At Thoroughmark Retrievers, we aim to produce an exceptional dog for you. We worked alongside other breeds of birddogs and retrievers for 15 years before determining the Golden Retriever was our best fit. Fun-loving but focused, hard-charging yet easy to live with, and unmatched looks and athleticism are some qualities we fell in love with. Our vision is to build on these characteristics to ensure your Thoroughmark Retriever puppy develops into the best dog you’ve ever had at your side.

The mission of our breeding program is to produce our clients with a Golden Retriever that encompasses high drive, enthusiasm, trainability for the task at hand, and the sensibility to settle in at the day’s end by his owner’s side. Dogs that excel as your hunting companion, in hunt test (and field trials), in the agility ring, and as your family’s best friend. We attain that by breeding the best to the best. Our females are accomplished hunt test dogs that descend from the renowned Mioak and Topbrass lineage. Our criteria for stud dogs are males from an exceptional line that have distinguished themselves in hunt tests or field trials. Focusing on athletic, stylish, healthy, and intelligent dogs who have earned an AKC SH, AKC MH or UKC HRCH title allows us to produce puppies in the highest echelon of the breed with a high propensity for success.

Why are AKC Senior Hunter (SH), Master Hunter (MH) or UKC Hunting Retriever Champion (HRCH) titled dogs used as the cornerstone of our program? Using titled dogs as our standard allows us to find the best of the best, and pass those qualities onto the next generation. Each year, 30,000+ Golden Retrievers are registered with the AKC. Of those.. around 150 Golden Retrievers will achieve the AKC Senior Hunter (SH) title, and around 50 will achieve the AKC Master Hunter (MH ) title. Prioritizing the pairing of hunt test titled dogs puts a Thoroughmark Retriever puppy in elite company - the top 1% - from the get-go. It takes a high degree of intelligence, athleticism, trainability, marking ability, and drive to earn these titles - characteristics that are important to us, proven by the parents, and are part of the DNA fabric of your puppy.

Importantly, we follow the GRCA Breeder Code of Ethics. Health standards and certifications are a high priority of our program to ensure the next generation of Goldens will be free and clear of issues that have historically plagued retrieving breeds. Our dogs have all OFA health clearances and are DNA tested through Pawprint Genetics to ensure that the puppies we produce have their best chance of developing into healthy dogs.

From the minute your puppy enters the world, he or she is handled with great care and given the best possible start to life for the 7-8 weeks they are with us. Puppies are whelped in our home and continue to live in the house with us. This gives them a head start on socialization as they are handled daily and exposed to kids and adults, other pets, smells, and noises. From days 3-16, puppies are put through a daily routine of ENS training (early neurological sensitivity training recommended by Dr. Carmen Battaglia) to enhance their development and adaptation to stress. More on this in our “sources” section. During the same period of days 3-16, puppies also undergo ESI training (early scent introduction training) to enhance their olfactory capabilities. From 3 weeks to 7 weeks, socialization ramps up with more extended daily human interactions and exposure to new areas of the home to build their confidence. At 4 weeks, they venture outside for the first time and spend time watching mom do simple retrieves in the backyard. By 7-8 weeks of age, your Thoroughmark Retriever puppy has been primed for success and is now ready for his or her new world with you. We believe the socialization processes we follow to develop your puppy give them an advantage and will allow them to grow into well-adjusted adults.

We’re not a kennel. We’re just a family that loves our dogs, and have them by our side for nearly everything we do. We take a “small-batch” approach with our program: 1 litter (or occasionally 2) a year by high-performing parents that yield top-quality puppies. Our goal isn’t quantity... it’s quality. We want to share the best qualities of our dogs with you and ensure our field-line Golden Retrievers are exceptional dogs.