TESTIMONIALS

Hello Christina,


I just wanted to send you a quick note now that Sadie has turned 1 year old (Sept. 3rd, 2011). I am sorry that I have not been in touch recently to let you know how she was doing. When we last spoke we had been having difficulty with Sadie suffering from separation anxiety every time that we would leave the house. With your help we were able to work through that and now after having Sadie for a year we realized that the problem all along was that she didnÂ’t require to be locked up in anyway and a cage and pen were what was upsetting her. Once we gave her free reign of the house she had no issues whatsoever (which went against everything that I had read but she just appeared to be smarter than other dogs).


Really it is difficult to describe how much Sadie has become a member of our family. Sadie is so well behaved we are the envy of all of our family and friends. Nobody can believe how well we were able to “train” our dog and everyone asks for our secret training method. In actuality the dog has pretty much understood every word said to her since she was a puppy. Very little training was involved at all. I still take credit for being a great dog trainer, nobody knows my dog trained herself :) The fact that we are able to walk along the sidewalk for blocks without a leash and have the dog sit and stay and we can walk a mile away without a problem, this was not me, it was the dog. We have a busy neighbourhood, many dogs walking around and our beautiful retriever sits on our front lawn all day long and does not budge. We did not train her to do this, as long as she is with us she is happy.


We recently brought her to our cottage on the French River. We hiked through trails, climbed hills, swam in the river and used the boat often. The dog never left our side, never a leash needed, ever.


Sadie has become a favourite amongst all of the kids at my childrenÂ’s school. There is a line up to play with her each day when the bell rings and no matter what abuse is thrown her way the dog never moves. My daughter plays dress up with her often and poor Sadie can be seen with clip on ear rings, pearl necklaces and silk dresses for her to wear around the house. Never does she get upset with the kids or does she even walk away from them, she stays put and lets Hanna play with her all day if need be. We planned on registering her for obedience school but it just seemed like a waste of money. The dog does everything that she is told, there is no other training that I would want her to do. She is perfect the way she is.


Thank you again Christina for giving us this beautiful dog. We could not have asked for a better friend to the family. We love her very much and we feel blessed to have her. I am emailing from work so I donÂ’t have a picture or I would have sent one to you. I will try to get one to you soon.


All the best
O.Y. (Niagara Falls, Ont)

Hi Christina:


Hope that all is well with you and yours. I wanted to share some pictures of Bentley and Sophie with you. We just love them so much. We couldn't ask for sweeter dogs.


They have passed their puppy training with flying colours. They seem so quick to learn and eager to please. We start level 2 obedience training tonight. Everyone who meets them remarks on their beauty and temperament. They love walking down the boardwalk on the beach and getting the attention!


They are having great puppyhoods as well. They both do separate walks and playtime, each day with other puppy friends but they truly love coming home to be with one another. Yesterday they visited the vet for their rabies shots. Bentley is just under 32 lbs and Sophie is 30.5 lbs. They received top marks for their condition. They are coming along nicely and the vet was very impressed at how calm they are.


We have only had the occasional accident in the past few weeks so we seem to almost be through the housebreaking stage. Bentley loves to dig and has started our Spring gardening for us. Sophie on the other hand, can be a bit bossy with Bentley but she would much rather sprint around the back yard than dig. They are so much fun to watch.


All is well and they are truly a joy.


Take care and we will keep you up to date on our wonderful dogs!


C.C. (Toronto, Ontario)

Hey Christina,


I am so sorry it has been such a while since I have emailed with an update and just wanted to let you know Finley is doing wonderful and is such a sweet boy! He loves going on long walks, chasing the frisbee in our backyard, stealing toys from the kids play room, perching on our couch, giving kisses and of course loves his nightly cuddles on our bed just before going into his crate at night! He finally cut all of his adult teeth and seems more content now that he is not constant teething! He is just finishing up his first obedience class and seems to be the STAR OF THE CLASS !! -so far he has been VERY willing and quick to learn just about anything we try to teach him - sit, down, stay, leave it, heal....I think he loves all the little rewards he gets ;) He still LOVES his food and was 50 pounds a few weeks ago when Josh weighed him-not sure what he is now but I assume he is between 55 and 60. It is hard to imagine he was just 12 pounds when I picked him up back in December! He seems to be almost fully trained to our invisible fence and loves "doing the crazies" as we call it around when he races around the yard, adores chasing the kids and loves to chase and eat bugs-ha! We can not wait to introduce him to the water this summer! I am sure it will be hard to keep him out of the water once he learns how to swim and know he is going to love going to my parents cottage in Pointe au Barril! I just uploaded some pictures to my facebook page - if you have time and want to take a look! He seems to be just starting to fill in a bit and is already quite the handsome boy! We can not get over how everyone stops us anytime he is out and about with us to comment at how beautiful he is! How is his brother doing?


Anyway just wanted to drop you a little note with an update! Hope all is well! Thanks again ....


B.S. (Charlotte, NC, USA)

Dear Christina


I can't believe that it is now 3 weeks since I picked up Ollie!


We had our vet visit today and Ollie's second set of shots. He caused a real stir at the clinic and was SO much admired. The vet commented on what a beautiful-looking pup he is! He now weighs 17.4lbs, so is putting on weight steadily but not too fast, although, to me, he seems so much bigger and heavier now! Both our children are now back from college on spring break and they are really enjoying having him around and he is enjoying all the extra attention too! and still loves his cuddles! We have also been enjoying the extraordinary summer-like weather of the past 2 weeks.


He is such a good boy. On the whole, he is very mellow and laid-back, though he has his moments when he careens around the yard, plucking the blossom off the weeping cherry and trying his best to decapitate the daffodils. Yesterday I had to try not to laugh when I left him outside momentarily, only to return to find that he had dug a gigantic hole in the flower bed and was sitting in it as if it was his nest that he was most proud of!! He is very happy in his crate, but I havenÂ’t left him for more than a couple of hours or so during the day yet.


How is Miss Rosie doing? I hope that you are enjoying a certain amount of peace and quiet, now that most of the pups have gone to their respective homes. It must seem rather quiet around the place! I wonder if you still have snow, or if that has all gone now.


With very best wishes from Ollie and all of us,


F.Y. (Larchmont, NY, USA)

Hi Christina,


The young Jaxon is doing great. He has pretty much mastered his pee/poo spot, comes and sits to command. What an intellegent little guy! I can say with certainty we have had interrupted sleep the last 3 nights but he settles back to sleep quickly after doing his business. He saw the Vet on Friday who declared him "perfect".


What I enjoy the most is our cuddle time. He is very content being held while walking and sitting. We strolled along the beach yesterday and he took in the sights and smells. Today, he will go for a picnic with us as it is 80 degrees outside.


Every once in a while, I see a look in his eye where I know he is thinking of all of you. Yesterday we walked past a group of young boys playing basketball and he seemed quite excited by their voices. I knew he had to think that Josh was among them.


I will keep you in the loop as to how he is doing...... Please remember how incredibly indebted we are to you for your work with these animals. They are not merely dogs, they are life savers.


Trying to send a little sunshine up your way!


C.T. (Torrance, CA, USA)

Hi Christina,
We apologize for how long it's taken us to give you an update on Arya, but as you can see below, she is doing very well!:-) I'm attaching more pics to follow from our walk this morning.


She is sooooo smart! Already completely house trained at 15 weeks. She can sit, stay, and shake a paw...Her absolute favorite thing other than eating, or digging holes, is the beach!!! She absolutely LOVES it!
Two more pics to follow, and we'll send you more from our next outing to the ocean this weekend.
Thanks again for our wonderful dog. We are crazy about her!


J.P. (San Mateo, CA, USA)

Hi Christina,
I wanted to let you know that Mr Blueberry, now named Buster is doing great. He is the sweetest little guy and has fit in perfectly with our family. He plays all day with Bella - they are getting along great! He does manage to get into a bit of trouble as Bella as taught him how to get into the planters and dig in the dirt. We've taken him in our spa a few times and he loves to swim. I can't wait until he has all of his shots and gets a little bit bigger so we can take him to the beach. He is very food motivated and no matter where he is, when he hears the pantry door open he comes running, hoping for treats. He also loves to help load the dishwasher and always try's to lick off the plates and silverware.


I can't imagine not having him as part of our family! Thank you for picking out the perfect puppy for us.


K.G. (Brentwood, CA, USA)

Hi Christina
Jackson is becoming a wonderful Service Volunteer Dog in training. He has just completed Basic Hm Companion and starts Advanced next week. He is most definitely the "alpha" of your litter with Daisy/Baron. Head strong, sometimes stubborn, but extremely smart and massively strong. He is swimming on weekends and is very healthy.


Be Well and thanks again -


J.B. (Spokane, WA, USA)


*And an update on Jackson*

Hi Christina,
This is J.B. from Spokane and just wanted to say Merry Christmas from me and my little son Jackson. Not so little now. At last vet checkup he was at 75 lbs and I think maybe a pound or two more now. You know as I look at him as compared to his father Baron, he is almost a dead ringer for him. Jackson is simply one of the most beautiful dogs anyone around these parts or myself have ever seen. I have people all day everyday stopping me to compliment him and I have to tell you he is the real deal. I so enjoy just watching him work and stand looking at an object. When he is moving it is breath taking to watch his front muscle groups through his shoulders, so defined and cut. His rear flanks are the same. You can actually see each muscle working.


A couple questions - At 11.5 months he has started to develop a separation anxiety when it comes to me leaving him for short periods of time. For example: He is so worried about being left at home he won't get out of the car seat. Or I get up to take the garbage out and he follows me to the basement then lays down by the exit door to,the garage. Is this something he will grow out of? Second question, he just doesn't engage his food like he used to. I will make home cooked roast beef with chicken and mix with his Dog kibble you got us on for puppy's but he simply won't eat for 24-36 hours sometime missing three or four meal times. Any advice?

Hope you are well and I sure love my Jackson. You and Josh did a great job in the pairing.


Cheers J.B.

Hello Christina,


Just got your phone message so I thought I would respond by email with a pic. "Sunny" ( was this an exhaustive naming.... other names in the running were - Sunshine - Sugar - Snowball or Snowflake - Angel from our youngest - Ghost - and a few others ) has been the perfect puppy!


Mild mannered and polite to any visitor and no real sleeping issues. Here is Sunny sleeping on Nicole down by the dock.


We are so happy we found your wonderful puppies and especially happy that Cupcake / Sunny was available and has joined our home. At present she is sleeping right beside me while I do some work on the computer for a client.
Thanks again !!


M.B. (Toronto, ON, Canada)

Hi Christina,


Sorry to bother you, but wanted you to know that Aimee is doing fantastic. She is such a doll and extremely smart. She started sleeping through the night on the fifth night with up to 8 hours a night. Amazing! She also has had just one accident in the house in many days. We are stunned by how quickly she learns and how well she behaves. She sits on command, will usually come when called and stays close by us at all times. She still sleeps a lot, but maybe that's because she's a growing pup. Of course, her razor teeth and curiosity are a wicked combination and require 24/7 watching, but it is little price to pay for the wonderful companion she is becoming.


Again, from the entire Merck family thanks for our newest addition to the clan and please know that Aimee is being loved as much as any pup could desire.


Best regards,


T.M. (Spokane, WA, USA)

Hi,


It is truly a privilege to have this little one with us. A marvel. What you do with it for 8 weeks is invaluable. She is afraid of nothing, she is socialized, loves to play. My son, Isaac 3 years, played a lot with her yesterday and this morning. It is as if she was born here. Everything went very well. She follows us wherever we go. Regarding the last night, we put her in a cage on the ground floor with Soy (my 7 year old cocker because she always sleeps there.) She cried a lot, so we set up cage in our room, it reassured her, she fell asleep after all. This morning, she got up at 5:15, it was clean the cage and I went outside. She went back to sleep until 6:30. I even bought a stuffed puppy that mimics the beating of the mother to feel a presence, for it facilitated the adaptation.


She is actually very gentle. With her every minute is precious. We love her so much. Her puppy obedience classes will begin on November 6. Know that we will take great care all throughout her life. It may run in the woods behind us or there is also a lake. At home, we have a great spot with an inground pool. In winter, the wood back home is transformed into a track skiing and walking. She can run freely without being attached. Without forgetting she has a lot of love from all of us. I can tell you the quality you offer, the puppy is really not expensive. thank you for your patience, because we speak French and dedication


I sign your contract today and I'll return it by mail. I have a question, is that you remove the water for the night or you keep it? And if you remove it, to what time you remove the water?


Thank you a thousand times. I will send you pictures soon.


N.B. (St. Etienne De Lauzon, QC)

Hi Christina,


Simon is doing great, he is a real sweetheart; gentle, calm, very easy going and very good natured not to mention gorgeous (beautiful). Jade and he get along great, I couldn't ask for better. He is perfect and very healthy (although he likes to put everything in his mouth and tries to eat almost everything). He loves the beach, water, boating and in general playing with Jade and us - I can't wait until he sees the snow. I call him my spanish prince. I thought that you may like a couple of pictures.


Thank you for giving us such a great, perfect puppy.
(I received his papers, thanks)




S.C. (Midland, Ontario)

Hello Christina,


Thought you might like an update on the former Mr Cognac, now Finn. I have attached a few photos - hope you enjoy them. Finn is adjusting very well to his new life and family. We love him bunches. he is very smart and affectionate. He has learned several new commands, in addition to sit -- wait (aka stay), here (aka come), leave it and drop it. he is also coming along well with potty training. He is quite enamored with out other golden boy, Mack. Mack is very patient and enjoys playing with Finn. Our lab Camille thinks Finn is a full grown dog and sometimes will try to play with him as such - because both adults are so much bigger than Finn we only allow supervised interactions for now. Finn loves a good game of tug with either big dog. We have been taking him different places for socialization and introductions to new sights and sounds, and he handles that well. He travels in the car without issue and has been a star when going to the vet. All the staff there couldnÂ’t speak more highly of him and how handsome he is.


Hope all is well with you. IÂ’ve been getting puppy chronicle updates on OpalÂ’s pups -- so beautiful. iÂ’m sure itÂ’s sad to see them all head off to their new families.


WeÂ’ll send another update soon!!


Warm regards,


D. & K. Tillotsen (Wyoming, PA, USA)

Christina,


It was one week ago that we came and brought Sundance to our home. I will never forget picking her up from your wonderful place.


I just wanted to let you know that everything you said about her was spot on. She fits perfectly with our family. She is gentle with the older dogs and they love to be with her. She is observant, and very smart. We are getting into a good routine. I have started some very basic training several times a day. Working on name recognition mostly. I do believe she understands.


I have talked to my vet and she is on board with all your recommendations. It has been a fast week. I do hope your other dogs are enjoying the extra time you have to spend with them.


More later,


C. F. (Orlando, FLORIDA)

Hi Christina,


Well, tomorrow marks one year that we have had Hope and what a wonderful year it has been.I canÂ’t tell you how much we love her and how she seems to capture the hearts of all who meet her. She is very special. You said that from the beginning and it is very true.


We have attached a couple of recent pictures. Hope participated in her first Walk For Dog Guides this year and took quite a shining to a blind client named November. Also, as you can see, Hope loves Haley very much.


Again, thank you very much for allowing us to adopt Hope. She brings joy to our lives every single day. Hope you and your family are all well and happy.


N.S. (Oakville, Ontario)

Dear Christina,


I write to send New Years greetings and all good wishes from us and Luca -- who wanted to bid good wishes to Opal and Steele, his mom and dad, and to his Canadian family. We're sending a recent X-mas photo (sorry about the glare in his lights). He got quite exuberant about the Christmas festivities and we couldn't help letting him romp a bit on Christmas eve. He's thrilled by the sight of any glimmering objects so we prioritized safety this year and put christmas trees aloft. He's been the true delight of 2013 and our holiday season. Everyone admires not only his stunning looks, but his graceful, generous demeanor, his amazing sociability, and his desire to frolick whenever he can. His training is going very well and we're heading into our next class of Good Canine Citizenship here very soon. We want to thank you for making this possible for us. It's been sad to have our first Christmas without Mika, but this little guy has definitely helped us deal with our grief and look to the future. He's an absolute treasure.


We wish you all of the best for 2014 and we'll continue to keep you updated on Luca's progress.


R.S. (Iowa City, IA, USA)

Hello Christina,


Just a little note to wish you Happy New Year!


Also to let you know that my boys (Baron and Bailey) are just about the most handsome and best boys one could wish for . I am so glad to have to have gotten my dogs from you!!


B.K. (Westlake Village, CA, USA)

Christina,


Bear is a ray of sunshine. He is incredibly calm, very intelligent and such a happy puppy. In fact his name should be Happy. He spends most of his time following me or our children from room to room. He has adjusted to his new surroundings with incredible ease. He is sleeping through the night (because he is sleeping in our bed) Not a habit I plan on keeping but for now it's sweet and helping his adjustment. I think back to when you said he is a 'clown.' He IS absolutely a clown. He copies everything Harry does and loves to steal everyone's things including shoes, gloves, hats, has already been on morning walks with his friends. He is incredibly social and very curious. He has not left my side. I am just starting to help him realize he can not walk under and/or in between my feet at all times.


He is perfect!


K.P. (Oakville, Ontario)




And this update:
I have been meaning to email you because I wanted to share this with you.
Our Bear is an absolute treasure. He is an old soul that possesses a wisdom far beyond his years. He is kind, aware and sensitive. He is strong, proud and has great structure.
His physical appearance is much like his dad Shiloh. Bear and I are very connected I could not imagine life without him.
Today I was working Judy Emmert from Dealing with Dogs puppy training. She fell in love with him. She was so impressed with his temperament she was very interested in where I got him. I told her. She knew of Shiloh. She said the world needed many more Goldens like him. He is a lovely boy!
Thank you for all that you do!

Hi Christina,


I thought on this special day that we would send you a quick message. One year ago, we were so thrilled to hear that Snowy arrived safely in this world. We ar over the moon with her. She is incredibly sweet, well behaved and glued to us all day!!


She has made many friends (her best buddy is an Australian Sheppard) and is enjoying life. Spoiled with lots of cuddles, she sleeps the day away and saves playtime for when the boys are home from school. And she loves watching TV!! Quite funny, sports, nature shows, westerns...she loves it all.


I have attached some recent pictures. She looks like her mom!!! Hope all is well.


With kind regards
T.M. (Toronto, Ontario)

Hi Christina,


Thank you so much for all of your time and continued support. We couldn't ask for a better dog or a better breeder! Greatly appreciated. I will try your suggestions. Regarding Emmy chasing the leaves, it is absolutely ridiculous how excited and hyper alert she becomes. I have never witnessed anything like it. I will try your suggestions. (It is quite hilarious to watch actually but not as funny when you are walking her on leash and she almost dislocates your arm!). She is so incredibly mellow in all other ways and has become literally the perfect dog for our family. We all adore her.


Thanks again,
M.F. (Whistler, B.C.)

Hi Christina! Hope all is well! Just wanted to check in and say hello and let you know Hudson is doing great! He is the best dog is the whole world and we are so thankful for him! He is HUGE!!!! Already 60 lbs and very active! He has been all over we took him to the mountains to play in the snow, he just has his first beach adventure last weekend and he has explored many of the parks in our area! Everyone loves him and he is very spoiled to say the least! I attached some pictures for you to look at he is absolutely gorgeous!


Hope all is well for you and we just wanted to let you know that Hudson has a wonderful home with lots of love!
Thank you so much for sending him to us we are obsessed with him! Take care!


B.A. (Kenmore, WA, USA)

Hi Christina,


Just a quick update on our beautiful girl...
She is more than I ever expected! She loves everyone but I luckily still get to be Mom/master. :)
We are going to Minot which is 90 miles fr here once a week for obedience. It is alot of work but I really like it. When should I get her spayed? Was there suppose to be paper work on the chip?
Tyson introduced her to boating last weekend and reported that she loved it. Not so sure of the water as of yet but that is fine with me as it has been a cold spring.
Thanks,


P.K. (Bottineau, ND, USA)

Hi Christina,


I just wanted to give you an update to let you know that Willow is doing great! She is now 21 lbs and is getting much taller. She is such a sweet little girl and we get stopped all the time when we are walking her as people ask where we got her and commenting on how beautiful she is. Cameron and Madison love her so much and laugh at the funny things she does as she can be quite clumsy at times. She has made our lives brighter, that is for sure.


She now knows the commands: sit, lie down, stay and drop it. When she retrieves something we have thrown to her, she runs back to us with the toy in her mouth, her tail wagging and jumps into our laps with the proudest look on her face. She is such a smart little girl. She loves her crate and hasn’t had an accident in it once! She is fully trained to go outside and it took no time at all.


I will send you some pictures when I get a chance.


Again, thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for such a lovely, sweet little girl. She is our princess and she knows she is loved.


M.B. (Bradford, Ontario)

Hi! This is N** and A** in Chicago, the proud ma and pa of Bentley!


He is now almost 7 months old - he is beautiful and sweet and well-behaved.
He has been such a pleasure and wonderful addition to our lives. Just wanted you to know we could not be happier or love him more, and to wish you a very happy holiday
and all the best in 2016! Btw, several people have asked who our breeder is and we shared your contact info with them.


We are really thinking of getting a second golden from you so Bentley can have a constant companion.
I will send a recent photo separately.


All the best,


N. & A. Berry (Chicago, Illinois, USA)

Hi Christina


I hope you and your family are well, I know that you are busy with your new litter. Congrats! They are all just as beautiful as every other one. I also saw that you had a successful pairing of Hugo and Juliet (must admit I'm a little jealous that I won't get one of these beauties, but nothing would make me want to go back and give up Indie)!


On the occasion of Indie's 1st birthday, I just wanted to thank you again for entrusting us with this amazing puppy! Over the last 10 months she has changed from a shy little pup to a minx of a girl, into the beautiful young lady she is (as is evident in the attached pics).


I could probably write a 10 page letter to tell you all the amazing things she has done and accomplished but I know you're busy :). Suffice it to say she is EVERYTHING we wanted and SO MUCH MORE. Not a day goes by that we don't get stopped and complimented on what a beautiful girl she is. She is happy, well loved, spoiled beyond belief in a good way (only pup ever to be allowed on the couch!!) and brings joy and sunshine every day to our lives!


We are forever grateful to have become a member of the Dreamkeeper Family. I'm sure Indie would also want me to send you big hugs and love from her!


S. & D. Casar, Nepean, Ontario

And from our Guestbook....


Having been to visit goldens at several breeders we can honestly say that Dreamkeeper goldens are the most beautiful and well taken care of dogs and puppies. Christina and family have a beautiful location and home to raise these wonderful dogs. I would highly recommend this breeder to anyone. I also urge everyone to visit breeders and see the facilities and dogs prior to agreeing to purchase a golden. They are not all created equally and in our mind, nothing comes to close to Dreamkeeper.

S.R. (Toronto, Ontario)