RAES Of Gold

17/08/2026

Our Feeding Philosophy 🥩🥦💛

One of the questions we receive most often is...

"What do you feed your dogs?"

The answer isn't one specific brand or one specific diet but we do have our preferences, and all puppies are raised on as well as TOTW Kibble.

Our philosophy is simple:

Feed real food, prioritise quality ingredients, and provide variety where appropriate.

At RAES OF GOLD, our dogs are raised on a balanced diet that includes premium complete foods alongside fresh, whole foods. Depending on the individual dog and life stage, this may include:

🥩 Raw meaty bones (fed appropriately and under supervision)
🥩 Human-grade meats
🥕 Fresh vegetables
🫐 Fruits that are safe for dogs
🥚 Eggs
🐟 Oily fish
🍖 High-quality complete diets to ensure nutritional balance

We don't believe there is a single "perfect" way to feed every dog.

Every dog is an individual, and factors such as age, activity level, health, breeding status, and body condition all influence what works best.

What we do believe is that nutrition matters.

A healthy diet supports:
✨ Growth and development
✨ Healthy skin and coat
✨ Strong muscles and bones
✨ Gut health
✨ Immune function
✨ Overall wellbeing

Our puppies are introduced to a wide variety of flavours and textures from an early age. We believe this not only provides nutritional benefits but also helps create confident eaters who transition more easily into their new homes.

Whether you choose premium kibble, fresh food, raw feeding, or a carefully balanced combination, our advice is always the same:

Feed the highest quality diet you can consistently provide, make changes thoughtfully, and always prioritise your dog's long-term health over trends.

Healthy dogs start with thoughtful breeding—but they thrive through great nutrition. 💛

As always, this post reflects what works for our dogs and breeding program. Every dog is different, and owners should seek veterinary advice if they have concerns about their dog's individual nutritional needs.

14/08/2026

🛁 Bath time is about more than getting clean! 🐾✨

One of the things we focus on at RAES OF GOLD is introducing our puppies to everyday experiences before they head to their forever homes — and that includes bath time!

Being bathed introduces puppies to warm water, different surfaces, new sounds, being handled all over their body, having their paws touched and, of course, the dreaded towel dry. 😂

When these experiences are introduced early and gently, in a positive way, they become normal rather than something scary or overwhelming later in life.

For us, raising puppies isn't just about keeping them fed, clean and healthy. It's about giving them positive early experiences that help build confident, adaptable dogs. 💛

And after all that exploring, learning and getting messy…

Sometimes you just need a bathtub full of goldens. 😂🛁🐶
https://lyka.com.au/join/RAESOFGOLD

02/08/2026

Why do we DNA test our breeding dogs?

One of the questions we're asked most often is why we invest so heavily in DNA testing.

The answer is simple: because every puppy deserves the best possible start in life.

DNA 🧬 testing allows us to identify whether our dogs are Clear, Carriers, or Affected for a range of inherited genetic conditions known to occur in Golden Retrievers. This information helps us make informed breeding decisions that significantly reduce the risk of producing puppies affected by preventable inherited diseases.

But here's something many people don't realise...

🐾 Being a carrier is not the same as being unhealthy.

Many perfectly healthy dogs are carriers of a recessive gene. A carrier will never develop the disease themselves and can still be an excellent breeding dog when paired responsibly with a DNA-clear mate. Excluding every carrier from breeding would dramatically reduce the genetic diversity of the breed—which can create new health problems in the future.

Responsible breeding isn't about finding "perfect" dogs.
It's about making responsible, evidence-based breeding decisions.

At RAESOFGOLD, 🧬 DNA testing is just one piece of the puzzle. We also health test our breeding dogs through:

✔ Hip and elbow scoring
✔ Specialist eye examinations
✔ Cardiac screening
✔ Temperament assessment
✔ Careful pedigree research

No breeder can guarantee a puppy will never develop a health issue—biology simply doesn't work that way. However, ethical breeders use every available tool to stack the odds in the puppies' favour.

Our goal has never been to breed the most puppies.

Our goal is to breed healthy, well-tempered Golden Retrievers that families can enjoy for many years to come. 💛

01/08/2026

New definition of self-care:

✔ Warm bath
✔ Relaxing atmosphere
✔ Golden Retriever puppies

Wouldn't change a thing. 🥹💛

Photos by
Litter: May 2026 "Bravery adition"

30/07/2026

There is a lot of debate around feeding bones, and it’s something we’ve always approached with caution and until recently hadn’t used!

First and foremost, we are not veterinarians, and this post is simply sharing our own experience. Every dog is different, and we encourage owners to do their own research and speak with their veterinarian about what is appropriate for their individual dog.

That said, one thing that has made a remarkable difference for Mocha and her normal puppy behaviours has been raw beef brisket bones.

Since introducing them, we’ve noticed:
🤎 Excellent natural dental cleaning.
🤎 Long-lasting mental enrichment and a healthy outlet for chewing.
🤎 Strong jaw exercise.
🤎 Firmer stools.
🤎 A content, relaxed dog after a good chew session.

We are incredibly selective with the bones we offer. We only feed RAW beef brisket bones, always supervise our dogs while they’re chewing, remove any small or unsafe pieces, and never feed cooked bones, as these can splinter and pose a serious risk.

Bones aren’t suitable for every dog, and they do carry risks. That’s why we believe supervision and choosing an appropriate bone are essential. They’re not something we recommend lightly.

For Mocha, however, they’ve been a fantastic addition to her routine, and the benefits we’ve seen have been significant.

As always, responsible dog ownership is about finding what works safely for your individual dog while making informed decisions.

Have you found a raw bone your dog absolutely loves? We’d love to hear about your experience below! 🦴🐾

29/07/2026

💛🌻 The best start doesn’t happen by chance—it happens at home.

Every RAES OF GOLD puppy begins life where they belong—in our home, surrounded by love, care and everyday family life.

From sleepy cuddles on the lounge to new experiences, play, and early socialisation, every day is an opportunity to build confident, happy and well-rounded Golden Retrievers.

We don’t just raise puppies—we help shape future family members. 🐾

✨ Health. Temperament. Purpose.

15/07/2026

07/07/2026

The pride we have in Bella is next level 🤎

She has been, and continues to be, the most incredible mum we could have ever hoped for. Every ounce of love, patience and devotion she has shown her babies has made us even prouder to call her ours.

Now it's time for her to enjoy a well-earned break, get back to her beach walks, and simply be Bella again. But one thing is certain—she couldn't possibly love her puppies any more than she does.

Watching her raise this beautiful litter has been nothing short of amazing, and we couldn't have asked for a better foundation female for RAES OF GOLD

Photo by

29/06/2026

Important Information for New Puppy Parents. Please take a moment to read this carefully.

When you bring home an 8-12 week-old puppy, you’re not bringing home a small dog. You’re bringing home a baby whose body is still under construction.

At this stage, their bones have not yet fused, their joints are unstable, and much of their support system is made up of soft, flexible cartilage rather than solid bone.

This is why puppies move with exaggerated steps, loose limbs, and awkward turns. It isn’t clumsiness—it’s biology.

A young puppy’s joints rely on developing muscles, tendons, and ligaments that have not yet learned how to stabilize movement properly. Balance, grip, and shock absorption are still minimal.

Every movement your puppy makes is being used by their body as a blueprint for how those joints will form later in life.

This is why overexercising a young puppy is not harmless.
Short, controlled bursts of play on safe surfaces are normal and necessary.

However, repeated stress such as long walks, excessive running, sharp turns, jumping off furniture, or slipping on slick floors can cause microscopic trauma to joints that are still shaping themselves.

Each hard landing or uncontrolled slip sends force through cartilage that isn’t ready to absorb it. Over time, this can alter how joints grow, align, and stabilize.

The effects usually don’t appear right away. Instead, they may show up months or even years later as:

Early arthritis
Hip or elbow dysplasia
Chronic joint pain

Poor movement or shortened stride
Increased risk of injury in adulthood
Letting a puppy jump off a couch or bed may seem harmless in the moment, but repeated impact teaches fragile joints to absorb force in unhealthy ways.

Long distance walks before growth plates close may build stamina, but they do not build sound structure.

Slippery tile or hardwood floors force joints to twist and compensate in ways they were never designed to handle.
You only get one opportunity to grow a puppy correctly.

A strong, well-built adult dog is the result of both good genetics, good nutrition and responsible upbringing.

Genetics set the potential, but early care determines whether that potential is protected or compromised. Once growth plates close, you can not “fix it later.

There will be plenty of time for hiking, running, agility, jumping, and rough play once your dog’s body is fully developed. Right now, the greatest gift you can give your puppy is restraint, patience, and protection.

Best practices for healthy development:
👌🏻Keep exercise controlled
👌🏻Choose safe, non-slip surfaces
👌🏻Prevent jumping from heights
👌🏻Allow growth to happen slowly and correctly

Quiet now means strong later.
You’re not holding your puppy back. You’re building them for a lifetime.

*used from another breeder*