SNITKER GOLDENS
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Louie - Vivian/Marsi 2017

2/28/2018

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I cannot believe he is almost a year old! It really does seem like yesterday we were pulling up to the farm and saw "Mr. Blue" run right up to us as if to say "HI MOM AND DAD"!! 

Louie is such a dream. He is so well behaved and loves, loves, loves to learn. He lives to swim, per his breed, and absolutely loves to play fetch. He has mastered his "retrieve" command and makes us so proud knowing he thoroughly enjoys working for us! Louie comes to work with me everyday and has been promoted to "Social Director" of the kennel. :) He is so friendly with all dogs, big or small, and has such a gentle touch with people and children. He definitely is a Momma's boy and is literally referred to as my shadow. He follows close behind and waits for me outside the bathroom or shower. He settles down at my feet wherever I am and makes me feel like the center of his universe. ( What more could I ask for?)

​It amazes me everyday what a wonderful dog he has become and I get complimented on his temperament and handsomeness daily. He tested out of his basic obedience course and our next step is to enroll him in the Canine Good Citizen program. He makes us so happy every day, it's hard to imagine our life without him now! 

Hope all is well on the Snitker Golden front! Many well wishes to you and yours and all those new Snitker pups!

Best,

Katy, Nik and Louie 

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Luka - Vivian/Marsi 2017

1/3/2018

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Just a quick update on Luka. He is 9 ½ months old now and just weighted in at 61 pounds. Luka recently passed his AKC Canine Good Citizen test and also his AKC Novice Trick Dog test. He has been a quick learner. As soon as he understands what we are requesting him to do, and with a little repetition he’ll have the trick learned. We are now perfecting what he has learned and working on new tricks and commands that he will need to know for his next round of tests. We will be continuing with classes at our local AKC club. He has definitely become a member of our family. The first thing our granddaughters did upon coming home from college this fall was to stop by and spend some time with Luka. He also gets frequent visits from the girls across the street from us.

​He likes to be close to us and is usually right by one of us all the time. Luka is a fun loving, happy , very alert puppy. He is fascinated by moving things he watches airplanes go across the sky at night and chases leaves and of course, always has something in his mouth to carry. He actually watches TV and especially likes the action shows. He never gets table food so he is a joy in the kitchen. He is learning to take naps with mom and actually nap. One thing he never learned was going down the basement stairs so we have to work on that as we both have hobbies in the basement and right now we take turns staying with Luka.

We have been told by so many people he is a beautiful dog. Many at the obedience club have commented on what a beauty he is and even the vet said he is a lean athletic sport dog. Many have asked where we got him. It is hard to find goldens like a Snitker golden. We will keep updating as he continues to grow and continues his training with dad.

- Luka's Family

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Cooper - Vivian/Marsi 2016

1/3/2018

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Seasons greetings from Our Family to Yours -

Cooper may be the only one I know excited to see this much snow, He Loves it! He tries to give his best(most pathetic) puppy dog face to convince anyone to go out with him even if they just came back in. 

We love his silly personality,he definitely marches to the beat of his own drum ( which is usually his tail thumping on something) He is a the biggest mama's boy and I LOVE it! 

We are looking forward to the adventures the new year brings! 

Wishing you a Wonderful New Year

​Wendy & Cooper
 



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Vivian - Retired Breeder

11/8/2017

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​Hello, Rhonda and Stephanie.
 
It's so hard to believe that it has been one month since we adopted Vivian.  At times it feels she has been a part of our family forever, she is doing so well.
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The day after we brought her home, she spent most of the day in the bedroom and would come out every so often to check things out.  Now she is wherever we are.  She now sleeps in her bed in our room.  At the beginning she would only sleep on the floor next to the bed by me.  I still will occasionally find her there, but she is quite content with her bed.  Twice now, she has awoken us up with the deepest bark.  She would be staring out the bedroom window in the dark barking.  The only thing we can think of is that she heard the deer come out of the woods into the backyard.  It amazes us that petite little Vivian could have such a deep bark! 

For some reason in the beginning she was afraid to go out through the laundry room and garage, only to go out through the front door.  Now when you say, "who wants to go out?" she's the first to the laundry room door.  She loves being outside and is very content to lay out in the grass and will follow the sun or shade depending on the temperature.  She loves to walk around the property and is very curious at the wood line.  She will do lapses around the house all day but she hates to be on the sidewalk.  Then it dawned on me, I don't remember seeing sidewalks near the farm in Iowa.  It must feel foreign on her paws!

We had a dinner two weeks ago for my sister's Godmother, who turned ninety four.  Evelyn is by no means a 94 year old who would require a therapy dog in a nursing home.  The woman still lives alone, cleans our her own gutters and cuts her own grass.  She and Vivian were joined at the hip the entire day.  I was  beginning to wonder if Evelyn was going to try and sneak her home.  That reinforced my belief that she will make a wonderful Therapy Dog.  We begin obedience training the first Saturday in November.  I'm sure she will be at the head of her class.

Once you get her somewhere and they ask if she wants to go home she will jump right into the car.  We think she likes her new home! I remember you telling me, Rhonda, how Vivian would go in circles when you would go out to her each morning.  It melts my heart when she sees me and will go around in circles and then come for a hug.   One day she was at the front door with Rick, when I came in through the garage.  When I asked where my Vivi was, she turned and jumped over both the little dogs to get to me.  It was the funniest thing and we wished we had it on video. We are totally in love with Vivian.

She is everything we expected and much, much more.  There are no words to explain how we feel about her.  She has won over every person she has met with her quiet demeanor and gorgeous looks.  There has not been one second that we regret adopting her.

Thank you Rhonda and Stephanie, for the imprinting you made on Vivian making her the dog she is today. 
We will continue to be in touch and share our stories of Vivi with you.  Good luck with the two new litters of pups coming soon.  Cannot wait to see them.  We are so happy to be part of the Snitker Family!

JoAnn & Rick

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July 17th, 2017

7/17/2017

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Hello Rhonda and Stephanie,

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I wanted to give you guys an update on Mr. Blue (Louie) after a month of being home! He has grown leaps and bounds these last 4 weeks not just physically but mentally. He absolutely loves learning new things and has such a great work ethic I find I need to challenge myself to challenge him! At 13 weeks old he can walk with a loose leash and sit at ever curb and wait for my command, I am so impressed with him every day! He knows; sit, stay, come, roll over, play dead. lay down and now we are working on "clean up" to pick up all his toys :) We have been working on his impulse control and I can now fit three treats on his paw while he waits patiently for me to give him the "OK". He is the star of his puppy class and the trainers always comment on what a confident and happy puppy he is, no doubt from the practices you've implemented those first 8 weeks.

This past Saturday Nik and I took him to the farmers market and he did unbelievably well. He soaked up all the attention with so many hands in his face and children with sticky fingers oohing and awhing over him. With all those distractions he still would follow every command I gave him! He is so quiet and calm when meeting new people or going new places. He has come to work with me and loves, loves loves other dogs big and small. He shares toys and sticks with all the dogs and loves to wrestle. We also took him to the lake the other day and he jumped right in the water (SO PROUD)!! 

He is fully potty trained and has a lovely appetite, which we are so thankful for! I simply could not be any happier with him. Thank you so much for such an amazing puppy, he is everything we wanted and more :)

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Luka - Vivian/Marsi 2017

6/13/2017

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Luka, aka Mr. Black, is doing quite well.  Our ride back to Kansas City was great.  He slept the whole way back. We stopped in Ames to see a granddaughter and then our other granddaughter was waiting for us when we got home to see Luka. 
 The first vet visit went well.   He was very relaxed and the vet said he’s going to be a big boy.  Now 3 months old he is getting tall and lanky.  At the last vet visit 912 weeks old) he  weighed 21.5 pounds up from almost 14 pounds from his first vet visit.  
He’s good natured and knows sit, stay, come, watch, circle, paw shake, wait and down.  We are working with him until he can start classes after his next parvo shot.  We have started taking him for walks at night to tire him out.  Before his nightly “poop” he makes mad dashes through the house growling and barking.  Then he goes out and comes back in calm.  
We took him to our granddaughter’s graduation party.  He was a hit!  All the girls were snap chatting his picture all over the internet.  More and more girls showed up.  He was in 7th heaven with all the attention.

He’s not very fearful and is very curious.  He does not like to be held but lays at our feet.  His crate is in our bedroom.  He doesn’t like it as Rhonda said, but he is getting used to it especially when he is tired.   He is easily distracted at this point but will watch people or cars go by until they are out of sight.  Occasionally, he sets in front of the TV and watches it for a couple of minutes.  Reminds me of the RCA dog.   Last night he discovered fire flies and was chasing them.    
 We have times when he tries to exert himself and I have to keep him in line.  Potty training is going well with an occasional accident.  He will usually go to the door and sit and stare at it.  We are trying to teach him to push a button which then plays a song (currently the Yellow Rose of Texas) so we can hear it. 
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 He does not like the heat or the sun.  When we go out he runs for shade and cool grass.  In the house he has a fan blowing on him in the crate and other times he lays on the marble in front of the fireplace or he has discovered that the air conditioner vent is perfect on a hot day.  He also loves ice cubes.
We love him to death.  He is our 5th golden and they all have their own personalities.  Thanks Rhonda and Stephanie for all the work you did with him to make him a great member of our family.

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Obie - Vivian/Marsi 2017

6/5/2017

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First Week Update...
Hi Rhonda & Stephanie,

This won't be a big update (I will write one in a few weeks, so I can provide more information), but, I wanted to let you know that Mr. Brown did well on our car ride back to Iowa City. He was a good sport--I got lost somewhere along the way and it took four hours to get home. He slept most of the way, but, I let him out to walk around on each of the multiple times that I stopped for directions!

The meeting with my pack went smoothly. My dog sitter was there to help with the meeting and he could not believe how well it went. Mr. Brown behaved very well. There was a lot of sniffing, but, they all eventually did their own thing. I can't say my dogs "love him", but, they don't hate him either. Neutral is good in this situation. Louie, my cavalier, is most bothered by the pup. I knew he would have his nose out of joint. He is the lap dog and he is not happy that there is someone cuter than him in the house. He has growled a couple times when Mr. Brown is in his face, but, nothing alarming. Frankly, it is the first time in 6 years I've ever heard him growl. I am being cautious about monitoring all interactions between the dogs. I imagine when Mr. Brown is more comfortable, he will become more emboldened.

I just adore him. He seems attached to me already, but, not overly dependent. He is not fearful of anything, but, he does ponder new things. He is very snuggly and he loves to romp in the grass. He hops around like a bunny and then slides down on his tummy. He did not eat much the first day home, but, if I sit with him and feed him out of my hand, he will finish his meal. He does not like being kenneled. He cries when I leave, which makes me sad for him. But, he is safer in the kennel and I suspect he settles down shortly. Tony, the dog sitter, did not report him crying when he got there in the afternoon.

He received rave reviews at the vet. He is as healthy as he appears and everyone remarked on what a calm, confident puppy he is. He weighed 15.2 lbs.--up a few pounds from his last appointment. The highest praise he has received is from my mom and dad. They were not in favor of my getting another dog, and they are not dog people. They invited him down for dinner Monday night, where they were so impressed by his manner and his looks. My mom stopped down yesterday just to visit with him!

All is well! By the next time I check in, I will have decided on a name. He is such a special guy that I want his name to be special. For now, he is pup-pup and he comes running when he hears that call.

It was a pleasure to meet you and some of your family. What a wonderful life you have up there! I so appreciate all the love and effort you all put into giving Mr. Brown a good start on life. I am a convert to "imprinting". Thank you so much for the life of Mr. Brown. I will keep you posted!

Warmly,
Lisa

Week Three Update...
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Thanks for checking in on Mr. Brown! He is doing great. He has made peace with the other dogs in the house. I can’t say they “love” him, but, they tolerate him, which is better than the alternative. I have had him for three weeks now and he has grown so much! The first week he was very calm and reserved—sort of getting the lay of the land. The last couple weeks, he has been much more comfortable asserting himself and engaging in normal puppy behavior. He loves to shred newspapers and upend every water bowl in the house. He has a particular fondness for my shoes. He doesn’t chew them up, he just drags them around the house. I spent ten minutes this morning looking for a matching pair of shoes. I found one on the screened in porch and one in the laundry room. I have been late in puppy-proofing the house, but, his presence is forcing me be neater than I usually am to protect my belongings!:)
 
I believe I mentioned that he had his first vet visit a couple of weeks ago and he is scheduled to go back for more shots on June 7th. We are starting puppy kindergarten on June 11th. In the meantime, I am working on providing him new experiences and opportunities to socialize. We have taken a variety of different walks around my neighborhood where he has met the local dogs. There is a cream colored golden down the street that is exactly his age. Her name is Wrigley and she is a favorite playmate already. She came from a breeder in Indiana and while she is very cute, I am partial to Mr. Brown. He has also befriended a year old French bulldog who is very playful. He has visited Petco and a couple of other stores that allow dogs. He is admired everywhere we go and he behaves well. He does like to jump on people which was cute when he was really little, but, I am working on teaching him “off”—not everyone is as happy to see him as he thinks.
 
He did not like being in a kennel in a separate bedroom. I upgraded him to a larger kennel and put in in the living room and he seems much happier. Tony and Jess, my dog sitters, love him and work with him a bit while they are there. I was pleased to come home the other day and find that he conquered the stairs. Going up was a piece of cake, but, he did not want to go down stairs. He is a pro now. Just when he was getting too big to carry down the stairs!
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PictureCaught red-handed (or pawed) with his foot in the water dish!
 I have had a hard time deciding what to name him. I came up with a lot of options, but, none of them quite fit him. I finally decided on “Obie”, as in Obi-Wan Kenobi. I like to think of him as a force of good...Everything is going well. He is a special little guy and he is acknowledged as such by everyone he meets.
 
Thank you again for all the work you did to provide him a good start in life! I hope you enjoyed your week off. I imagine you are busy now (or about to be!) with Oakley’s puppies. I hope she is doing well.

I also received all my registration materials. It is fun to see them, but, for me, the most important part of acquiring Obie from your kennel was the care and effort you took in preparing him for life. I really notice the difference in him when I meet puppies his age. He is more confident and comfortable in all surroundings. He has been respectful to my older dogs, but, still interested in making them his friends. He still comes to "pup-pup", though now that I have named him, I will have to teach him his own name.

His favorite thing to do is to tip over the water bowl, It is great fun for him. One of the photos I am attaching shows him in his water bowl.

Thanks again for everything. I will keep you updated with his progress.


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Daisy - Vivian/Marsi 2017

6/5/2017

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​Hello, Rhonda & Stephanie

I hope you had a good week off and that all is well with all of you. We are enjoying Daisy so much. You might say we are infatuated! She is a real sweetheart and we experience every day the benefits of the hard work you put in with her. She seems to enjoy us as well! I am attaching a few photos for you. So far she is doing great with "come", "sit", "down", "roll over", and "wait". We start puppy class soon. I think that there is a family a few blocks from us who have one of her siblings, so we're hoping to get them together.

She's been coming to work three days a week and is meeting lots of new people. She does like to explore, as noted in "her" letter to us, but she is very responsive to us and is willing to stay in her crate and chill out when necessary.

Thank you for a lovely, lovely dog. 

Kathy

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Bella - Vivian/Marsi 2017

5/24/2017

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We wish to thank you and Rhonda for the perfect puppy!  Our Bella is such a sweetheart.  I am impressed with her abilities each day.

Our Berner, Cali, has done amazingly well accepting her.  She just wants attention too like any older sister.  Our cat hangs around nearby out of curiosity I think, usually perched above Bella on a piece of furniture, to observe her antics.

Below is a photo with Ana at her vet visit.  The stool sample was negative for parasites.  The other photo with Ana is an early morning nap in the sunroom after she got up and went out before Ana had to get ready for school.  We are not used to getting up in the night :)

Finally, there is a photo of our 16 year old, Ben, who said that we did NOT need another dog. He dropped everything and got on the floor to greet her after school that day.  He looks for her morning and night to play and snuggle with her.  Our son Sam is loving her too.  My husband, John, has noted her wonderful disposition, mild manner, and intelligence.

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Bella is curious rather than fearful of new things.  We have done car rides in her kennel the last 3 days & she did not cry today.  We took field trips to the vet, the pharmacy & clinic, and church.  She goes to anyone with her tail wagging & lets them pet her anywhere. She has been exposed to lots of new sights & sounds in the city.  She will follow me down the sidewalk on the lead already.  So far the street sweeper and 5:30am train whistle are the only things she was uneasy about.  She even got a belly rub from the mailman yesterday! (Important imprinting :)

We are doing great with potty training during the night and after naps.  During the day we are struggling a bit on the timing.  We can take her outside for 20 minutes and nothing. Then minutes after she comes in she pees somewhere in the house.  She gets distracted by cars, dandelions, sticks to chew on and earthworms that she has tried to play with lately. We have bells by the door and will keep working on it.  She has only been here 4 days though.

Thank you,
Sarah
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Cooper - Vivan/Marsi 2016

5/24/2017

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I love this little guy (not so little anymore) and just wanted to send you a few updated pics. He is so funny and such a talker (sounds like chewbacca when he's being silly) and the last pic is how he always carries his toys .. what a goof

Thank you all for the amazing work you do with this wonderful breed! Can't wait until we are ready for another!
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    See Past Litters

    Click on the names of sires and dams below to see their puppies from past litters.

    Sires/Dams

    All
    Bart
    Bella
    Bonnie Sue
    Callie
    Charlie
    Coco
    Elise
    Fabi
    Gold Select
    Goose
    Harper
    Hollie
    Ina
    Jack
    Mabel
    Maggie
    Marsi
    Nadia
    Oakley
    Retired Breeder Placements
    Sasha
    Silas
    Victoria
    Vivian

Why Snitker Goldens

Snitker Golden Retriever Puppies
We begin with quality tested and approved breeding Goldens and build on that solid foundation with our puppies. Championship pedigrees in their lines are our way of remaining true to breed standard. We strive to personally imprint each pup with positive, rewarding experiences – to nurture each one with love and care, realizing that each day we have your puppy is one day closer to the day you will hold him or her. We use this time to make that permanent impression on your pup, one which he or she will carry for a lifetime. 

Learn more about Snitker Goldens.

How to Connect With Snitker Goldens

We are committed to our Goldens and pairing them with great families. 
Contact us at any time to learn more about who we are and to meet our Goldens. You can connect with us on Facebook and YouTube.
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Waukon, Iowa 52172 UNITED STATES

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  • Home
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    • About the Program
    • Meet Our Humans
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  • Contact
  • More
    • Referrals
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