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Welcome to Happytails Golden Retrievers

HOW IT STARTED

A love affair with Golden Retrievers started in the 1970's when Candy got her first pet golden, Taffey and started to show her in competition obedience after joining a local training club.   Along that journey, we met John.  Our very first date was taking Taffey small game hunting even though Taffey had never hunted before.  Taffey adored John and I guess I was quite smitten also since we have been happily married for 25+ years!  Our human children are grown now but we consider our golden's our kids.  We are the proud Grandma and Grandpa to the puppies we have bred too!  Over the years our interest in golden's has taken us into competition obedience, hunting for pleasure with the dogs, hunt tests, conformation and breeding.  We have met many friends and acquaintances through our dogs including a few we are blessed to call BFF's!      

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THE HAPPYTAILS NAME

The Happytails kennel name was inspired by the first golden we bred in 2001.  Her name was Dixie and she had a tail that just never stopped wagging and we constantly found ourselves calling her wiggle butt and happytail!  In her loving memory we carry on the Happytails kennel name but have noticed that all of our golden's seem to have those exuberant Happytails!      

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OUR GOAL

We consider ourselves to be reputable breeders with all of our litters carefully planned.  Our puppies are raised in our home with lots of interaction and stimulation.  They are exposed to many things to give them the best head start possible before they leave for their new forever homes.  We strive to raise healthy, sound Golden Retrievers which exemplify the breed standard.  Our main focus is currently in the conformation ring, although we also have continued interest in hunting and obedience.  We believe that our dogs not only look like show goldens but they can do what the breed was originally bred to do as a hunting companion or in any other venue they are asked to participate in.

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LOCATION and AFFILIATIONS

We are located in Sewickley, Pennsylvania conveniently located just minutes outside of Pittsburgh.  We are members of the Greater Pittsburgh Golden Retriever Club (GPGRC) and also the Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA).  

We are also very proud supporters of the Morris Animal Foundation Golden Retriever Lifetime Study.  The study will follow 3,000 golden's over their lifetime in hopes of finding reasons and treatments or cures for K9 diseases, particularly cancer.  Three of our SPLASH litter puppies are enrolled in the study!  

Candy designed the logo that branded the study 3000 STRONG and was honored

by Morris to receive the first Volunteer of the Year Award in 2015.  The logo design

has 100 study participant golden's in a collage representing all 3,000 golden's in

study.   

 

 

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