River Close Goldens

Christopher L.

Breeder of Golden Retrievers

Meet the breeder

I'm Christopher L., the breeder behind River Close Goldens located in Valrico, FL. Health tested dogs. Tons of repeat families and referrals. Our puppies are now located across the globe :)We take pride in our "River Close Family"!

Q. & A. with Christopher

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

    Our puppies are light 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.

Getting a puppy from Christopher

Christopher 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 $1,500 refundable deposit and $2,000 final payment, before taxes & fees.

“AKC registered. Each puppy comes with an official state of Florida health certificate and a guarantee to be free of any congenital defects.”

Contract & health guarantee

Christopher 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 Christopher 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 Christopher 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
    • Extras
      • Initial potty training
      • Puppy starter kit
      • Toys
      • Food & treats
      • Basic obedience & manners
      • Registration
      • Blanket with mom & littermates’ scent

Location & pick-up

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

Breeder’s location

Meet in Valrico, FL

Other pick-up locations

Meet at Tampa Airport

More about Christopher

  • Christopher has been a member of Good Dog for over 2 years

    Christopher was screened for responsible practices and has been a member since 2023.

  • Christopher’s links

Christopher is a trusted Good Dog breeder

River Close Goldens 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

Parent health testing

Breeder-Reported Testing

Excellent level

River Close Goldens 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

    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 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 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 (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).

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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.

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