The Adoption Process
Joining Our Waiting List
We ask prospective adopters to fill out a questionnaire and return it to us. We then arrange a Zoom meeting to talk about a prospective adoption. If all goes well, you send a application fee. You then go onto the next opening on our waiting list.
The Pregnancy Period
Four weeks after a mating, we take the dam in for an ultrasound, which determines whether she is pregnant, and gives us a preliminary idea of how many puppies she is carrying (the scan will reflect the minimal number, although the end result could differ by more or less).
Once there is a confirmed litter and we have scans showing that puppies are developing, we notify people on the waiting list and keep them in the loop through the dam’s pregnancy which lasts, on average, 63 days after the start of ovulation.
Several days before the projected due date, we have another radiograph done, to get a better idea of how many puppies are actually in the litter. We let everyone on the waiting list know, with the understanding that these tests are not always entirely accurate, and represent the best information we have available
After the puppies are born and make it through their first few weeks (when a lot can go wrong), we let the people at the head of the list know they are in line to get one of the pups from that litter. We place puppies with prospective owners according to their place on the waiting list, doing our best to match them based on what they are looking for and the results from the temperament test.
Once we notify you that you have a puppy on the way, at that point, we ask for a 50% deposit of the balance of the purchase price, with the final balance of due when picking up the puppy at 9 weeks.
The First Nine Weeks
As for other features of our breeding practice, puppies stay with us for their first nine weeks. From days 3 to 16, we use Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS: https://goldenmeadowsretrievers.com/early-neurological-stimulation/).Wealso follow what is known as the “Puppy Culture” method (https://shoppuppyculture.com/pages/about-puppy-culture), which ensures developmental and socialization best practices for the puppies during their time with us.
Beginning at three weeks, we start to introduce puppies to new sounds and a wide array of other experiences, to help them socialize and become comfortable when confronted with new things. At 7 weeks, we also have each puppy temperament tested. This tool gives us an approximate behavioral portrait that helps with placement and with identifying areas to focus on in training and care.
The Placement Process
We can never predict how many puppies will result from any given pairing, particularly with IVF. Because our intention is to breed only dogs we expect to produce excellent, healthy puppies, we do not assign prospective buyers to a specific litter. Instead, we place puppies with them in the order of the waiting list.
We do so based on a combination of factors: the applicant’s lifestyle and the temperament they are interested in adopting as reflected in their application questionnaire and our conversations with them; our observations of the puppies over the nine weeks they are with us; the results of the temperament test; and interest in a particular puppy expressed by the applicant. However, we do reserve the final decision about placement, in the effort to make the best matches possible.
With all of that said, we cannot guarantee you a puppy from a specific litter. If there are, say, three puppies and four people next up for adoptions, then the first three on the list get the puppies. Whoever on the list does not get a puppy from that litter moves up the list for the next litter.
What Goes Home With You (besides the puppy)
Each of our puppies comes with:
- a four-generation pedigree
- pictures from their infancy through to the point of their adoption
- the results from their temperament test
- documentation of their having received all requisite age-related medical procedures, along with full health clearance from our vet
- a health certificate confirming that they have been cleared by our vet to leave the state
- a puppy binder with additional information and resources for ongoing care, training, and socialization
- a week’s worth of food and treats
- a few of their favorite toys.
We also provide articles related to ongoing care and training, as well as a list of additional resources. We expect to stay engaged as ongoing resources for our puppy parents.
Please don’t hesitate to be in touch with questions, using our “Contact” page. We will be glad to talk with you directly if it would help. If you decide you want to proceed, please fill out and return the attached questionnaire. We will then schedule a Zoom meeting to see whether it all looks like the right fit. If we all agree it is, then we will ask for the application fee.
