You Can Expect From Southstar:

  • A more than 20-year commitment of owning, working with and loving the Golden Retriever breed
  • Dogs in our breeding program who were selected from parents that met the Golden Retriever standard both physically and in their temperament, all of whom received clearances that they are free of diseases of the eyes, hips, elbows and heart prior to breeding
  • Puppies raised in a home environment
  • Early socialization for your puppy, as well as initial crate training and housetraining
  • A commitment by us to match each puppy to the best suited family, ideally in homes that will use their puppy’s natural and taught ability in competitions such as field and obedience as well as therapy dog volunteer work. We ask in-depth questions of future owners about their lifestyle, experience and interest.  While a specific puppy may catch a person’s eye we’ve been observing the litter from birth
  • A lifetime commitment for both experienced and new dog owners to answer questions

Once visits with our puppies are allowed, we have a checklist of requirements you must adhere to during visits that are intended for the optimum health and safety of all of our puppies, including but not limited to scrubbing your hands and removing your shoes. We ask that you follow these requirements closely, as we are always cognizant of the potential risks of disease to the puppies, due to the fact that they have immature immune systems that make them vulnerable to canine diseases that can be carried in by visiting people and dogs.  We thank you for your understanding and full compliance of all visitation requirements.


What we should expect from you:

  • Maintain contact with Southstar Golden Retrievers for the puppy’s lifetime. We want to know the good and bad!
  • A preference for owners who compete with their dogs and/or perform volunteer therapy dog work
  • Understand that training your Golden Retriever is a lifetime journey
  • A balanced approach to training. Teaching the puppy what we like and do not like from them. Our puppies do not do well in positive-only homes
  • The willingness to pay for clearance exams for eyes (yearly) and once for heart, elbows and hips (these exams can cost up to $2,000 total)
  • Owners will come and physically pick up their puppy. We do not ship or fly puppies to their owners