BREEDING PROGRAM
Our Vision
The Service Dog Connection breeds only dogs that are genetically tested, OFA/PennHIP cleared, and of sound temperament. We breed Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Newfoundlands, and mixes of those breeds.
All of our litters are raised with early neuro-stim and Puppy Culture, given lots of socialization, and will go home with a health exam from our veterinarian, deworming, their first puppy shot and microchip. At 7 weeks old a local trainer puts each puppy through the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test to determine what each puppy is best suited for: service dog work, therapy dog work, or pet life. We keep 2-3 service dog candidates per litter for our training program and adopt out the rest. Puppies that we do not keep can go to service and therapy dog programs, individuals wanting to train their own working dog, or into pet homes based on a puppy's temperament.
FLORENCE/Mayor
Labrador/Golden Retriever PUPPIES FEB 2025
Florence is a Lab/Golden cross from Guide Dogs of America's breeding program. She came from 9+ generations of health tested service dog lines. Flo grew up in our service dog program and has been an absolutely amazing temperament for service work. Florence was placed on a guardian home contract now that she has passed all of her health testing. We bred her to Mayor, a Golden Retriever/Labrador cross from 4 Paws for Ability. He is health tested, confident, friendly, and exactly what we are looking for in an awesome stud.
On February 15th, Florence gave birth to 11 healthy puppies. At 7 weeks of age, this litter will be temperament tested by a local trainer to determine who is best suited for service work, therapy work, or pet life. We will then go down our wait list for people and programs wanting these puppies. There may be a pet or therapy dog spot available in this litter. Pups will go to their new placements after April 12th.
LABRADOR PUPS HOPEFULLY MAY 2025
Bitsy is a psychiatric/medical response service dog that was placed on a guardian contract with a family in Portland. She is an amazing mom that has produced great service dog candidate pups in the past. We bred Bitsy to Tony, a yellow lab from Paws with a Cause. If this breeding was successful, we expect puppies to be born the first week of May. This will be Bitsy's last litter.
Both parents have gone through extensive health testing. All puppies are raised with Early Neurological Stimulation and Puppy Culture. At 6 weeks of age, we begin exposing puppies via strollers to public sights, sounds, and smells to prepare them for their futures as service dogs. Those interested in a puppy for service, therapy, or pet life are encouraged to fill out our puppy adoption application to get on our wait list.
Bitsy x ToNY
We are so proud of our breeding program pups!
2021 Maple/Blanco Golden Retriever Litter: Elmo & Everest (The Service Dog Connection), Love Bug (Alaska Assistance Dogs), Boo & Maui (Therapy Dogs)
2022 Louise/Doc Newfoundland/Golden Retriever Litter: Georgia & Gus (The Service Dog Connection), Gabby (NICST), Grit & Gem (Patriot Service Dogs), Butter (SD Owner Trainer)
2022 Bitsy/Toby Labrador Litter: Gouda & Genie (The Service Dog Connection), Ricky & KC (Topaz Assistance Dogs)
2023 Louise/Ringo Newfoundland/Labrador Litter: Honey, Haven & Hero (The Service Dog Connection), Stella (Summit Assistance Dogs), Journey (K9s 4 Mobility), Meeko (Partners with Paws Assistance Dogs), Zora (Angel Paws Assistance Dogs)
2023 Bitsy/Beck Labrador Litter: Ivan & Indigo (The Service Dog Connection), Morrie (Illini Service Dogs), Ivy & Ireland (New Life K9s Service Dogs), Newt (SD Owner Trainer), Blaze (Therapy Dog)
2024 Bitsy/Zamboni Labrador Litter: Aspen & Duke (Freedom Service Dogs), Mako (SD Owner Trainer), Grover (Sparks Service Dogs), Cella (NICST)
2024 Louise/A Newfoundland/Golden Retriever Litter: Kiwi, Karma & Kingsley (The Service Dog Connection), Thistle (Freedom Service Dogs), Richard (K9s 4 Mobility), Phelan (Puppy Jake Foundation), Cairo (Illini Service Dogs), Josie (SD Owner Trainer), Murphy (Tails of Success Service Dogs)
MEET THE PARENTS
FALCON
FALCON
FALCON
Falcon is a male Lab/Golden Cross from Guide Dogs of America's breeding program. He came to our program at 8-weeks of age and was trained and placed as a working medical response, psychiatric & mobility service dog in Kansas. He has completed his health testing and is on a breeding contract.
FLOPSY
FALCON
FALCON
Flopsy is an AKC Golden Retriever that has passed her health tests and has been placed in a guardian home where she will stay in our breeding program while being a therapy dog. She has been bred to Falcon, and as long as the breeding was successful then we will have puppies at the end of December.
LOUISE
FALCON
FLORENCE
Louise is our resident therapy dog. She is a female Newfoundland that has completed all of her health testing and has had amazing litters. We plan to breed her 1 more time in 2025. Our Newfie crosses are bred specifically for their steady temperament and size for mobility assistance.
FLORENCE
FLORENCE
FLORENCE
Florence is a Labrador/Golden Cross female from Guide Dogs of America. She has an amazing temperament and has passed all of her health testing. We hope to breed her for her first litter this Fall 2024. Florence is being placed as a service dog on a guardian contract with a local Bend family.
BITSY
FLORENCE
BITSY
Bitsy is a female Labrador that has passed all of her health testing and has had some amazing litters for us. Our plan is to breed her one more time in 2025 before she retires. She has been in our service dog program since she was a puppy, and is very tuned into her people.
MISTY
FLORENCE
BITSY
Misty is a female Newfoundland that came to us from Umfleet Farms Newfoundlands with several generations of health testing. She is social, confident, and loves to learn: all the things we love for a service dog candidate and program mom! As long as health testing goes well, she will be raising our next generation of Newfie crosses for mobility work.
MUFFIN
BLANCO (RETIRED)
MUFFIN
Muffin is a female Newfoundland that came to us from Umfleet Farms Newfoundlands with several generations of health testing. She is a gentle, loving girl with a much softer temperament. As long as health testing goes well, she will be kicking off the Midwest branch of our breeding program in Central Illinois.
LILY
BLANCO (RETIRED)
MUFFIN
Lily is a female Newfoundland puppy that has been placed in a guardian home with the hopes that she will pass health tests and be part of our breeding program in the future. Lily is very confident and unphased by even the most chaotic of settings. She is still young, so we will need time to assess her temperament and health more before deciding for sure if she will be a mom in our program.
BLANCO (RETIRED)
BLANCO (RETIRED)
BLANCO (RETIRED)
Blanco is one of our Golden Retriever stud dogs. He has sired one litter for us, and was placed as a psychiatric & mobility assistance service dog in Tampa, Florida.
MAPLE (RETIRED)
MAPLE (RETIRED)
BLANCO (RETIRED)
Maple is a Golden Retriever female that whelped our first litter in our breeding program. Three of her puppies from that litter are fully trained working service dogs, and three are certified therapy dogs.