Hope & Joy Acres

Kristen A.

Breeder of Golden Retrievers, Aussiedoodles, and Australian Shepherds

  • Pamplin, VA ·
  • Responds within a few hours

Meet the breeder

I'm Kristen A., the breeder behind Hope & Joy Acres located in Pamplin, VA. Our goal is to sell reasonably priced, healthy puppies. Puppies come with a health guarantee contract, are kept indoors until they go to their new homes, are exposed to other dogs/cats/kids/normal household activity, started on puppy pads, been dewormed 4x and have received their first puppy shots.

Q. & A. with Kristen

  • Why did you start breeding?

    An Australian Shepherd named “Cali” started it all. She was Kristen’s first Aussie, and she fell in love with the breed. Kristen started breeding Australian Shepherds in 2011. Breeding Aussiedoodles starting in 2018 added another layer to the excellence the farm offers. Then in 2021, we bought an AKC Golden pup, to begin offering Golden Retrievers and Goldendoodles in 2025.

  • What makes your program special?

    They do not sell to puppy stores, have no interactions with “puppy mills”, do not overbreed their females, keep all dogs living in their home as family members (puppies, too!), and keep prices in a reasonable range, so all families can afford quality dogs. At 4 weeks of age, due to focused study of their puppies, they can tell you what the puppy’s energy, talkative, and submissive levels will be.

  • What are the different breed sizes in your program?

    Aussiedoodle puppies are standard size. Sizes will vary depending on the parent dogs.

  • What are the different breed coat colors in your program?

    Our Golden Retriever puppies include golden and light golden. Aussiedoodle puppies include brown and white, sable, apricot, blue merle, red merle, black phantom, black and white, black tri-color, red phantom, and red tri-color. Australian Shepherd puppies include red merle, blue merle, black tri-color, and red tri-color. 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.

Getting a puppy from Kristen

Kristen has been certified by Good Dog’s screening team for responsible and trusted breeding practices. When you’re ready, reach out to ask about the puppies or anything else on your mind. You’ll get to know each other through messaging, phone, or video and pay securely, all on Good Dog.

After buyers complete the application and screening process, Kristen partners with them to find the best puppy match.

“Puppies are matched with owners with respect to the owners choosing their best fit. We will make suggestions on request as puppies age based on personality, energy level and submission levele.”

Price

Puppy prices include a $500 non-refundable deposit and between $200 - $1,000 final payment, before taxes & fees.

“The price includes puppy, deworming (3 or 4x), first shots, and living in our home for 2 months (no kennels!) exposure training. AKC registration for Golden Retrievers. Australian Shepherds require and non-refundable $250 deposit. Doodles and Golden Retrievers require a non-refundable $500 deposit. Deposits go toward puppy purchase price.”

Contract & health guarantee

Kristen 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 Kristen 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 Kristen directly.

All contracts are handled securely through Good Dog.

You’re protected
on Good Dog

When you pay and communicate on Good Dog, you’re covered by Payment Protection.

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
      • Surface & tactile stimulation
      • Socialized with children
      • Socialized in new places
      • 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
    • Extras
      • AKC registration

Location & pick-up

You can drive or fly to pick up your puppy from Kristen.

Breeder's location

Meet in Pamplin, VA

4199 miles away

·

Other pick-up locations

Flexible meeting point

Kristen can meet at a location that works for both of you

More about Kristen

  • Kristen has been a member of Good Dog for about 1 year

    Kristen was screened for responsible practices and has been a member since 2025.

  • Kristen’s links

Kristen is a trusted Good Dog breeder

Hope & Joy Acres 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

Parent dogs

All breeds

Australian Shepherd

Golden Retriever

Parent health testing

Aussiedoodle

Australian Shepherd

Golden Retriever

Hope & Joy Acres 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 Aussiedoodles.

  • Full Embark Panel

    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).

Verified owner stories

Hear what other owners say about working with Kristen to bring home their puppies.

  • Leah W.

    Verified owner · Aug. 2026

    Kristen was an absolute joy to work with! She was incredibly knowledgeable about the breed and her puppies, and she always took the time to send us pictures and videos of our boy. She even met us halfway to make the pickup commute more manageable, which we really appreciated. Mookie has been such a wonderful addition to our family. He is a happy, healthy boy who was clearly very well cared for from the start. We couldn’t be happier with our experience and would highly recommend Kristen to anyone looking for a caring and knowledgeable breeder!

    Kelly D.

    Verified owner · Aug. 2026

    Working with Kristen was a wonderful experience. She is very knowledgeable on Australian Shepherds. We purchased the sweetest Aussie pup named Sadie from her a couple weeks ago. Prior to purchasing Sadie, we visited Kristen's home and were able to handle the puppies and see which one we wanted. We fell in love immediately with Sadie and put down our deposit to come back and get her at 8 weeks. During the couple of weeks in between, Kristen sent pictures and videos of our girl which we loved receiving. She also was available to answer any questions we had along the way. If you are looking for an Aussie, an Aussie Doodle, or a Golden Retrieve, I highly recommend Kristen! She takes great care of them and even starts age appropriate training before they are old enough to go to their forever home.

    Brooke A.

    Verified owner · Aug. 2026

      • +4

    Kristen was amazing during our process of getting our golden! She answered every question we had and offered amazing advice and guidance not only before we picked up our pup, but during the training process as well! We had the chance to meet our Goldens mom as well and Kristen showed clear love and care for all of her pups! We could not be happier with our golden and he has been the best dog with the most gentle and loving demeanor!

  • McKenzie G.

    Verified owner · Aug. 2026

    I have nothing but great things to say about Kristen and Hope & Joy Acres. Kristen always answered our questions we had. Our sweet boy, now named Koda, is better than anything we could’ve imagined.

    Karen E.

    Verified owner · Aug. 2026

    Kristen was wonderful to work with in finding our new puppy! We were sent weekly photos and videos so we could watch her grow. This puppy is only 8 weeks old and the smartest most well adjusted puppy we have ever had! Kristen works very hard to train these puppy's before they go to their homes. This 8 week old puppy on her first day with us..does not chase our cats (she couldn't care less about them. She already gets along with our 11 year old collie. Played all afternoon with 5 of our grandkids, and went to each one so no one was left out of puppy kisses. She follows us all around our yard, and comes when called. And is already going potty outside. She has completely stolen all of our hearts, and a very welcome new member of our family! I highly recommend this breeder and give a 5+ star rating!!

    Brenna N.

    Verified owner · July 2026

    Kristen was really great to work with inorder to receive our new Aussie puppy, Peanut. Her communication was fast and full of knowledgeable. You can tell she is passionate about the work she does and in making sure the puppies are well taken care of! We can’t thank you enough for our new blessing 🐾

Photos

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Health testing is one key piece of responsible breeding and is performed on breeding dogs to prevent the presence of heritable conditions in their puppies.

Health testing is one key piece of responsible breeding and is performed on breeding dogs to prevent the presence of heritable conditions in their puppies.

Health testing is one key piece of responsible breeding and is performed on breeding dogs to prevent the presence of heritable conditions in their puppies.

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