Root River Retrievers

Lucy T.

Breeder of Golden Retrievers

  • Grand Meadow, MN

Meet the breeder

I'm Lucy T., the breeder behind Root River Retrievers located in Grand Meadow, MN. Each dog is carefully selected & fully health screened for our pairing. I dedicate a lot of time in research to each breeding. I pair temperaments, style, build, drive...ect to gain optimum results in offspring. We do all GRCA recommended health testing, while keeping low COI in all offspring.

Q. & A. with Lucy

  • Why did you start breeding?

    I fell in love with Golden Retrievers and wanted to be a piece of history in helping restore and preserve Golden Retrievers for their original intent, that is, in the field and home, as well as striving to restore health to the breed in whole.

  • What makes your program special?

    I believe in the importance of selecting the best pairings to produce outstanding offspring in the areas of temperament,style & health. With careful selection of parent dogs, I am able to pass the very best traits & qualities to offspring. I breed litters I want myself and my puppies show it! They are versatile, birdy, biddable while at the same time, possessing an off switch for down time!

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

    Our puppies include dark golden and golden. Colors will vary depending on the parent dogs.

  • Where do your breeding dogs live?

    They live in my home and a kennel on my property.

Matched dogs

These dogs are already reserved or have gone home.

Getting a puppy from Lucy

Lucy 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 deposit and between $1,000 - $4,000 final payment, before taxes & fees.
Pay over time with Klarna.

“Price depends on the pedigree of the litter and/or training level. Deposit is refundable in the case of the death or illness of the puppy or should I not have the gender you wanted from the litter of your choice.”

Contract & health guarantee

Lucy 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 Lucy 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 Lucy 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
      • 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
      • Puppy starter kit
      • Initial potty training
      • Toys
      • Food & treats
      • Basic obedience & manners
      • Registration

Location & pick-up

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

Breeder’s location

Meet in Grand Meadow, MN

4416 miles away

·

Other pick-up locations

Meet at Minneapolis−Saint Paul Airport

4380 miles away

·

More about Lucy

  • Club memberships

    Lucy is a member of Central Minnesota Retriever Club and Southern MN Retriever Club.

  • Lucy has been a member of Good Dog for about 4 years

    Lucy was screened for responsible practices and has been a member since 2021.

  • Lucy’s links

Lucy is a trusted Good Dog breeder

Root River Retrievers 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

Great level

Root River Retrievers 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 (Preliminary), 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 (Preliminary), 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 , 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, Brucellosis

    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.

  • OFA/CHIC DNA Repository, Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis 5 (NCL5), Golden Retriever Type, 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).

Verified owner stories

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

  • Ali B.

    Verified owner · Sept. 2025

    Lucy was amazing to work with! She communicated with us every step of the way and made the whole process of bringing a new puppy home so smooth! We are so happy with our puppy and he’s added so much joy to our life!

    Emily B.

    Verified owner · June 2025

    I am so happy that I got my golden girl from Lucy and Root River Retrievers! You can tell they really care about their dogs and their puppies. Lucy was great to work with and made the process easy. Highly recommend!

    JEN C.

    Verified owner · July 2024

    Great experience finding our "good dog". Thanks Root River Retrievers

  • Diana S.

    Verified owner · July 2025

    Lucy was great and our baby golden is even better!

    AL

    Arielle L.

    Verified owner · July 2024

    I recently had an incredible experience with Lucy at Root River Retrievers, and I can’t recommend her highly enough! From the moment I started planning to bring home our new puppy, Lucy was extremely helpful and accommodating. She provided clear and timely communication, making the entire process seamless. Using the Good Dog app was also a breeze. It made coordinating with Lucy so easy, allowing for quick updates and access to all the necessary information. I felt informed and reassured every step of the way. Lucy went above and beyond by personally flying with our female puppy to our local airport for an in-person pick-up. This level of dedication and care was truly exceptional. She also ensured our puppy was up to date with shots and had a microchip, giving us peace of mind. Lucy kept me updated regularly with pictures and videos, which was wonderful. It was clear how much she cares for her dogs, and the love and attention she gives them really shows. When I met Lucy at the airport, she provided all the paperwork for the AKC certification and took the time to explain everything to me, ensuring I felt confident and prepared. Overall, my experience with Lucy at Root River Retrievers and using the Good Dog app was exceptional. The care, communication, and professionalism were top-notch, and I couldn’t be happier with our dream dog for my husband and our family. Thank you, Lucy!

    Anne C.

    Verified owner · July 2024

    Lucy is a very caring and friendly person, who loves her dogs and takes very good care of them and their puppies. She is very knowledgeable and has plenty of friendly advice to share with those of us who adopt the puppies. She obviously has the best interest of the puppies at heart. She encouraged me to kep in frequent contact with Anne Caldwell her to share how my puppy is doing, and to ask any questions about how to care for him. I would definitely recommend Root River Retrievers to anyone who might be interested in adopting a Golden Retriever puppy.

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.