Dear D&S Retrievers, I hunted with my good friend Ken and his dog Max (Ellie and Valor 2012) last season. I was so impressed with Max and with the breed in the field and at Ken's home that I asked Rob Stevens to pick up a pup from your December 2013 litter of Ellie and Valor for me. BUCK, aka Abso-BUC-N-lutely (Go Pirates!), is an incredible dog in the field and at home with our family. My wife and our three children (10, 8, 4) adore him and he is our 4 year olds best friend. He goes to work regularly with me and is a gentlemen's dog. After receiving world class training from Rob Stevens in Canton, OH from February to August 2014, we brought Buck home to Georgia. I began training him in September with guidance from Rob. We opened the 2014 season this morning, November 22 and 11 month old Buck performed more like a seasoned dog of 2-3 years old. He is steady, straight, willing to please, and has a huge motor that gets him through the southern swamps and woodlands. He retrieved multiple marks and blind birds on his first day. Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving! (Anthony Randall, Georgia)
Deb and Scott are very kind people and I think of them when I snuggle with my dogs. They are very loving to animals. They are nice because they let us pet all of the puppies. They train dogs very well and make dogs very smart. (Maddie Anderson - 8 years old)
They gave our doggies to us. I liked visiting Deb and Scott because they let me hold all of the puppies and rub their backs. (Christopher Anderson - 4 years old)
D&S Retrievers came highly recommended to us 2 years ago. We had just lost our black lab, Lexie, and our world was empty and sad. We had 2 young children and none of us could imagine life any longer without a dog. I was immediately drawn to Deb when I called the first time and she offered to let us come and see the dogs on the premises (Harley hadn't even had the puppies yet)! During our visits, Deb and Scott answered all of our questions about their business, the dogs and what life would be like with 2 puppies! They were patient with our children, and even allowed other family members to come with us for visits. One aspect we like most about D&S is that they raise the puppies in their home. The puppies are well socialized from the start with lots of visitors, which developed their well-liked dispositions. Deb and Scott made an effort to include the families in each step of development from pictures, emails and facebook statuses. Our girls, Bella and Katie, are a wonderful part of our family. They are not hunting dogs or work dogs, although their pedigree is distinguished. They are members of our family and best friends to my children. D&S exceeded my expectations in every step of the process! Jenn Anderson, Oxford, MD
I can't say enough wonderful things about D & S Retrievers. They stand apart from other breeders. You are guaranteed that their dogs come from excellent blood lines. They are clean, loved, well-taken care of, vet-checked, well-socialized, intelligent and live with them in their home. Deb & Scott have a very clean, well kept house, property and kennel. They have many years experience and invest alot of time and energy into their dogs. We bought our black lab, Angus 2 years ago. He is wonderful advertising for them since we receive compliments about his features all the time. He is a gorgeous, well-built, well-proportioned dog with a wonderful disposition. We have 3 children and he is so gentle and sweet with them. What is neat about D & S is that after they announce the puppies are born, you are welcome to come and socialize with them. Deb & Scott make you feel so welcome in their home too. They are very organized with posting pictures, info. about their dogs, and puppies on their website. They also walk you through the process of owning a puppy. The care does not stop after you go home with your new puppy, Deb & Scott are there for you to answer any questions. D & S Retrievers are very trustworthy and caring. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a quality Lab. Suzanne LaMastra (New Tripoli, PA)
Caeli is a beautiful, intelligent and loving dog. Everything we were hoping for an more. She has a great temperament, always happy and is truly a people person dog. Many people comment on what a beautiful coat she has as well as body structure. Retrieving comes natural to her and she has been in the water since a pup. She is also always ready and eager to learn and train whatever the class is we are taking. We couldn't have asked for more. From all of our family. Thank you so much. We love her. Maryann Wilson (Temple, PA)
D & S Retrievers made our family feel welcome from the beginning. We saw Harley’s puppies weekly after they were born, and it was so much fun holding the pups and wondering which one would be ours. Deb and Scott were so kind and comforting; they certainly put a lot of work and love into their business. Our Jetta (female yellow lab) is from the 2009 litter and we are so pleased with her. We could not have asked for a better family dog. She is gentle, sweet and lovable. Our friends and family cannot believe how wonderful and well behaved she is. Jetta is not a hunter but she is eager to go on golf cart rides at home and loves to go away in the truck. The Kunkle Family (Kutztown, PA)
When we went looking for a Lab, we chose to pursue a "smart" dog instead of show dog. Bella (Harley x Rumble 2011) is all we were looking for to add to our family. She has a wonderful temperament, although she can be mischievous. We found D&S by a recommendation from their veterinarian. She loves to play with our other Lab Max, and endures endless abuse from our son. Bella has been a wonderful addition to the family. Chris, Germaine and Connor Leavy
Upon meeting Deb and Scott, it was evident to us of their love of labs. We had such a positive experience picking out and purchasing a puppy from these wonderful breeders. Visiting hours were exciting and fun! Weekly pictures on their website allowed us to see the pups grow right before our eyes. All of the puppies are extremely well cared for and extremely well socialized. They have a very special start in life. Our Toby is a very quick learner and a handsome guy. Every morning, he LOVES getting the morning paper and brings it so proudly to us...so adorable. Deb and Scott are so experienced, kind, and knowledgeable. We highly recommend D & S Retrievers!
Cindy & Tom O'Brien (Sinking Spring, PA)
D & S Retrievers was introduced to us by a friend who had recently purchased a puppy. She explained how great their experience was with D&S and showed us many pictures of their beautiful yellow lab. We immediately reserved a puppy from Harley’s next litter without any apprehension and the Mengels met all of our expectations from our very first visit. Deb and Scott welcomed us into their home one week after Harley delivered the puppies. They answered all of our questions, were very patient with our children, and have maintained a relationship with us to this day. Chloe, our yellow lab, has been an excellent addition to our family. She was easily trained, is obedient, great with our children and cat. We highly recommend D&S Retrievers as they will continue to be our “Breeder of Choice.”
Tim, Janine, Paige, Lauren & Maxwell Egan (Whitehall, PA)
Getting a new puppy can be quite an experience. D & S Retrievers made that experience the best anyone could ever ask for. As you know when I first came to you, I was quite devastated with the sudden lost of my yellow lab and best friend. There was a few months from the time I first came to see you and River having her babies that was tough, but it gave me time to grieve for my yellow lab and prepare myself for my new best friend. The wait for River to have the babies was very nerve racking. I would check my computer 10 times a day when it got close, then it happened. Seeing the puppies weekly was just incredible, thanks to D & S Retrievers. The hospitality and welcoming into your home was beyond belief. Scott and Deb make you feel like you have been part of their Labrador family forever. As long as D & S Retrivers exists I will definitely not get a puppy from anywhere else.
Susan Graeff (Kona's Mommy), Temple, PA
We decided it was best to put our sweet girl Kelly down in July of 2013, she was 10. Kelly’s mind was sharp but her body had deteriorated, we were heartbroken over our loss. I was connected to D & S Retrievers a few months later by a co-worker who recently received one of Ellie’s pups. We went to meet Ms River, Deb and Scott when River was expecting. I sat on the sofa in their living room and was immediately accompanied by Harley on one side, Ziva on the other and River at my feet. Deb & Scott’s love of their Lab ladies was evident. Once the pups were born we visited D & S every week to watch all 19 puppies (Ziva’s 9 and River’s 10) grow and thrive was an amazing experience. It was hard to pick our Harley out of the 5 chocolate males, all the puppies were perfect and beautiful how could I pick just one? Each step of the way we felt connected to our fur mommy River. Deb and Scott provided updates on her pregnancy… it was like adopting a child. Getting our boy Harley from D & S was the best experience. He is a happy little “firecracker” who gives our family, including his fur sister Penny, so much joy and delight. Thank you Deb & Scott for a wonderful experience!
The Green – Hoffman Family, (Orefield PA)
Deb and Scott were great people to buy a Labrador Retriever from. They allowed us to come to their place early and pick out which puppy we wanted and then they kept us up to date with pictures each week to show our puppies progress. We love our D & S puppy. He is very healthy and very smart. He is going to be a great hunting dog!
Jordan & Paula Quade, (Mechanicsville, MD)