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Please visit our new site for upcoming litters and available pups! Floden Farm began in 2003, when we purchased some acreage just south of Wendell. Our first crop was a batch of field corn. Our small acreage now supports a homegrown garden, a soybean crop, a family of chickens, two kittens, a golden retriever, and our five children who sometimes enjoy taking part in helping raise our animals and harvest the garden. |
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In May of 2006, we acquired a beautiful golden retriever puppy we named Beisia. "Pa," being a labrador retriever kind of guy, also got his yellow lab in the same month. We named her Floden's "Zowie" Benelli. Zowie after the Sesame Street character, and Benelli after one of his favorite brands of hunting gun. In December 2006, we also acquired "Horace," another golden retriever. Horace is much lighter than Beisia. We decided after purchasing them that in a couple years, if there was enough of a market in our area to find good homes and our pups meet good health guidelines and trainability expectations, we may choose to breed them. Our priorities in breeding are health, temperament and intelligence, working ability, and breed standard. Health is of utmost importance with retrievers having susceptibility to an array of genetic problems. "Ma" has been researching pedigree and health information through AKC, k9data.com, and OFA's website and continues to trace each pup's ancestry as well as the health of their ancestors. In February 2006, we began microchipping our pups. Incidentally, microchipping is not as costly as one might think. Our vet charges about $35 a dog for the procedure and kit, and most companies charge a one-time fee for registering the owner contact information. If your dog should get lost and taken to a shelter or veterinary office, they are able to scan the dog for your contact information. With the way our dogs like to slip collars off their necks, we figure it's a good idea despite there being three major companies that microchip and they are not universal -- each has its own scanner and database. It is interesting seeing how far back and to what countries the ancestry goes. We've been able to trace our goldens back to Mrs. Elliott, well-known world wide as an historian of the golden retriever and owner/trainer of the first Utility Dog title in 1941. We've also traced our golden retrievers back to Sir Dudley Margoriebanks, the first Lord Tweedmouth of Scotland through K9data.com. In 1865, Lord Tweedmouth purchased a yellow wavy-coated retriever named Nous out of an otherwise black litter from a cobbler in Brighton, England. Nous bred with a Tweed water spaniel (the breed now extinct) was the origin of the golden retriever. The breeding produced four bitches, Ada, Cowslip, Crocus and Primrose. Tweedmouth also outcrossed to black, wavy-coated retrievers to improve the breed's hunting instincts and also added Irish setter genetics to improve the breed's love of water. For improved tracking ability, Tweedmouth bred a sandy-colored bloodhound into the lines. Our family has recently gotten involved with Prairie Lakes HRC! We are very fortunate, as the nearest Kennel Club was about 1-1/2 hours away. Prairie Lakes is a new Hunting Retriever Club in the Elbow Lake, Minnesota area. If anyone resides nearby and would be interested in joining us, please visit PrairieLakesHRC.com. On March 25, the club had a fun hunt test. We had Horace participate in the Started test in order to get him used to hearing gun shots. With the bird bumper bigger than his head, he did not make the retrieve but he did locate one of two birds! We were excited just to experience other dogs who knew their stuff and happy to learn from them. This provides us a basis for knowing what HRC expects in their hunt tests and now we know what to work toward. We plan to do our canine good citizen testing through 4-H. Here are some photos and information on the pedigree of our pups: Click here to view more info and pedigree on our golden retriever, Beisia. Click here to view more info and pedigree on our golden retriever, Horace. Click here to view more info and pedigree on our yellow labrador retriever, Zowie. Ever wonder how to pick the perfect puppy for hunting or field? Ann Strathern has a great article to help you get started. The listings below are some other good resources for helping you select the puppy that is right for you, as well as learning about field training: Ever wonder how to pick a puppy or grown dog based upon temperament? Here are some references to help you choose well: Are you contemplating the purchase or adoption of a dog? Most serious hobby breeders want to make sure the homes their pups go to are for the long-term. Please be certain to consider the expense of owning an animal prior to committing. Thinking of owning more than one dog? Consider the influence of the pack structure first. Wondering what to feed your dogs? Raw diets and home diets have become the trend, but people still use regular kibble, some table scraps, and soft or canned foods. Did you know you should avoid feeding your dogs onions, chocolate, raw eggs and cat food? |
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Floden's "Horace"
Wolfgang
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  Beisia as a pup Beisia (still a pup), 7 months, pheasant opener 10/2006 Beisia, golden retriever (3/20/2006-)
View Beisia's Pedigree by clicking here. (You can view a full 11 generations and more.) We were excited to have been able to track her lineage back to 1896 to the United Kingdom on this database. According to the database, one of her great-great-greats was Eng. Dual CH. Anningsley Stingo (KCSB 1622QQ), born 6/30/1933. He was the second Dual Champion Golden in History. We found it neat that Beisia's golden retriever ancestors started in the United Kingdom and here our golden retriever is in Minnesota. (You will enter the K9 database in a new window.) Beisia is related to NAFC FC Topbrass Cotton OS/FDHF, Frisbies Olympia Gold, Frisbies Joshua (1990 MN State Derby Champion), the famous FC-AFC Benjamin Rajah Frisbie OS, and AFC Topbrass Super Trooper. (Click on their names highlighted in yellow to possibly view more information and photos of her heritage.) She comes from a long line of Topbrass Golden Retrievers, and has a great nose to boot. At just eight months of age, she often gets ahead of Zowie in the field when she picks up on a scent.
Note that this is from a volunteer K9 database online. We have AKC Certified Pedigree from official Stud Book records going three generations back for Beisia.
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 Zowie as a pup Zowie pictured on the left (still a pup), 8 months, pheasant opener 10/2006 Floden's Zowie Benelli, yellow labrador retriever Floden's Zowie Benelli of the Ridge (2/22/2006-)
Pedigree:
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