How Far Ahead Should You Reserve A Golden Retriever Puppy?
October 27, 2026
This is a question that we get asked a lot. How far ahead do you need to reserve a golden retriever puppy? Our golden retriever waitlist usually runs about 2 to 4 months ahead, so the sooner you join, the more choice you’ll have when it’s your turn. Bringing a new puppy into your home is a big step. We encourage everybody to think about it before making a decision and make sure it’s a good time for you and your family, so you can start off with your new puppy on the best possible foundation!
We keep one waitlist for all of our litters. You join it by filling out our reservation form and placing a deposit, and the deposit goes toward the price of your puppy. If there’s a litter you have your heart set on, you can ask to be added to it, and your spot on that litter is locked in once the puppies are born.
When you reserve, you choose whether you’d like a boy or a girl. If you don’t have a preference, just tell us and we’ll choose for you.
Spots on the list are first come, first served. If you’d like to choose earlier, you can pay for first or second pick of the boys or the girls when you reserve.
Most families join our list about 2 to 4 months before their puppy comes home. Wait time can vary depending on the time of year and how much demand there is. For example, we’re taking reservations for puppies due in November that will go home in January. The sooner you join, the higher up you’ll be when the puppies arrive.
We can’t tell you which puppy will be yours right away, because the families ahead of you get to choose first. Our first and second picks come out to choose their puppies at 7 weeks old, and everyone else chooses in list order on pickup day. Puppies go home at 8 weeks. If more families ask for a litter than there are puppies, you can switch your reservation over to a different litter of your choice.
Once the puppies are born, we’ll email you every week with updates and lots of new photos of each puppy, so you can watch them grow. We post updates here on the blog too, like our 5 week update on Emerald and Brad’s puppies. If you’d like your puppy to come home already started on training, you can also add our training program when you reserve.
Deposits are nonrefundable. If the litter you asked for has more families than puppies, you can switch your reservation to a different litter of your choice.
We ask you to choose when you reserve, and that choice stays with your spot on the list. If you don’t have a preference, we’ll choose for you.
You can pick up here at the farm in Bradford, Maine, meet our delivery run in Kittery, Maine, or fly into Bangor.
When you’re ready, you can see our upcoming litters or reserve a puppy here, we’d love to help you find your next best friend!
