Meet Our Goldens: Cora

Cora, a Golden Retriever dam in Appalachian Dog Training's North Carolina breeding program, competing in Fast CAT.

Appalachian’s Sweet Friend of Mine
RN BCAT THDN CGCA CGCU TKN

Sweet Coraline, good times never seemed so good!

Cora is the daughter of Service Dog Zara. She is the rare balance of high drive and low arousal — soft, intuitive, people-centered, and genuinely eager to work.

Zara & Cora both excelled at Search & Rescue (SAR) and Trailing, with Zara’s 1st relatives actively working as SAR dogs and Police K9’s (single purpose- drug & Trailing). Their drive & environmental stability make them second to none in the working field.

  • AKC Golden Retriever

  • DOB: July 2022

  • Sire: Millstones I Will Find You BCAT SCN SIN CGCA CGCU TKA

  • Dam: Cj Weibel’s Zara Of Millstones I Please the 5th

  • Therapy Dog: Alliance of Therapy Dogs

  • Service Dog: Mobility & PTSD

  • GR-PRA1: Clear

  • GR-PRA2: Clear

  • Ichthyosis: Clear

  • Muscular Dystrophy: Clear

  • Embark DNA Test: All clear, no carriers

  • OFA.org Profile

  • OFA Cardiac: Normal

Titles & Awards of Achievement

Titles & Awards of Achievement

  • BCAT (Fastcat)
  • THDN (Therapy Dog Novice)
  • CGCA (Canine Good Citizen Advanced)
  • CGCU (Canine Good Citizen Urban)
  • TKN (Trick Dog Novice)
A close-up profile view of a golden retriever named Cora looking up and to the right with an open mouth, smiling happily outdoors.
A golden retriever named Cora sitting proudly on a wooden floor indoors, wearing a large pinkish-red AKC second place rosette ribbon from the Dog Obedience Club of Greenville rally trial.
Cora, a Golden Retriever dam in Appalachian Dog Training's North Carolina breeding program, competing in Fast CAT.
Cora, a Golden Retriever dam in Appalachian Dog Training's North Carolina breeding program, standing outdoors in a conformation stack.

Temperament Snapshot

Affectionate & Companion-Oriented

Cora is deeply people-focused. She likes to stay physically close — leaning in, resting her head on your lap, or tucking herself against you when she settles. It’s her natural way of bonding, and she’s relaxed and confident while doing it.

Stable & Confident

She’s environmentally stable and handles new places, people, noises, and activity with ease. Cora is excellent with children and adjusts quickly to whatever is happening around her.

High Working Drive with a Great Off Switch

Cora is a higher-energy Golden with big enthusiasm for activity, training, and engagement. She loves ball work, food games, and any job you give her. When the work is done, she settles almost immediately into calm relaxation — one of her strongest traits.

Best Fit for an Active Home

Cora thrives with families who enjoy walks, outings, structured training, and being hands-on with their dog. She brings a lot of joy to active households and is wonderfully interactive and fun.

Energy Level: HIGH
Arousal Level: MEDIUM
Ball Drive: HIGH
Food Drive: HIGH
Toy Drive: HIGH
Search Drive: EXTRA HIGH!
Possession Drive: MEDIUM
​Working Drive: EXTRA HIGH!
Cora, a Golden Retriever dam in Appalachian Dog Training's North Carolina breeding program, wearing a service dog in training vest.
A close-up, front-facing headshot of a golden retriever named Cora looking forward with a bright, happy smile and an open mouth.
A fluffy golden retriever named Cora smiling happily outdoors with a large blue AKC first place ribbon from the Dog Obedience Club of Greenville rally trial around her neck.
Cora, a Golden Retriever dam in Appalachian Dog Training's North Carolina breeding program, posing with a Fast CAT qualifying ribbon.

Breeding Expectations

Cora has had one previous litter, producing seven healthy puppies. One from that litter is currently in service dog training, Winnie, reflecting the strong working aptitude in her lineage.

She was a calm, attentive, and nurturing mother, raising her litter confidently and independently. Her puppies were biddable and food-motivated, proving to be environmentally stable.

On their AvidDog Temperament test, they demonstrated a balanced mix of temperaments from low to medium energy. All puppies were environmentally stable, social and highly biddable, eager to work and eager to please.

Cora tends to produce puppies who are:

  • confident and curious
  • highly biddable with strong food & toy drive
  • environmentally stable and resilient
  • well-suited for therapy work, service dog potential, and active family homes
  • balanced in energy, with a reliable off-switch

Her litters carry forward the cornerstone traits of this lineage: versatility, stability, strong working ability, and the warm, companion-oriented temperament that defines the best Golden Retrievers.