Webb's Wold Farm Valais Blacknose Sheep & Golden Retrievers
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about our Valais Sheep
Yes. We register our animals with the Valais Blacknose Sheep Society and the Valais Blacknose Sheep Association of North America (VBSANA), the two primary organizations that maintain breed standards and documentation for U.S. breeders. Registration documentation — including pedigree, percentage, ID, and Codon 171 results — is included with every animal we sell. For buyers who are building a program toward purebred status, having properly registered animals from the start is essential, and we take that record-keeping seriously.
Yes. Webb's Wold maintains rams with documented pedigrees and verified health for use in cover services with approved ewes. If you're looking to advance your own breed-up program and want to use one of our rams rather than invest in AI (artificial insemination), cover services may be an option worth discussing. We evaluate each request individually, taking into account the health status, percentage, and Codon 171 profile of your ewes to make sure it's a good fit for both flocks. Reach out through our contact form and tell us about your flock — we're happy to talk through what makes sense.
Codon 171 refers to a specific position in a sheep's DNA that determines its genetic susceptibility to scrapie, a fatal neurological disease in sheep. The test result is expressed as a two-letter combination — QQ, QR, or RR — where R represents resistance. Animals that are QQ are considered susceptible, QR are intermediate, and RR are fully resistant. At Webb's Wold, we test all of our breeding animals and include Codon 171 results on every listing. Many states and breed registries require or strongly prefer RR or QR animals for purchase and registration, so this information matters whether you're starting a flock, adding to an existing program, or planning to show.
Because live Valais Blacknose sheep couldn't be imported directly into the United States, American breeders built the breed here through a structured grading-up program using imported genetics — frozen semen and embryos approved through USDA protocols. Each generation bred to a 100% Valais sire increases the genetic percentage of the offspring. An F1 is 50% Valais, an F2 is 75%, F3 is 87.5%, F4 is 93.75%, and F5 — known as the American Purebred — reaches 96.88%, which is the recognized threshold for purebred status in the U.S. At Webb's Wold, we currently have animals from F1 through purebred, and our program is one of the further-along breed-up programs in the Pacific Northwest.
Common questions about our Golden Retriever Puppies
No. We specifically built our waitlist so that you never have to wonder or check back. Join our mailing list and you'll be among the first to know when a new litter is planned or confirmed. We announce upcoming litters before puppies are born so families have time to get in line, ask questions, and come visit as soon as visits open at four weeks. If the timing isn't right for the current litter, we'll keep you on the list for the next one. Good families and good puppies should find each other — we just want to make sure that process is easy for you.
Our puppies go home at eight weeks. The week before they leave, each puppy has a full veterinary examination, receives their first vaccinations, and is microchipped. All registration paperwork is prepared, and we put together a small go-home kit to help with the transition — familiar scent items, feeding instructions, and information about what the first few days will be like, a 6 lb bag of Life's Abundance large breed puppy food (the same food your puppy has been eating), and toys. We're available for questions before, during, and well after your puppy comes home. The relationship doesn't end at the door — we genuinely want to hear how they're doing.
Every Webb's Wold breeding female has full health clearances before she's ever bred: OFA certifications for hips, elbows, and heart, and a clear DNA health panel through Embark genetic testing. Your puppy goes home with a full health record that includes their vet check at seven weeks, first vaccinations, microchip registration, and AKC registration documentation. We also provide a puppy warranty that covers genetic health conditions. The paperwork matters to us because your peace of mind matters to us — we want you to feel completely confident in the dog you're bringing home.
Getting on our waitlist starts with a simple inquiry — you can reach us through the contact form on this page. We'll ask a few questions to get to know your family and what you're looking for in a dog. When we have a litter planned or confirmed, waitlist families are the first to hear about it. Starting at four weeks, we open our home to prospective families so you can visit in person, spend time with the litter, and let the match happen naturally. There's no rush, no pressure, and no limit on how long you sit with them. You're also welcome to come back more than once before your puppy goes home.
The honest answer is environment and intention. Our puppies aren't raised in a kennel — they're born in our home, on ten acres in the hills of Scio, Oregon, surrounded by children, farm animals, and the sounds and rhythms of everyday family life from their very first days. That environment isn't incidental; it's the foundation of the temperament you're getting. Our breeding females carry full health clearances — OFA certifications for hips, elbows, and heart, and clear DNA profiles through Embark genetic testing — so what you see in that puppy reflects choices made long before they were born. We keep our litters small and intentional, just a few per year, so every puppy gets real individual attention and every family gets a breeder who is genuinely paying attention.
Miscellaneous questions
We're located in Scio, Oregon, in the foothills of the Cascades — about an hour south of Portland and 20 minutes east of Albany. Visits are a meaningful part of how we do things here, particularly for puppy families. We welcome prospective buyers to come in person, meet the animals, and spend real time on the farm. We ask that visits be arranged in advance — both out of respect for the farm schedule and to make sure we can give you the time and attention you deserve when you're here. Use the contact form to get in touch and we'll find a time that works.
Fair question. Webb's Wold is a working farm in Scio, Oregon, owned and run by Hadassah Webb and her three daughters, Faith, Hope, and Joy. We raise Valais Blacknose sheep and Golden Retriever puppies not because it's a convenient business combination, but because both programs reflect the same values: careful breeding, genuine health documentation, temperaments shaped by intentional environments, and animals that are placed with people who will truly care for them. The farm is the common thread. Whether you're here for wool or a wagging tail, you're getting an animal raised by the same hands, with the same standards, in the same place.
We like to get to know the people we sell to, and we ask that you extend us the same. Once you reach out, we'll have a conversation about your goals — whether you're starting a breed-up program, adding genetics to an existing flock, or looking for a companion or show animal. We'll walk you through the animals we have available, share pedigree documentation and health records, and answer every question you have. When you're ready to move forward, we take a deposit to hold your animal. Delivery arrangements vary depending on distance, and we're happy to discuss transport options. We don't rush this process, and we don't expect you to either.