I have personally trained Hunter's Goldstrike Goldens and they are top quality.  If you are looking for a hunt test prospect, hunting partner or both, these dogs will do it all.  No one cares more for the breed than David and Lee Ann. Hunter's Goldstrike Goldens have an intense desire to please which makes them a true pleasure to train and handle.  As a professional trainer, I give them my highest recommendation!

Chris Jobman

Flatlander Kennels

Bayard, NE7

Hi Leeann!  We hope and pray that you and your family weren't adversely effected by the tornado.  We've been meaning to send you some pictures of Zeke for awhile now.

It's so hard to believe Zeke is 9 months already!  He is doing very well and starting to calm down a little bit. :) He has always had such a wonderful disposition and just continues to mature in that.  It's wonderful, we have lots of friends with kids that love to play with him, and he is always so gentle, thankfully they all don't seem mind getting some kisses!!!  We also try and take Zeke to the dog park every weekend.  In typical golden style he'll meet all the people first before he goes and plays with the dogs.  We also were able to install an invisible fence recently, and he learns so fast, he's done great with it!

We've attached some pictures.

Brian and Becca Kephart  5-27-08

Harley received his summer cut this week so we thought we would add some pictures. In a couple weeks we will be heading to Pinedale, so with his new cut he is ready to do some swimming in Fremont Lake.  Harley lives for that!   Karen Rossetti  6-19-08

Hi, the whirling dervish is not slowing down but is working very well in the field. Sad to say the grouse are not cooperating by hanging around but she tries and is casting with little or no direction. Happy bird day Karen &

Larry Root

Her second sage grouse hunt. she "flushed" 3 jackrabbits and one antelope. the grouse were out of town. best,

Larry

Dear Lee Ann,

Thanks for asking!  We named the puppy Kuna, which is ancient Greek for "dog." She was spayed at 6 months; the vet checked for a hernia and didn't find one. Her health has been good.

Kuna has be a delightful addition to the family. Smart, stubborn, cooperative, energetic, quick to learn. We got her because the 10 year old twin girls wanted a dog. We figured their interest would last a week or so, then the adults would have to take over.  We were wrong. Ten months on kids do all the dog chores themselves, and she's turned into their best pal -- as you can see from the attached pics (which you're welcome to use on your web site).

Greg Kane                       Brandy X Ace   12/30/06

Denver

Hi Lee Ann,
I thought you may like an update on Frankie.  She is doing great I am so glad I got her. We love her. Thank youI sent some pictures to show her new life.
always,
 
Julie Hodson

Hi April and Family!
We just wanted to let you know how much we love our new dog from Abbie and Bailey's litter. We named him Cosmic Charlie. He adjusted much easier than expected to his new home. He has only had a few accidents and he already loves his kennel! We have been working on training him on the leash and he can already sit on command, he can also swim already. He has a lot of friends and he plays with his sister Madison all the time. We attached some pictures so you could see his progress (there are also a few of him and Madison).
Christy and Matt

Hi Lee Ann!!!

Things are going well here. Zeke's tummy seems to be much better and he's growing into a happy little guy.

His coat has gotten much thicker and is absolutely gorgeous! He's % 99 house trained, he very occasionally has accidents when's he's very tired or excited. We're excited to get his last  round of shots in a couple weeks so we can start puppy kindergarten a  while after that.

He loves to play, the pumpkin is still his favorite toy. He loves to  play chase too, whether it'd be us, the towel, or a ball.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Becca     Belle X Hunter 5/29/06

I thought I'd give you an update on our "puppy" Lander. : ) He is growing so fast and has truly become part of the family. He pretty much has the freedom to roam about the house now, and except for a few times when he chewed on what he shouldn't have, he has done very well. He LOVES to go outside, and to play with us kids and in the snow, and he also loves to play with his training dummy. He definitely is a retriever, and will bring anything from frisbees to balls to hunting dummies for somebody to play with.
 

(Not to mention shoes!) He doesn't chew the shoes though, he just carries them around!  He has been a great little guy to have, and we all look forward to having him for lots more years to come!

Trues family
 

Gabby X Hunter 9/14/06

Lee Ann and Dave,

Merry Christmas! Just wanted to send you few pictures of Riley and let you see what a beautiful dog he's getting to be. He's certainly become a huge part of our family and of course is spoiled rotten. We've had a few rough moments trying to get through puppy hood but we're beginning to think we'll all make it. He's actually becoming pretty well behaved and we can't wait to get him out hunting birds. We're thinking of getting him some professional training and appreciate any advice or names you could give us. The latest pictures (If you can't tell) are of him having fun in the snow that we were just blessed with. There's also one of him after he was done having fun. So hope you enjoy these and are enjoying your puppies as well. Have a great Holiday! And thank you so much for our Riley.
Mike and Teri Zoesch and family       Starr X Hunter 5/29/06
Mike

Rocky

Lee Ann,
Rocky and Makena continue to be our greatest source of joy! They both continue to grow, Rocky is now 30lbs and Makena 20lbs. He is filling out and she is getting tall! Rocky is starting to get some adult hair. Although, he is by far the softer haired dog.
 Makena and I started obedience classes together last week.... as she has developed a reputation for looking around, ignoring or running in the opposite direction when called. We have not ruled out hearing problems, but want to take a very positive, pro active approach before any testing. She is learning her name (as the trainer thought she might think her name is Rocky!) and the command "watch me"~ she is such a busy girl that she is not paying attention a good part of the time, too busy exploring the world. The trainer is using the clicker method, which is new to me, but seems to work well. I am using the same lessons at home with Rocky. He is clearly more interested in learning and pleasing at this point.... the good news is that Makena will follow Rocky, so when Rocky is listening we do just fine! 
I have started puppy massage with both of them, Rocky is much more cuddly right now and has really taken to it.... which is perfect as we do a massage after every meal while we are waiting for (stopping Rocky from eating) Makena to finish eating.
 Makena has gotten braver and will go out and play in/eat the snow! She is also the one who gets wetter and dirtier when they go outside. (Partly due to playing on her back so much.) They have both tolerated taking showers... which sometime she has to have a shower upon entering the house---- unfortunately our house has white carpet~!!! Yikes!  
Rocky is getting neutered on Wednesday and Makena is getting spayed on the 23rd. We have decided to start kenneling them separately... partly so they can get their rest after surgery. I am going to get an additional large kennel and put them side by side.... we will see how that goes as I plan to start that this weekend. I know Rocky will like having his own space sometimes as she likes to "attack" him when they kennel up. I am not looking forward to either surgery at all---I just don't want them to experience any fear or pain.
 Makena still has her bounce! She really is a Mama's girl.... very interested in where I am, and then back to her favorite spot on the stairs to chew on a toy. Every once in a while I steal away a quiet moment with her to pet & love. She is a stubborn and ticklish girl..... and I think very bright. She is also the braver of the two... she thinks the vacuum cleaner is her friend.... she turns on the Roomba all the time. 
Rocky is our laid back, garbage loving, try to turn anything into a toy boy. We have to keep the bathroom doors closed as he loves kleenex. He has learned how to unroll the toilet paper-- such fun! Rocky is afraid of the vacuum, but brings out the big dog bark to scare away dear! He is really lovey at this age.
 They have a large vocabulary: come, sit, down (Rocky does that), upstairs, downstairs, outside, OFF, good girl/good boy, settle down, kennel up, watch me (we are learning) and I think they understand water and food.
 Jeff's travel schedule is out of control... so the pups (& I) miss him. He is in NYC right now... I know we will all be very excited when he returns on Tuesday--- I am ready to get back to work myself. I plan to hire a neighbor kid to come over & let them out to go potty in the afternoons. I haven't found anything yet, but may have to commute to Denver :-( to stay within my field and have a similar income to what I had in Seattle. If I am really lucky I will find a great job and Jeff could be a full time basketball official and Doggy Dad! We will keep our fingers crossed, I would love to support our little family and allow Jeff to have a bit of a sabbatical after 20+ years of always working!
 Best,
Rebecca Kent                       Gabby X Hunter  9/14/06

Rocky

Makena

Makena

I just wanted to let you know that Gabriel (litter 9/9/05 from Striker*Starr) is doing wonderful. He is in agility (about to begin intermediate classes) and has wonderful retrieving skills. I am enclosing a picture of Gabriel (9/9/05) and Buddy (Cassie*Terrell dog 9/23/02) so that you can see how your puppies are doing (Gabe is on the left). Gabriel and I will be starting agility trials in October of next year. I will let you know how he's doing!
Thank you so much for bringing me the joys of a beautiful golden puppy.
 

Sheri L. Anderson
I just had Gabriel's (9/9/05)hips done. They are fabulous.
Thanks for everything. He is such an angel. sheri

Dear Lee Ann and Dave
Thought you guys might get a kick out of this picture. Judah demands that we keep on schedule with our training in spite of the fact that we have 6" of snow on the ground and thermometer reads around 0 F. He said I'm doing pretty well, but I'm not running straight or fast enough on my long distance blinds. As I shared with you earlier, I'm not the most experienced of trainers, but Judah assures me that all the professional have got this retrieving game all backwards.
Well I've got to go, Judah is at the door yelling at me to get my bag of bumpers and hurry up about it. Are you guys sure you picked the right dog for me? You said that training was a lot of fun, but I'm tuckered out after each session. He is so demanding but I still love him.
Clayton Brown                                                                          Starr X Striker 9/9/05

Dear Lee Ann
Jan and I would be honored to have you post our pictures and letter on your website. I check in to your site quite frequently to see what's happening with you and your dogs. It looks as if you had your hands full with the two litters you just had. They sure went fast. I was real tempted to call you about a female from the Kick X Terrell litter, but I decided I had my hands full training Judah at this time, maybe sometime in the near future. I never had a female before and am not sure just what I would have to do different in order not to have a bunch of puppies before we were ready. I see Striker is really doing well in his career - congratulations! I'm sure Judah has a lot of the same potential, if his trainer was just more knowledgeable. He does real well with ducks, but seems a little intimidated with geese once he gets them to dry ground. I think it's just a matter of their weight vs his own. I'm a little afraid of pushing him too hard too fast. I haven't had to get my feet wet, he brings them up to waters edge but not to hand. I'm hoping with a little more maturity and size he will be handle them with no problem. Any suggestions? I just keep telling Judah that we are in this retrieving game together, both learning as we go. He is truly a great dog and companion, a real joy for both Jan and myself. I think he kind of likes us too. Isn't he a real looker? We would love him no matter what his appearance, but I think he is one of the best looking goldens out there. He looks so much like his dad, but his mother's dark coloring really sets off his features. Thank you so much for your professionalism and care for the breed. We think that goldens are special all others are just dogs! Just kidding. By the way we live in Worland Wy and I don't think there are any clubs near us. Hope you, Dave and the rest of your family including the four legged members all the best.
 Jan and Clayton Brown

Hi Lee Ann,
 I was looking through all the photos on your website and thought I should send you an updated photo of Wrigley. He is just wonderful and is also obsessed with tennis balls and swimming and playing in the snow. He loves daycare (we call it "school") as much as just hanging around the house. I have finally started leaving him at home for up to 6 hours at a time and haven't had a single problem. Now, my landscaping is another issue..... I think he thinks it's his private play area and that I put the grass and trees out there for him to play with. Luckily, I have a little swimming pool out there for him too and that keeps him occupied both winter and summer! Always thinking of getting him a little brother, but just not sure I can put in the commitment again. I feel lucky that he listens to me now. Thanks again for such a great dog.
 

Heidi Bauer                  Starr X Striker   9/09/05

Lee Ann,
 
Wanted you to have a couple of pics of Wrigley and Addison.  They absolutely love each other.  I'm glad I made the right decision to expand the family!! 

 Heidi Bauer                       Starrr X Striker  8/19/07

Dear Lee Ann and David,
Wanted to write and wish you a happy holiday from our home to yours.
We are the proud owners of Seamus the third male pick from your May 29 litter of Hunter and Belle.  As we told you we have sold our home in Highlands Ranch and moved to our house in Winter Park area. Seamus loves the snow. He is a very smart dog and has learned several commands. He is also a very astute dog as he watches birds in the sky and picks up on the deer scents. He is almost leash free……but has his days when he picks up on a deer scent and then reminds me of a child with selective hearing. He is extremely fast and has a beautiful coat. He is also spoiled as can be as we work out of our home so he isn’t left alone for long.
 

Lee Ann said she always wonders how the puppies are doing so we thought we would check in with you.
 Warmest Regards
 Karen, Dave and Seamus               Belle X Hunter   5/29/06

Lee Ann,
On the 18th of November we bought a puppy from you (Terrell X Kick born 9/11/06) and I just wanted to let you know how he's doing and to send you a couple of pictures of him. First, on the way home from Windsor we must have gone through a couple of dozen names for him and finally decided that Winston suited him. Even though he was very young I felt there was something special and regal about him and thought he deserved a good strong name. The first picture of Winston is with our other golden retriever, Dexter. This was Winston's first hunting trip with us on November 20th, 2 days after we picked him up. I've titled the picture 'Hunting in the Shadow of Dexter'. Dexter is now 9 years old and trying to tolerate a puppy in his domain, both home and field. Dexter seems to want to play with him, but when Winston jumps up in his face and won't leave him alone it aggravates him and he snaps at the puppy. I wish Winston and our cat Gumbo didn't get along quite as well as they do. They have already knocked over several pieces of furniture playing chase in the house. So far nothing has been broken. Winston has a sneaky side, when no one is watching he thinks he's a couch potato. We have found him sleeping on the couch several times. Winston is extremely bright and already sits and stays (most of the time) on command and is doing well on a leash at 13 weeks old. I take him out every day at lunch on his leash to get him use to walking next to me. He likes to visit with the neighborhood Bouvier and St. Bernard on his walks. We have already started his training for hunting because he seems ready. He is marking his training dummies when thrown for him. One of my Husband's friends, who use to train field trial dogs, was very excited to see how well Winston marked and went after the training dummies at 10 weeks old and the fact that he returns them, even with the pheasant wings attached, it just astounded him. However when Winston gets bored, like most youngsters, he wanders off and we have to track him down to get the dummy away from him. He's been to our vet a couple of times. The technician there loves his 'Mohawk'; it's what you called his cow lick. The second picture was taken yesterday December 17th west of Spinney Mountain Reservoir. There are properties leased by the DOW up there and we like to take the dogs up there to run and to train. Winston was a little leery of the great mountain outdoors and when I took this picture he was watching Dexter run out in the field. He's been a great addition to our family and we are looking forward to many years with him as a hunting partner as well as a family pet.
Leslie Licis

Dear  Lee Ann,
 
Hello! We thought that you and Dave might enjoy some pics of our puppy, Judah. He is out of the Striker X Starr litter you had in 2005. What a difference a year makes. Judah was just a small arm load when we brought him home and now look at him. He has been a real joy. He has always been eager to learn and he is very trainable. I just wish that I was a more competent trainer. If we had a hunting retriever club in our area, I'm sure that Judah would be well on his way to titling. We had a little trouble early in the season changing over from bumpers to birds, but as you can see by the pictures, he is catching on. He made a 70 yard open water retrieve on one of these geese. I was very proud of him. We hope you enjoy the pictures of our handsome boy!
 
Clayton Brown

Hi Lee Ann,

Our dog Riley (Sammie x Hunter) is nearly 2 years old now! My how time flies. He just gets sweeter every day. He is obsessed with tennis balls (fetching all day long) and loves to swim and run. We continually are amazed by his behavior (he has never eaten or destroyed anything) and desire to learn.

We have attached a few pictures of Riley (one is on a lake in Canada where he spent the summer, and the other was on a hike outside of Boulder).

We saw that Sammie x Hunter are having puppies again! They will be good ones, that is for sure.

I will be driving by Ft. Collins on Thursday and Friday, if you are going to be around perhaps Riley and I could stop in for a visit?

Thanks and a Happy New Year!

Webb & Melissa Embry

Dear Lee Ann,
I have been meaning to write you and let you know how we are getting along with our puppy, but as you know (I am sure), puppies can take up a lot of time and energy so I have been slow in getting to it.  We are just madly in love with this little guy, even if he is a terrorist!  We named him Striker's Lucky Star after Dad, Striker and Mom, Starr.  He is called Luke, meaning "bringer of light" but most of the time Lukey. He is getting so big...can't believe it has just been 4 weeks since we got him.  I am attaching an early picture as well as some recent pictures.  It seems like he is a little bigger (and stronger, and faster, and more mischievous) every day.  We take him on walks with us and he absolutely loves being out with the "big dogs" and playing in the deep snow.  He is smart as a whip too (do all new puppy moms tell you that?)...he already knows sit and come (though we're not always 100% successful).  We're not housetrained yet, but we're about 95% successful in getting him out in time...he seemed to get that idea from the beginning, but we don't always see the signals in time :-)  We've been working on "no bite" but that isn't getting through real well...perils of a puppy, I'm afraid...but the spray bottle is working well with him so the furniture and rugs are still intact.

The older dogs had their knickers in a knot when we brought him home and it became evident he wasn't leaving.  Ranger (11 and a half) has not come around and I doubt he will...he's a retired dog and thinks he's entitled to some peace and quiet.  Luke seems to understand his cautions and steers clear of "Grumpy".  Abbey (8) was a bit torqued at first but she has come around and they seem to enjoy wrestling and playing "bitey face".  Luke doesn't seem to understand (or respect) her cautions so we sometimes have to break them up just to give her some peace.  He has finally breached the sacred "Abbey couch" so that has her a bit concerned...though I am not sure he knows yet how he has done it.
I see by your web site that most of these wonderful puppies have been placed...hope everyone is as thrilled as we are with our new family member.  He's such fun now, I hope I can say the same to you in three months after he takes his toll on shoes and furniture.  Oh well, been there, done that and we are still alive, so I guess we'll survive this one.

All the best,
Margie
12/03/05 Starr X Striker Pup Born 9/9/05

Hi Lee Ann,
We thought you might enjoy some updated pictures of Sam. He’s doing very well and is such a sweetheart.  I’m not too sure he likes the snow yet, but I’m sure he’ll get used to it. He LOVED this fall. The weather was perfect for him and he had a ball rolling around in the piles of leaves.  Scott and I spent an afternoon raking our backyard, which is ¼ of an acre. We left 8 bags of leaves on the back porch, which was a mistake with a curious dog. Sam promptly emptied all eight bags of leaves so he could play in them, which we only discovered the next morning. We won’t do that again.
Enjoy the pics and Happy Holidays!
Best,
Scott and Kadra
11/17/05 Sammie X Striker Pup Born 2/8/05

Hi Lee Ann
I'd thought I would drop you a line and some pictures to let you know Indy is doing great. He is growing like a weed, I can barely pick him up. He eats with almost a piggish gusto. I took him to the Vet at the end of October for his shots and he weighed in at 24lbs. He's very active, he's a notorious sock stealer. He is tall enough now to put his feet up on counter tops, tables etc to see what's up there. We, of course, are discouraging this little behavior. He loves going to his puppy obedience classes and he is doing quite well. He is a smart dog. We're having great fun playing with him and all of his squeaky toys. I'm seeing some flashes of retriever ability but we need to keep working on that. Do have any suggestions to develop his retriever skills? I want to make sure that we can play ball or Frisbee reliably to get him exercise and besides I really enjoy playing ball with dogs. 
Ted
11/15/05 Cassie X Hunter Pup Born 7/19/05

Just a quick update on Deuce. He is doing just great, about 85% house broken, sits, comes and goes to his kennel, etc. He understands "no bite" but chooses to forget you told him in a minute or so. He and our six year old lab are having a great time - still trying to establish "alpha dog". He is definitely an outdoor dog - loves to run and play out in the field, finding all kinds of sticks and twigs to chew and carry. We are so glad we got him.
Thanks Lou Gabby X Hunter Pup Born 12/02/04

Dave is kidding that they get along. Cosmo is a very nice cat and hasn't let Cassie have her way yet. Cassie of course thinks the world is her toy box. She is doing well, getting used to some grooming and doing well with house breaking. She has gotten sent to her room a few times though. She is much loved.
 

Barb and Dave                                 Gabby X Hunter Pup Born 12/02/04
 

Hunter X Misty Litter (A litter that was sired by Hunter)
Lee Ann
Thanks for the email. I'm glad that Tania got in touch with you, and she provided me with your email address. First I would like to say what a great dog I have. I think, no I know that Tania and her family did an absolute magnificent job in raising and socializing the pups. Reggie, that's my little boy, is so able to adapt to new situations and learn - it's incredible. I would also like to say that without a shadow of doubt the pedigree of both the mother and father was obviously first class. From now on I will never ever buy a dog that does not have a proven working background in its linage. I think for my line of work it's absolutely essential. As Tania probably told you Reggie is a working search and Rescue dog in Chile at a place called Portillo (He's actually the only Avalance Search and Rescue Dog in Chile). You can check their web page out at www.skiportillo.com. We are coming to the end of our second full season working here. Coupled with a winter season in Southern Colorado in Silveton, Reggie is definitely a dog that likes snow. Reggie's progression has been impressive to say the least. Luckily for everyone we haven't had to perform a real rescue, however we have performed countless practice ones. He is comfortable in helicopters, snow mobiles, and snow cats and is not scarred to ride lifts. Like I said he is pretty impressive. Last year I took him to Snowmass at Aspen and did a practice rescue in unison with their working dogs. I think the patrol there were impressed as well. Anyway I have attached a couple of photo's and by all means I would love it if you published them on your web page. All the best and thanks for doing such an incredible job with your own dogs.
Mark and Reggi

Thought you would like to see how little River is doing.  He's been an amazing addition to our family as we look forward to many years of happiness with him.  He has adjusted to our home very well and it has been a lot of fun.  Here's some pictures of him that we took last week, as you can see he's already carrying his duck around waiting for the day he can carry the real thing.  If you don't mind, I'd love to stay in touch with you two, we can always use good advice from people who know.  I'd also like to take advantage of your husbands offer to train River and i on how to work together as hunters.  Thanks again for such a great little guy, we love him!

Kyle and Michelle

Belle X Hunter Pup Born 8/21/04

Hi Lee Ann!
I know it's been a long time since I last wrote or sent a picture of Riley (Hunter x Sammie), but I thought that you would like to hear how well he is doing. We think that he really looks like Sammie, very light in color and only about 55-6o lbs. He has a great temperament, loves to hike, do tricks, and hang out with us. We get SO many complements on him, and he is a true joy to be around!!  I have attached a picture of Riley's best buddy, Moose. He is our friends dog and they play together. They must know they are both Goldens. In the picture Riley is on the right.
Hope all is well with you. Thanks again!!!
We love Riley!
Cheers,
Melissa Sammie X Hunter Pup Born 2/7/04

It has been a while since I had talked to you. I got to thinking about it when I was telling a friend about your dogs. I think she is going to contact you. She has a golden now, but wants to get another one. My daughter sent me a picture of her puppy, and I thought I would forward it on to you. This is Daisy. She was born in February from the Sammie X Hunter litter. She is wonderful with their baby. All our pups are doing great. Our puppy, Jake looks a lot like Hunter. He is very gentle and calm. he is a real gentleman. I will try to get a picture to you soon.
Talk to you soon.
Sylvia Cassie X Hunter Pup Born 12/6/

Here is one of the pups that Stephanie (Sylvia and Will Rosenbach's daughter) got from me. This picture was just too cute not to put out on the website. Her name is Ruby and she is about 9 weeks old in this picture.
 

Cassie X Hunter Pup Born 12/6/03

 Lee Ann & David Heldt                        Email:  leeannheldt@huntersgoldstrike.com

 Last Up-dated   07/03/2008

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