How it all began

When our two children were little, we decided that we wanted to get them a dog to grow up with. Every kid needs a dog, right? Having grown up with a lab and being active with upland and waterfowl hunting, we were originally going to purchase a lab. We wanted a dog that could go out and hunt, but that could also be a great family dog. While visiting with a great friend and neighbor of mine, he talked about field bred golden retrievers and introduced us to his field golden, Birdie. We immediately fell in love with her. Her beautiful dark golden coat, soft fluffy ears, and desire to work and please were captivating. The most impressive characteristic that Birdie had was a "switch" that she seemed to flip when she was near our young children. She was so soft and gentle. We knew then that we wanted a dog out of Birdie. The time finally came when we took home our very own field bred golden in April of 2017. Pictured above is Remi with our daughter and my sister.

We did a lot of research after being introduced the field bred golden. The first aspect that appealed to us was maintaining the original working golden pedigree. Staying true to the origins and intent of the original golden retriever drew us in and is still a main motivator in what we do. From the beginning we dedicated our efforts and time into producing puppies that would optimize the working golden lines. The body size, weight, coat, head, athleticism, desire to please, biddable, are just a few of the considerations we go through when selecting a litter plan.

Black Ridges Goldens officially started with our first litter our of Remi and Griz in December 2019. Our mission is to breed high quality working golden retrievers through outstanding pedigrees, health clearances, genetic DNA panels, and low COI. Our goldens are great hunting companions as well as family dogs. Through selective breeding we focus on producing working goldens with energy, drive, desire to please, biddable, and athleticism. We also strive to produce goldens with the "off" switch when it is time to be with the family.

Our program is dedicated entirely to the field bred golden retriever, focusing on quality over quantity. We do not entertain the idea of any cross breeds with our goldens.