Our Story
Golden Retrievers have been my dream dogs since I was a little girl, and today I feel incredibly fortunate to share my life with them.
In 2024, I found myself navigating depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. As I worked to rebuild my life, I spent countless hours running through Rock Canyon in Provo. The mountain peak featured in our logo became a symbol of hope and perseverance, reminding me that even the hardest climbs eventually lead to beautiful views.
Everything changed in the spring of 2025 when I left my job and welcomed Kat into my life, a one-year-old Golden Retriever from Country Goldens in Denver, Colorado, and the foundation of Rock Canyon Goldens. Kat embodies everything I believe a Golden Retriever should be: joyful, steady, eager to work, and endlessly devoted. She helped restore my love for life and has been the perfect partner as we've begun our journey in conformation and dog sports together.
The purple woven throughout our branding carries another special meaning. My late grandmother, my best friend, loved the color purple. I miss her every day, and Rock Canyon Goldens is, in many ways, a tribute to the strength, kindness, and love she inspired in me. I hope this program reflects those same values as we strive to preserve the Golden Retriever breed and enrich the lives of the families who welcome our dogs home.
Rock Canyon Goldens was born from healing, hope, and a deep love for the Golden Retriever. Our goal is to preserve the breed through thoughtful, ethical breeding while raising dogs with the health, temperament, and structure to excel as beloved family companions, performance partners, and therapy or service dogs.
The Importance of Health Clearances: Moku's Story
You may be thinking, why do I need to get a puppy from fully proven and health tested parents when I just want a family pet? The truth is, not all breeders are created equal and proving a dog and completing health clearances is more than just extra.
My first Golden Retriever was an amazing boy I named Moku. From the beginning, the difference in his breeding was apparent. Even as a puppy Moku was happy, but nervous. It took a lot of intentional training and work to build his confidence. Then, when he was 1 year old, he broke his femoral head in the right side of his hip. When I took him to the vet, he was diagnosed with hip dysplasia, a common issue in large dog breeds.
While hip dysplasia is not wholly preventable, the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) can give hip x-rays a score to identify dysplasia or level of passing hips. It is our responsibility to produce dogs that will be able to live full and healthy lives, to the best of our ability. Unfortunately for Moku, he has had to live his life with mild to moderate pain, managed by medication and activity restrictions. Today, Moku is a happy therapy dog who loves to play, but he doesn't understand why he has to slow down when his mind wants to keep going.
For Golden Retrievers, the American Kennel Club recommends a dog pass their OFA hips, elbows, thyroid, and echocardiogram, as well as test clear of common genetically passed diseases. We also do a full dentition on our dogs. Any breeder should have this information easily accessible for potential puppy buyers to review.
Please feel free to check out the health clearances our dogs have completed, and reach out if you have any questions.
