About us
Marieke, Joost and two Goldens
An ordinary family in an ordinary house, with a big heart for one breed. This is who we are and why we do what we do.
How it started
It all began with Isa
In 2014 Isa came to live with us, our first Golden. She was so sweet, clever and easy that friends kept asking: ‘If she ever has puppies, can we have one?’ After a lot of reading, courses and conversations with experienced breeders, Isa had her first litter in 2019.
From her second litter, in 2021, Fenna stayed with us. And from Fenna’s first litter, in 2023, Lotte stayed. Isa passed away last year at the age of eleven; her photo still stands on the windowsill.
We are members of the breed club and breed according to its breeding rules. Every puppy gets a pedigree from the Raad van Beheer, the Dutch Kennel Club.
Who we are
The people behind Wilgenveld
Marieke
Breeder and first point of contact
Marieke works three days a week as a doctor’s assistant and spends the rest of her time at home with the dogs. She does the introductory talks, keeps the waiting list and is always the first one awake at night when there’s a litter.
Joost
Garden, walks and puppy socialisation
Joost is a gardener and built the whelping box and the fenced puppy garden himself. He introduces the puppies to grass, gravel, water and outdoor sounds, and he is always up for a long walk in the polder.
What we stand for
What you can expect from us
We breed according to the breeding rules of the breed club, but what drives us goes beyond rules.
Raised indoors
Our puppies are born in the room next to the kitchen. They hear the hoover, the doorbell and children’s voices before they move to their new home.
Healthy parents, on paper
Both parents are officially screened for hips (HD), elbows (ED) and eyes (ECVO). We are happy to show you the results.
Honest advice
If a Golden doesn’t suit your life right now, we’ll tell you. An honest conversation is better than a puppy in the wrong place.
Help for life
House training, adolescence, food or an older dog: you can always call or message us, even when your puppy is long grown up.
A look inside our home
Everyday life at Wilgenveld
No studio, no polished pictures: this is what an ordinary week looks like here.
Interested in a puppy?
Come and meet us first
Put your name on the waiting list or just give us a call. A cup of coffee, a sniff around the garden and all your questions: that is how it always starts with us.