06/21/2026
đŤ Teton River Retrievers â Our Story, Our Purpose, Our Legacy
For those who are new here, I want to give you a clear picture of who I am, what drives me, and what Teton River Retrievers is built on. Anyone who has worked with us or brought home a puppy already knows this well â but for the rest of you, here is the foundation of our program and the purpose behind everything we do.
My journey started young. Before I ever stepped into the dog world professionally, I was raising 15,000 birds with my dad. That responsibility shaped me early.
By 14, I was the dog captain for a multiâmillionâdollar company, running a crew of 8â12 dog handlers and guiding fullâtime. I lived around retrievers. I saw the good, the bad, and the problems that were becoming far too common in Labradors and other breeds.
From there, I went on to manage a 2,200âacre ranch for 18 years, guiding clients, working dogs daily, and learning firsthand what separates an average Labrador from a truly exceptional one. Those years taught me more about the breed than any book ever could â and they fueled the fire that still drives me today.
I wanted to fix what I was seeing: hip and elbow issues, joint problems, dogs going blind or deaf before ten years old. I wanted stronger genetics, stronger bloodlines, and a healthier future for the Labrador Retriever. Thatâs where my passion began.
"Iâve dedicated my entire life to preserving the legacy of this breed."
Over the years, my knowledge has grown into an encyclopedia of the Labrador. Iâve been a professional trainer, a breeder, and Iâve worked with everything from elite field dogs to the family house dog. Today, we work with veterinarians, dietitians, and geneticists to push the breed forward in every way possible.Iâve worked oneâonâone with the same veterinarians for over 26 years â theyâve become close friends. When I walk into the clinic, they already know Iâve done my homework. They trust me, and I trust them. Iâm not a veterinarian, and I never claim to be, but Iâve been down just about every road. There are very few questions I donât have an answer to, and if any of my clients ever need guidance, Iâm here to point them in the right direction.And when I say Iâm here for you 24/7, I mean it.
If itâs an emergency in the middle of the night, you should absolutely call your veterinarian â but Iâm still here for you. Day or night, I stand behind my clients.
Just this last year, we took that dedication even further. We worked directly with the Labrador Retriever Club (LRC) and the AKC to launch a nationwide petition addressing one of the biggest threats to the integrity of the breed: the rise of silver Labradors â a diluted line with a long history of health issues, questionable origins, and a damaging impact on the Labradorâs reputation.Together, we gathered over 80,000 signatures from breeders, trainers, veterinarians, and Labrador owners across the country. Our collective effort successfully stopped the AKC from moving forward with proposals that would have allowed silver Labradors to be added into the Labrador breeding program or recognized as their own separate entity.This was a massive win â not just for us, but for the entire Labrador community and the future of the breed.
Today, we breed out 274 genetic markers, eliminating every known defect and flaw the Labrador Retriever has ever been associated with. We complete all OFA certifications through the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, and we only breed dogs that score at the top of the scale. If a dog doesnât pass â even for something as small as a seasonal allergy â we will not breed it. We take the loss and place that dog in a loving home at no cost.Because passing problems down the line is not an option for us.
We spend months â sometimes years â researching dogs before we ever consider bringing them into our program. We dig deep into pedigrees to ensure youâre getting proven dogs with intelligence, trainability, and the right temperament. We want versatile Labradors with a calm offâswitch, strong drive in the field, and the ability to be incredible family companions.
"I call it purpose."
Dogs need purpose just like people do. They want to work, to please, to live a meaningful life. And we want every client to understand that. We put in the time, the work, and the love to make sure our dogs go to homes that will give them the life they deserve. Because of that, weâre consistently seeing 15â17 year lifespans. No one can guarantee that â but the testing, the research, the certifications, and the care absolutely make a difference.
Weâre not a massive facility trying to pump out puppies. Weâre smallâscale, intentional, and focused on quality. Our females donât breed until they die â they live full, happy lives. They hunt, hike, swim, and get the love and attention they deserve.And everything Iâve said so far is just scratching the surface.
Our puppies start early scent introduction (ESI) at five days old. We work with them daily â socializing, training, interacting, and preparing them for success from the moment theyâre born until the day they go home.
But what truly sets us apart is this:We donât just sell puppies.
We sell us.When you buy a puppy from Teton River Retrievers, youâre part of our family for life. We offer:100% lifelong breeder support Free oneâonâone training Phone, video, or inâperson help, A full YouTube channel dedicated to Labrador training A comprehensive stepâbyâstep training guide for every client Weâre here for you â and we stand behind you 100%
before anything else, I want to say this clearly: We are deeply, genuinely grateful for our clients.
You stand behind us, and we stand behind you.
We would not be where we are today without your trust, your loyalty, and your belief in what weâre building.Your decision to be part of the Teton River Retriever family means more to us than you know, and we respect every single one of you for choosing to walk this journey with us â not just for today, but for the years to come.The care, effort, and dedication we put into these dogs is truly unmatched.
And the world has taken notice. We are ranked the #1 Labrador Retriever breeder in the Western United States, and among the Top 20 Labrador breeders in the entire country.
Our team, our dogs, our legacy, our reviews, and â most importantly â our clients all stand behind that.
Our goal isnât just for you to succeed with your puppy.
Our goal is for your puppy to succeed with you as well. We board dogs for our clients, we train professionally, we support you for life, and we produce dogs that go on to do everything from search and rescue to drug detection to hiking with their families to becoming champions.
This is Teton River Retrievers.
This is our purpose.
This is our legacy!!