# Grangers Goldens in Missouri. Beware! Learn a lesson from us. Kansas City Golden Re



## Prism Goldens

Even GRCA member clubs can make bad referrals, sometimes it's due to the by-laws of the club (I know some of them state you have to work events, some say you have to pay an amount,some say you have to abide by GRCA's COE) and changing a club's bylaws is difficult. I belong to 5 differerent member clubs and they all have different criteria to 'list' on puppy referral, and none of them are what I'd call complete. So you do have to let the KCGRC know- I'd drop them a note- and also do your own due diligence because some clubs' hands are tied as to who they will litter list.I'm sorry this happened to you- thank you for the warning post.


----------



## Wenderwoman

I find it a shame that people can just use animals for profit and care little about their health but I do hope the puppies still find a good home. 

I'm sure they are still beautiful and deserve a loving family.


----------



## cubbysan

I am a board member of the Kansas City Golden Retriever Club. This thread really upsets me, so I have forwarded your concern to our Officers and this will be discussed. I am not familiar with the practices of the breeder mentioned.

I do know that there is a definite shortage of well bred puppies in this area, definitely not enough to fulfill all the requests for referrals that we get a year, not that that is any excuse. Also, the club is filled with members of all venues of dog owning, not just breeders. 

I will private message you my e-mail address so you can contact me as a GRF member and not a KCGRCA. I can recommend breeders in this area follow the code of ethics and that I have met personally.


----------



## 4Bella

We also live in Kansas and have been considering Granger Golden Retrievers. But now not sure because of the bad review! Are there any other breeders in the KCK OR KCMO area that any of you would recommend? Also, what is a reasonable price for a golden retriever (we are new at this)?


----------



## Christen113

Have you tried Heritage Goldens? enter


She is planning some breedings.


----------



## 4Bella

Thanks! I'll look at their site. Have you tried them before? This will be our first dog, so nervous! Whats a reasonable price for a female?


----------



## Tahnee GR

I would recommend Heritage Goldens and Claircrest Goldens as well. Both are very reputable. I've known Nickie from Claircrest since the 90's, if not the 80's


----------



## cubbysan

I have a Claircrest puppy that I co-own with Nickie Hertzog. Sailor is the puppy in my signature when she was about ten weeks old. She is now 13 months and we absolutely love her.

I also highly recommend Heritage Golden Retrievers. 

Both breeders are very ethical, do the clearances, and are very involved with their dogs.

Right now these are the only two breeders that do clearances that I know will be having litters in 2015 in the Kansas City area.

Once you have enough posts, please feel free to PM me, I can answer any questions you have. 

Also, do not rely totally on people's reviews. Ask the appropriate questions to the breeders you are interested in. Ask to see the clearances.


----------



## 4Bella

Thanks everyone! I've sent my contact info to a heritage and will do the same with Claircrest. Thanks for the awesome help !


----------



## 4Bella

I've sent also to Chatham golden retrievers, they are in Overland Park, so our same city. Their dogs also have the health clearances. They are not sure about upcoming litters. Any info about them?


----------



## 4Bella

Question: Found online Risa's Golden Retrievers. She breeds English golden retrieves and also does a cross of English/American. Says English much less prone to cancer. Thoughts about this? Anyone have experience dealing with this breeder?


----------



## Alaska7133

Baloney... All goldens get cancer, and all dogs for that matter. Don't buy the marketing plan that somehow her goldens get less cancer. It's not accurate at all. I get tired of people twisting words and trying to convince potential puppy buyers that their puppies are somehow better. Please don't buy from someone with less than stellar ethics.


----------



## Tahnee GR

4Bella said:


> I've sent also to Chatham golden retrievers, they are in Overland Park, so our same city. Their dogs also have the health clearances. They are not sure about upcoming litters. Any info about them?


They don't breed very often but I really like their Goldens. My last litter was out of their boy, Patton. Nice people and very good to work with. You might ask them if anyone local has used one of their boys.


----------



## 4Bella

Heritage Golden Retriever question: many have recommended this breeder. I had a question about the spay/neuter portion of the contract with this breeder? What does it entail?


----------



## SheetsSM

4Bella said:


> Heritage Golden Retriever question: many have recommended this breeder. I had a question about the spay/neuter portion of the contract with this breeder? What does it entail?


I would ask the breeder about the conditions of the contract or even better request a copy so you can see if you agree w/ the terms/conditions


----------



## cubbysan

Most breeders are going into the direction of waiting to get their puppies neutered or spayed. Males up to two years. Females sometimes first heat or right before the first heat. If you have a strong opinion one way or another, then please ask a breeder up front.

Christina from Heritage will happily answer your questions and tell you why.


----------



## HenryH

cubbysan said:


> Most breeders are going into the direction of waiting to get their puppies neutered or spayed. Males up to two years. Females sometimes first heat or right before the first heat. If you have a strong opinion one way or another, then please ask a breeder up front.
> 
> Christina from Heritage will happily answer your questions and tell you why.


cubbysan, the puppy in your signature is one of the cutest dogs I have ever seen. Can I ask what breeder you got him/her from?


----------



## cubbysan

HenryH said:


> cubbysan, the puppy in your signature is one of the cutest dogs I have ever seen. Can I ask what breeder you got him/her from?


Thank you. 

This Claircrest Ridng A Wave of Thanks, but we call her Sailor.

She is a Claircrest puppy from Pleasant Hill, MO. I co-own her with Nickie Hertzog. She is now 14 months old, is a little more gold than that picture. This particular line of Nickie's has some English dogs in the pedigree. I need to get a more updated picture, but I just love this picture. She is very smart and very calm.


----------



## cubbysan

HenryH said:


> cubbysan, the puppy in your signature is one of the cutest dogs I have ever seen. Can I ask what breeder you got him/her from?


Thank you. 

This is Claircrest Ridng A Wave of Thanks, but we call her Sailor.

She is a Claircrest puppy from Pleasant Hill, MO. I co-own her with Nickie Hertzog. She is now 14 months old, is a little more gold than that picture. This particular line of Nickie's has some English dogs in the pedigree. I need to get a more updated picture, but I just love this picture. She is very smart and very calm.


----------



## RedRush

Just wanted to stop by and share some great news. We have been on the search for a golden puppy for quite a while and seems things just keep falling through. The original breeder we wanted to go with that we had heard so many good things about at Heritage golden retrievers wasn’t having a litter for quite a while so we kept searching. We found many breeders in the Kansas City area that were not what they seemed. Toward the end of the year we decided to go a different route and look for English type goldens. This was a disaster and I probably will take some time to post about it so others can avoid this mistake. We researched and interviewed and visited over 20 breeders in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Nebraska and not one of the breeders who claimed to breed English or European goldens ended up having the ethics, knowledge or basic health clearances we were wanting. I’m sure there are some good ones but we didn’t find them in our search in our area. 
So the beginning of this year we basically gave up hope because one of the good breeders in Kanas City area wasn’t having a litter for 6 months and the other was having a spring litter but the reservation list was full. Well tonight we got a call from Christina at Heritage golden retrievers and she said she just had an opening on her wait list because when she sent a copy of the contract for them to review they didn’t want to agree to neuter their dog even though she has that they can wait until they are 2 to neuter and that her vet will do a vasectomy when the puppy is mature if the owner wants. 
So now we get the puppy. Here is the link to the parents. Pedigree: Chubby x Jersey
We met the mom of this litter last year and fell in love with her as we did the other dogs from this breeder. We couldn’t meet the dad since he is in California but got to see video of him. She has another girl she is breeding and we would be thrilled with one of her puppies too if we have to wait for that litter. Just goes to show how everything works out if you are patient. Thank you everyone for all the advice. 
Chad


----------



## RedRush

I just read the other posts and didn't intend to offend anyone we are just very excited.

Thank you Cubbysan we did contact your breeder who was one of the reputable few we found and would have loved one of her puppies but she wouldn't have anything for us anytime soon.


----------



## SheetsSM

RedRush, congrats on the upcoming pup! I can't imagine going through that many breeders & maintaining the wherewithal/strength not to settle--I could only wish every puppy buyer would do their due diligence as you guys have, perhaps then those breeders operating on the fringe might clean up their act.


----------



## LJack

So excited for you. I am hoping for a Chubby puppy too. He is lovely! I have had my eye on him since he was about 5 months old. If it works out, we will have half siblings.


----------



## 4Bella

I'm glad we took our time and waited!!! We picked up our little boy this week from Innisfree (Troy, MO). The breeder, Sue Lister, is awesome! She does all the health checks and gives a 26 month health guarantee. She sells her puppies with FULL AKC registration and let us pick the one we want from the litter. She also does not have any spay/neuter stipulations , so lets the owner be the owner. We would HIGHLY recommend Innisfree for anyone wanting a reputable breeder.


----------



## goldlover68

So when you shared this information with the KC GRCA, what did they say? These clubs are primarily volunteer organizations. So, it is important that people having issues call them so they can deal with the problem and improve.


----------



## cubbysan

goldlover68 said:


> So when you shared this information with the KC GRCA, what did they say? These clubs are primarily volunteer organizations. So, it is important that people having issues call them so they can deal with the problem and improve.


Good news. One of the officers talked with the breeder mentioned in this thread. Since then I did see this breeder with four of her dogs at a heart clearance clinic.


----------



## alpbap

To: RedRush
Hi there! I am wanting to get a golden retriever now as well. I came across Granger's Golden Retrievers (https://www.facebook.com/Grangers-Golden-Retrievers-225050965633/timeline/) and it looks okay to me! I am new to goldens and breeders and am not sure what to look for/what qualifications they need to have. Are there certain questions you recommend me asking? It looks like she does breed a lot, but they are with different dogs, not the same ones each time. I was just wondering what your thoughts were and what I should be looking for. Also, out of curiosity, I have been looking at Heritage Goldens as well and was interested in how much your golden was? Thanks! Amanda


----------



## Finn's Fan

Alpbap, big hint about Granger's. They don't know how to even spell puppies (not puppy's), so I'd steer very clear. In the original post, look at the number of litters on their website at the time. Reputable breeders simply do not have that many puppies on the ground at once.....ever.


----------



## Prism Goldens

Just on the basis that they sell on Next Day Pets, I would run.
I didn't check the site out, there are too many litters to imagine they are well raised and no reason to go there and get myself all depressed that there are people doing this to our breed.


----------



## cubbysan

Heritage is one of the best! If you can get a Heritage puppy, then go for it.

Granger's is starting to do the right thing, they have started to do clearances, and she does bring her dogs to obedience training. She is starting to become more active in the local club. You need to ask the questions.

Just a warning, it is very hard to find a golden retriever puppy in this area. Most are sold before they are even born. There are only a handful of reputable breeders in this area.


----------



## alpbap

Thank you everyone for your helpful comments/suggestions. I reached out to Heritage Goldens, Claircrest Goldens, and Chatham Goldens and hope to hear something back! I'm hoping I can be put on a waiting list.


----------



## cubbysan

alpbap said:


> Thank you everyone for your helpful comments/suggestions. I reached out to Heritage Goldens, Claircrest Goldens, and Chatham Goldens and hope to hear something back! I'm hoping I can be put on a waiting list.


All three are very good. I co-own a Claircrest puppy and think very highly of Nickie's lines. She also has classes on her property. Chatham also has very nice dogs. You cannot go wrong with any three of them.


----------



## Kaiah

*We love our Golden from Grangers*

After loose our first two Goldens (15 years and 9 Years), we were looking for a new dog. Being new to KC, we asked a neighbor who had a 2 year old Golden which breeder to use, and they referred us to Grangers.

We visited their Farm, and picked out a Puppy. They name each puppy after a Color; because they don't want to get attached. It was going to be several weeks before the puppies were weaned from their mother. Our vet gave us a check list to ask the breeder. And everything checked out. 

Our Dog is now 6 years old and we never had a single health issue. She is such a happy, friendly, loving dog; We could not be happier. 

We noticed this post, because we are considering getting a second Golden; and google Grangers.


----------



## Prism Goldens

I'm glad you are happy with your puppy, and I'm sure everyone here is happy for you as well... it remains, however, that Grainger doesn't appear to be a stellar breeder. fwiw- most breeders colorcode their puppies, it is easier to keep up with them that way.


----------



## Debbi

*Breeders*

Thanks for all the help-I am also looking for good breeders in Missouri. Too many of our goldens are dying very young.


----------



## Debbi

*breeders*

This is me again and I wondered about Stone Ridge Goldens and if anyone knows anything. Thanks


----------



## LJack

Debbi said:


> This is me again and I wondered about Stone Ridge Goldens and if anyone knows anything. Thanks


If health tests are important to you, it is not looking good. 
I searched them on OFA and only found three dogs matching thieir breeding program and of those three there was not a single dog that has the appropriate core four tests of Hips, Elbows, current eye, and cardiologist heart.
http://www.offa.org/results.html?nu...&rptdte_end_year=&rptdte=&submit=Begin+Search


----------



## Prism Goldens

They don't seem to have a website, just FB. But I too looked and here's what struck me- they are a fabulous example of what happens when there's no consideration given to what a girl needs in a stud dog - from the pictures of the 1YOs posted by their puppy people it appears the next generation is getting weedier, and less correct than the parents are.


----------



## JJC30

To all of the individuals that have made negative responses to Granger’s Golden Retrievers, I think maybe you should do more research before posting negative reviews about a breeder in such a public forum. 

I have known this breeder since before she began breeding ten years ago. I purchased my first dog from her in 2010. He’s a happy, healthy, golden retriever that my family loves. Ask for a review from anyone who knows this breeder or has one of her dogs. We are easy to find on facebook! You will be hard pressed to find a negative review from these individuals.

There seem to be some misconceptions about Shelley’s breeding practices. First, she does NOT have ten litters for sale at one time. She has three females and one male stud. Only one litter is available at a time. On occasion she may have two litters that overlap by a few weeks, but this is rare. She rotates her females in order to give them a rest. She loves her dogs. When they are too old to breed, she retires them to loving families or keeps them as her family pets. The ten litters that appear on her website are previous litters that have already sold. She leaves the photos there to show off her puppies and adds pictures of them as adult dogs to showcase how well they are doing. She has moved this to facebook now. Yes, her website needs some work. She is not a web designer. She is a dog breeder. 

Secondly, she began this business because she loves golden retrievers and wanted to give individuals that would normally have to go to a puppy mill an alternative option. Until recently, she has only been focused on providing healthy puppies to families that are looking to add an addition to their home. Forgive her for trying to connect with these individuals through services like next day pets. (Which she hasn’t used for some time now) Every business owner is allowed to make their fair share of mistakes. 

Since she was only providing family pets, there was no need to provide the OFA information. All of her dogs, including the puppies when she has them, receive regular care from a licensed veterinarian. When she realized that some individuals were interested in her dogs but wouldn’t purchase from her because she did not follow the OFA standards, she began tracking this information, micro chipping her dogs, and focusing her breeding in that direction.

She has always provided healthy dogs, and a return policy for unhappy customers. If someone has a change in their home life and can no longer care for their dog, she requests that they be returned to her. This is written in her contracts! She doesn’t want to see her dogs in a shelter or worse left on the side of a road. Her puppies have regular visits to the veterinarian, receive all of their vaccinations, and are nearly house trained before she delivers them to their new homes. To insinuate that she is no better than a puppy mill is shameful. 

Though her dogs may not have adhered to the AKC standards in the past, they are closer than ever to them now. To all of the individuals here looking for advice about purchasing their next family pet: Ask someone who actually owns a dog from the breeder you are looking at, knows the breeder personally, or has visited their location before you make a decision about where you will purchase your next dog from. Don’t just look at reviews from individuals who have no knowledge about the breeder and base everything on hearsay.


----------



## Prism Goldens

JJC30 said:


> Ask for a review from anyone who knows this breeder or has one of her dogs. We are easy to find on facebook!
> Robin:
> Seems you slipped between providing a reference and referring to yourself....
> 
> OP:
> Since she was only providing family pets, there was no need to provide the OFA information. All of her dogs, including the puppies when she has them, receive regular care from a licensed veterinarian. When she realized that some individuals were interested in her dogs but wouldn’t purchase from her because she did not follow the OFA standards, she began tracking this information, micro chipping her dogs, and focusing her breeding in that direction.
> 
> 
> Robin:
> OFA is not info that is provided or not- it is on the database if it is done. I'm glad you have begun doing clearances, if that is the truth.
> OP:
> Don’t just look at reviews from individuals who have no knowledge about the breeder and base everything on hearsay.


What we CAN know without ever meeting this individual is that the best practices for the reproduction of Golden Retrievers are not being followed, therefore, the breeder herself either has not got the knowledge to be breeding dogs or she is choosing to disregard it. Tell her to find a mentor to help her learn the breed and to get involved in the breed in a way other than cranking out puppies and she could become a breeder who does not get criticism from her peers.


----------



## BlazenGR

*"she has only been focused on providing healthy puppies"
*
Rebuttal: how can anyone know they are healthy puppies that aren't genetic time bombs if the parents are not being tested with the tools that are readily available?

*"Since she was only providing family pets, there was no need to provide the OFA information."* 

Rebuttal: just because they are "only" family pets (wow, what craziness) doesn't mean that they shouldn't have the benefit of having health-tested parents. In fact, I tell the people I talk to that companion homes should be more careful about checking for complete health testing. If I, as a dog person, buy a puppy where a parent has a missing or failed exam, I know what I am getting myself into. Companion homes are generally more traumatized (for lack of a better word) by a devastating health issue than a "dog person" will be.

*"she began this business"* *"Every business owner..."*

Strike 3. Show me one title she has put on a dog. One dog that has all of its clearances. This forum is about connecting inquiring minds with reputable breeders who are doing the right thing for the breed, and not about supporting her "business" model.


----------



## cubbysan

Prism Goldens said:


> What we CAN know without ever meeting this individual is that the best practices for the reproduction of Golden Retrievers are not being followed, therefore, the breeder herself either has not got the knowledge to be breeding dogs or she is choosing to disregard it. Tell her to find a mentor to help her learn the breed and to get involved in the breed in a way other than cranking out puppies and she could become a breeder who does not get criticism from her peers.


I have gotten to know Shelly over the past few months. She is now on the board of the Kansas City Golden Retriever Club. She does ask the right questions.

I have been at the heart clinics when she had her dogs certified and I actually helped her put eye drops in her dogs' eyes at the eye clinic a few weeks ago. I know she has also had her dogs recently OFA'd, unfortunately she lives out in the country and when she had one of her dogs x-rayed, the country vet failed to tell her that one of her dogs was ONE DAY short of being 2 years old, so they are Preliminaries and not finals. I know she was very frustrated about that. 

I have been in training classes with her and her dogs - might not be show quality, but they are nice looking dogs of very good temperament and very smart. I have heard great things from people that do own her dogs. She is learning and doing the right thing. She is not a puppy mill. Her dogs are her a big part of her and her family's life and she does have a lot of knowledge when it comes to whelping, raising and training puppies. 

There are very few options in this area for golden puppies. If somebody is looking for a great pet in this area, if they have their clearances, it might be the only choice they have. There are not enough reputable golden retriever breeders or rescues in this area to fill the demand, not even close. The puppies that are born in this area are performance litters not suitable for the average home, and the conformation breeders mostly go to show homes or from lists that are years old.

Last week she did put a CGC on her dog - I know it is not a BIG title, but still it is beginning. She went through these classes with a broken hand.

I have never heard her her breedings a business and many of her puppy buyers come back for a second and third.


----------



## Prism Goldens

That is wonderful news! I am glad to hear it. 
I do not know her, obviously, and was going solely off the information available- 

so I'm glad to hear your input!


----------



## brittanyshadduck

cubbysan said:


> I have gotten to know Shelly over the past few months. She is now on the board of the Kansas City Golden Retriever Club. She does ask the right questions.
> 
> I have been at the heart clinics when she had her dogs certified and I actually helped her put eye drops in her dogs' eyes at the eye clinic a few weeks ago. I know she has also had her dogs recently OFA'd, unfortunately she lives out in the country and when she had one of her dogs x-rayed, the country vet failed to tell her that one of her dogs was ONE DAY short of being 2 years old, so they are Preliminaries and not finals. I know she was very frustrated about that.
> 
> I have been in training classes with her and her dogs - might not be show quality, but they are nice looking dogs of very good temperament and very smart. I have heard great things from people that do own her dogs. She is learning and doing the right thing. She is not a puppy mill. Her dogs are her a big part of her and her family's life and she does have a lot of knowledge when it comes to whelping, raising and training puppies.
> 
> There are very few options in this area for golden puppies. If somebody is looking for a great pet in this area, if they have their clearances, it might be the only choice they have. There are not enough reputable golden retriever breeders or rescues in this area to fill the demand, not even close. The puppies that are born in this area are performance litters not suitable for the average home, and the conformation breeders mostly go to show homes or from lists that are years old.
> 
> Last week she did put a CGC on her dog - I know it is not a BIG title, but still it is beginning. She went through these classes with a broken hand.
> 
> I have never heard her her breedings a business and many of her puppy buyers come back for a second and third.


Cubbysan - Are you still in contact with Grangers? We are on their list for an upcoming puppy but coming across this thread made me pretty nervous... we are looking for a family dog, it is our first puppy. Would you be willing to recommend a puppy from her or should we keep looking?


----------



## WildfireGoldensInArizona

After trying to research the present Granger dogs on k9data and also the OFA website, while it is great to hear that she is beginning to do the testing and OFA certifications on her dogs, when doing the vertical pedigrees on most of her dogs that are able to be verified there are holes or missing certifications on the dogs behind her pedigree or issues that are cropping up that she needs to decide if she wants them in her breeding program or not, which is a decision each of as breeders makes on our own as to what we can live with and what we can't when doing breedings. Of course there is not a large quantity to do the research on since she is just beginning to try to get up to speed with what is needed to be in compliance with the GRCA Code Of Ethics Recommendations, but again, when I do pedigree and clearance research for not only myself but others looking for puppies I alway look beyond the certifications of just the parents and also check their offspring as well as siblings and half siblings as well as many generations of their direct and indirect ancestors (again the offspring, siblings, half siblings, aunts/uncles, etc) in order to try to make the best decision on a possible puppy or stud service. Of course we all know that sometimes things are never sent in to OFA especially in the case of a failed certification, so that can skew our research, but by doing this in-depth research it can be enlightening as to what you might find behind a breeders dogs a puppy buyer might be considering. I highly recommend it being done and if when folks do not know how to do it, many of the breeders that respond when a request for help here on the Forum give the facts about dogs/breeders as are verifiable on k9data or the OFA website's verifiable database. I applaud all of those folks helping out here on the Forum who take the time to do this research and share it freely as I feel every buyer should be doing this kind of research and NOT depend on what is listed in a website, a Facebook page nor take a breeders word. I have no issues whatsoever with folks verifying any of my dogs and their past histories as we all know there are no perfect dogs and every dog can and does have something lurking in their pedigrees. One just has to decide what they can live with.


----------



## WildfireGoldensInArizona

I'm going to toss out another suggestion to Granger's Goldens which they may or may not already being doing and if they are, kudos to you. You might want to also begin doing DNA Genetic testing on your dogs. There are several DNA Genetic issues that should be avoided doubling up on, especially in the eye department which is not the same as doing the OFA Eye exam tests. There are several companies that offer it, but I am currently using Paw Print Genetics and have both Golden Retriever Panels done on my Goldens which includes a total of 9 currently available tests including 3 for eyes (PRA 1, PRA 2 and PRA/prcd). Well worth the money spent to have peace of mind and if a dog is not clear/normal on any of the tests it just gives you a better idea as to whom to breed to or to take your program in a different direction. Several of the tests if a parent comes back a "carrier" definitely need to be bred to "clear/normal" in order to not produce puppies that will be affected with possibly a blinding disorder or serious affliction. I think it is great we have the capability to use such testing to make better breeding decisions for our breeding programs as well as our Breed as a whole.


----------



## Alaska7133

One comment I would like to make. In a previous statement, someone mentions that performance dogs do not make good pets. This couldn't be farther from the truth. To use this as an excuse to breed and purchase dogs with less than stellar pedigrees is ridiculous. I have had many types of golden retrievers. The easiest to train, have been my field goldens. The hardest to train has been my show dog. I think you are selling people short to continue to repeat that tired phrase that performance dogs don't make good pets. I don't buy it, nor should the public and potential puppy buyers continue to hear that misinformation.


----------



## Sharon B

Hello! I came across some of your posts and am hoping you can give recommendations on top notch therapy dog breeders in the Midwest from your past research. Any information is greatly apprecitated. Sorry I am unable to privately message you until I complete more posts.


----------



## BlazenGR

Sharon B said:


> Hello! I came across some of your posts and am hoping you can give recommendations on top notch therapy dog breeders in the Midwest from your past research. Any information is greatly apprecitated. Sorry I am unable to privately message you until I complete more posts.


Contact Christina Yohe of Heritage Goldens. Otherwise, contact the Golden Retriever Club of Greater St Louis, or any of the midwest clubs, can help you find a reputable breeder with puppies available. Therapy Dogs, in my opinion, is a label that is EARNED by a well-behaved dog with an owner who raises a well-socialize puppy. Of course there are puppies that by virtue of the activity level may not be good candidates, but a good breeder can help you down the path by choosing the right puppy for you.
https://www.grca.org/about-grca/grca-clubs-map/


----------

