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Golden Paws
Meet the breeder
I'm Nikki D., the breeder behind Golden Paws located in Iron Station, NC. It’s been such a pleasure to be able to watch every stage of puppy life! We’re so lucky to be able to do this and match wonderful families with our perfect puppies. The health of our dogs always comes first. We're committed to ethical breeding & a continued effort to enhance the breed standard.
Q. & A. with Nikki
Why did you start breeding?
We knew we wanted to breed dark golden retrievers when we purchased Luna for our daughter who was 6 and our then 2-year-old son. We had recently lost our sweet chocolate lab, and our house was too empty. Then we found Luna. Everyone fell in love with her, and we knew one day, we wanted to have one of her puppies to keep for our growing family as well, because she was just the most amazing dog.What makes your program special?
We raise our puppies in our home around children, cats, other dogs, and many new people. They are always around new sounds, and we introduce them to ENS. They are constantly loved on by our whole family all day long. We strive for a kennel-free environment, but we do introduce crates open in their safe zone to go in and out of freely.What are the different breed coat colors in your program?
Our puppies are dark golden. Colors will vary depending on the parent dogs.Where do your breeding dogs live?
They live in my home.
Matched dogs
These dogs are already reserved or have gone home.
Petrie- Yellow Male
Went homeMale
Shorty- Black Male
Went homeMale
Getting a puppy from Nikki
Nikki has been certified by Good Dog’s screening team for responsible and trusted breeding practices. When you’re ready to reach out, feel free to ask any questions about the breed, their program, or specific puppies.
Together, you’ll choose the puppy that’s right for you, stay in touch with regular updates, and plan how to bring your new puppy home.
Price
Puppy prices include a $500 non-refundable deposit and between $2,000 - $2,200 final payment, before taxes & fees.
“The price includes the health guarantee, AKC registration, microchip, EMBARK HEALTH TESTED, first round of vaccines, and dewormings, as well as puppy socialization. Our puppies include registration for AKC and microchip and are all the same price regardless of size and color per litter. But Prices per litter may fluctuate.”
Contract & health guarantee
Nikki may provide a written contract or health guarantee when you purchase a puppy. This helps protect both you and your breeder, ensuring that you both have a clear understanding of the terms of your puppy purchase. If Nikki offers a contract or guarantee, the details will be personalized by them. If you have any questions or want to know more, don’t hesitate to reach out to Nikki directly.
Always communicate and pay on Good Dog.Learn more
What’s included
From Good Dog
- Lifetime support from Good Dog’s Care Team
- 10% lifetime discount on Figo pet insurance
- Puppy Training Program & private community
Enrichment & socialization
- Various sounds
- Car rides
- Surface & tactile stimulation
- Socialized with children
- Socialized in new places
- Scent introduction
- Daily handling
- Socialized with other dogs
- Introduced to people of different ages and appearances
- Socialized with other animals
Puppy health practices
- Vet check
- First round of shots and deworming
- Vet records
- Microchip
Extras
- Blanket with mom & littermates’ scent
- Food & treats
- Initial potty training
- Puppy starter kit
- Toys
- Basic obedience & manners
- Registration
Location & pick-up
You can drive or fly to pick up your puppy from Nikki.
Breeder’s location
Meet in Iron Station, NC
4385 miles away
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Other pick-up locations
Meet at Concord-Padgett Airport
4371 miles away
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More about Nikki
Certifications & recognitions
OFA, CHIC Certified.
Nikki has been a member of Good Dog for 11 months
Nikki was screened for responsible practices and has been a member since 2025.
Nikki is a trusted Good Dog breeder
Golden Paws meets or exceeds our community standards in these areas:
- Responsible breeding practices
- Health of breeding dogs and puppies
- Puppy environment and enrichment
- Buyer education and policies
Litter and program updates
Nikki D.
Litter update on 01 May •…Four of our sweet puppies have gone on their forever homes and the other three are leaving this week. We are so grateful to have found the most amazing families. Stay tuned for our next litter spring 2026!!
Dart and Luna's litter
Nikki D.
Litter update on 13 Apr. •Lots of Pupdates! Mostly yellow Petrie!
Dart and Luna's litter
Nikki D.
Litter update on 07 Apr. •
Dart and Luna's litter
Nikki D.
Litter update on 04 Apr. •More 4.5 week old update!
Dart and Luna's litter
Nikki D.
Litter update on 04 Apr. •…4 weeks old! Got an upgrade from the whelping pens to a new area in the living room for extra socialization and also a fun outside area on our porch for sunshine and outdoor sounds! Getting very playful and still have one male looking for a home
Dart and Luna's litter
Nikki D.
Litter update on 21 Mar. •Eat sleep poop repeat
Dart and Luna's litter
Nikki D.
Litter update on 21 Mar. •Getting big fast
Dart and Luna's litter
Nikki D.
Litter update on 21 Mar. •Happy fed babies
Dart and Luna's litter
Nikki D.
Litter update on 21 Mar. •Walking walking walking
Dart and Luna's litter
Nikki D.
Litter update on 21 Mar. •…17 days old! Growing fast! 3 males still need to find their forever homes and each one of our puppies are absolutely perfect! Starting to take their first steps and eyes are almost all the way open! White they start using their vision and their ears open up to allow hearing, the world is getting very exciting to them! We even see them starting to play with each other and it is precious!
Dart and Luna's litter
Parent dogs
Luna, mom
Golden Retriever
About Luna
Luna is our spunky girl who loves all kids and all animals! She is a sucker for a good belly rub and the most passionate mother. This will be Luna’s second and last litter so this is your last chance to get one of her beautiful puppies. She has undergone all her health testing to assure healthy puppies, as well as DNA health Embark testing to make sure we breed only the healthiest pups. Her first litter was absolutely perfect and I know these will be too!
Parent health testing
Breeder-Reported Testing
Excellent level
Golden Paws reports to performing the health tests below on their breeding dogs. Ask your breeder about the tests performed on the parents of your litter. Learn more about health testing for Golden Retrievers.
Hip Dysplasia (rDVM, not registered), Hip Dysplasia
Hip testing reduces the chance of passing down hip dysplasia, which is primarily found in large breed dogs and can cause hip pain and the eventual loss of the function of the hip joint.
Elbow Dysplasia (rDVM, not registered), Elbow Dysplasia Finals (OFA, BVA, SV, FCI)
Elbow testing reduces the chance of passing down elbow dysplasia, which is primarily found in large breed dogs and can cause arthritis in the elbow joint and front leg lameness.
Eye Examination (rDVM, not registered with OFA), Eye Certification (CAER, registered with OFA)
Eye testing reduces the chance of passing down a wide range of hereditary eye illnesses including retinal dysplasia, lens luxation, and glaucoma, which can cause impared vision or blindness.
Cardiac Evaluation (rDVM, not registered with OFA), Cardiac Evaluation (registered with OFA)
Heart testing reduces the chance of passing down congenital heart disease, which can cause a range of symptoms ranging from trouble exercising to heart failure.
Ichthyosis, Golden Retriever Type
A breeder may perform additional tests on their dogs that do not fall into these general categories. These tests may be more uncommon or very specific to a particular breed.
DNA Disease Panel, Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis 5 (NCL5), Golden Retriever Type, Degenerative Myelopathy (DM; SOD1A), PRA, Rod-Cone Degeneration (PRA-prcd), PRA, Golden Retriever 2, PRA, Golden Retriever 1
Genetic testing reduces the chance of passing down a wide variety of hereditary diseases of differing prevalence and severity such as Progressive Retinal Atrophy (an eye disease) and Von Willebrand's Disease (a blood disease).
