Our Dogs The Program Litters Visit Apply
Sneads Ferry · North Carolina

Labradors raised
by the sound.

A small, health-focused kennel on the Sneads Ferry side of the water. Family and field lines, raised underfoot in our home.

Start an application See 2026 litters
Who we are

A small kennel on the Sneads Ferry sound

4.9/5
31 reviews on Google
from families across the Carolinas

Sample reviews for this demo. On your live site, this pulls from your real Google Business Profile.

We raise a single litter or two a year, no more. Every puppy is born in the house and spends its first eight weeks underfoot, in the rhythm of a working coastal home: kids coming and going, screen doors, the smell of the marsh at low tide.

Our dogs come from both family and field lines, the calm, biddable kind of Labrador that will sit on the bow of a boat all morning and curl up by your feet all evening. Health comes first, always, before color or looks or anything else.

When a puppy leaves us for its family, it is the result of a real plan: tested parents, an early-development protocol, and a person here for the dog’s whole life.

A litter of yellow Labrador puppies with their paws up on a board across a doorway in the house
Raised in the house, not in runs
How we raise them

A protocol, not a happy accident

  1. 01

    Early neurological and scent work from day three

    We run Puppy Culture protocols alongside Early Neurological Stimulation and Early Scent Introduction. A few seconds of measured stress a day, from day three, builds calmer, more resilient dogs with steadier hearts.

  2. 02

    Raised in the house, never in runs

    Puppies grow up in our kitchen and living room, not an outbuilding. They learn household sound, footsteps, and the ordinary chaos of family life before they ever leave.

  3. 03

    Socialized to the coast we live on

    Surfaces, stairs, crates, the vacuum, children, and the water itself. By go-home they have met boats, docks, and the sound, the things a Carolina sporting dog should know in its bones.

  4. 04

    Weaned onto quality food, vet-checked before go-home

    We wean slowly onto a high-quality puppy food and never rush it. Every puppy sees our veterinarian for a full exam, first vaccinations, and a clean bill of health before it goes anywhere.

Health first

Tested, cleared, and guaranteed

Both parents are fully health-tested before they are ever bred. Clearances are on file and shared with every family. Nothing here is a guess.

Hips & elbows
OFA evaluatedHip and elbow dysplasia clearances on both parents.
Eyes
OFA / CAERAnnual ophthalmologist exam, current and clear.
Heart
OFA cardiacAdvanced cardiac clearance by a cardiologist.
Genetic panel
Embark, clearBoth parents test clear on Embark for EIC, PRA-prcd, CNM, and DM.
Registration
AKC registeredFull four-generation pedigree provided.
Guarantee
26-month writtenA written health guarantee against genetic defect, in plain language.
Our dogs

Dams & sires

Two dogs we know down to the bone. Every pairing is chosen for temperament, structure, and health, in that order.

Marsh, a yellow Labrador dam, resting indoors with a soft, watchful expression
Our Dam Yellow · English line

Marsh

Soft, watchful, and endlessly patient with children.

Cleared: OFA hips & elbows, OFA/CAER eyes, OFA cardiac, Embark clear (EIC, PRA-prcd, CNM, DM). AKC registered.

Ferry, a yellow Labrador sire, standing alert on the sand with his tail up
Our Sire Yellow · field line

Ferry

All drive in the field, all manners in the house.

Cleared: OFA hips & elbows, OFA/CAER eyes, OFA cardiac, Embark clear (EIC, PRA-prcd, CNM, DM). AKC registered.

Upcoming litters

Planned for 2026

A deposit reserves a place in line. An approved application comes first.

Marsh by FerryYellow · family & field
Go-homeAugust 2026
Reserving now
Wren by DecoyYellow · field-bred, in partnership with Cypress Bend Retrievers
ExpectedBorn late September 2026
Waitlist open
Future pairingYellow · planned
AnticipatedWinter 2026 / 2027
Announcing soon

A refundable deposit holds your place in the pick order. We ask every family to complete a short application first, so we can match the right puppy to the right home. Wren and Decoy belong to our partner kennel, Cypress Bend Retrievers of Beaufort, but their litter is whelped and raised here in our home, on our protocol. Questions? Start a conversation.

A pale yellow Labrador puppy trotting through the shallow surf A yellow Labrador puppy trotting through the grass in evening light Three young yellow Labrador puppies peeking out of a woven basket
What comes home

Your puppy leaves with everything it needs

No upsells, no surprises. Every puppy goes home at eight weeks, fully started, with a blanket that smells like its littermates so the first nights are a little softer.

  • A full veterinary exam and clean bill of health
  • Age-appropriate vaccinations and deworming
  • Microchip, registered to you
  • AKC registration papers and four-generation pedigree
  • A starter kit: food, a scented blanket, and a first toy
  • The 26-month written health guarantee
  • Lifetime breeder support, a text away for the dog’s whole life
Families

In their words

Rated five out of five stars.

“Our girl came home calmer than any puppy we have raised. You can tell the first weeks were done right. The scented blanket got us through the first three nights.”

The Hartley FamilyWilmington, NC
Rated five out of five stars.

“I hunt over my dog and my kids climb on him at night. He is steady in the blind and gentle on the couch. Exactly the temperament they promised.”

Brett M.New Bern, NC
Rated five out of five stars.

“They answered every question for months and still text me back two years later. The health testing was all there, in writing. We will come back for our next one.”

Dana & Paul C.Charleston, SC
Investment & FAQ

Straight answers on price

One price for every puppy in every litter. We do not charge more for color, sex, or “pick of the litter.” The pick order does that work, fairly.

  • $2,500 Every puppy, family and field lines alike, with everything on the go-home list included.
  • $500 deposit Refundable, holds your place in the pick order, and comes off the final balance.

Start with the short application so we can learn about your home and your timing. When it is a good fit on both sides, a deposit reserves your place in the pick order for the litter you choose.

Yes, by appointment, once a litter is about five weeks old and past its most vulnerable stretch. Before that we send photos and videos every week, and we are happy to walk you through the whelping room on a video call.

No cargo shipping, ever. Families pick up in person here in Sneads Ferry so we can hand your puppy to you ourselves. For homes within a few hours we can sometimes arrange a halfway meet.

Companion puppies go home on AKC limited registration, which covers everything except breeding. We occasionally place a puppy on full registration with an established working or preservation home we know well, so ask us.

A Salt Marsh dog always has a place here. At any age, for any reason, the dog comes back to us, no questions, no judgment. It is written into the contract because we mean it.

How the waitlist works

Come meet the dogs

  1. Apply

    Send the short application so we can learn about your home, your plans for the dog, and your timing.

  2. Get approved

    We talk it through. When it is a good fit on both sides, you are approved for a litter.

  3. Reserve with a deposit

    A refundable deposit holds your place in the pick order for that litter.

  4. Choose your puppy

    Around six weeks, families select in order, with our read on each puppy’s temperament.

  5. Go home at eight weeks

    You meet us by appointment in Sneads Ferry and your puppy comes home, fully started.

Where we are
Sneads Ferry, NC 28460
On the sound side of Topsail. Visits by appointment.
Carved wooden sign reading Welcome to Historic Sneads Ferry, Home of the Shrimp Festival, established 1760

Puppy application

This page is a demo. On your live site, applications land in your inbox and as a text to your phone.

Prefer to talk first? Call or text (910) 555-0147, or write to hello@saltmarshretrievers.com.

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