Our goal is to breed Golden Retrievers from healthy and successful working lines. With each litter, we wish to produce spirited, intelligent and, most importantly, healthy dogs who show true Golden Retriever temperaments. Because of their zest for life and cheerfulness, they will be faithful friends and family members. In addition, due to their typical working aptitudes, they will become perfect performing and hunting dogs.
In the field, our Golden Retrievers demonstrate excellent abilities in marking and memorizing, perseverance, reliability, and trainability. We set a high value on solid, thorough foundations. Plus, based on that, we progress in consistent transition to land and water retrieves.
In July of 2009, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale granted us admission to breed Golden Retrievers by using the registered kennel name Old Lyme's. In 2010, we raised our first litter in Germany by adhering to the breeding regulations of the Deutscher Retriever Club e.V. That contained, in particular, the following conditions:
- Approval of the breeding place by an authorized representative. They attach notable importance to adequate exercise space indoors and outdoors.
- Both adult dogs and newborn puppies have to be kept in the best nutritional shape as well as in the best condition. It has to be provided breed-appropriate, clean housing with the addition of two crucial elements: light shelter and human contact.
- Exclusive kennelling is prohibited.
- Breeder and stud dog owner have to participate in two cynological seminars on topics such as breeding, raising and nutrition.
- Both sire and dam need to obtain their Breeding Permission, based on health issues (hip and elbow dysplasia, hereditary eye diseases and malocclusions), plus compliant characteristics in temperament and confirmation.
- Before the puppies are allowed to move to their new homes, a Breed Ward association inspector has to accomplish an evaluation of the puppies and the breeding place.
Since our permanent residence is not in Germany, we raise our litters in the USA in the same manner we raised our first litter. Planning our upcoming litters thoroughly as well as raising and socializing the puppies properly is of the upmost importance to us. We adhere to the Golden Retriever Club of America's (GRCA) Breeders Code of Ethics.
Each puppy will be registered with both the American Kennel Club and the United Kennel Club. They will have medical care and their final examination by our veterinarian. That includes scheduled worming and vaccinations. All of our puppies will come with a microchip for identification.
Our puppies will grow up in our house and they will live with us and our adult dogs. This will ensure their development by including optical and acoustical stimuli, and activities and scents of a typical home. In the end, they will become socialized and well prepared to spend their lives as family members. Depending on weather conditions, they will have a large outdoor exercise and exploration area available to them from the time they are approximately four weeks old.
As for new homes for our puppies, we would like to adopt them out to active people who can offer appropriate exercise with both physical and mental challenges. This could include the following activities: field work with focus on Hunt Tests or Field Trials; waterfowl and small game hunting; rescue work; other dog sports, such as Agility; or even becoming a Therapy Dog.
By performing a puppy test at the age of seven weeks, we will try to find the best fit for our adoptive families in order to meet their goals with a Golden Retriever.
If you are seriously interested in acquiring a puppy from our breeding program, please feel free to contact us for specific details on the process.