Puppy Application

BEAR STATE GOLDENS PUPPY APPLICATION

Hello! Thank you for showing interest in our breeding program and choosing to submit an application with us. Your assistance in completing this in-depth application helps us learn more about you, what you're looking for in your new dog, what your expectations are, your dog goals, what your lifestyle is like, and more. Our goal is to place the right puppy into the right home for the best possible match. There are no right or wrong answers. Please do your research on the breed and ONLY submit an application when you are ready to dedicate time, love, training, and patience to one of our puppies. All questions asked are to ensure that you are receiving a dog that you are happy with. Please be detailed in your answers as we will return to your application when deciding on each puppy's placement just before the puppies leave home. All information provided is confidential and applications are permanently deleted after puppies are matched to their new homes.

We understand that our application process is lengthy; however, we want to ensure that our puppies are going to the best homes possible. Most of our questions are puppy-related; if you are applying for an adult dog, you may type N/A. You may save your responses by clicking the white button or the button above back/next/submit and come back here at a later time to complete. After you submit your application, we will review it as quickly as possible. Please keep in mind that we are not puppy vending machines; therefore, it will take time for us to provide a puppy, as we do not always have litters or puppies available. If we have further questions during the application process, we will reach out via email. We are not big on phone calls, as it's very time-consuming for us; they are by appointment only and reserved for serious applicants or current clients. Some breeders may prefer to operate by phone, but we are one of the few that prefer to communicate by text/email/message, as it's the easiest for us to do between tasks. Submission of this application does not guarantee approval, pick of litter, or waiting list placement. See our website for further details on our application process. Please follow up via e-mail or Instagram message if you do not receive a response to your application after 7 days, and we will get back to you as quickly as time allows.

Our application is not an interest form. If you are undecided on a breeder, not sure about the breed, need to do more research, haven't read through our website, or are interested in obtaining a golden at some point but just don't feel ready yet... please DO NOT APPLY, as this takes valuable time and resources away from serious applicants. It takes a lot of time and consideration for us to process each application thoroughly; it is not something that we take lightly. Instead, feel free to send us an email, Instagram message or use the contact form on our website to reach out for further questions and to get to know us better, but don't forget to include information about yourself when reaching out! 🙂 Please keep in mind that we do not prioritize applicants who include minimal information on their application.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Bear State Goldens
General Information
Today’s Date

MonthDayYear
Full Name of Primary Owner

First NameLast Name
Full Name of Spouse, Secondary Owner or Co-Owner, If Applicable

First NameLast Name
Email Address
This is how we will contact you regarding your application.
Phone Number

Area CodePhone Number
Current Residence

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState

Zip Code
How many people live in your household?
Primary Applicant and Spouse/Co-Purchaser Occupations:
Profession, Work, Employment, etc.
Do you have children? If so, what are their age(s)?
For whom are you purchasing a puppy for?

Other
How did you hear about Bear State Goldens?
Is everyone in your household on board with bringing puppy home?

Other
Who will be the puppy's primary caregiver?
What age group does the primary owner/caregiver classify as:

Other
Does anyone in your household have allergies to animals? If yes, to what and how severe?
Do you have a veterinarian? If not, do you have one in mind? Please list their name below:
Do you have pet insurance or do you plan to?
Do you own or rent your home?
Please list the name and phone number for your landlord down below:
Type of dwelling:

Other
How long have you lived at your current residence?
Do you have a backyard?

Other
Is your backyard fully fenced in?

Other
Is there a safe location where your puppy can relieve themselves and exercise freely while they are not fully vaccinated yet?
Do you own a pool?
Does your pool have a safety fence around it or do you plan to, to prevent accidents with your new puppy?
If you live outside of the Sacramento area, how do you plan on taking your puppy home? Please see our website for more info on flights & transportation options or contact us.
Preferences
Do you have a preferred gender?
If your gender preference is unavailable would you consider taking a puppy of the opposite sex or would you want to wait for another litter? Please select all that may apply.

Other
Do you have a color preference?
When is the best time frame to add a Golden to your family? You may select more than one option.
Do you have a litter preference? You may select more than one option.
Do you have an age preference?
What are your goals with your new addition?(you may enter multiple options)
What type of registration are you looking for?
How active do you expect your Golden Retriever to be as an adult? (Energy level: Very high, high, moderate, low or very low)
Getting to know you
Why have you decided to buy a Golden Retriever? Do you have any experience with the breed?
What are your expectations with your future golden retriever puppy?
Are you aware that raising a puppy well takes about the same amount of time and energy in the beginning as caring for a 2-year-old toddler?
Have you owned a dog before?
Will someone be home with the puppy for much of the time during the first month?

What animals have you owned in the past?(write N/A on the first row if this is your first animal)

Rows	Species	Breed	Sex	Weight	Age	How long have you had this animal?	Spayed or Nuetered?	Do you still own this animal?
Animal #1
Animal #2
Animal #3
Animal #4
Animal #5
Animal #6
Animal #7
Animal #8
Animal #9
Animal #10
Animal #11

If you previously owned an adult dog or puppy that has recently passed away, what were the circumstances?
If you decide to move, what will you do with your dog?
What is your activity level like and how do you plan to exercise your dog?
Have you puppy proofed your home and yard? If not yet, do you plan to before bringing your puppy home?
Do you plan to take your dog to swim? If so, where?
Will someone be at home during the day with the puppy? When you are away, do you plan to make other arrangements while you are away including having yourself, a friend, a family member or a dog sitter/walker visit with your puppy to play, feed & potty?
How many hours on average will the dog be left alone each day?
Where will the dog be kept during the day?
Where will the dog be kept at night?
How many hours a day will the dog be kept outside?
Do you plan to bring your puppy to training classes?
Do you plan to crate your puppy when not supervised?
Do you have a potty training plan for when you bring your puppy home?(It’s okay if you don’t have one yet, we’ll help you.)
What are your expectations from your puppy’s breeder? Are you looking to keep in contact with their breeder after they go home?
Will you be able to provide us updated pictures of your puppy? Most of our puppy families keep in contact with us on Instagram or via text. If you make your puppy an Instagram, we’ll follow you. Feel free to follow us and tag us!
Have you ever returned a dog to the breeder? Have you ever sold, re-homed or surrendered an animal to an animal shelter, craigslist, a rescue organization or other? If so, what were the circumstances?
Will you seek advice from a certified trusted professional dog trainer if at any time you become frustrated and need more help with training your dog? While at home training is a great start.. puppies can be challenging and there will come a time where they will need more guidance than at home training can provide. Dog trainers train us to help train the dog better and in a way that they understand. Building trust and maintaining a good relationship with your puppy is very important as it allows them to reach their full potential. Please be advised that not all trainers are the same, there are different kinds. It is in the dog’s best interest to reach out to several trainers, meet with them, possibly go to a group training session and select the one that your puppy progresses the most with.
When this puppy is purchased as a pet/family companion, do you agree to neuter or spay no less than 18 months of age? A delayed spay/neuter is advised as puppies need their growth hormones to fully develop before they are taken away, otherwise it can cause health complications for Golden Retrievers. Doing so before the age of 18 months will completely void any health guarantees due to the documented health risks on the Golden Retriever breed. For more information, see our website for linked studies.

Other
Do you have any upcoming plans that would hinder you from being able to pick up your puppy when they are ready to leave home? If yes, how many days/weeks will the puppy need boarding?
Vacations,Trips,Traveling,etc.
Feel free to share a picture of yourself, your family, prior pets, puppy’s designated exercise area, your backyard, dog related accomplishments, dog related certifications, etc. to give us a better understanding of who you are and what our puppy’s life would be like with you as their owner.

Browse Files
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Is there anything else that you would like for us to know?
Breeder questionnaire

If you are not a serious golden retriever breeder now but plan to possibly begin your breeding program with this dog, please answer the questions with your plans and goals for your breeding program. Skipping questions without details will result in an automatic denial. The questions are in depth to get to know you more. Not everyone who applies will be approved for a potential showing/sports breeding prospect. An in-person meeting, phone or FaceTime/Zoom interview may be necessary prior to approval. A breeding prospect starts at $4,000+.. the amount greatly depends on the pedigree, age, titling, training, health testings, etc. Price above does not include traveling or delivery costs. The dog will be registered with “Bear State’s” at the beginning of their pedigree name & they will be registered by us, the breeder. It is mandatory that we are listed as the Secondary Co-Owner. The pedigree name will likely be litter theme based but we are open to ideas. Mentorship will be mandatory for those who are not experienced in breeding. An interest in sports, therapy and/or showing is a requirement. Depending on the puppy, a puppy back agreement may be in place including 1st pick of litter OR 2nd pick of litter puppy back if the primary owner is also keeping a puppy back for themselves, from an agreed upon stud. Our health guarantee contract for breeding prospects specifically covers clearances for OFA or PennHIP hips, OFA elbows, OFA eyes & OFA heart for up to 27 months of age. All clearance copies must be sent to us for filing. If the dog fails their final ortho health clearances with improper x-ray positioning.. a rescan/second opinion is advised before the dog is to be spayed/neutered and “washed” from a breeding program. Preliminary reports are always judged harsher for this breed. It’s very common for the hips to be upgraded for finals. Elbows can be read as DJD1 at times without clear signs of elbow dysplasia, if that is the case then we recommend a CT scan to confirm prior to washing and if normal, sending the ct report to OFA for filing before breeding. If the dog fails despite this.. there was a price difference from a pet dog vs a breeding prospect from the litter; the difference will be refunded back to the buyer, the dog returned for a refund minus any traveling expenses OR a replacement puppy/dog will be given in exchange. The replacement puppy/dog may not be from the same pairing as the original dog but will be of the same quality. Every situation is different and may require a different resolution.. we will be as fair as possible.
Have you ever sold a puppy or a litter of puppies before?
What kind of breeding program do you have or plan to have?(Kennel, Very small hobby breeder, Small home-based breeder, Commercial Kennel, etc.)
Have you ever bred a litter before whether on purpose or by accident?
What is your protocol when evaluating and considering a dog to be a potential breeding prospect? What are you looking for in a breeding dog?
What breed(s) do you breed? What is your experience with breeding? What is your experience with whelping litters and raising puppies if any?
How many litters do you have annually and how often do you breed each female?
What is the name of your kennel/breeding program?
How many years have you been breeding?
What is one of your goals when breeding Goldens?
Do you have any experience in dog sports & training? Do you have plans to achieve titles on this puppy? If so, what kind(s)?
What type of dog activities are you interested in? Select as many as you’d like.

Other
What health tests do you preform on your breeding dogs and at what age(s)?
At what age do your dogs typically have their first litter?
Do you understand that there will be conditions depending on experience? This could include a Co-Ownership contract or the puppy being placed on limited registration until health clearances are cleared at 2 years of age with a CHIC certification. There will also be requirements including completing at least one AKC title.
What kind of AKC registration will you sell the puppies with?
How many breeding dogs do you have total? How many breeding dogs do you plan to have at most if you were to expand?
Where do all of your breeding dogs live?
Do you utilize or plan to utilize Guardian Homes or Co-Own Homes?
Where do your breeding dogs sleep?
Do you use any puppy raising programs with your litters?
List your Reproductive Vet down below(current or planned):
Please provide a link to your Website or GoodDog page. If you do not have one then you may link your most established social media page for your breeding program.
Provide a link to one of your breeding dog’s K9data or OFA page down below, if you are a breeder:
Use this section to tell us more information about yourself, your breeding program, breeding standards, etc:
Should be Empty:

General Information

Preferences

Getting to know you

Breeder questionnaire