“Not every pet is a show dog, but every show dog is a pet.”

–AKC Breeder Judge Patricia Trotter

Ready to add a Puppy to your life?

Are you are ready to take the next step and add a puppy to your life? Scroll Down to see our plans for future litters, and meet any adults we may occasionally have available. You can also be put on our waiting list if there is no availability. If we can’t provide you with a puppy, or we don’t have a puppy available, we will be happy to  provide information on fellow breeders.  If you are ready to include a Golden Retriever from us please fill out the puppy application and we will be happy to review it and get back with you.

Purpose

Purpose

Here at Rush Hill, we plan a litter when we are ready for our next generation, and to further advance our bloodline. We are a preservation breeder and we do this with the betterment of the breed in mind, and are always looking to the future, and how this will best reflect down the line. We keep in mind that we want dogs to be healthy, have predictable characteristics, and be smart. We pay close attention to the breed standard. We believe breeding dogs is a combination of both art and science. For instance, we educate ourselves on new testing protocols and research pedigrees, especially genetic traits and then take our years of knowledge and experience to plan the litter.  

We want to give the dogs we breed the best success in a long, healthy life and be a loving member of your family. With that In mind, we also firmly believe temperament is of pivotal importance, and place our puppies according to what home they will fit best in and excel.

We encourage our dog owners to get involved with their dog and learn new things. We have taken the philosophy with our own dogs that new sports open up a wealth of knowledge to the dog and to the participant. Learning is a lifelong passion and a dog is never too old to learn nor are we!

English Cream

English Cream

“English Cream” is a misused term that bothers most reputable Golden Retriever breeders.  English cream is not a breed as many use the term, it is basically a family of dogs that range on the lighter spectrum of color.  Some of these dogs may or may not be European dependent.  There is only one AKC breed standard and it includes very light to dark Goldens.  Here’s an article from the Golden Retriever Club of America in regards to the  “ English Cream Goldens Retrievers”. 

Socialization

Puppy Socialization

This is the key to ensuring that your puppy will quickly become a happy, well-adjusted family member. For the first 4 weeks, litters are raised in our home in our living room adjacent to our kitchen with an abundance of attention and handling. Our puppies spend the first four weeks in a whelping box decorated with colorful mobiles and toys are changed out as they reach various stages.

After 4-5 weeks, they move to an indoor area that is 10 by 10 feet and have access to a 25 by 30 feet outdoor area that includes a jungle gym and a tunnel and lots of toys that are changed our regularity. Training starts when puppies are 4-5 weeks old which include table stacking so they get used to standing.

We evaluate the puppies at 8 weeks of age and for the next 7-10 days we work through where our puppies are going to be living. For the most part our puppies don’t go home until 9 weeks of age.  At that time we find that they are ready to leave the nest and explore their new environment.  Most of the time these puppies have a quick transition to their new homes and sleep through the night.  

While we take into consideration your preferences, we will make the deciding choice for you.  Our years of experience and the time we have spent with these puppies on a daily basis gives us a much better chance of matching our puppies to the proper homes.  I know that this can be hard but you must trust us as your breeder.  Tell us as much about your lifestyle and what you are looking for in a Golden retriever and let us do the rest in regards to choosing the right puppy for you.  If for some reason you don’t like the puppy we’ve chosen for you, you are under not obligation whatsoever to take him/her home, and we prefer that you didn’t. No hard feelings. Our experience is its much easier for us to choose the puppy for you than it is for you to make the decision for yourself.

Registration

Limited Registration

All of our companion puppies are sold on  limited registration which means that they are not being sold for breeding purposes.  The difference between pet quality and show quality is not usually obvious to the inexperienced eye.  The Limited Registration is a tool offered by the American Kennel Club for responsible breeders to protect their breeding programs and their puppies. The only difference between Limited registration and Full registration is that Limited registration prevents dogs from being shown in conformation and any offspring they produce may not be registered with the American Kennel Club. The Limited Registration is only reversible to “full registration” by one of the breeders of your puppy. If you think that you have a beautiful dog and want to attempt to show your puppy, then we will be happy to discuss this with you.

Prepare For Your Puppy

How to Prepare for Your Puppy

To help you prepare for the arrival of your puppy, we highly recommend acquiring the book, Your Pandemic Puppy: Finding and Raising a Well-Adjusted Dog by Marty Greer DVM JD. This book is a great read for both first time puppy buyers and those of us who breed dogs. Marty Greer DVM was awarded Veterinarian of the year at the last Westminster Kennel Club show. We hope each member of your family will refer this book as it contains a wealth of knowledge.  In her book she covers topics both as a veterinarian and a breeder, so she’s very aware of the concerns that we as breeders  have. This should be a go to book for anyone acquiring a puppy. We are always happy to answer questions that you have after reading the book, articles or any question you have about your puppy now and into the future.

Pigmentary Uveitis

Pigmentary Uveitis

Pigmentary uveitis is a specific form of uveitis that affects  almost exclusively Golden Retrievers. This is a condition if not treated  will lead to glaucoma and blindness.  While this disease can not be reversed, if diagnosed early its progression can be slowed down or stalled with the use of medication.  Unlike other forms of uveitis, pigmentary uveitis is not associated with any known systemic disease or underlying cause. It is typically a disease of middle-aged or older Goldens, with most diagnosed at five years old and beyond. Since this is a late onset disease its very important that all goldens are checked by a board certified ophthalmologist yearly starting 4-5 years of age for life. We have for over 15 years now conducted an annual eye clinic at our facility for the dogs that we produce.  All puppy buyers are encouraged to come to this clinic and have your dogs eyes checked. For more information on Pigmentary Uveitis please read the following articles:

GRCA – Introduction To Pigmentary Uveitis

Avidog – Annual Golden Retriever Eye Exams

Spay/Neuter

Early Spay Neuter

We believe it is important to avoid early spay or neuter of your puppy for various health reasons. Please take a look at the GRCA’s article on the Effects of Early Spay or Neuter in Golden Retrievers.

Vaccinations

Puppy vaccinations

Depending on the age of your puppy, it will have at least its first puppy vaccination around 9 weeks of age. We will provide you with a detailed vaccination and worming protocol to share with your veterinarian. We suggest that you reach out to your veterinarian in regards to their vaccination protocol when you go for your puppy wellness check.  If you want to reduce the risk of over vaccination you may want to read  Dr. Dodd’s Vaccination Protocol prior to your puppy wellness check. We  take this very seriously, and are happy to talk to you about the reasons to AVOID over vaccination.

Health, Microchipping & Worming

Veterinarian Health Check

Every one of our puppies is examined by an experienced small animal veterinarian before it goes to its new home. This exam includes a full physical and cardiac check. It’s our goal to send a healthy well socialized puppy to your home!

For general information on Golden Retriever health, please visit the GRCA for information on Golden Retriever Health & Research.

Microchipping

Our puppies go home microchipped and with information to enroll with Petlink www.petlink.net There is no fee to enroll your puppy with Petlink.  You can also as an alternative and double security enroll your puppy with AKC Reunite. www.akcreunite.org There is a lifetime enrollment fee of $19.50 if you want to also enroll your microchip with AKC Reunite.  When you enroll your dog’s microchip with Petlink and/or AKC Reunite their ID is linked to your name, phone numbers, emergency contacts and other vital information in the database. When your dog is found, they can then immediately send you text messages, emails and begin contacting all the phone numbers on your pet’s record to reunite you as quickly as possible. 

Worming

Our puppies receive regular preventative deworming to avoid any parasitic issues. This ensures your puppy comes with a settled stomach and no dormant issues that will surprise you just after your puppy gets home. We worm them with Nemex 2 regularly from 2-7 weeks and then use Panacur at 8-9 weeks before they go home. Once you take your puppy home, we recommend you take a stool sample to your veterinarian on your first visit. Do not be surprised if they still signs of  parasites.  We live in an area where we don’t have heartworm, so our dogs are not wormed once a month like other areas of the US. Your veterinarian can advise you on a recommended program for future deworming of your puppy.

Feeding

Feeding

Your puppy is currently being fed Purina Pro Sport Performance 30/20 Salmon.  We are extremely happy with how our puppies and dogs are developing on the Pro Plan Products. I recommend that you continue to feed Purina Pro Plan recipes for the life of your puppy. I tend to lean toward the Salmon Formula as they contain less grains, but the dogs do well on the Chicken formulas also.  As your dog matures and the energy level decreases you may have to switch to a formula that is lower in protein and fat.  The most important thing is that Goldens should be fed WSAVA compliant foods because of the incidence of Diet-Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy in the golden retrievers. We are opposed to feeding boutique or grain free foods! The grain free foods that are high in peas and legumes have contributed to Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCH) .  For more information on Diet induced Cardiomyopathy please read the article, Diet-Associated Heart Disease in Golden Retrievers by the GRCA.

Another important article to read is in regards to overweight pets, it is crucial to keep your dog at a healthy weight for their overall health. You can find more information here.

To understand our puppy process, and find out more about how our puppies are raised, please review the information we have laid out below.

Litters & Available Dogs

Litters

We are thrilled to welcome a much anticipated litter! We will have select puppies available to show, performance and/or pet homes, feel free to fill out our Puppy Application above to get in touch with us.

We are pleased to welcome our first ever PBGV litter to Rush Hill, due April 23rd 2024! For more information feel free to contact us or fill out our puppy application, we will have puppies available!

Available

We occasionally have retired adults or older puppies available to performance or companion homes.

We have no dogs available at this time.