From Her First Breath to Her First Litter: Jo Jo’s Natural Rearing Story

On May 11, 2024, Jo Jo was born in our home. From the moment she arrived, we knew she was the future of our breeding program. Now, more than two years later, we are preparing to welcome her first litter in November 2026, and I find myself thinking about everything that has brought us to this moment.

I have known this dog since her first breath. I watched her grow from a tiny newborn into a curious puppy, and then into the beautiful young Golden Retriever she is today. Soon, I will be beside her as she brings her own puppies into the world. Knowing her so completely makes this next chapter especially meaningful.

When a newborn puppy rests in your hands, you feel the weight of that responsibility. That little life depends on you for everything, and someday, a family will trust you with a piece of their heart. I felt that responsibility when Jo Jo was born, and I will feel it again with each of her puppies.

That trust is a large part of why I love this work. Golden Retrievers have a warmth and willingness to learn that make them wonderful companions, and watching a puppy become the dog a family has dreamed about is one of the greatest joys of being a breeder. With Jo Jo, I have also had the joy of watching the future of our program grow up right here at home.

The Foundation She Was Born Into

Jo Jo is a second generation naturally reared Golden Retriever. Her upbringing began with the foundation we had already built at High Desert Goldens of Idaho, where natural rearing guides our decisions long before a litter is conceived and continues through the care our puppies receive from their very first breath.

For me, that means thinking carefully about how our dogs live every day. What are we feeding them? What are they exposed to? Do they have opportunities to move, explore, rest, and feel secure? Are we following a routine simply because it is familiar, or paying attention to what each individual dog needs?

Our program is vaccine-free because I am against all vaccines. This conviction is rooted in my faith and my belief that, when properly supported, the immune system can function as God intended. You cannot poison your way to health.

I also have deep concerns about chemical flea, tick, and heartworm products and heavily processed kibble. Those convictions helped shape the approach Jo Jo has grown up with: raw feeding, reducing avoidable chemical exposures, and living in an environment where she is loved, observed closely, and supported as an individual.

Raising her this way has required the same daily commitment we give all our dogs. It means noticing changes, continuing to learn, and taking responsibility for our choices. It also means looking beyond food and the products in our home to the experiences that help a puppy become a confident companion.

Patient handling, thoughtful socialization, and exposure to everyday sights and sounds are important parts of that upbringing. Puppies need opportunities to learn to trust people and discover that they can navigate the world around them. Watching Jo Jo grow through those early stages was a joy in itself, and it gave us the chance to get to know the dog she was becoming.

My hope has always been to carry this foundation forward through successive generations while continuing to evaluate the health and temperament of the dogs we breed. Jo Jo brought that hope into our home in a very personal way.

Watching Her Become the Dog We Had Hoped For

As Jo Jo grew, her personality gave us more and more reasons to love her. She has the temperament so many people picture when they think of their dream Golden Retriever. Watching that personality develop has been one of the greatest joys of raising her, and it made our hopes for her future even more meaningful.

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She began basic obedience training as a puppy and met or exceeded the expectations we set for her. She went on to earn several titles, including her Canine Good Citizen, or CGC. I am proud of those accomplishments because I know the time spent learning together that went into them. There is something deeply satisfying about seeing a puppy born in your home become a capable, well mannered companion.

Alongside her training, we worked through her health evaluations as each became appropriate for her age. Jo Jo passed all of her health testing with flying colors, and every result was another encouraging step toward the future we had envisioned for her.

Health testing and careful breeding decisions remain essential parts of our program. Natural rearing guides our daily care, and those evaluations provide information we need when deciding whether a dog is ready to move forward in our breeding program.

Jo Jo has been the picture of health in our home since the day she was born. Having the opportunity to watch her grow and thrive, while getting to know her so closely, has meant more to me than I can put into words.

By the time she turned two in May 2026, we were ready for her first litter. Coincidentally, that was also when we expected her next heat cycle. After two years of raising, training, and preparing her, it seemed as though everything was coming together.

When Our Plans Met Nature’s Schedule

Families had placed deposits and were eagerly waiting for one of Jo Jo’s puppies. We were excited, prepared, and looking forward to finally taking that next step.

Then May came and went. June followed, then July and August. Jo Jo did not begin her cycle for another four months.

Those months were a real test of patience for us and for the families waiting alongside us. When you have spent so much time preparing for something, it is hard to keep waiting without a date to give people. I wanted to share answers. I wanted to see those plans become puppies we could hold in our hands.

But breeding has a way of reminding us how little control we have over the calendar. We can make every plan and prepare every detail, but nature still sets its own schedule.

For me, the wait became a lesson in trusting God’s timing. I had to let go of the timeline I had imagined and give Jo Jo the time her body needed. Our responsibility was to continue caring for her, remain patient, and be ready when the time came.

After knowing her since birth and watching her reach each milestone, this was one more part of her journey that we needed to allow to unfold in its own time.

Preparing to Welcome Her Puppies

Now Jo Jo is expecting her first litter in November 2026, and we could not be more excited.

Her puppies will be third generation naturally reared. This will be my first experience raising puppies this many generations into the approach that means so much to me. Each generation gives us another opportunity to continue the upbringing we value, observe the results, and make thoughtful decisions about the future of our Goldens.

Getting here has taken years of planning, health evaluations, training, daily care, and patience. It has also taken a willingness to keep learning and to wait when the schedule did not look the way we expected.

There are no guarantees in breeding, but every decision we make reflects our commitment to the dogs we bring into this world. Jo Jo’s puppies will carry our natural rearing foundation into a third generation, and we will spend their first eight weeks giving them the love, care, and early experiences that prepare them for life with their new families.

As we prepare for their arrival, I keep thinking about the day their mother was born. The tiny puppy we once held in our hands will soon become a mother herself. The future we imagined for her is becoming a new litter of little lives entrusted to our care.

I also think about the families who have waited with us. I look forward to telling them their puppy has arrived, sharing the first photographs they will treasure, and watching them finally hold the little Golden they have been hoping for.

Those moments are why this work matters so much to me. My love for Golden Retrievers, my commitment to their future, and the trust families place in us all come together in the puppies we raise.

Jo Jo has been loved here since her first breath. Now we are preparing to welcome her puppies with that same love and responsibility. It has taken a long time to reach this moment, but as I look at her and think about what November will bring, I can say with my whole heart that it has been worth it.