Hi Melissa,
We are really enjoying Levi and his antics.  He weighs in at 60lbs at 6 months!  He is best buds with his 6lb Tiny Toy Poodle brother and loves to help in the kitchen loading up the dishwasher.  We are fortunate to live near a golf course so twice a day he runs the course (4 miles a day) which he looks forward to. Even though he is big, he still is a baby.  He sleeps in the bed with us thinking he is still the 11lb boy we came home with. We get oodles and aahhs from people when they see this beautiful dog!  Give hugs to Mama and Papa and tell them he is in good hands!

Laurie and Stan

Rufus is the perfect dog for me. Our personalities are
well matched. I feel blessed.

Merry Christmas,
Mark

Hi Melissa-

What a fun day for Bella....her first Christmas. It took her 30 seconds to get the hang of ripping the paper off the presents Santa had left for her and Baron in their stockings. Of course Baron was a good teacher. However they each wanted the other's present and so a tug of war ensued and then they decided it would be fun to help Cam & me open our presents and rip away they did. It was really comical.

Bella at 21 weeks now weighs in at 29.6 pounds and so she is slowing gaining and growing. She still can't jump up on our bed so this is where Baron goes to escape her constant wanting to play. She is not so dumb and this morning jumped up on the bench at the foot of our bed and then jumped onto the bed. The look on Baron's face was worth a thousand words, as we knew right away what he was thinking.

Hope you and yours had a wonderful day too. Thought you would enjoy the pictures.

Cheers,
Marty & Cam

Hi Melissa-

Just a note to give you a status report on our precious little "Bella". She is 17 weeks today and has completed her puppy shots as well as her rabies vaccine. She has been transitioned over to Wellness Puppy Chow & is up to 3 cups a day (1 cup per feeding). She is all legs, tail and ears and weighs in at a diminutive 22 pounds. Our vet is in love with her and gets down on the floor to play with her when she visits.

She has completed her puppy classes and has a certificate to prove she passed all of her requirements: sit & look at me, sit and stay (30 seconds), heeling, down (still working on this one), come when called and leave it (she hears that a lot). She is pretty well house broken and when she is in the crate barks when she has to go out, but when she is loose in the house we really have to watch her as she sits by the front door when she needs to go out & if we don't see her......we get to clean it up! :) She is also sleeping 8 hours at night in her crate without a problem so we are all getting a good night's rest. She has a little cuddle time on the bed with Baron& us before she is crated and loves to be on the big bed with her pack.

We couldn't be happier with her and her antics but especially her personality. She is all puppy but is also mellow for being so young. When she is playing with Baron she is the alpha and the two of them take turns on their backs during their play times. The funniest is to watch them play tug with a toy. She is relentless and Baron is the one who usually gives in. We have also had her in the pool a couple of times and she is getting the hang of it, but still a little insecure.

Bella is now experiencing her first Christmas and is mesmerized with all of our decorations on the tree. The cats sleep under it on the tree skirt and Bella would like to be under there with them. Needless to say there is a lot of "Leave It!" going on. :)

Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Cheers,
Marty

Hi Melissa,
Quick update on Dexter. He is a superstar, I can't go anywhere without people stopping me to talk about how beautiful he is. He is so sweet and so smart, he is such a wonderful addition to our family!

Love Jenn and Dexter

Good Morning Melissa!
    I just wanted to give you an update on Bentley. He is the love of our lives and everyone. I mean everyone falls in love with him when they see him. He is a ball of energy and has stolen my heart completely. He loves rope toys the best and loves to run and play. He is just the best! He is also growing like a weed. His vet visit last week, he weighed in at 36 lbs J I will send you a picture. I hope you and all your beautiful goldens are doing well!
There are some fun pictures of Bentley attached that I hope you will enjoy!

~Lauren

Melissa,
   I just sent you a pic of Casey from my phone. He is so beautiful both physically and personality wise. He continues to have a very light coat with a darker tint to his legs tail and upper back. He went to vet today for his next vaccines and weighed in at 26.6 lbs. He is growing so fast it is unbelievable. He loves our 24 ft. deck boat and both salt water and the pool. He has now met my sons 4yr old Australian Shepherd and my daughters' beagle and black lab and gets along fine with all of them. Next month he will receive his first rabies vaccine and be microchipped.  We are having so much fun with him. Thanks again.

Judy

Update on Casey at 6 Months

Dear Melissa,  Casey is now 6 months old and weighing in at 51 lbs.  He is now a seasoned traveler, and did very well in the car, traveling to Marietta, Georgia and back home. He loves playing with other dogs, tennis balls, and chewing on deer antlers from the holistic pet store. He has a special place in his heart for children, and is especially fond of my 7 year old and 3 year old granddaughters that he sees most often.  He loves going out in the boat, swimming in the gulf, rolling in the sand, plus still enjoys our pool with tennis retrieving his favorite. He has brought us a special love and affection that we are very lucky to have. I am sending you a picture of him laying full out on the fireplace hearth enjoying a moment of quiet.

Hi Melissa,
 
I'm not sure if you remember us, but my husband and I purchased the love of our lives from you in December 2010 - from the Jasmine/Scotty litter. I wanted to reach out and let you know how much Tucker has changed our lives. We are head over heels in love with this guy and have been since day 1! He is 100% a part of our family (we introduce him as our son!) and everyday with him is a new & exciting adventure. He has his own hilarious personality but has adopted so many traits from us as well. He is the BIGGEST snuggle bug you have ever met... my husband and I are too so it's perfect... and he is SUCH a mama's boy! I love it! He sleeps in our bed with us.... let me rephrase that, we sleep in the bed w/ HIM! We have a huge king size bed but he claims it as his own so we're lucky if we can find a spot. We go for runs, we take a million walks a day, we watch movies, we go for car rides, we play massive amounts of fetch, we hug and kiss him all day long....we are one big happy family and he is the heart and soul of it all. My husband and I were just talking about Tucker and how much we love him and how great his life is.... he only knows love and hugs and happiness. He knows no pain, no sadness or loneliness and we wish so badly that every dog could feel the love that Tucker does. Thank you for giving us such a wonderful gift. We can't even walk down the street without someone stopping and commenting on what an incredible looking dog Tucker is. He has a neighborhood girlfriend, Brandy, she is a golden-doodle who lives a few doors down and they can't get enough of each other. They have play dates every day and are inseparable! I have attached a few pictures of Tucker (we have a million so I had to narrow it down to a simple few) so you can see for yourself what an amazing dog he is and what a total stud he has become.... he's definitely a ladies man!! :) There are 2 photos included of Tucker and Brandy. They're in love :)
 
Just wanted to share this with you as I have recently referred someone to you who I believe is already on the waiting list for your litter due in February. I believe they will be training her as a service dog. I realized that I have raved on and on about Tucker and how smart, gentle and loving he is as well as your supurb breeding....yet I have never shared that with you. I wanted to change that tonight.
 
Thanks again, Melissa! Hope all is well with all of the pups and that they are all as happy as Tucker! I hope that all the families are as happy & blessed as we are!
 
Sincerely,
 
Molly

Melissa,

I thought I would bring you up to date on our Abby.  She is without a doubt the smartest, sweetest and most beautiful puppy ever.  Two weeks ago she graduated from puppy obedience with flying colors.  The next day she left with us on vacation.  She is a great traveler.  We went to Western Maryland to Bob's home.  We stayed with Bob's brother and his wife, Barb.  Barb has 3 dogs, 2 labs and a Weimer.  She trains and works her dogs in agility.  Abby learned how to be part of a pack and had an absolutely great time.  She played everyday with Quick, Barb's chocolate lab.  She also learned to dock dive just like Quick.  She did very well.  Barb could not get over how quick she picked things up and how smart she is. 

I am attaching a couple of pictures I thought you might enjoy.  She is truly God's blessing to us.  She brings us so much joy.  Thanks again for having such great puppies.

Bob and Karen

Update on Abby

Melissa,

I wanted to let you know how our Abby is doing.  She is the sweetest, smartest Golden I’ve ever seen.  She and her daddy love to play hide and seek.  Guess who always wins.  She is so smart!  We had her spayed 2 months ago and she is doing great, full of energy.  I am enclosing a picture I took of her at our daughter’s in
Georgia.  She got up in the flower box and sat there.  Bob and I laugh at her all the time.  She is so funny.  She loves to lay on the tile floor with her hind legs spread out like she was a puppy.  She also likes to watch TV.  How is Jasmine?  Has she had anymore litters?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Bob and Karen

Hi Melissa,

Eragon after a day at doggy daycare.	He is in no way a spoiled dog.  Nope not at all, cough cough.
Eragon at 15 months

Melissa,

I never did get around to sending pics of "Summer" but am doing so now. (Tia/Tebow March, 2010 litter) 

She is just an absolute delight.  She seems a bit "goofy" if you will, not always learning the tricks we try to teach her though she has the sit, stay, (lay) down, (get) off (the couch, the bed, me), and "crate".  She sleeps with my daughter in her twin bed, laying at the foot of the bed. 

She LOVES baths and water of any kind.  She has a tendancy to nudge her way into the bathroom if the door isn't shut.  If someone is in the tub or shower, they have to watch out because she'll nose the sliding shower door until it opens and jump right in with whoever is there! 
  
Now here is the unreal part.  I can put the food bowl down and walk away and she doesn't eat a bite until I say "okay".  I once spilled dog food on the floor and she sat until her bowl was filled, placed on the porch and I said "okay".  Didn't touch the food on the floor in the dining room right at her feet!  She also knows that if I'm eating and don't want her around, I say "go away" and she backs off to a distance where I can't say she is officially begging but she can still smell the food!  AND...she has had the chance to snag pieces of cooked chicken or other meat off the counter (she is a dog and doesn't always avoid the temptation), but instead takes, of all things, the strawberry or slice of banana sitting on the counter next to the chicken!  STRANGE!

At any rate, she is happy, healthy, and completely unaware of how much she has grown as she tries to crawl into my crossed legs like she did when she was just a wee puppy.  We are blessed to have her as part of our family. 

Take care!

Melissa,

Attached is a picture of Holli and I with Buck Sergeant and Ginger Snap. We volunteer with the Golden Retriever Rescue of Southwest Florida is saving deserted/abandoned Golden Retrievers. Ginger Snap (reddish color) we fostered and ultimately adopted 8 months ago.

One of our most special letters: 

I sincerely admire the way you conduct both the breeding of the dogs and for the manner in which you make the adoption process so inviting and complete. These wonderful animals are God's gifts to us; their great start in life is your gift to them.

Thanks for the opportunity to become part of the Paradise Golden family.

Sincerely,