Golden Retrievers bred, raised and homed with care. KUSA-registered since 2006.
Bred
At Bonyl, we contribute to the quality, refinement and healthy genetic profile of
Golden Retrievers by breeding proud-making examples of the breed’s standards. Bonyl
pups are sold as non-breeding pets with a KUSA "progeny not eligible for
registration" stipulation. We believe responsible dog breeding is best left to
experts, and are proud of our Bonyl legacy.
We import international champion semen and use artificial insemination to combine
top genetics from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, continental Europe and the United
Kingdom. After
years of
discerning Golden Retriever selection and breeding, Bonyl's foundation dogs shine
with 56 show and working dog champion awards in their four-generation pedigrees.
The Bonyl Breeders Protocol has introduced a greater degree of certainty and peace
of mind with benefits extending to owners, prospective owners, other breeders and,
ultimately, the breed itself. Bonyl exclusively breeds with A1, A2, B1 and B2 hip
gradings and does not consider anything less than a perfect 00 elbow score to be of
breeding quality. All our animals are certified PRA 1, PRA 2 and PRCD clear.
We do not breed Ichthyosis-affected pups. Ichthyosis is a hereditary dandruff-like
condition prevalent in Golden Retrievers. A DNA test for Ichthyosis has been
available overseas for some years and had become standard international health
screening practice. At our request, a South African lab, ZooOmics, used our samples
to develop a local test in 2019, which is available to all breeders.
Recessive genetically inherited conditions have one of three status levels: clear,
carrier, and affected. Carriers do not display symptoms but, when partnered with
another carrier, roughly 25% of offspring are affected. Hereditary Early Onset
Cataracts is one such congenital condition. The South African Veterinary Association
eye test certificates do not indicate carrier status. Furthermore, the condition’s
DNA marker has not been found. In all our years of breeding, this condition has
affected 0.5% of Bonyl animals. This low occurrence compares favourably to the
findings of a 1989 study which, through a British Veterinary/Kennel Club
Eye Examination Scheme, diagnosed all forms of cataracts in 7.4% of Golden
Retrievers.
The Bonyl protocol for this internationally unresolved challenge now incorporates
routine eye exams for litters. In tandem with five-generation genealogical records,
these exams reveal the carrier status of our dogs and allow us to make informed
breeding decisions. Additionally, Bonyl is proud to fund two groundbreaking research
projects in support of GR eye health. Through partnerships with ZooOmics and Unistel
Medical Laboratories, we have explored applying existing cataracts testing to golden
retrievers and investigated genetic markers to make DNA testing a reality for all
South African breeders. Through their support, owners of Bonyl Goldens can feel
proud that they are contributing to a better breed-specific understanding of
hereditary conditions.
Raised
At our level of breeding, all pups meet the breed standard temperament
description: they are confident,
friendly and eager to interact. They are voice trained and respond when called. In
addition, pups are toilet trained, as well as crate trained and have established
sleeping patterns.
They are ready to meet the challenges of a journey, which may
include a flight to a destination anywhere in South Africa, and to make a smooth
transition to their new environment.
We are mindful of the sensitivity and impressionability of young pups. We pace their
exposure to the great outdoors (including a mountain stream), other Goldens, the
vet, horses, kids and admiring adults.
Homed
Liane is an internationally
qualified educator with over four decades' experience in working with groups
and individuals of all ages. She is also a published academic. Research is a way of
life at Bonyl, that includes
among other, all aspects of our beloved animals. This skill-set, in conjunction with
a lifetime of horse and dog handling experience, ensures that pups have the very
best start in life.
We transfer feeding, handling and training skills in our Guidelines, which
pup-parents-to-be receive in weekly chapter form, as well as during the hands-on
experience of Visiting Friday. Weekend video updates of the litter’s progress and
shared chapters of our Guidelines on how to raise and promote the longevity of our
retrievers, soon become the highlights of the week for expectant pup parents and
families.
Visiting Friday is scheduled soon after birth, to fall as closely as possible to the
litter’s eighth week of age, and is a much anticipated and enjoyed event, for those
who can attend. It is a full day of guided interaction with the litter and an
opportunity to have any individual questions answered. Through this experience, new
pup parents meet one another, learn lots and gratefully realise that they have
become part of the Bonyl family, from whom advice, at any stage of the journey, is
just a WhatsApp away.
Through the years we have observed that life is a continuum, that pups have
destinies, and that love and relationship are indestructible. Some people are
reminded of a lost, beloved companion by certain pups more than by others. Some pups
pick their people; they just seem to latch onto them. Matching a pup to a parent is
sometimes a delicate and intuitive process, which is made easier when both pup and
parent-to-be can physically participate in the choosing process. The all-day session
on Visiting Friday and the unhurried Homing Saturday, which begins before daybreak,
provide time for choosing and bonding. It is humbling to witness this process, which
allows every person, without exception, to leave with what they feel is the pup for
them.
To ensure uninterrupted attention to care for our animals, we do not take
unscheduled phone calls from unknown numbers. Should you wish to schedule a call,
please follow the instructions in the Contact section.
If your information and pics allow us to authenticate you and indicate a good fit
for our pups, it will be the start of a conversation. We will reciprocate by
enabling you to authenticate us. This personal approach, in contrast to the practice
of using standardised forms, is mindful of the unique nature of every home and each
applicant, as well as of the times in which we live.
Golden Retrievers are not for everyone. A Golden is a family member and needs human
companionship. It wants to please, it wants to serve and it deserves a family that
includes it in the goings on. It needs to be handled with consistency and
competency. Children younger than 3 years old need to wait a little longer for their
best friend's arrival.
At Bonyl, we keep a waiting list of discerning buyers who are patient and have trust
in
our breeder's integrity.
