Koloa Hunting Goldens

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Koloa Hunting Goldens

AKC Golden Retrievers since 1985. OFA & genetic clearances. Our dogs have field lines & are bred for traits that make good hunting & home companions.

We are a small family kennel that breeds AKC Golden Retrievers. Since we started Koloa Hunting Goldens in 1985, we've had a total of 11 Goldens in our own home. An additional 4 have been in the homes of our family. All of our dogs have been full members of the family; they are socialized with adults, kids, and grandkids. They make excellent, enthusiastic hunting and retrieving partners! We fell in

love with Goldens in 1975 and wanted to continue working with field lines for hunting. Our first breeding pair joined our pack in '85 and '88, respectively, welcoming their first litter in '90. Since then, we've had a total of five litters with four dams. We only breed when we, or a family member, are ready for a puppy, and we ensure good homes for the remainder of the litter every time. We don't breed often, but we always strive to do it as responsibly and proficiently as possible. We exceed the health standards set by the Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA), as our primary goal is to produce the healthiest and happiest puppies possible that lead to the betterment of the breed. We always look for a low coefficient of inbreeding, good health, and traits that make good home and working companions. All of our puppies are family dogs, but they have also been used in therapy, search and rescue, wildlife conservation (i.e., nest searches/population studies), obedience, agility, field trials, and hunt tests! We also pursue continuing breeder education, taking courses from AKC Canine College, Good Dog Good Breeder Center, and Institute of Canine Biology. Additionally, we attend all Good Dog Annual Health Symposiums and have become certified in Pet First Aid through the American Red Cross. We also take in relevant books, journal articles, webinars, and podcasts with the intent of increasing our knowledge and skills to become better breeders and dog owners.

24/07/2024

The Coast family shared these pictures with us showing that Gypsy is now a farm girl! She's been loving the country life, filled with lots of open space to run and lots of nature to smell! Her favorite past time has been flushing all of the quail in her new kingdom -- what can we say, she's got great taste.

Picture 1: Gypsy enjoying a farm style "spa treatment" delivered by her human baby brothers. You've heard of a seaweed wrap? Well, this is a warm gravel wrap -- so relaxing.

Picture 2: Posing with her Pops, counting the days until they get to go pheasant & quail hunting. In the meantime, she'll keep those darn birds on their toes.

15/07/2024

Post-swim frizzles!

Photo 1: Dodger, rocking what his mama gave him.
Photo 2: Ruby, the original crinkle queen.
Photo 3: Dodger & Ruby, demonstrating what happens when you add water to a Golden Retriever.

15/06/2024

David & Dodger and Claire & Elektra completed the Ducks Unlimited virtual 5K this morning! (Ruby bravely volunteered for couch duty back at the house.) The little girl loved showing her brother around her neighborhood and pointing out all the birds & kitties. Errol even joined for the first leg of the walk to help everyone get a kickstart, then the rest of the crew finished it out at a comfortable pace. The pups rolled in the grass to celebrate finishing the DU Dash, then dutifully posed with their winnings of bandanas & race medals.

15/06/2024

Elektra's just barely getting by. Tough life for a poor pampered princess.

04/06/2024

Part 2 (Video):

Ruby honoring, as Dodger makes the retrieve while trying to catch water splashes on the way across the ditch. (Put sound on for video for more details!)

04/06/2024

Part 1 (Photos):

Spent several days at Koloa Club doing habitat work (discing, ripping, & burning) to try and keep the seasonal wetland producing natural food crops for waterfowl & other wetland species. Was able to set aside some time for water retriever training work to the delight of Ruby (mom) and Dodger (son).

Photo 1: Dodger on left, Ruby on right
Photos 2-6: Ruby making the retrieve

22/05/2024

Elektra's trying to stay limber in the off-season. Trying her paw at this yoga thing. She's already pioneered the Resting Dog position. Pro tip: use a Lambchop stuffie as a prop to get more lift for the chin.

17/05/2024

Is that a Pokédog? A new Evee evolution, the retriever type, Goldeon??

We'll let you in on a secret... it's actually Gypsy playing dress-up with her human sister! What a master of disguise. She was this close to ending up in Pokéball!

(Side note: We're not saying we're old, but we had Bella read this caption and confirm that the references make sense!)

29/03/2024

Elektra completed the American Kennel Club 2024 Spring Scurry!

We had a lovely spring day for the walk, and went on our usual neighborhood route, at a comfortable pace. She was also an expert at posing regally with her hard-earned medal at the end of the walk. Treats may or may not have helped.

This is a virtual 5K that can be done with your pup up til June 1 if anyone wants to join in! The Spring Scurry medal in the AKC online shop is considered your "registration fee" and then you complete the distance on the honor system. It can also be counted towards a Fit Dog title. And it's a fun way to spend time with your pup!

27/02/2024

We had a great day to close out the special goose season last Wednesday! David & Donnie both got birds, and Dodger & Elektra each got retrieves.

The first picture shows a little healthy competition between siblings (Elektra, left; Dodger, right). Normally, we send one dog out at a time, so there are no disputes, but if one of them just isn't finding or bringing back the bird for some reason, we'll send the other one to back up the retrieve. For this goose, Elektra took out after it like a shot (second picture), but once she got to it, she got a little lackadaisical and decided to check out the scenery instead. Dodger was sent out, to keep her honest, and the unbothered Elektra thought she knew how much time she had till he got to the bird. Well, she misjudged his speed, then quickly tried (and failed) to snag her goose before Dodger. She's been absolute fire about upland birds, but hasn't had as many opportunities with waterfowl (mainly due to poor opportunities the last couple of seasons). This is just part of the process of ironing out kinks, with the goal being to teach her, if you want the bird, you've gotta grab it and bring it in right away.

Unfortunately, we didn't get pictures of the other 2 retrieves, but they were picture perfect.

For one, Donnie spotted a cripple sitting on the levee, so he sent Elektra to flush it, which she did fantasticly. She absolutely learned her lesson from the first goose, because after Donnie brought this one down, she immediately slammed it and brought it back, with no hesitation!

On the last bird, it sailed about a quarter mile into a flooded rice field when it came down. David took Dodger as close as he could get in the direction he thought the bird had come down. Dodger hadn't been able to get a mark, but went completely off a directional command ("back") and went over 100 yards to make a successful retrieve!

It really was the perfect way to close out the last season of the year! The last two pictures show the "pups" with their geese. First with the side-eye & the "I'm not even going to look at you" -- typical siblings -- then they got over it and sat looking regal.

26/02/2024

Apparently love of Lambchop runs in their DNA!

Scupper was very happy to get one for his birthday, too. His previous Lambchop is missing a limb and most of its stuffing (last photo) -- he just found it that way and admits to nothing! He's very happy to have a replacement to cuddle (maul? eh, semantics).

19/02/2024

Happy 3rd birthday, Elektra & Dodger!! They got special birthday Lambchops and lots of treats to celebrate! We still tend to call them "the puppies," but at 3 years old, they're certainly not babies anymore -- where does the time go?

And a very happy birthday to Scupper, Gypsy, Momo, Maisy, Bart, Bella Buttercup, Vina, Ruby Rose, & Fiver, too!

19/02/2024

Special goose season opened! No luck on Saturday, but a nice day today. Dodger (left) and Elektra (right) look downright professional with their birds. In the next pictures, Dodger is doing the land retrieve and Elektra is bringing the goose in from the water.

Both "pups" elected for the wing carry technique. We think Dodger may have picked it up from working with his mentor, Paladin. Bottom line is, as long as they bring 'em back to the blind, freestyle is allowed at Koloa Club!

19/02/2024

More courses completed from the Institute of Canine Biology: The Genetics of Behavior & Performance in Dogs; and The Biology of Dogs. Loads of great information that was very interesting & fun to learn about.

08/02/2024

Dodger hosted Elektra for a sleepover while her (human) mom & dad were out of town last weekend. Naturally, he invited her out to train & play at the park!

They both had a lot of fun using their noses, retrieving the "good" dummies (with added bird wings), and chasing the ball. But only Elektra moved at a speed that could be photographed -- Dodger was too fast to be captured by a camera! He did sit still long enough to offer one consolation photo on the field, though.

08/02/2024

Just completed Understanding Hip & Elbow Dysplasia from the Institute of Canine Biology and gained a lot of insights into the factors leading to dysplasia. We'll definitely be employing some additional strategies, based on this course, with future litters -- especially pertaining to the surface material of our whelping box!

We also completed several other courses last year:

Coefficient of Inbreeding Bootcamp, Basic Population Genetics for Dog Breeders, and Useful Genetics for Dog Breeders, all from the Institute of Canine Biology; Fit To Be Tied from Good Breeder Center; Golden Retriever Breed Course from American Kennel Club Canine College; and Dog Breeder Behavior & Training Program from the Dunbar Academy.

08/02/2024

A little housekeeping post -- we forgot to share that Claire & David are members of the Golden Retriever Club of America!

Check out the code of ethics that we follow at: https://grca.org/about-grca/grca-code-of-ethics/

"The GRCA provides puppy referral as a convenience to puppy buyers to find out about breeders who are GRCA members and their litters. GRCA takes no responsibility whatsoever for any puppies/dogs that you may acquire through GRCA puppy referral. GRCA is not responsible for any breeder’s sale practices and sales contracts, nor will GRCA be involved in any manner in contract disputes between puppy buyers and breeders. Availability of puppies and conditions of sale are at the sole discretion of the individual breeder. Buyers are encouraged to read ACQUIRING A GOLDEN RETRIEVER, as found on the grca.org website, for general information about obtaining a puppy, to take as much time as necessary to locate a reputable breeder from whom they feel comfortable purchasing a puppy, and to investigate breeders and their puppies thoroughly before committing to a purchase. You are not obligated to purchase a puppy from the breeders whose names you obtain from GRCA puppy referral."

07/02/2024

Another PupRing custom -- this time an engraved keychain! Very happy with the finished product! We used a photo of Elektra (aka "The Princess") from Heather Sheridan Photography to make this design.

30/12/2023

Had an amazing misty morning hunt at Koloa Club last Wednesday. Ruby & Dodger had some great mama & son bonding as they brought in 5 geese (3 snows & 2 ross) and a mallard! In one day, we beat the combined number of waterfowl that we've gotten all season! Dodger had a particularly great retrieve on the mallard, which ended up being his first encounter with a diving bird. It went under just as he got to it, but he kept circling the spot, then put his head in the water and came up with it!

28/12/2023

Another pheasant hunt at Koloa Club from the weekend before Christmas. The pups were very proud of their birds! Elektra held the edge on flushing, while Dodger's speed gave him the edge on retrieving -- they both did fantastic and are working really well together.

We finished with a total of 3 pheasants, including 2 planted birds and the first wild rooster of the season! You can see Elektra bringing that bird in, in the second picture, which also happens to be her very first wild pheasant!

25/12/2023

Cuddles with "Papa" Dean (Rhodesian Ridgeback mix cousin). Dodger volunteered to be a pillow and Dean was happy to oblige.

13/12/2023

Waterfowl hunting has been very slow this season so far with the pleasant weather. However, we finally had a little rain which raised the humidity in the air allowing for a little fog in the morning and outstanding sunsets outside the back door of the Koloa Club cabin. Last Wednesday, Ruby and Dodger were able to go out and retrieve a mallard for their human Dad. Ruby allowed Dodger to bring the bird back to the blind but kept checking to make sure he was doing it right! Enlarge the 4th photo and look at all the geese going out to feed in the fields shortly after the end of shoot time. Who are really the smart ones here?

10/12/2023

Just had to share this amazing custom pendant from PupRing -- the quality is fantastic! Elektra looks great and the engraving is very true to the picture.

04/12/2023

Had a good hunt last weekend at Koloa Club!

We had planted 4 pheasants and ended up getting 2 -- Dodger & Elektra split on those. Here's the young lady doing an excellent job of bringing her pheasant back. She had to go out a heck of a way to find it after it sailed, so she had a long haul back with it.

In a fun turn of events, we also ended up getting 2 volunteer chukars that had come into our field. The pups got one each, marking the very first chukar retrieves for the both of them. They're not native birds for the habitat and we haven't planted them on our property before, so we think these might actually be the first chukar any of our Koloa dogs have ever gotten at Koloa Club.

Then we added 2 wild snipe, both picked up by Dodger to round out the day.

18/11/2023

And now someone's got an upgraded American Kennel Club title: Koloa's Lady In Red FITS! Elektra received her Fit Dog Silver this past month. She looks like such a professional with that silver medal!

16/11/2023

Training isn't always all roses, and sometimes your dogs give you facepalm moments that you have to just keep working on! For example, one of Elektra's weak points has been bringing birds & dummies to hand, so we've been emphasizing "hold it" work.

In this scenario from Saturday's hunt, we had tossed one of Dodger's snipe out for her to get a chance at a morale retrieve. She dropped the bird short, so we told her to "fetch it up," followed by "hold it." At any point in the sequence that she doesn't complete the task, we go get her and get hands-on with showing/demonstrating what is being asked. Simplified, we don't allow her to continue doing what we don't want her to do when she's given a command, so we reinforce the action we do want, sometimes by gentle physical manipulation. We don't use force fetch, though, and always lots of encouragement & praise, because we want to make sure it stays a positive experience.

Here, we had just moved on to putting the bird in Elektra's mouth to "hold it" after she'd dropped it. However, our dear young lady has become extremely efficient at hitting the eject button, so our expert training strategy didn't go as planned. This series of pictures truly tells the story! The second picture is particularly colorful, as you can see the action shot of her tongue launching the bird out of her mouth. If you listen closely, you can even hear the "ptooey"! Please note that she is extremely birdy and excited about finding the bird, and if left completely unsupervised with it, she will absolutely eat the darn thing.

After many years of experience, we've gained the wisdom of knowing when to throw your hands up, say "I dunno," take the loss, and pose a picture in the field that makes you look like you know what you're doing! It should be noted, lest Elektra's good name be besmirched, that back at the cabin, after she'd had a nice break, we worked with her again and she successfully "held it"!

It's all about enjoying the experience with our dogs, so we try not to stress about the hiccups as best we can. And we know that these quirks & gaffes are going to be the things making us smile & laugh for years.

15/11/2023

We got out to Koloa Club for the pheasant opener on Saturday and got... 2 snipe! In fact, the only pheasant we saw was a rooster walking the side of the road after we'd left the Club and called it a day.

Dodger had a fantastic day and made both retrieves when the birds came down on the side he was working. He put his nose down and went right out to get them, including one that was well buried in some heavy cover. These were his first snipe!

Elektra also did a good job working with her nose and getting birdy, she just didn't get good opportunities. Dodger was nice enough to share and let her hold a bird back at the cabin, though.

02/11/2023

Yesterday, while held & surrounded by his family, our beautiful boy, Paladin, said goodbye. His passing was easeful & gentle, although it left our hearts shattered at the loss. He was laid to rest beside his adoptive mama, Demona.

We won't say Paladin lost his battle with cancer, as he continued fighting through to the end. He was literally on the brink in January, with a diagnosis of stage 4 T-cell lymphoma. With treatment, he was given a prognosis of 8 months at most, 4 months realistically. Instead, he fought -- & won -- for 10 months. Not only that, but he lived fully in that time. He spent those 10 months hunting the special goose season, dove season, & waterfowl opener; vigorously playing, chasing, & training with his lady love, Ruby, his adopted pups, Dodger, Elektra -- even Momo! -- & his "cousin," Dean; and loving, snuggling, & treat-begging with his entire human family.

Discovering the depth of his strength & the resilience of his spirit was humbling & inspiring, though we shouldn't have been surprised. Paladin was perhaps the gentlest, sweetest soul we've ever been lucky enough to know & love, but he also harbored the heart of a lion. His greatest purpose was to protect & take care of his family, always our loyal shadow, never wanting to leave our side.

If asked what we'll miss about Paladin, the answer is: everything. We'll miss his snorting smile, with curled back lips, and bared teeth. We'll miss how he carried his giant teddy bear so all you could see of his face was his forehead. We'll miss how he insisted on bringing in birds by the skin of the back, only with his front teeth, instead of normally (but he never lost any)! We'll miss how he'd put himself to bed on his own when it was past his bedtime. And how he'd keep his head on the ground, look up at you, & give a loud, steady thump, thump, thump of his tail to entice you over for pets.

Paladin was so generous to have given us the gift of loving us; we hope we were able to love him back half as much. We'll never be the same, as he's taken a part of our hearts with him to his next journey; but likewise, he's left his mark on all of us that we'll keep with us forever.

01/11/2023

Super Dog and Wonder Dog spotting yesterday! Looks like they were getting warmed up and ready to guard the house from trick-or-treaters. Well, the protective measures paid off. When the small minions arrived, they decided to take that j***y candy and made sure to leave the (pup) treats alone -- they didn't want to mess with any of this fluff! Well done, Pup Heroes!

31/10/2023

Another Good Breeder Center Health Symposium in the books! Really great sessions this year. Both the presenters and their presentations were truly top-notch.The quality of information being provided to breeders & dog owners, at no cost, is excellent. Our favorite seminar was Neonatal Resuscitation and Care.

The annual health symposium is one of our favorite resources Good Dog provides us!

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Refresher training with Lady Ruby working on hand signals. Working on swimming laterally in a waterway to look for cripples in brush or to look for an unseen bird drop. Also a great way to keep the pups cool during the hot summer months. #koloahuntinggoldens

Dodger was out chasing splashes this morning as his warmup to a training session. It is possible that he was pretending to be having trouble swimming to lure out the elusive "Swamp Collie" that is known to haunt these waterways - did you see her at the end?! #koloahuntinggoldens

Part 2 (Video): Ruby honoring, as Dodger makes the retrieve while trying to catch water splashes on the way across the ditch. (Put sound on for video for more details!) #koloahuntinggoldens

Super Dog and Wonder Dog spotting yesterday! Looks like they were getting warmed up and ready to guard the house from trick-or-treaters. Well, the protective measures paid off. When the small minions arrived, they decided to take that junky candy and made sure to leave the (pup) treats alone -- they didn't want to mess with any of this fluff! Well done, Pup Heroes! #koloahuntinggoldens

Part 2, Video: Some light "training" for Paladin at Koloa Club at the end of September. These dummies had dove wings attached, which he thoroughly enjoyed. An update on his treatment: Paladin has finished the traditional chemo protocols. He's now getting injections of Elspar, which he's responded very well to throughout his treatment period. The drawback to this treatment is that it can become less effective over time, as well having an increased risk of allergic reaction. He has the injection administered in the hospital where he can be monitored for a reaction and promptly treated, if necessary. Overall, our boy is still feeling good and interested in everything around him, which continues to be our goal. As long as he continues to be able to get to those levels, we'll continue to walk this journey with him. #koloahuntinggoldens

Paladin's introduction to his first Pup Cup! He'd been hearing from all of the puppies that it was a great treat, so the humans picked one up for him from Peet's Coffee after a chemo session at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. He's a good patient, but he was ready to get the heck out of there as soon as his treatment was done, so he got to enjoy his dessert at home. Well worth the wait, and very well-deserved for being such a good boy at the doctor! #koloahuntinggoldens

Part 1, Video: Paladin and I went out for an early morning training today while it was still cool. You can see that he really enjoyed himself and he did a series of retrieves flawlessly. Paladin is still going to UCD Veterinary Hospital for chemotherapy on a regular basis and is still enjoying his training sessions, and family - both human and canine. #koloahuntinggoldens

When you take your bird dog out for a walk and they find a bunch of birds feeding in the field. We imagine Elektra's inner dialogue involved some version of, "Mom, do you see them?! Do you see the birds?? Does anybody see them?? Is anyone going to do something about this?! ...No? We're just going to keep walking? *sigh* Ok." #koloahuntinggoldens

Elektra had her first Pup Cup! She'd heard from her siblings that they were the best and she has to agree -- 10/10, would slurp up again! Besides, it's only fair that Elektra gets some treats, since her human mom gets herself Starbucks all the time. #koloahuntinggoldens #starbuckspuppuccino

Part 2, Dodger's work: Summer training at Koloa Club. The boys kept cool by working in the ditch. They thoroughly enjoyed the water and the sunshine. #koloahuntinggoldens

Part 1, Paladin's work: Summer training at Koloa Club. The boys kept cool by working in the ditch. They thoroughly enjoyed the water and the sunshine. #koloahuntinggoldens

Part 2, Video: Walkies & treats?! Best activity ever! Elektra & Claire are working on their American Kennel Club FIT DOG title. They're currently about half way through the Bronze requirements, then will be moving on to working on Silver! Elektra is thoroughly enjoying the work (and Claire had an excuse to accessorize for the task). Now, the edge-of-your seat video of the walk in action that you've all been clamoring for! **Please disregard the following if you don't need to commiserate over social media business page woes!** (An aside about how much we hate that we can't share our Instagram posts with photos & videos, or with multiple videos, over to Facebook and have to split them up into multiple posts instead -- why?! It's the same company, which also happens to borderline force, via Business Suite, cross-platform sharing. It makes no sense that they don't have the same basic functionality. Make it make sense, Meta!) #koloahuntinggoldens #akcfitdog

Another happy tails update for everyone -- Paladin is doing well and the doctors are pleased with how he is handling his treatment. Went out training again today for the 2nd time this week and this time I remembered to take some video. He very much enjoyed his morning running around the park, retrieving dummies, and enjoying life! #koloahuntinggoldens

Part2: We recently made a post about Elektra showing off her new giant Lambchop. So at the urging of Paladin, Ruby, & Dodger, the Richter household also acquired one. Paladin was very interested - we think he may have thought it was a snowgoose. This video is after he saw Lady Ruby's dancing video with the smaller Lambchop and he wanted to show off his "shake that thing" moves! #koloahuntinggoldens

Part 1: We recently made a post about Elektra showing off her new giant Lambchop. So at the urging of Paladin, Ruby, & Dodger, the Richter household also acquired one. Paladin was very interested - we think he may have thought it was a snowgoose. This video shows him reacting to the stuffy's arrival. #koloahuntinggoldens

We were treated to an after-dinner show, which included fancy choreography, spectacular throws, and deft juggling of a brand new dog toy! The performance was by the famous Lady Ruby, who commandeered the new toy (Lambchop) Dodger got for being so brave during his heart exam at the AKC dog show. #koloahuntinggoldens

Part 2 - Video: Just another day of training fun for Paladin. He is quite enthusiastic about his job and looks forward to the early morning training trips. He has seniority, so he gets to go first before Dad returns home to pickup Ruby and Dodger. Training in the spring is done in mowed areas to avoid disturbing nesting birds. Training in the summer is done early in the day in marshy areas or waterways to avoid overheating and dangerous seed heads (foxtail, etc). #koloahuntinggoldens

Part 2: Update on Paladin's Health: He has now returned to his normal dummy training and has requested we post a video for his fans, showing him doing something he loves ❤️. #koloahuntinggoldens

Bite-sized training session with Paladin. Got it in just before the sun set. You can really see how much fun he has doing what he loves. Check out the second segment of the video for the blooper this goofball provided us with. Kids always act up when they know someone's watching! #koloahuntinggoldens

Had our 1st open day without rain since Christmas. Paladin started his third round of chemo this morning with 3 tablets in peanut butter pill pockets and they went down the hatch without a moment's hesitation. The instructions specifically state to take the patient on walks to avoid some potential side effects. So ...we did it the way Paladin requested. With how this went, we are actually planning to go duck hunting next week! His visit yesterday to UC Davis showed a gain in weight of 1.6 lbs. and a reduction in the size of lymph nodes. #koloahuntinggoldens

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