Even if I place you on my waiting list, there may not be enough puppies for everyone on my waiting list for that particular litter. If I do not have a puppy from that specific litter, I can move you to my next litter. Once the litter is born, I put you on a litter break down sheet in order of contact. If this sounds like a process it is! It’s the only way I can keep everything straight and in order.

Once you are placed a breeder’s waiting list, please DO NOT keep shopping and/or get put on other breeder’s waiting lists. If you decide to go with another breeder prior to the puppies being born it is customary to inform the breeder you want to be removed from their waiting list. You may very well forfeit any deposit you placed. Please be courteous. DO NOT get on multiple waiting lists trying to get a puppy or puppies from multiple breeders. Modern technology/social media has linked breeders across the nation and world. We talk to each other. Most likely you will not end up getting a puppy at all.

Find a breeder you are comfortable with. It doesn’t matter if it is me or someone else, this is the person you are going to call at 3am when the puppy is vomiting, because it ate something it shouldn’t. This is the person who, will be there for the life of your puppy and beyond.

Jasara Golden Retriever Puppies range in color from Light to Dark golden.

Price: The total price is $2,500.00

I require a $500 deposit once the puppies are 1 week old if you would like to hold your spot. The deposit does NOT mean you automatically get a puppy, it is a place holder only. The deposit is only refundable if I decide you are not a suitable home. I reserve the right to refund the deposit, at any time if I feel you are NOT going to be a suitable home for one of my puppies. Yes, if during the 8 weeks after the puppies are born, I feel you will not be a good home for one of my puppies, I can and will refund your deposit. If you decide to back out at any time after I have asked for the deposit, I must now wait for a suitable home to come available. You will NOT get your deposit back until another suitable home is found and has paid for the puppy in full. I do NOT consider a puppy sold until I am paid in full. NO, I will not do payment plans. The payment schedule is $500 deposit due at 1 week old and $2,000 due when you pick up your puppy. The deposit goes toward the total purchase price of the puppy. The total price is $2,500.00. The final payment is due in cash at time of pick up. If you bring a check, cashier’s check, or money order you will have to wait until it clears to get your puppy.

I have you decide whether you want a male or female. I can always help if you are on the fence about the correct sex of puppy for your family. During the first 7 weeks everyone will see pictures and videos of the puppies via a Facebook page, only buyers with deposits will be able to see. The puppies will be identified by a color. I make the final decisions on which puppy goes to which family based on the family’s activity level and composition along with the puppy’s temperament. This is why the questionnaire is so important. I would not place the most active puppy with a retired couple. Just as I would not place the most laid-back puppy with a couple that has 3 kids and hikes every weekend. I want the right family with the right puppy.

I do ENS or Early Neurologic Stimulation. This is done on days 3-16. I allow the first couple days for the puppies to relax and settle in with the mother. The puppies are handled every day. I also have several toys I introduce for the puppies to help reduce fear during their fear stages.

I also perform the Volhard temperament testing.

What you can expect with your puppy:

AKC Limited Registration. (Unless you are proven show/performance home)
Mandatory Spay or Neuter included in the contract.
You will be required to sign a contract stating you will abide by the rules set therein.
Individual stimulation from birth.
Puppies are dewormed at 4, 6, 8 weeks before going to their new homes.
First set of Vaccinations given at 7-8 weeks. I do/recommend the 8, 12, 16-week vaccination schedule.
Paper trained and the beginnings of house / crate training.
Individual Veterinarian Examination. My vet also competes with labs in AKC and UKC hunting trials and thoroughly goes over every puppy.
Bill of Sale
Micro-chipped and pre-enrolled in AKC's REUNITE program.

I DO NOT allow my puppies to be spayed or neutered prior to 1 year of age. IF YOU AND YOUR VET CANNOT ABIDE BY THIS RESTRICTION, PLEASE DO NOT BUY A PUPPY FROM ME.
UC Davis in California did a study with only Golden Retrievers and the results of spaying/neutering early are very eye opening. As a result, all breeders are requiring their puppy buyers to wait to spay/neuter.

By buying a puppy from me you agree to wait to spay/neuter. If you are going to allow your vet to spay/neuter early, then please look elsewhere. All vets are taught to recommend early sterilization. My contract requires puppy buyers to wait until 18-24 months for males and for females 3 months after the first heat cycle (season) has ended, as long as the puppy is over 12 months old; OR the second heat cycle (season) if they are too young during the first. Example, if the first heat cycle (season), the female puppy is 6 months old and 3 months after the end of the cycle she would only be 9 months old. This is under the 1 year requirement so you would need to wait until 3 months after her second heat cycle.

The Golden Retriever Club of America has also recommended this to all breeders and now several vets are following suit. I am doing this for the lifetime health of the puppies I produce. I feel waiting is more beneficial than the risk of spaying or neutering early. Please take the time to read the following links. Here are all the latest research articles.

http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10498

https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/100301g.aspx

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0055937

https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/130401s.aspx

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/vms3.34/full

http://www.caninesports.com/uploads/1/5/3/1/15319800/spay_neuter_considerations_2013.pdf

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0102241

These link's graphs are easier to read.

http://www.instituteofcaninebiology.org/spay--neuter-effects.html

http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5146839/

There is also one point I am adamant about. Due to the recent developments with Taurine deficiency in Golden Retrievers and other breeds I will only recommend the following dog foods brands:
Purina
Royal Canin
Farmina

Dr. Joshua Stern is currently doing a Golden Retriever only study to determine why Goldens are dying young from taurine-deficient dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Most of the other dog foods are gaining protein from legumes instead of meat. Our dogs are suffering because of this. It is a recent development due to dog food companies not doing clinical feeding trials before their products go on the market. I have included the link to the study below.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0209112&fbclid=IwAR1gevFewTHNrkRLmTYN3tvjH90k1rzsDtMI-f0nDsUI8SBsJ6rcoZu6wBc

Pigmentary Uveitis Information
Leading experts in pigmentary uveitis recommend annual eye examinations for all Golden Retrievers, beginning in young adulthood. About Pigmentary Uveitis: https://www.grca.org/about-the-breed/health-research/experts-answer-pigmentary-uveitis-questions

These regular screenings may play an important role in preventive health care because early diagnosis and treatment of pigmentary uveitis may prevent or delay the most serious complications of the disease. We know at this time there can be no assurance that any Golden is safe from developing pigmentary uveitis, so essentially all Goldens are at risk.

NCL https://www.grca.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Hubbs-NCL5a2.pdf

NCL is a neurologic disease caused by the accumulation of material (ceroid and/or lipofuscin) in a part of the cell known as the lysosome, that would normally serve to digest that material. Material accumulating in the lysosomes causes a large group of diseases called the lysosomal storage diseases. The lysosome is the garbage disposal of the cell and also plays many other roles and it does not function correctly in NCL (5). Today we know that there are many different types of NCL and different mutations in different genes are able to cause NCL. NCL can be diagnosed at necropsy (an autopsy of a dog) because of the fluorescent material that collects in the cells of affected dogs. It is the accumulation of material that should be removed that leads to the signs of NCL and eventually the death of affected dogs. If the DNA mutation causing a specific type of NCL is known, affected and carrier dogs can be identified by a DNA test. The signs of NCL usually develop between one and two years of age and include a lack of coordination, tremors, vision problems, behavior changes and seizures. To prevent Golden Retriever NCL, carriers should only be bred to Goldens tested as normal/clear. This can be accomplished by testing both the sire and dam or being certain that at least one of them is NCL normal/clear. All dogs born affected by the disease will die before they are 3. If a breeder does not do the $65 genetic test for this condition please walk away from this breeder. Without testing they have no way of knowing if their dogs are affected or carriers of the disease.

I encourage everyone to make sure they do their homework and get to know your breeder before you purchase a puppy. Ask the hard questions. This is a person, who, will be there for you and your puppy. They can pull from years of knowledge and if they do not know they can ask other breeders.

There are a lot of less than reputable breeders in Nebraska. Ask the breeder why did you breed those two dogs together? Was it because that is what they owned and had in the backyard? If you are going to be spending over $1,000 on a well-bred Golden Retriever don't you want to buy from health tested parents? Why isn't that breeder investing into their dogs?

I hear this a LOT.... I don't want a show dog I just want a dog. Well maybe…. you do want a dog that comes from hunt/field/show/performance lines for these reasons. Why do people recommend choosing a breeder, who, shows and titles their dogs to folks who are just looking for a pet and have no interest in showing? Why should breeding to breed standard be important to a pet home? Does it seem excessive, or “snobby”?

It’s not, and here’s why.

Dog shows are a means of evaluating dogs against the breed standard, to evaluate soundness, movement/gait, type, and temperament.

Soundness: The state of physical and mental health when all organs and faculties are functioning properly, each in its rightful relation to each other.

Type: Breed type encompasses appearance, character, condition, bone structure, temperament, and movement; "breed type is all these things." Breed type also includes a character specific to each breed, a combination of behavior, temperament and carriage that demonstrate an essence of the breed.

Gait: The gait of a dog is its quality of movement. You want to see ease of movement, unimpaired by illness or poor structure.

Temperament: The general attitude a dog has towards other animals and people. From the Golden Retriever Breed Standard: “Friendly, reliable, and trustworthy. Quarrelsomeness or hostility towards other dogs or people in normal situations, or an unwarranted show of timidity or nervousness, is not in keeping with Golden Retriever character. Such actions should be penalized according to their significance.”

So. That’s a very basic intro to what goes on at a show... why does this matter? You want a pet, a companion, not a show dog, right? Well, you chose Golden Retrievers for a reason.

You’ve done your research, and have read that they’re great with kids and other animals, they’re a symmetrical, powerful, active dog, sound and well put together, not clumsy nor long in the leg, displaying a kindly expression and possessing a personality that is eager, alert and self-confident. Primarily a hunting dog, not aggressive, they make excellent companions and love spending time with their people. That their good and kind natured predisposes many Goldens to be excellent therapy dogs. Good, responsible breeders seek to preserve those definitive and positive characteristics.

Here’s an example-- there are aggressive and aloof Goldens. An aggressive dog is no joke, and an 80lb. aggressive dog even less so. Aggression can run in lines. Wouldn’t it be difficult to show an aggressive, reactive, fearful, or excessively shy Golden? Do you want to take the gamble and trust someone about their dog’s history, or would you rather buy from someone who has taken their dogs into the ring or done hunting/ field trials and had the dog’s temperament proven over and over, consistently? What about type and structure? How the dog is put together, able to move freely and comfortably? Would you rather buy from someone who has proven publicly, over time, that the dog they’re breeding can move well, free of limp, or a structural problem? Or just trust someone who has no interest in proving their dogs? It’s your puppy’s quality of life and comfort (as well as your wallet) that’s at stake.

Not every dog in a well-bred litter is going to be show quality- there will ALWAYS be pet-quality puppies. Well-bred, but maybe with a slight imperfection, and those are the puppies placed in pet homes. You don’t have to want a show-quality puppy to get a well-bred puppy!

Here’s the bottom line.... every day, Golden rescues are seeing more and more Goldens. Goldens in pain because they were poorly bred. Goldens requiring extensive vet care, expensive surgery. People having to remand their dogs to breed rescue because they can’t manage the dog, fear the dog, or found out the dog needs costly vet care they can’t afford.

This is not about being snobby, being elitist, thinking that one dog is “better” than another, it’s about ensuring you get a puppy that acts and looks like the breed you fell in love with. It’s about ensuring that all Golden puppies have the best start in life, and will grow into a loving family member. It’s about loving our breed enough to want to see everything that’s good about them preserved for future generations to enjoy. If you want a healthy dog, with a properly sweet temperament, choose your breeder wisely.

I spend a lifetime learning pedigrees, genetics, breed standards and learning from those in my breed and those outside it. I raise each litter as if I gave birth to them and spend an equal amount of time finding them loving forever homes. I only put animals on this planet, I think will be the healthiest (mentally and physically) and nicest examples of the breed. I support each family, who, chooses one of my babies and let them know they are now a part of our extended family. I celebrate their wins in shows, in the field, and the milestones with each companion puppy, why, because they are family. I shed tears when one dies. I am there if one needs to come back. I hold them when they arrive and leave this world.

I don't keep track of the money and time I put into my love of them; it would not be a true measure of how I feel. The price I charge for my puppies is never profit, but an investment in the next generation. I work hard at being a good caretaker of the breed and encouraging others to do the same. You will find it very hard to find a quality Golden Retriever with health clearance and genetic testing on both parents under $2,000. We do health testing because we want to make sure our puppies have the best possible chance at not having Hip dysplasia, Elbow dysplasia, hereditary heart problems such as SAS sub aortic stenosis, or eye problems such as Pigmentary Uveitis, which eventually left untreated will leave a dog blind and is incredibly painful. We also do genetic testing to make sure we do not end up with other genetic diseases such as NCL. While testing hips, elbows, eyes, and heart does not always keep puppies from having any of these issues, it does stack the deck in our favor. Sure, you can buy that $500 puppy and you may never have any trouble, but if it ends up with any of the diseases above or others I have not mentioned; will the breeder be there? Probably not and you will not have a breeder, who, has spent most of their life dedicated to this breed and can offer advice.

So, please do your homework and get to know your breeder before you purchase a puppy. A bargain now my end up costing you thousands in the long run. We also compete with our dogs, because it is a testament to the temperament of the breed. We only breed dogs with temperaments we and you will want to live with. It may seem like the initial price of a puppy is expensive, but the initial price pales in comparison to the actual cost of owning a dog. In the first year alone, you spend over $500 on shots, vet visits, and then the next year you will need to spend money on the spay/neuter. I just wanted to give you some food for thought.

If you have any questions at all, please send me an e-mail at jasaragoldens@hotmail.com.

Thank you for your interest in a puppy from Jasara Golden Retrievers.

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