The Golden Virtues

Heather M.

Breeder of Golden Retrievers

Meet the breeder

I'm Heather M., the breeder behind The Golden Virtues located in Gunnison, UT. We raise European-type Golden Retrievers in our home in Utah. Our dogs are fully health tested and have calm, friendly temperaments. Puppies are raised with our family, early socialization, and lots of hands-on care to help them grow into confident, loving companions.

Q. & A. with Heather

Why did you start breeding?
I grew up with Golden Retrievers and always knew I wanted to raise this breed the right way. It took time, research, and saving before the timing was right, but the dream never left. Goldens have always felt like home to me. They complete me, bring joy into my life, and I love having the chance to raise and work with a breed that makes me whole and happy.
What makes your program special?
My program is special because I focus on raising healthy, well-mannered Golden Retrievers in my home, never in kennels. I am devoted to doing things the right way with full health testing, hands-on daily care, and early socialization. I never cut corners and put my whole heart into giving every puppy the best start possible.
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.

Boy 1
Went home
Male
Girl 1
Went home
Female
Boy 2
Went home
Male
Boy 3
Went home
Male
Purple Collar Girl
Went home
Female
Orange Collar Boy
Went home
Male
Pink Collar Girl
Went home
Female
Blue Collar Boy
Went home
Male
Red Collar Boy
Went home
Male
Green Collar Boy
Went home
Male

Getting a puppy from Heather

Heather 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 $3,000 final payment, before taxes & fees.

"Puppies go home with AKC limited registration, age-appropriate vaccinations and deworming, a small bag of their current food, a stuffed toy, a food scoop, and poop bags. A deposit holds your spot on our waitlist and secures your place in puppy selection. Deposits are refundable only if our female does not conceive or if an issue occurs on our end."

Contract & health guarantee

Heather 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 Heather 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 Heather 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
  - AKC registration
  - Toys
  - Food & treats
  - Basic obedience & manners
  - Registration

Location & pick-up

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

Breeder's location

Meet in Gunnison, UT

5291 miles away

Other pick-up locations

Meet at Salt Lake City Airport

5203 miles away

Meet in Ogden, UT

5178 miles away

More about Heather

Club memberships
Heather is a member of red canyons kennel club.
Certifications & recognitions
CHIC Certified, Puppy Culture Breeder, Professional Groomer.
Heather has been a member of Good Dog for about 2 years
Heather was screened for responsible practices and has been a member since 2024.
Heather’s links

Heather is a trusted Good Dog breeder

The Golden Virtues 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

Heather M.
Litter update on 22 Nov 2025 •
Wallen and Faith's litter
Heather M.
Litter update on 22 Nov 2025 •
Take a closer look at the babies. 💙🩷
Wallen and Faith's litter

Parent dogs

Faith, mom
Golden Retriever
About Faith
Faith is a female Golden Retriever about 5 years old. Carefully selected as a great representative of her breed, Heather decided to make her part of their program. Heather has passed Good Dog’s screening process, which involved a review of their breeding practices, environment, and the mental and physical health of their dogs.

Parent health testing

Breeder-Reported Testing

Excellent level

The Golden Virtues 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).