The people behind LiveOak
About LiveOak Golden Retriever Puppies
We are the husband-and-wife team behind LiveOak. More than thirty years with Golden Retrievers have shaped the way we raise puppies and talk with families.
Our beginning
Daisy came first.
My father gave us our first Golden Retriever as a wedding gift more than thirty years ago. Daisy slept at the foot of our bed and greeted everyone who came through the gate. Her happy tail became part of the home we were building.
We began with a love of living with Goldens. Friends and people we knew asked about puppies from our dogs, and our small program grew over time. We named it after the old oak tree in our front yard, where our dogs have spent years resting in the shade.
Our mission
Raise puppies with care.
Help families choose with understanding.
We keep our program small enough to know the puppies we raise. Daily observation, handling, nutrition, household experiences, and rest guide our care. We want families to understand what we have observed and what the records say before making a commitment.
Our vision
A Golden with a place in family life.
We want families to consider the years ahead: companionship, training, grooming, exercise, veterinary care, and shared responsibility. We value a relationship that continues after puppy day, with families who feel comfortable asking questions.
Life here
The everyday things matter.
Our puppies grow up inside our home. They hear the vacuum and doorbell, see grandchildren coming through the kitchen, and meet different surfaces and household sounds. We introduce experiences gradually and give puppies time to sleep, settle, and grow.
A few litters each year give us room to pay attention. We follow each puppy’s age and development when planning handling and new experiences. In conversations with families, we share current observations and explain what we cannot yet know about adult size, coat shade, temperament, or future health.
Health-conscious breeding
Know the parents.
Understand the records.
Before breeding, we screen both parents of our litters for breed-relevant health conditions. Our screening practices include hip and elbow evaluation, heart examination by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist, eye examination by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist, and DNA testing for neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL).
We also pay attention to nutrition, body condition, development, socialization, and the puppies’ environment. Health screening can reduce risk, but cannot remove every health risk. We want families to read the full Health Guarantee and understand the records that come with their puppy.
Read our written Health GuaranteeAfter puppy day
We still like hearing from you.
Photos arrive from lakes, hiking trails, living rooms, cars, birthdays, and couches that were supposed to stay dog-free. We enjoy those updates and welcome families who contact us with questions or a change in circumstances.
If you can no longer keep your LiveOak dog, please contact us so we can talk through the situation and discuss available options. We can listen, share the information we have, and help where it makes sense for us to do so.
Your next chapter
Ready to meet your Golden?
Take a look at the puppies, read our written terms, and tell us about the home you are preparing.