Golden Meadows Retrievers

This review is LONG overdue. We got our Vizsla earlier this year and couldn’t be happier. He is the most loving, athletic, and friendly companion we could have ever asked for.
Prices seem high at first and some of their old negative reviews have us pause, but I now think that is all BS from disgruntled employees.
We are vizsla owners for life now and will always come back here.

We have purchased two Goldens from Golden Meadows and we feel like we hit the jackpot in that we are just so in love with them. Golden Meadows helps you find the right puppy and personality to fit your family and lifestyle. We were treated very well and they are just amazing dogs. The additional training is well worth it and is the perfect kick-​starter to any additional training you do at home. The time and care we were shown was great. Our Family highly recommends Golden Meadows!

My Golden Meadows retriever is the sweetest puppy. He is well behaved, gets along well with other dogs, not mischievous, handsome and, now at almost 8 months, getting big. He is very smart and trainable. The training that they did with him before I brought it home really made an impact. Well worth it. When it is time to get another pup, I will definitely go back to GMR.

Golden Meadows is a great place to find the perfect dog to fit your family. I took home a female Vizsla puppy and she couldn’t be more perfect. They breed great dogs with amazing temperaments. She is so smart! In the first month she learned to sit, stay, lay-​down, spin and was house broken as well as doing amazing in the kennel. They take great care to breed amazing dogs not just for the look of the puppy. They breed smart dogs that are well behaved. Their prices are worth what you get. When you want a smart, healthy puppy that will train easy, this is the breeder to work with.

This place was great! Not the cheapest, but totally worth it to get the purebred dog you want! They’re super educated on the breed, made special arrangements for me to pick up my Vizsla. When I’m at puppy class, I realize how easy she is to train in comparison to other puppies. The experience and service at Golden Meadow (Viszla’s) Retriever’s was amazing. I couldn’t be happier with my dog.

We have purchased a Vizsla from another 12 years ago. Not every breeder is the same! Do you research. We visited Golden Meadows twice and contracted three of their former clients. Elisa and her staff are very caring and involved. They provided a comprehensive «owners manual» that we have found very helpful and continue to be in contact if needed even after you take you puppy home. The quality of their Vizslas (temperament, features, etc) is exceptional. We were able to visit and interact with both the mother and father.
Vizslas are a wonderful member of the family if you are able to keep them active. Good luck!

When looking for a Vizsla in Southern California we looked at two breeders, en we are so glad we found Golden Meadows. We picked up our girl Charlie in March 2015. She was –and is– well trained and cared for; spunky, curious and fast both then and now. She still loves attention and touch, and gets along very well with other dogs. She already runs like a pro, but only when she decides to do so. When Charlie is grown she will be a great runner by my side.
Golden Meadows provided a calm, welcoming, clean environment. We found the staff to be kind and patient, both with the dogs and us as new dog owners. :) Thank you.

We know and love Golden Retrievers — have had them in the family for years. Unfortunately they don’t live forever. When the time came to welcome a new puppy to our family, Golden Meadows matched us with the perfect dog. He’s stunningly beautiful, healthy, charming and fun. He’s 9 months old now and we can’t believe how smart he is — he’s been a dream to train and wants to learn more. Still, he is calm and has the most gentle temperament (even for a Golden!). Golden Meadows knows their breeding, but they also know their dogs so they were able to guide us to the one that fits our family perfectly. We are looking forward to years of loving companionship.

I got my Vizsla there last march Opie he is a wonderful dog. the staff at golden meadows where great and they breed great dogs he came home knowing Sit, Down and paw. I am training him to dog agiltiy and he is doing awesome thank you golden meadows for my wonderful companion OPie

My pup turned 1 year old last Friday
.happiest and healthiest boy ever!
This was the best decision I ever made when looking for man’s best friend.

check out their new website
My family and I love Golden Meadows! The staff is awesome, very patient and understanding with all my questions. Always ready to help and so kind. We absolutely love our golden Chloe. She is the most amazing dog so smart and sweet. I don’t think we could have asked for a better experience.

I had a really unfortunate experience with Golden Meadows. I love my dog, but she does not have the temperament that the Hoke’s presented and was not trained to the degree I was told. This contributed to a horrible accident in which she escaped from a training facility, was hit by a car, and ultimately lost her left foreleg. Based on this, I must suggest that everyone do very detailed research before deciding to work with them as a breeder and trainer and get to know your potential dog well before taking her home.
After the accident, I wrote a letter to the Hokes sharing my experience, asking for a refund of the training cost due to my disappointment with «two things that relate to Golden Meadows. First, when we first spoke, I explained that I had a job that would require the dog I bought to spend significant time alone in my home. I specifically asked if you had a Vizsla with the right personality for this lifestyle. I shared with you my plan for how to arrange a schedule to deal with this. And you indicated that Kinley was „less Velcro“ than a traditional Vizsla and didn’t need to be with her people all the time, making her a good match for me. This has not been the case.
In addition, I paid $ 2750 for 5 additional weeks of training for you to work with Kinley to reach a „started“ level. Upon her pick-​up I was told that while she wasn’t advanced with some aspects of training that she was in fact crate trained and would be fine for several hours alone during the day. Again, this has not been our experience.»
The response I received was far from satisfactory. I’m not surprised they didn’t want to refund the training costs, and understand the contractual obligation. But, I thought I was joining a family, not just a source of profit. Far from being sincere the lack of taking any responsibility, need to shame me for not calling them, and complete blame the trainer I work with now is heartless. I’ve copied the entire note below so others know what they may be getting into. (I couldn’t past my whole letter because of Unilocal’s character limit, but am happy to share that as well to anyone who wants).
«Let me begin by saying how very sorry we are that you baby was struck by a car, what a terrible accident.
As to your request for a refund of training fees, prior to this we have heard nothing from you regarding any issues with training. We tell all of our clients that we expect there to be questions in regards to training & to feel free to call or email with ANY questions that they may have about their new puppy.
As per our contract for training, all training fees are non refundable. If there was such an issue with Kinley’s training from the time you brought her home, why is this the first we are hearing about it? Personally if I have questions on something I have bought the first person I talk to the one I purchased it from.
Again I have to ask why after receiving such a scathing report from (your trainer), you weren’t immediately contacting us? I certainly would have been calling someone with whom I had done business & felt that I had not received what I had payed for.
It would seem that is merely an attempt to get money from us to help pay for Kinley’s hospital bills.
Since (your trainer) is running a boarding & training business, I would assume that like me he carries a fairly hefty insurance policy for just such an incident. If you are looking for restitution for medical bills, (your trainer) (or his insurance carrier) is the obvious one to be talking to, we had nothing to do with her escape from his facility. If (your trainer) is not carrying adequate insurance, this is an issue that should be taken up with him, the city, the BBB, the Humane society & San Francisco Animal Services.
Her training or lack thereof (according to you) is not the issue, (your trainer)‘s allowing your dog to escape is the issue and frankly I am more than a little surprised that you would contact us to request a refund on her training.
In closing, you & Kinley have our deepest sympathy on her tragic accident & our thoughts & prayers are with you both for a quick recovery.»

Another excellent visit to Golden Meadows. The staff made us feel welcome and the dogs are gorgeous and full of personality!
Alicia and Barbie were so nice and helped us pick the perfect dog. We love both of our Golden Meadows Retrievers.

The «training» or lack there of at this place is a total scam. Please save your money! They not only didn’t train our dog at all, I actually have a video of them teaching him to jump up or as they put it «up, up, up». I am a very experienced dog owner so knew not to expect much, but after spending $ 3500 on basic training, I actually had to untrain my dog from bad habits. When I brought this to their attention they refused to rebate anything and instead said well, just bring the dog back since you are unhappy with him. The fact that they would use one of their puppies as a negotiation tool to me is appalling.
We are totally in love with our puppy and they do breed beautiful, sweet dogs. I would recommend getting a Golden there but save your money on the training – it is a total SCAM!

Lauri C.
Dec 05, 2014
Golden Meadows is absolutely the best! I have purchased three puppies from this wonderful kennel, and I couldn’t be happier. The entire experience was top notch in every way, from planning which puppy would be right for my family all the way through the excitement of visiting Golden Meadows and meeting and taking home my new puppy. It’s a thrilling, educational, and very supportive process.
The first two puppies we brought home from Golden Meadows are now almost two years old (brothers from the same litter) and the third puppy is 8 months old. These dogs are sweet, smart, loving, and absolutely gorgeous! They are excellent family members. Their breeding is always evident in their gentle temperaments and eager trainability.
Tim, Barbie, Alicia, and everyone at Golden Meadows are always very prompt in responding with helpful advice whenever we call or email with questions. It’s an ongoing relationship that we can depend on.
If you are looking for a new doggie family member, I recommend you check out Golden Meadows first.

We couldn’t be happier with our decision to get a beautiful Vizsla from Golden Meadows Retrievers! She came to us having already established a foundation of great manners you just don’t find in other puppies. When outside, she will often just come and sit at our feet and watch other dogs, cats or children running around playing. I could tell from the moment I met her that they really do put all their love and hard work into working with these pups from the very beginning, so they can become well rounded family/​working dogs as they grow older. We cannot wait to experience all the love and excitement that our little Kaci will bring to our growing family. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the wonderful pup you have shaped specially for us! She is perfect!

I love Golden Meadows!!! These bad reviews below me are pretty ridiculous to say the least! Some of you should be ashamed in even posting your reviews as to clearly you’ve done no research in the golden retriever breed. And you don’t deserve these genuine animals! Golden retrievers are generally healthy
dogs but like ALL breeds, they’re prone to certain health conditions. If you are thinking about buying a Golden Retriever then you should probably do your research in the breed. Some things are HEREDITARY and out of the control of the breeders. For those of you complaining about not knowing about «skin allergies» or other things such as perhaps not coming to the realization that your puppy is similar to a baby as he/​she can swallow things like «soft toys» while not being watched!- you should probably not own one of these animals as they hold precious time. Also, these dogs don’t train themselves so you have to WANT to spend this quality time bonding with your animal and training your dog. It’s very important that you spend as much time with them as possible when first brought home– this is when the animal is influenced the most and memories become triggers! These dogs are like people and you can’t expect them to raise themselves.
I will never forget the day I went to Golden Meadows to pick up my pure bred goldy! Barbie and Tim were so nice and wonderful! They have a variety of Sires and Dames and all of which are in fact champion blood lines. I have the paper work to prove it! Yes they are expensive because they are champion blood lines pure bred golden retrievers. They are brilliant and beautiful! Clyde is now 5 years old and beautiful! These dogs that they breed at Golden Meadows are the real deal. They don’t just care about making money, — they care about every single animal they own! If they didn’t, then why would they spend their life training and breeding these dogs?!
I live in the mountains where there are wild animals such as raccoons as well as rodents. These animals carry numerous diseases and I cannot tell you how many times I have emailed Tim with serious concerns due to taking Clyde on hikes here in the wilderness. He emails me back promptly with nothing but facts and concerns! A few of these reviews below me are absolutely ridiculous and you should disregard from any doubt! They are wonderful people! If you want a beautiful, healthy, unbelievably smart pure bred champion golden retriever then go to golden meadows in Moorpark. I will never go to another golden retriever breeder as long as I live!

This place claimed to take their puppy back, but they even sell their stud dogs! I got my puppy there 2 month ago, and now they are selling the father of my puppy for only 500 bucks! It only has been 2 month and the star stud has already retired?! I paid 2430 for my puppy and the father only worth 500? Are you kidding me?!
Also, they require buyer to feed the puppy certain food and vitamin, and include these in the contract. A responsible breeder definitely wouldn’t do that.
The OFA eyes certificate for my puppy’s father is missing. They told me they forgot to put it in the folder. I shouldn’t have believed them! I can see that the stud has NO OFA CERTIFICATE for eyes at all !!!
Buyers beware! Don’t be fooled by their website! They are irresponsible commercial breeder that has puppies all year long!

Consider yourself warned and educated at the same time. California has a Lemon Law for Dogs; the breeder is responsible for up to 150% of the cost of the dog for any hereditary disease. Plan and simple, Below is more detailed information on how it works, this is my experience…
My Golden retrieve puppy, at 5 months old, had a break out of demodex which is hereditary. I contacted Tim the same week (within allotted required time) and he acknowledged that demodex is hereditary, from sucking the mothers nipple, and that every dog has it, and sent me links stating such.
Tim offered to pay for a visit to his vet for a second opinion, which I took him up on. I since then stayed with his vet. When the treatment was finished, I sent Tim a copy of the medical bills and records for all treatments with a letter asking to be fully reimbursed for the cost of the treatment. I asked for him to be amicable, that I did not want to have to go to small claims.
I waited a month for Tim to respond. He didn’t. When I sent him an email telling him that I will be filing with small claims, his response was that Barbara had medical issues with her family. I sympathize with that, but you don’t shut down your business and ignore legal matters. He then offered me less than 50% of the cost.
At court, Tim lied under oath, that he did not have medical records/​bills which I sent with the letter. As he was going through his papers, I saw he had a copy. Legally, before trial you are required to share all documents with the other party. Tim did not include this with his papers.
Tim is running a shady business. When a puppy has an outbreak like this, you are supposed to stop breeding that sire or dame. Tim didn’t. Be thorough when seeking a reputable breeder.
California’s law falls hardest on sellers of unhealthy dogs, but hobby breeders do not fall under its provisions except for the extremely active ones. It applies to anyone who sold, transferred, or gave away two or more litters during the preceding calendar year.
Buyers have 15 days to document contagious or infectious disease, one year to document congenital or hereditary defects. The seller has 120 days to produce advertised registration papers. If the seller fails to do so, the buyer may return the dog for a full refund or keep the dog and receive a refund of 75 percent of the purchase price.
If the dog is proven to be ill or to have hereditary defects, the buyer is entitled to a replacement plus reimbursement for veterinary expenses related to certifying the dog’s illness, up to the price of the dog including sales tax.
The buyer may also choose a refund plus reimbursement for veterinary expenses related to certifying the dog’s illness, up to the price of the dog.
If the buyer elects to have the dog treated, the seller is required to cover up to 1 ½ times the purchase price of the dog in veterinary expenses.
It is important to note that the cost of testing to certify a dog unhealthy could double what a seller is obligated to refund to the purchaser. This makes it very expensive to sell ill and defective dogs in California.

Had a lot of fun going to visit and pick out a Golden Retriever. They have American Goldens and English Cremes and hybrids. I liked the hybrids the best, lighter color with less under coat, but they still have enough fur to have a fuller look. On the way up we saw Drew Barrymore driving away with her baby in the back. She had just bought one of their puppies. Overall a very nice experience, beautiful dogs.