The Adoption Process
Once you've decided that an Unbound Goldens puppy is the perfect addition to your family, please complete our puppy application and Agreement. After reviewing your submission, we will email you to confirm whether you've been approved to adopt one of our puppies. This application allows us to carefully match our puppies with loving, forever homes where they can truly thrive.
Puppies are selected in the order that deposits are received. A deposit secures your chosen puppy until pickup day, when they reach 8 weeks of age. We update our website regularly with the latest puppy photos, adding new individual pictures each week so you can watch your puppy grow and develop. We also share videos of the puppies romping and playing for you to enjoy.
To ensure our puppies stay healthy, we do not permit visits before the puppies are 8 weeks old, as early exposure to outside germs and diseases can be risky for young puppies.
Payment Info
Our puppies are $2500 and come with AKC registration (pet homes only, no breeding rights). The deposit is $500 and is applied towards the total purchase price. We accept payments through GoodDog.com. Good Dog offers optional buyer protection and support for a fee which is included in their payment options by default. You are welcome to opt out of their protection and the fee if you choose.
Payment link: https://pay.gooddog.com/unbound-goldens-oregon
We do not accept personal checks or cashier checks.
Return Policy: If you are not able to keep your puppy, we will accept them back. Our priority is the welfare of the puppy and making sure they always have a safe, loving home.
Puppy Info
Health Guarantee: We offer a one-year health guarantee for hips, heart and eyes.
Please read the full health guarantee agreement.
Food & Nutrition: Puppies have delicate digestive systems and changing their food can lead to severe gastric distress. Please change their food slowly. And do not feed them snacks or treats that are not healthy for dogs.
Grooming: The gorgeous Golden Retrievers coat require brushing every few days. They don’t need to be bathed very often unless they get dirty playing outdoors. A thorough bath every 6 to 8 weeks is recommended.
Take Home Kit: Your new puppy will come home with AKC papers (limited registration without breeding rights) the vet’s records, a puppy purchase agreement, a signed copy of the health guarantee, a baggie of their puppy food and a bandana with their littermates smell on it.
Keeping Puppy Healthy: Your puppy’s immune system is still developing and it is your responsibility to keep your puppy healthy and safe from diseases. Do not let your puppy down where dogs have been who could have diseases (i.e. dog parks, rest stops, the vet, etc.) until they have received all of their puppy shots. Do not let your puppy drink from puddles, streams, lakes or any non-sanitary water sources as they can harbor giardia and bacteria that can be harmful to puppies especially before their immune systems are fully developed.
Shipping: If you choose to have your puppy delivered, please ask us for information on a trusted third-party delivery company that we can both feel good about. All delivery fees are your responsibility.
Reserve Your Puppy: When you are ready to select your new puppy, you must submit the enclosed puppy application. Once your application is reviewed you will receive an email letting you know if your application is approved and you will then be able to place your deposit.
Early Development & Socialization
We incorporate many early developmental and socialization techniques into raising our puppies.
We handle our puppies from birth and we work hard to make every new situation a pleasant one for them. We make them part of our daily life so that they experience the normal sights and sounds of a large, busy family.
We play with them in a calm way that doesn’t encourage rough play or the use of their sharp puppy teeth. We snuggle each pup and lay them on their back in a way that still makes them feel secure.
Under close supervision, our children hold and play with the puppies to ensure they are well socialized with people of all ages.
We bathe our puppies from early on, making sure they are never scared or learn to dislike water. We start clipping their nails at two weeks old so that they are used to having their feet handled and their nails trimmed without stress or fear.
Every puppy wears a collar from early on for us to be able to easily identify them and assess their different personalities — and also so that they get used to wearing one.
We spend so much time with our puppies we know each one and their temperaments.
We introduce our puppies to our other dogs and farm animals in a fun, stress-free way.
Our puppies start potty training as soon as they can walk. By the time they are 4 weeks old, they are keeping their bed area clean and using a doggy door to go out and go potty on clean shavings.
We introduce puppy food at 4 weeks old and let them take their time weaning to give them the best start at life and not stress their delicate digestive systems.
We strive to raise our puppies to be happy, healthy, and ready to be part of their forever families and whatever adventures await them.
Puppy Pick up day:
The day you’ve been waiting for!
It’s a bitter sweet day for us as we say goodbye to the little pups who have wiggled their way into our hearts and we have invested so much into, but an absolute joy to watch them join their wonderful families and be a part of their journey.
The drive home:
We suggest bringing a towel and holding your puppy on your lap as it is a wonderful bonding time for you and your puppy and they start forming attachments to you right away.
If your puppy starts whining or gets wiggly, they probably need to go potty.
Please do not take your puppy into public areas before they have received all of their puppy shots.
Look for an area where it doesn’t seem likely that other dogs have been or put a potty pad down to protect your puppy from diseases and germs.
Do not allow your puppy to drink from puddles or sources of water that are not clean.
As your puppy grows their immune system will develop and they will be able to handle drinking from puddles and streams and lakes (whether we want them to or not) as there is no way to keep them from doing it once they are off leash.
Feeding puppy:
Your puppy needs ½ cup to ¾ cup of puppy food three times a day (morning, noon and evening).
As your puppy grows so will their appetite and you will need to increase their food a little bit every month for the first year.
Watch your puppy and adjust their food depending on how active they are.
Your vet will let you know if your puppy is at a healthy weight.
Your puppy has been eating Victor Hi Pro Plus.
We have been feeding our dogs Victor for many years.
It is a highly rated food and they have always done amazing on it and they like it.
If you choose to switch to a different dog food you need to do it slowly and add a little of the new food at a time and gradually increase the amount for 7 to 10 days to avoid digestive issues.
Once puppy is home:
Your puppy will be almost as excited as you on pickup day and the transition will be fun but also stressful on them even if it’s from the excitement alone.
They may seem sleepy or shy for a while.
They may need time to adjust to their new family and surroundings.
Do not stress if your puppy develops loose stools or doesn’t want to eat much for the first few days, give them time to adjust.
Relax and help your puppy to relax.
It is normal for them to have upset tummies from all the excitement.
Try soaking their food in hot water and add a couple of tablespoons of PLAIN canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie) to their food.
Pumpkin is great for settling puppy tummies and adult dogs’ tummies too.
Make sure they always have access to fresh water.
If they are not back to eating and having more normal stools by the third day, please call your vet.
If your puppy isn’t drinking or seems ill please take them to the vet right away.
If you have concerns about your puppy’s health please reach out to us, we are happy to help.
Potty training:
Patience and consistency is the key to successful potty training.
Your puppy has been trained to keep their bed area clean and they have been using a doggy door to go outside to potty.
You will need to teach your puppy that your whole house is their “bed” and establish a designated potty area.
Take them to their potty area first thing in the morning and do not bring them back in until they have gone potty.
They are babies, they will want to play and get distracted.
Do not talk to them (other than to give the command “go potty” if you choose) and do not interact with them while they are going potty.
It is not play time, it is potty time.
Once they have gone, give positive reinforcement with “good dog” or give a treat or both.
Your puppy will often go potty and then act like they are done, but they usually need to have a bowel movement too.
Make sure you do not take them back inside until you are convinced they are completely done and don’t need to go anymore.
Keep a close eye on your puppy and if you see them having an accident, give a disapproving “no” in a serious low voice and pick them up and take them to their potty area.
Let them finish going in their potty area.
They may not need to go anymore, but it will help reinforce where they are supposed to go and not go.
Your puppy will need to go potty after every meal (about 10-20 minutes after) and several other times a day.
Cut off your puppy’s food and water a couple of hours before their bedtime.
Every time your puppy goes potty inside your house they are learning that is their potty area, so it is very important to minimize accidents and that happens by watching your puppy and taking them out often.
Make sure to clean up any accidents thoroughly so your puppy can’t smell potty, or they will want to potty there again.
Never get angry with your puppy for having an accident.
They are learning and it should always be a positive experience for them.
Crate Training:
Use a crate that is small enough that your puppy doesn’t have room to potty and sleep comfortably or use a large crate that has a divider to make it smaller.
Puppies do not like to sleep where they potty.
Your puppy has been sleeping through the night, but has been with their litter mates, so they will probably need to learn to sleep alone.
Tire your puppy out and take them out to go potty before settling them into their crate for the night.
Do not respond to your puppy crying, this is hard, but they will learn within a few nights that nighttime is for sleeping.
You can put their [toy or blanket in with them for comfort – note: the original text appears cut off here].
What you need for puppy:
-We feed Victor Hi Pro Plus all life stages (Chewy.com, Amazon, DC Farmer’s CO-OP)
-Wellness puppy treats for reward training
-A leash and collar or harness (small up to 12 inch collar to start with)
-A crate if you choose to crate train your puppy (Your puppy will need a large crate when they are full grown and it needs a divider to make it smaller for when your puppy is young)
-A can of plain pumpkin for upset puppy tummies. (Two tablespoons on their food for as long as they need it)
-Feeding dishes that are easily sanitized
-A few good brushes (Your puppy will need to be brushed weekly)