About - Red Golden Retriever

Field Golden Retriever

The Field Golden Retriever
I specialize in a very specific lineage: the Field Golden Retriever — a dog with a deep red coat and slightly shorter hair than conformation-line Goldens. This ancient strain, now extinct in England for over 150 years, has been preserved and developed in North America, where it is known for its exceptional working abilities.

In addition to being remarkably gentle and deeply affectionate, the Rustic Golden Retriever has retained all the key traits of its ancestors: sharp intelligence, a natural eagerness to please, and impressive focus. These qualities make it a top partner for a wide range of activities:

Field work (retrieving, whistle obedience, persistence)
Dog sports such as agility, obedience, or dock diving
Scent work and tracking (locating missing persons, drug or disease detection — including certain forms of diabetes and metastatic cancers)
Animal-assisted therapy, thanks to their calm, sensitive, and intuitive nature

They are balanced, curious, resilient, and deeply devoted dogs. Their versatility, paired with their gentle nature, makes them exceptional companions for both active families and canine professionals.

Our Mission

As a breeder, my mission is to select and raise healthy, well-balanced Rustic Golden Retrievers that remain true to the breed standard. All of my breeding dogs undergo thorough genetic, orthopedic, and ophthalmologic testing to ensure the health and quality of future generations.

Each dog is treated as a unique individual. I work with them through obedience, agility, scent detection, barn hunt sports, and other activities that stimulate both their bodies and their minds. My goal is to help each dog reach its full potential based on its abilities and temperament.

I’m constantly learning, eager to explore new methods, and always willing to step out of my comfort zone to offer the very best to my dogs.

We are proud members of the Canadian Kennel Club, and we breed with passion, dedication, and respect.

Natural, Free, and Enriching Environment

We are located in Saint-Hippolyte, in the heart of the Laurentians, surrounded by peaceful, enchanting forest. Our dogs live and grow on a large wooded property, with a spacious and secure enclosure nestled in nature. Every day, they enjoy the freedom to run safely along forest trails, play, explore, and develop their natural instincts in a healthy and stimulating environment.

During the warmer months, they take full advantage of Lac Écho, just a short walk from our home. Swimming is pure joy for them — a moment of happiness they would never miss.

At Lafadi, our dogs and puppies are an integral part of daily life. They live in the house with us, surrounded by attention, human interaction, and love. This family-centered lifestyle promotes natural and harmonious socialization, which is essential to their emotional development.

Nutrition

Since 2008, Diane has worked closely with a canine nutritionist to develop raw food recipes tailored to the needs of active and growing Golden Retrievers. From this collaboration, the company Gourmet 4 Pattes was born — a brand that has nourished several generations of healthy dogs.

Today, I proudly carry on this approach: all of my dogs are exclusively raw-fed — a natural, rich, and complete diet that promotes exceptional physical condition, remarkable vitality, and optimal digestive health. We are now raising our 7th generation of Golden Retrievers on a 100% raw diet — a true testament to consistency and quality.

My puppies are introduced to raw food as soon as they begin weaning, which supports their muscular, joint, and immune development from the very first weeks of life. More and more families choose to continue with this diet after adoption, convinced by the visible benefits they quickly see in their companions.

I’m always available to support adoptive families who wish to continue feeding raw at home, offering simple, practical advice tailored to their lifestyle.

The breed

I specialize in the Red Golden, dark red colored dogs with relatively short hair, better known in America because this old breed of retriever has been completely extinct in England for over 150 years. In addition to being very sweet and affectionate goldens, these dogs have lost none of their original qualities, hence their great ease in being trained for hunting, agility, tracking (missing people, drugs , a flair for detecting certain diseases such as diabetes, certain cancer metastases, etc.) and any other sporting activity requiring concentration and listening.

Mission

My concerns in breeding are to provide dogs of good genetics and meeting the standards of the breed, and who have successfully passed the health tests to be bread. My dogs are raised individually, in obedience and agility. I try to find the best way to maximize each dog’s talents, and I’m not afraid to step out of my comfort zone!

We are members of: United Kennel Club and Canadian Kennel Club.

Our environment

We are located in St-Hippolyte in the Laurentians. We have a large wooded lot, the dogs have a super nice enclosure in a natural environment. The dogs walk loose in the woods daily.

In summer, the dogs enjoy Lac Echo, which is a few minutes walk away, they love to swim! My dogs and puppies live with me in the house.

Nutrition

In 2008, Diane has developped raw food recipes with a nutritionist for her dogs and puppies, which is where the Gourmet 4 Pattes business was born. Even today, my dogs are fed 100% natural, with anti-cancer recipes. They therefore have a very muscular physical structure and great vitality. We are therefore at our 5th generation of dogs that are fed exclusively raw.

My puppies are also started raw and more and more people continue raw after adoption!

Puppies & Adoption

We have 2 to 3 litters per year.
Puppies are usually fully reserved at birth. For this reason, we recommend planning your adoption and making a reservation at least 6 months in advance.

We take your preferences regarding the sex of the puppy into consideration — but Mother Nature has the final say! If you have your heart set on a specific sex, reserving early increases your chances. That said, I prefer to have the flexibility to match you with a puppy whose temperament best suits your family, activity level, or training goals. Thanks to the temperament evaluations I perform before adoption, I’m able to guide you toward the best fit. In my view, temperament should always come before sex. The ideal scenario is to discuss it together.

Socialization Program
All of our puppies are raised in a stimulating family environment, and we follow the Puppy Culture program, known for promoting optimal development. This program includes:

Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) from the very first days
Controlled introduction to a variety of sounds, surfaces, toys, and handling
Potty training starts around 3–4 weeks of age
Gradual exposure to new environments, objects, and situations
First basic learning (manding, impulse control, name recognition)
Positive socialization with humans of all ages, other dogs, and animals

This work helps shape puppies who are curious, stable, and ready to thrive in their new homes.

The Families We’re Looking For
We’re looking for active families, with or without children, who are ready to invest time in their puppy’s education and enroll in obedience classes. Having access to large open spaces where the dog can run freely is a bonus — as is enjoying activities like jogging, biking, rollerblading, canicross, skijoring, or even hunting.

Our puppies come from working lines and need about 1 hour of structured exercise per day once they reach adulthood.

During the puppy stage (8 to 16 weeks), plan for 3 to 4 training sessions of 5 minutes each per day, in addition to potty breaks. These short sessions are perfect for introducing basic commands and building a strong relationship.

As adults, in addition to their daily physical exercise, they also need about 15 to 30 minutes of mental stimulation per day (puzzle games, training, food search games, etc.) to stay balanced and fulfilled.

It’s also essential that they have access to chewable items daily, as chewing is a natural need that supports their mental well-being, stress management, and dental hygiene.

From Birth to 8 Weeks: Careful and Compassionate Monitoring

From the moment they’re born, each puppy is gently handled every day. We apply Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) from day 3 to day 16 — a well-known protocol that supports nervous system development and emotional resilience.

I provide active support to the mother: washing and changing bedding 2 to 3 times a day, and monitoring each puppy’s weight to ensure optimal growth.

Starting in the second week, a variety of sounds are introduced at specific times of the day to help puppies become familiar with everyday noises (vacuum cleaner, dishwasher, thunderstorms, etc.).

Their nails are trimmed weekly from just a few days old. This protects the mother and helps the puppies get used to being handled comfortably.

At 4 weeks, we introduce homemade food to support the mother, and begin litter training. This encourages their natural instinct for cleanliness. They also receive their first dose of dewormer.

By 5 weeks, the puppies transition to a raw diet specifically formulated for their growth. No matter the season, our puppies explore the outdoors: they walk in snow, venture onto wet grass, and play in autumn leaves… Every outing is a new opportunity for learning and discovery. They are also introduced to friendly adult dogs.

At 6 weeks, they receive their first vaccines, are microchipped, and get their second dose of dewormer.

Going Home and Beyond
Our puppies go to their new families around 8 to 9 weeks of age, depending on their maturity.

The period between 8 and 16 weeks is a critical learning window: the puppy absorbs everything like a sponge. It is essential that this time be filled with positive experiences, clear communication, and consistency in the learning we have already started.

Health Testing

Below are the health tests required before breeding any of our dogs. We update each dog’s health records as tests are completed.

Elbows and hips

We perform elbow radiographs after the age of two, which are reviewed and certified by the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, USA) to ensure a rigorous assessment of our dogs’ joint health.

For hips, we use the PennHIP method — an advanced technique that measures hip joint laxity to assess long-term joint health. This test compares results against a large database of Golden Retrievers (over 25,000 across North America), providing reliable and breed-specific benchmarks. PennHIP can be performed as early as four months of age, allowing for early and in-depth hip evaluation. This proactive approach helps ensure our dogs live healthy, active lives while contributing to the long-term improvement of the breed.

Eyes

The CERF exam (Canine Eye Registration Foundation) is essential for detecting inherited eye diseases in dogs. Performed by a certified veterinary ophthalmologist, this exam must be done annually and provides official certification of the dog’s ocular health.

Heart

The cardiac exam for Golden Retrievers is a thorough evaluation conducted by a veterinary cardiologist. It includes a physical examination, echocardiogram, and — if needed — an electrocardiogram (ECG). This test, which can be performed from the age of one, helps detect common hereditary heart conditions such as dilated cardiomyopathy, ensuring the long-term cardiac health of the dog.

Partners

Success in breeding is made possible thanks to the invaluable collaboration of our trusted partners. Whether veterinarians, groomers, nutritionists, trainers, chiropractors, osteopaths, homeopaths, ophthalmologists, acupuncturists, or orthopedic specialists — each has contributed their expertise and know-how, playing an essential role in our collective success.

Their support has been — and continues to be — truly valuable. I wholeheartedly recommend the following professionals:

Veterinarians:

Dr. Lisianne Rivest, Hôpital vétérinaire de Piedmont
Dr. Jean-François Fortin, reproductive specialist, Clinique Vétérinaire Mirabel
Dr. Pouliot from Clinique vétérinaire 640, who recently began performing PennHIP evaluations for our dogs and puppies

Ophthalmologist:

Dr. Frank Olivier at Clinique Ophtalmo-Animo on Sherbrooke Street West in Montreal. Frank performs all CERF eye exams for my dogs and puppies.

Orthopedics:

Dr. Huneault is a leading expert in structural issues and a trusted resource. He is affiliated with Clinique DMV on the South Shore.

Dog Trainer:

Jennifer Belisle from Cani & Co. You can contact her via her Facebook or Instagram page