About Church Creek Retrievers
Church Creek Retrievers is run by Vanessa Trapp.
Along with her husband, Jason, and their five children, Vanessa lives on two acres nestled in the South Bay Area of California. Whether it be watching the children create mud slides, tending the fruit trees, or tampering in vermiculture, they always relish a day spent out of doors on the property.
Vanessa’s favorite part of the breeding program is training with young puppies. It is remarkable how quickly they can assimilate new skills! Engaging in this early training is not only rewarding for trainer and puppy, but proves to foster unparalleled bonding. It is an absolute treasure!
Our Breeding Golden Standard
At CCR our puppies are more than a pretty red coat
AKC Registered
We only breed AKC registered parents as an attestation that our dogs are compliant with the features and temperaments of a true golden retriever.
Breeding dogs are on unlimited registrations so all our puppies are eligible to be registered (on limited registrations).
Pedigrees
Our dogs pedigrees are important for several reasons.
Not only do we hold our breeding dogs to particular health standards, but we investigate their pedigrees for the same standards. It does not bode well for our puppies for us to breed and anomalously healthy dog when their lines are wrought with issues.
Additionally, we consider length of life five generations back as well as working ability as proven by our dogs’ ancestors.
OFA Tested
The OFA is a database that records and supports health standards for breeders of dogs and cats.
For golden retrievers they require four tests: Hip x-ray, elbow x-rays, cardiology exam, and yearly eye exams. We only breed dogs who have completed these with clear results and maintain eye exams.
This means our dogs will not be bred before 2 years old as several tests can not be complete prior to this age.
Temperament Testing
We perform temperament tests in order to make the best match we can for your family and lifestyle.
If you have particular plans for your puppy, we want to make sure the one with a the required talent, interest, or temperament goes to you! We also want to make sure you do not end up with a puppy who possesses low levels of a trait you were counting on.
DNA Tested
We use embark to perform DNA tests on breeding dogs. Golden Retrievers have a propensity to nine congenital diseases, some of which are fatal.
Results will show either clear, carrier, or affected. We will breed clear. We will breed carrier as long as we are not breeding to another carrier. But we will never breed affected.
This means your puppy is protected from being affected.
Early Training
We capitalize on the highly impressionable time your puppies have with us as we expose our them to a wide variety of stimuli and challenges. Our practices build stability and confidence and mitigate against resource guarding, startling, timidity, and more.
Additionally, we start potty training as soon as they begin relieving themselves on their own, and we work with puppies on calmness in the crate.