# Best Breeders west of the Rockies



## Goldieluvr1 (May 2, 2014)

Hi! Have been lurking on this site for awhile & saw your post and had to respond. Sadly, we lost our almost 10 year old Goldie to cancer a few months ago...Absolutely gutted. We knew we wanted another Golden (we also have a Lab & Cavalier King Charles)
I started doing research via this forum & AKC and found Alto Rancho Golden Retrievers located in Rancho Cucamonga. 
Steve Knecht is a hobby breeder & truly loves the breed and his dogs. We adopted an 8 week old English Golden almost three weeks ago. Her name is Pip & she is just wonderful. Easily the most adjusted & confident puppy I have ever had. Poddy training going well & Steve is always available & just fabulous to work with. I think they have a litter coming up in July. 
I did extensive research & called multiple breeders before deciding to go with Alta. I followed advice of users on this forum, pick your breeder first & then puppy/dog. Good luck!


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## LJack (Aug 10, 2012)

Goldieluvr1 said:


> started doing research via this forum & AKC and found Alto Rancho Golden Retrievers located in Rancho Cucamonga.
> Steve Knecht is a hobby breeder & truly loves the breed and his dogs.


While this breeder may love their dogs they do not seem to be doing the basic health clearances for hearts, eyes, hips and elbows on these dogs. A review of the website is concerning as the poses the dogs are in are not indicative of good structure. Mostly sitting or laying the only standing picture looks as if the dog is barley able to a maintain a unnatural position.

You will want to look at the sticky threads at the top of this section to get some great information. Regardless of style, breeding dogs should be 2 years or older and have at minimum hips, elbows, eyes and hearts tested. There are additional tests for eye diseases, skin disorders, thyroid, etc. Unfortunately, there is no Cancer free lines. Run from anyone who try's to sell you that bunk. Find a breeder who is honest and knowledgable about their dogs health histories. I prefer a breeder who submits all their testing to Orthopedic Foundation for Animals so I can check them. No matter who you buy from never take clearances on someone word always insist on checking them online or hard copy.

Here is an example of my girl's clearance history. She is too young for hips and elbows but you can see generations of good clearance history behind her. Orthopedic Foundation for Animals


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## Goldieluvr1 (May 2, 2014)

I was given ALL appropriate paperwork, clearances & OFA by Alta Rancho. Some breeders don't put on their website, but that shouldn't discount them. This is a small hobby breeder that doesn't have a state of the art website as some professional breeders do.


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## Ripley16 (Jan 26, 2012)

If you are willing to venture all the way up to the great white north, Tashora south of Vancouver B.C. has some beautiful dogs, and is the main line that my girl comes from. They breed english style retrievers. I cannot say enough about how great my girl is. I am sure any pup from Tashora would be the same


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## LJack (Aug 10, 2012)

Goldieluvr1 said:


> I was given ALL appropriate paperwork, clearances & OFA by Alta Rancho. Some breeders don't put on their website, but that shouldn't discount them. This is a small hobby breeder that doesn't have a state of the art website as some professional breeders do.


OFA Elbows and Hips will show on Orthopedic Foundation for Animals's public results data base after the three ortho specialist have rated them. No need for the breeder to post these as OFA automatically posts passing grades. Eyes and hearts could be hard copy, since the specialist makes the status determination at time of appointment, not ideal but acceptable. 

Are you saying you were given hard copies of OFA hip and elbow clearances on both parents?

The only dog I was able to find with any verifiable clearance at all was Jackson Orthopedic Foundation for Animals He only lists hips which is odd. Hips and Elbows are x-rayed in the same visit and submitted at the same time. OFA is the only game in Elbows and since he does not show an elbow clearance, it is highly likely he failed them. Any way he is missing an elbow clearance and is listed under the boys section indicating he is a breeding dog.


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

Goldieluvr1 said:


> I was given ALL appropriate paperwork, clearances & OFA by Alta Rancho. Some breeders don't put on their website, but that shouldn't discount them. This is a small hobby breeder that doesn't have a state of the art website as some professional breeders do.


Was the dam of your pup Desert Diamond of G.R. Oasis? Are you willing to share the sire's name?

Alta Rancho shares studs w/ Rancho goldens--the owner of Rancho Goldens Beckie Moore was on the GRF facebook page posting a pic of Jackson getting his clearances & went on to say all of her dogs bred have clearances. However, I started posting her dogs & litters where there were no clearances listed on offa.org despite her repeated claims of OFA clearances. She quickly took her post down. Found the same gaps in clearances w/ Alta Rancho. Looking at some of the dogs in the pedigrees, these are nothing close to English goldens as they're advertised.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

As usual, I am astounded at how many untruths people will put on their websites. The Alto Rancho site - wow-


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## Goldieluvr1 (May 2, 2014)

Pip's mom is SR37507005. Y'all are super suspicious. Won't be posting here again!


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## CharlieBear80 (Oct 13, 2013)

This one?

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals



Goldieluvr1 said:


> Pip's mom is SR37507005. Y'all are super suspicious. Won't be posting here again!


I don't think it's about us being suspicious, it's about us caring for the breed and wanting to make sure that puppy buyers aren't duped into purchasing a dog from unscrupulous breeders. That's all.


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

What about the sire?

The 2 studs listed on what I'm guessing is the breeder's most current website version are: Harley-Harlan of Golden Duck (no OFA clearances) & Spring Field Of Golden Duck (Jackson) (only OFA hips); on another version of the site Almost Heave Magnificent Milo is listed with no OFA clearances either.


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## Goldieluvr1 (May 2, 2014)

Well hot darn, since y'all don't approve of Alta Goldens, I'm going to go and dump my puppy into the middle of the hot desert. I got OFA clearances on parents, as well as five generations.


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## DanaRuns (Sep 29, 2012)

Goldieluvr1 said:


> Pip's mom is SR37507005. Y'all are super suspicious. Won't be posting here again!


This doesn't add up. That dog is White Dove Sweet Heidi Girl, 8 years old, not owned by Steve Schect at Alta Rancho, but Gabrielle Beyler, and there are no Alta Rancho dogs in the pedigree. She's listed on the website Golden Retrievers Oasis.com Your Las Vegas White Golden Retriever Breeder. as belonging to a breeder in Henderson, NV. Here is her k9data page: Pedigree: White Dove Sweet Heidi Girl.

In short, NOTHING about Alta Rancho Goldens seems to be adding up, here. I suspect Goldieluvr1 isn't being truthful with us.

And I wonder why, on the Alto Rancho website, we don't see a single Golden standing or sitting in a normal posture.



> Well hot darn, since y'all don't approve of Alta Goldens, I'm going to go and dump my puppy into the middle of the hot desert. I got OFA clearances on parents, as well as five generations.


My goodness! What Golden lover would even think of saying something like dumping their puppy in the desert??? 

Just based on the evidence before us, I am not convinced that you are who you say you are, that you got a puppy from Alta Rancho, that the puppy's dam is Heidi, or that you got all clearances. Of course, you can feign outrage like you are, but we see an awful lot of people come through here with all sorts of claims, and you can tell pretty quickly when something is off, so it's reasonable for folks here to start asking questions and note deficiencies. Sometimes, breeders of real disrepute will come here and post as if they are a satisfied customer of their kennel, trying to deceive puppy buyers, and will the stalk off in a huff when revealed. Yes, we see that occasionally. So don't get your back up too much when you make claims that aren't readily verifiable and point us to breeders who do not appear to do any clearances at all, then cite us to a dam for your Alta Rancho puppy that appears to have no connection to that breeder.

Of course, you can always show us good by posting copies of those clearances you got....


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## Alegria (Nov 10, 2013)

Thanks for the info Goldielvr1. Sorry you had to take heat for responding :-( Thanks also to other posters trying to help.


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## Goldieluvr1 (May 2, 2014)

I'm not as slick as reading these docs as y'all are since this is my first trip on this rodeo...Gave the wrong OFA number for Pip's mom earlier, her mom's name is Desert Diamond of G.R. Oasis, and her dad is Spring Field Of Golden Duck. Of course I'm not going to dump my sweet dog in the desert, but the previous comments were extremely harsh imo. Everyone was basically saying my sweet pooch has bad genes (when she doesn't!). 
Based on MY experience with Alto Rancho, I was very impressed, didn't say this was the best in the country -- how can anyone even claim that?! 
I began on this thread by saying we had lost our nine year old sweet Golden to cancer, we had gotten her from a breeder (who has since died, and no, I don't have all of the paperwork still)...Bonnie's parents were both champions, only give our pooches the best dog food, no by-products, etc. So it was quite a shock when she developed cancer. Our next door neighbors have a Golden who they purchased from a pet shop (which we would never do), and their dog is 14! 
I understand that y'all are trying to only help and provide information, but you shouldn't be so judgmental and make assumptions when you don't have all of the facts. 
We are very happy with our sweet girl and wouldn't trade her for anything. 
BTW, Sunbeam, which is revered by others here, seems very radical in that they are co-owners for life, and not spaying or neutering until at least one heat cycle, and waiting until 18 months. Our vet said that is just flat out bad for the dog, and in females, makes the surgery even more complicated and risky when it's finally done, the size of the ovaries, etc. Just my thoughts.


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## LJack (Aug 10, 2012)

Goldieluvr1 said:


> Well hot darn, since y'all don't approve of Alta Goldens, I'm going to go and dump my puppy into the middle of the hot desert. I got OFA clearances on parents, as well as five generations.


I want to assure you that even if we can not support a breeder, we certainly support you and your puppy. 

These breeder threads sometimes go like this when a recent puppy buyer is confronted with information that the breeder of their puppy is not all they thought or claimed to be. It is easy to see the posts pointing out deficiencies in a breeders program as criticism against your beloved pet. Please realize I do not post these things as an attack but as education to another buyer that everything is not as it should be with this program.

I truly hope you did get generations of full clearances. That is where we have to be now because there is no verifiable proof of eyes or heart on the mom. I also question the mom because of age it is not completely unheard of but is rare most girls are retired between 4-6 years old. We also still don't know the dad and the chances of clearances based on the boys listed on the website are very bleak. 

It is sadly not uncommon for people to come on the forum and find out they have been mislead or lied to about the clearance history of their puppy. That is why I always recommend verifying any clearance and prefer breeders who make their programs transparent by paying the nominal fees to record everything with OFFA so it is easily verifiable online. Then there are no questions now or from future buyers.

I hope you stick around. Start a thread for you puppy, we love pictures and supporting each other. Try some of the other areas and I think your experience will be wonderfull


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## Goldieluvr1 (May 2, 2014)

DanaRuns said:


> This doesn't add up. That dog is White Dove Sweet Heidi Girl, 8 years old, not owned by Steve Schect at Alta Rancho, but Gabrielle Beyler, and there are no Alta Rancho dogs in the pedigree. She's listed on the website Golden Retrievers Oasis.com Your Las Vegas White Golden Retriever Breeder. as belonging to a breeder in Henderson, NV. Here is her k9data page: Pedigree: White Dove Sweet Heidi Girl.
> 
> In short, NOTHING about Alta Rancho Goldens seems to be adding up, here. I suspect Goldieluvr1 isn't being truthful with us.
> 
> ...


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## Goldieluvr1 (May 2, 2014)

LJack said:


> I want to assure you that even if we can not support a breeder, we certainly support you and your puppy.
> 
> These breeder threads sometimes go like this when a recent puppy buyer is confronted with information that the breeder of their puppy is not all they thought or claimed to be. It is easy to see the posts pointing out deficiencies in a breeders program as criticism against your beloved pet. Please realize I do not post these things as an attack but as education to another buyer that everything is not as it should be with this program.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much. How do I post pictures? I'm so new to all of this and truly appreciate your kind words. I also want to post pics of our sweet Golden Bonnie, who sadly passed away at age nine from cancer. Was just devastated, and always will be it feels like. I can't visit the Rainbow Bridge section yet, just not ready for that.


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## LJack (Aug 10, 2012)

Goldieluvr1 said:


> BTW, Sunbeam, which is revered by others here, seems very radical in that they are co-owners for life, and not spaying or neutering until at least one heat cycle, and waiting until 18 months. Our vet said that is just flat out bad for the dog, and in females, makes the surgery even more complicated and risky when it's finally done, the size of the ovaries, etc. Just my thoughts.


These things are actually not radical and Golden specific research is showing many health benefits some with a direct correlation to the most prolific cancers in our breed for neutering and spaying at an older age. I think there is more current info, but this is direct from the Golden Retriever Club of America website http://www.grca.org/pdf/health/EffectsEarlySpayNeuterPurina.pdf


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## Goldieluvr1 (May 2, 2014)

Our sweet Pip!


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## LJack (Aug 10, 2012)

I would suggest starting a thread in the "Golden Retriever Puppy (up to 1 year) section. Once you are in the section, there will be a "thread starter" at the top left. Title you thread and start to type the body. Once you have the body entered there will be two options below. Post quick reply and Go Advanced. Go advanced is where the fun stuff is! Emoticons, colors, bold and such and the "manage attachments" button which will allow you to add pictures.

You can also go to User CP and edit your avatar which is the little picture at the top left of every post and your signature can also have a photo added.


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## Goldieluvr1 (May 2, 2014)

LJack said:


> These things are actually not radical and Golden specific research is showing many health benefits some with a direct correlation to the most prolific cancers in our breed for neutering and spaying at an older age. I think there is more current info, but this is direct from the Golden Retriever Club of America website http://www.grca.org/pdf/health/EffectsEarlySpayNeuterPurina.pdf


Your Goldie is gorgeous.
:wavey:


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## LJack (Aug 10, 2012)

Goldieluvr1 said:


> Your Goldie is gorgeous.
> :wavey:


Thanks! Yours is too! Enjoy puppyhood it is over too quick!:


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## Goldieluvr1 (May 2, 2014)

Well, I won't lie, ready for the teething, waking up at 6am to stop, but holding her as much as possible now because it won't be much longer and won't be able too.


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## DanaRuns (Sep 29, 2012)

Goldieluvr1 said:


> I'm not as slick as reading these docs as y'all are since this is my first trip on this rodeo...Gave the wrong OFA number for Pip's mom earlier, her mom's name is Desert Diamond of G.R. Oasis, and her dad is Spring Field Of Golden Duck. Of course I'm not going to dump my sweet dog in the desert, but the previous comments were extremely harsh imo. Everyone was basically saying my sweet pooch has bad genes (when she doesn't!).
> Based on MY experience with Alto Rancho, I was very impressed, didn't say this was the best in the country -- how can anyone even claim that?!
> I began on this thread by saying we had lost our nine year old sweet Golden to cancer, we had gotten her from a breeder (who has since died, and no, I don't have all of the paperwork still)...Bonnie's parents were both champions, only give our pooches the best dog food, no by-products, etc. So it was quite a shock when she developed cancer. Our next door neighbors have a Golden who they purchased from a pet shop (which we would never do), and their dog is 14!


Unfortunately, many of us have suffered similar losses, and we all understand that and wish the best for you and your new puppy (who is adorable, by the way).



> I understand that y'all are trying to only help and provide information, but you shouldn't be so judgmental and make assumptions when you don't have all of the facts.


Sometimes there is a rush to judgment here, but it is only because people are so passionate about the breed and hate, hate, hate to see breeders who don't do clearances, deceive puppy buyers (and they can be very slick and convincing!), and produce puppies at greater risk for health problems.



> We are very happy with our sweet girl and wouldn't trade her for anything.


Good! Then she won't have to walk through the desert!  In the end, it doesn't matter where we got our puppies from, whether it's a top breeder, a backyard breeder, a puppy mill or a rescue, we love them all the same no matter what. The bestest dog I ever had was from a puppy mill. I'd never buy from one again, but I don't regret one second of my life with her. She was the greatest dog ever.

Right now I have a rescue dog who is from a puppy mill, and this poor girl has all sorts of (expensive) health problems, but I love her soooooo much! 



> BTW, Sunbeam, which is revered by others here, seems very radical in that they are co-owners for life, and not spaying or neutering until at least one heat cycle, and waiting until 18 months. Our vet said that is just flat out bad for the dog, and in females, makes the surgery even more complicated and risky when it's finally done, the size of the ovaries, etc. Just my thoughts.


You may not be used to those things, so they seem radical to you, but this is what responsible breeders do

They co-own so that if you ever abandon the dog, sell it to a puppy mill, or can no longer care for it, they will be able to take it back and make sure the dog goes to another good home and have a great life. They also do it so you can't breed that dog without their permission. It's still your dog, your family member. But the breeder is there as a backup, in case someone needs to step in and rescue the dog. The puppy comes first. I co-own two of my dogs with their breeders. It's actually nice to know that they are there. Should I ever be homeless or incapacitated, or die, I know my dogs will be taken care of.

Your vet is a little behind the times when it comes to spaying. There is new science out -- and in particular a big study from UC Davis -- establishing that waiting to spay until after the puppy's first season is much better for the dog's health. The research team reviewed the records of female and male golden retrievers for two joint disorders and three cancers: hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear, lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma and mast cell tumor. The study revealed that, for all five diseases analyzed, the disease rates were significantly higher in both males and females that were spayed/neutered either early or late compared with intact (non-neutered) dogs.

Specifically, early neutering was associated with an increase in the occurrence of hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear and lymphosarcoma in males and of cranial cruciate ligament tear in females. Late neutering was associated with the subsequent occurrence of mast cell tumors and hemangiosarcoma in females. So, the new thinking is that it is bad for the dog to spay her before her first cycle, or to wait too long. Your vet needs to get caught up.

Your puppy is adorable. I'd love to see photos of your Golden Oldie that you lost, too.


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## Shellbug (Nov 14, 2013)

Goldieluvr1 please don't be offended by the the info offered here. I was once given info about my sweet Thor that didn't make me happy. He wasn't an "English golden" and he had no championship bloodline in him, which my friends (who had him, were led to believe - so we did too!) 
BUT let me assure you the same people who schooled me also love my sweet dog. They follow his thread and care about him. So don't feel bad. It's okay. I whisper to Thor "your no show dog" lol he licks me and I love on him. It's all good 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## DanaRuns (Sep 29, 2012)

Yeah, you know, that whole "show dog" thing isn't anything. I currently have two show dogs. And yes, I love them and am proud of them. But the one sleeping with her head on my lap as I'm typing this is a rescue from a puppy mill. She's my favorite. Always will be.


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## Ripley16 (Jan 26, 2012)

@Goldieluvr1 As everyone else has said, please don't be offended. Everyone here is just trying to look out for each other in the long run. There are so many extremely knowledgeable people here on the forum, and have so much good advice to offer a new puppy owner. Choosing a reputable breeder is a difficult task, and some people are unfortunately dooped by a breeder who lies about the background of their dogs. This is not the buyers or puppies fault whatsoever, and is just an unfortunate circumstance. I have not looked into your breeder myself, so I cannot say for sure that they are not reputable. 

To be honest, when I got Ripley, I didn't check into her background as much as I should have, because I was a first time puppy buyer and did not know what to look for. This forum helped me so much, and through it, I found out that I did buy from a reputable breeder, and that I just got really lucky. I looked on the right website at the right time. Just a stroke of good luck on my part! The forum has taught me so much, and helped me through some situations where I would have been lost on my own. 

Your Pip looks like a doll, and no matter where she is from, she is a welcome addition to the Golden community. I am happy that you found your sweet girl. Enjoy her, and spoil her! The 6am wake up calls will come to an end in due time, and you will be able to enjoy her so much more when you are well rested yourself!


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## GoldInMyHeart (Jun 4, 2014)

LOVE Pip's name!! A cutie with a cute name!


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## ZehBug (Jan 31, 2016)

*Our Pup is Fantastic*

Hello, I read this post a while back and I also got my pup from Rancho Goldens. He is beautiful, strong, and has a fantastic temperament. I can pretty much take him anywhere and he will be fine with anyone. He's in perfect health and has great structure. He will be starting agility soon. I don't really know what more you'd want for someone who wants a great companion and not a show dog. She does do checks on her dogs and guarantees. She is a hobby breeder and that is just fine with me. The thing that you have to keep in mind is that no breeder, however good, can give you a perfect dog. Heck, my other dogs have been rescues and I have had way more issues, heath-wise, with them than with our Golden. You should always do your due diligence and no one is perfect but if you want a companion animal she's worth checking out.
























https://vine.co/v/i5J0MMKJOKE


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

[
I didn't read my documents correctly as I was given five generations of Pip's heritage, and clearances of both of her parents. Pip's mom is Desert Diamond of G.R. Oasis and dad is Spring Field Of Golden Duck. The litter was registered with the AKC. This is my second Golden Retriever. We lost our sweet Bonnie to cancer recently, and she was only nine. I'm not as savvy about reading all of the docs that came with my sweet Pip as I had turned to this forum for research and information after losing Bonnie.[/QUOTE]

As this popped up today, I re-read the whole thread. This dam does have hips/elbows/and an insufficient cardiac clearance. The sire has only hips. 
So while I'm sure the poster felt she got a full set of clearance info she didn't.


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## Goldieluvr1 (May 2, 2014)

You are absolutely correct.....I originally posted about Alta Rancho Goldens after we adopted our beloved Pip (I forgot my username and password, thus the new profile). 

We lost our beloved Pip at the age of 18 months to polycystic kidney disease. It onset quickly and she went very quickly. To say I was absolutely gutted is an understatement. I slipped into a depression because I felt as if I had failed Pip, I was supposed to protect her.

I called the breeder to inform him after Pip passed to alert him to any potential problems with her parents. He didn't seem that concerned and refunded our money, which I didn't want. 

We donated the money to our local humane society. 

Sadly, just a few weeks ago, I was walking our two dogs, and I saw Pip, identical twin. A woman in South Pasadena was walking a dog that looked JUST LIKE Pip, mannerisms, build, etc. 

I stopped to talk to her and asked where she got her boy. My heart sank when she said Alta Rancho because she revealed that he had chronic diarrhea since he was a puppy, I believe he was almost a year old.

I told her our story, and we believe Pip and her dog had the same father. This breeder isn't working to improve the breed and is only in it for the profit as so many are. 

We are now getting ready to adopt another Golden Retriever puppy and with the help from this forum, I believe I have a much better grasp on what to look for, what full clearances really look like. 

I wouldn't have changed adopting Pip....I love her with all of my heart, but this breeder should be ashamed of himself for running such a shoddy operation.


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## [email protected] (Feb 20, 2020)

We have Bright Star in the Night born in 2017, sire Albatros of Golden Duck We got her from Alta Rancho. Does anyone own any of her siblings?


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## DanaRuns (Sep 29, 2012)

Alegria said:


> I'm sure the info is buried in here somewhere, but can anyone recommend a great breeder west of the Rockies?


Since this thread popped up again, I'm going to answer the original question.

Me! I am a great breeder west of the Rockies (SoCal). 

My greatness as a breeder is exceeded only by my humility.


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

I agree, the best breeder West of Rockies and in my personal top 5 in the nation is Esquire Golden Retrievers, which is DanaRuns.


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