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A Look into Our Story

  Hello, my name is Amanda. I'm the founder of The White Oak Goldens, and caregiver of our Goldens. I have had dogs in my home for as long as I can remember. They have always been a great source of joy, and comfort to me. Most often they were mixed breeds of all different shapes and sizes from a sweet Lab, a high energy Terrier/Jack Russel mix, a lovable Collie/Lab mix, a scruffy Pomeranian/Shih Tzu, to a tiny Papillion. My family was full of dog lovers.

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 The first heart dog was a Terrier mix named Snickers. She was the most loyal, and playful pup dog, and the two of us adored each other. Unfortunately she had experienced trauma and developed anxiety, and aggression toward new people. We didn't have the understanding that this behavior was not "normal" or acceptable. We saw Snickers' behavior as "protective", and failed to understand how my precious dog could be a risk to my family, and others around us.

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 Before long my beloved dog, Snickers lunged at a friend. I reached out to stop her from biting him, and consequently she bit my hand. The bite was pretty substantial. My mother recognized the danger & decided that day that Snickers would have to go to a friend without children who lived outside of town in hopes she would not have to be put down.

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  I couldn't believe I was losing my sweet dog. She had only ever been loving to me. How my "good dog" be dangerous? I was devastated, and sobbed for hours... The next day my mother received a phone call from the friend. Snickers had died in a tragic accident, having never even made it to her new home. Her loss deeply impacted my 10 year old heart & mind.

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  Now, nearly two decades later, I am raising my own Golden Retriever puppies. Some days I feel a sense of redemption for my childhood pet, Snickers. I have structured my program to ensure that my puppies will never experience traumas over their time here, and always have a safe home to return to if their families ever fall into circumstances that would require a rehoming solution. I have spent hundreds of hours learning about neonatal puppy care, development, dog behavior, neurology, and health. The more I learn the better I understand that I'm just scratching the surface of these topics, and must continue to learn, and grow consistently.

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  I'm passionate about the care my puppies receive while in my home, as well as when they go home with their families. Each puppy's first 8 weeks in undeniably the foundation of their lives. From physical health to their potential in the fields their families pursue with them we prioritize their development, and wellbeing.

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  When I decided to raise cream Golden Retrievers I committed to do it ethically, and with excellence. I quickly learned that finding 2 "purebred dogs" and putting them together would never produce excellence, nor would it be ethical. I was fortunate enough to be mentored by an exceptional breeder, and have learned a great portion of our protocols, and methods from them. Without this experience, and mentorship it would have taken years to learn these things through trial and error on my own. 

   With this knowledge, experience, and support...I began the search for my foundation dog. After several months of searching I finally found our girl, Betty in February 2020. She came home with us, and we all fell in love with her gentle spirit, and bright mind. She quickly became a cornerstone in our family. We knew she would still need a minimum of 2 years to mature, train, and test for hips, elbows, eyes, heart health, and develop her temperament fully.

  So, we got to work, and held our breath in hopes that she would be approved to breed. A simple temperament deviation, or failed test could have wiped away our hopes in an instant. In the challenging 2 years following the 2020 pandemic we acquired all the necessary testing. She passed each test, and never strayed from the beloved Golden temperament we all love so dearly. Finally, Betty became the very first dam in our program! 

 So, here we are now, raising the stunning cream goldens we fell in love with & serving families across the country.

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Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12