Puppies


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     April, 2015 – Spiritlodge Screamin’ MeMe (my lovely, wonderful and funny girl on the left) has been bred to GCH CH Spendid Chatham Stars and Bars (“Patton”)
     A number of these puppies are spoken for, but I am still interviewing prospective candidates.   If after reviewing the information on this page you think a puppy from this litter might be right for you, please feel free to send an email inquiry using the form on the “contacts” page.
     Puppies from this litter will be ready to go to their homes in early August, 2015.  Visits with the litter by approved families will start in mid-June.
 
 Spiritlodge Screamin’ MeMe
GCH CH Spendid Chatham Stars and Bars
PattonGroup

Puppies

 
If you move over just a bit, we can all fit.
Food!
It is not polite to point, or lay down on top of your food, but hey . . .
It is not polite to point, or lay down on top of your food, but hey . . .

I breed infrequently: only when I have a truly high potential match.    If I breed, it is because I have located a suitable stud that I believe will complement the dam. No dog is perfect, not even my own. Every dog, even the most titled of champions, could benefit from a touch more (or less) of this, that or the other. The breed standard after all contains numerous components. After locating a potential stud, next comes the serious background work on the dog’s health, history, progeny, evaluation of the Coefficient of Inbreeding (COI), and so many other details that go into deciding whether the cosmetic appearance of the dog is backed up by a solid health profile and what puppies are likely to have as a genetic make-up. This all takes time, but it is a labor of love. The goal is healthy, happy, balanced pups that will be true to all aspects of the breed standard, and in my view the true judge is not one in the conformation show ring, it is the puppy owner who will live with the dog for the next decade or more.

 Samben puppies are raised in the home, not an outdoor kennel or space in the garage. From the moment they are born until I send them on to their permanent homes, I spend a great deal of time interacting with them and assessing their individual temperaments and traits.   This is not only an act of love and devotion to them, it is also key to ensuring that when I place a puppy in a new home, I can properly take into account that puppy’s personality, and match it with the right new owner and home to facilitate a solid, happy, life-long match.

Toward this end, if you inquire about a puppy from me, please know and understand there is much that I will want to know about you, your home, and your lifestyle.  We will probably speak by telephone several times before we meet in person.  And we are likely to meet both at our home (where you will be able to see my dogs in their own environment), as well as in your home so I can help ensure you know what, if any, preparation your residence may need to ensure the safety and health of your pup.

Once it is safe for the puppies to have visitors, I invite approved prospective puppy owners to come visit as often as once a week with the litter.   This provides valuable time for you to meet the entire litter and see its growth as the weeks go by, as well as for us to discuss a multitude of issues and questions that are likely to come up in your home during puppyhood.   It also helps me ensure that the puppies all receive a wealth of socialization from the earliest stage of their young lives, which in turn will ensure that when your puppy arrives in your home the puppy will be solid, self-confident, and calm.   I frequently hear from puppy owners how impressed they, their families and their friends are by how calm, loving and self-assured their Samben puppies are.  Many things contribute to this, but certainly extensive hands-on socialization with them from the outset of their lives in this way helps quite a lot.

Please understand that by the time Samben pups are ready to head off to their homes, I will have been watching and evaluating them all intensely for weeks. During this time, I will also be interacting with you, and developing an increasing understanding of the dynamics of your home environment.  I will be glad to hear your reaction to the individual puppies once you have had a chance to get acquainted with them, but I will make the final decision as to which pup you will receive.

Hello, World!

All of this means that if you are interested in a puppy, it may be quite some time before I have one available for – and that truly suits – you personally.   You will likely have your dog for well over ten years, so waiting a while for the right one should not be too much of an imposition.

A few things that I consider basic: Click here to expand

  • All dogs (both Sire and Dam) always have all appropriate health clearances before a breeding occurs, and frequently many of our dogs have additional clearances as well.   I provide copies of the certificates for the clearances for the dogs to the new puppy owners as part of their “Start Up Kit.” You will always be able to see the clearances online at the official dog registry as well.
  • All breeding is done in conformance with the ethical standards of the American Kennel Club, the Canadian Kennel Club, and the Golden Retriever Club of America.
  • If you acquire a puppy from Samben, you get me as well.  That means I am there when you have a puppy behavior issue that is challenging you (it will happen!), when you need back-up consultation about health issues (your vet is always the final authority, but I am happy to help), and when you just want to crow and brag about what a great pup you have (somehow I never tire of that!).
  • If – for any reason,  at any time –  you cannot keep a dog that I bred, I ask that you please, please, return it to me.   I will keep it until we can locate a suitable replacement home for it.   I never want even one dog that was brought into this world on my watch to end up in a pound or somehow left to languish in a home where its spirit and joy cannot soar.  
Now, time for a few hard questions.
–     Did you know that Golden Retrievers shed?  Really, they shed.   A lot.   At least twice a year, and some – particularly in Southern California’s temperate climate – all year long.   Really: they shed.   Are you prepared to find all of your wardrobe covered with dog hair lace?   To find little golden hair-bunnies under the bed and alongside furniture throughout the house?   Regular brushing will help, but it will not eliminate the shedding.   As one wise individual put it, Goldens are perhaps not the best dog for those who are house-proud.
–     If you think the shedding is manageable (and there are thousands and thousands of people who clearly do!), are you also ready for a dog with a mischievous sense of humor?   Will you clench your fists, or will you break into a grin, when your boss arrives for that well-planned dinner party and you open your front door only to discover that, unbeknownst to you, your lovely and loving Golden has spent the last half-hour dragging all of your underwear to the front yard for your boss’s inspection?