First a little about us.....After 20 years working in our respective careers and training Retrievers as a hobby, we took the plunge and fulfilled a longtime goal of owning and operating a full-service Professional Retriever Training, Breeding and Boarding kennel which has become one of the finest facilities of it's kind.  Sue's 20 years experience working as a Registered Nurse and Dave's 20 years working at General Electric as a CNC Programmer and Process Engineer still come into play on a regular basis as we care for the pups and train the adult dogs here at WASSOOKEAG.  Whether it's attending to a medical situation during the whelping process or designing and building the best possible equipment and training aids for our dogs and puppies to use and enjoy, skills from our previous careers are drawn upon continually.  We are always looking to gain more knowledge by keeping up on current periodicals and literature as it becomes available and attending seminars and workshops given by world renowned experts throughout the country. 

     Dave and Sue personally give each WASSOOKEAG newborn pup 24/7 around the clock care.  Our newborn puppies receive Early Neurological Stimulation exercises. - as outlined in the Super Dog Program which consists of five very specific exercises performed on each puppy daily from 3 - 16 days of age - a period of rapid neurological growth and development, - This program produces neurological stimulation that does not naturally occur at this early age.

The documented benefits of this program are:

- improved cardiovascular performance
- stronger heart beats
- stronger adrenal gland function
- increased tolerance to stress and
- greater resistance to disease compared to non stimulated puppies.

     This program is carried out in addition to all of the normal socialization and handling that the puppies receive at WASSOOKEAG while in our care.

     At precisely four weeks of age, puppies are moved to a larger indoor living area where they safely romp and play with various stimulating games, tunnels, and toys. When the outside temperature permits, puppies spend time outdoors getting acquainted with new sights, sounds and smells. During cold or wet weather, WASSOOKEAG puppies have access to our large, matted training room where they have the opportunity to race around the huge open space, enter tunnels and play with their favorite toys.

     Once weaned, the litter will receive the highest quality, nutritionally balanced diet available supplemented with plain yogurt. This provides a strong foundation for good health and ideal growth and development of young, active Retrievers.

     At six weeks of age we introduce the pups, as a litter, to a clipped wing pigeon or quail. The competitiveness of the group makes the bird introduction a pleasant experience for all, leaving a
positive bird imprint in their minds.

     Plenty of unstructured handling and play by adults and children also takes place during this time to promote exceptional human bonding and socialization.

     By the time they are ready to go, WASSOOKEAG puppies will have interacted with many visitors, encountered different floor surfaces, partaken in outdoor games, experienced different environments, and will have been exposed to a vast array of sights and sounds. This stimulation assists in assuring a strong foundation for a sound and balanced temperament and better trainability.

     Formal structural and temperament testing will be performed at exactly 49 days of age using the Volhard Puppy Personality Profile.

     Proper puppy raising takes a LOT of time, dedication and commitment but the effectiveness of these "jump start" exercises during the first eight weeks of life can never be duplicated again. Consider this - newborn pups start out with their eyes and ear canals closed, have a limited digestive system, depend on external sources for body heat, and can only smell, suck, and crawl. By just six weeks of age they see, hear, walk, run, eat and digest solid food, regulate their own body heat, play, reason, and develop personality traits unique to themselves! **Puppies that are left alone much of the day during their first eight weeks DO NOT receive these important benefits which are vital to optimal development now and throughout the puppies’ life.

     Before the puppies leave WASSOOKEAG, they will have dew claws removed, receive their first series of vaccinations, routine worming, a thorough veterinary examination and will be microchipped for identification. Our unmatched three year health guarantee shows the confidence we have in our breeding program.

     We are your puppy’s breeder for it's entire lifetime and are thoroughly committed to you and your new family member.