About Sunset Paw Babies in Sullivan, Illinois
Sunset Paw Babies is a family-operated dog breeding program located in Sullivan, Illinois. Since 2019, our family has focused on raising Golden Retriever and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies with attentive care, early socialization, thoughtful placement, and ongoing support for the families who welcome them home.
What began as a family passion has grown into a meaningful responsibility. Every puppy is raised as part of our daily life, allowing us to provide individual attention and prepare them for the routines, sounds, and interactions they may experience in their future homes.
Meet the Family Behind Sunset Paw Babies
We are Anthony and Sarah Yoder, the family behind Sunset Paw Babies. Our home in Sullivan, Illinois, is shared with our children, our dogs, and the puppies we have the privilege of raising.
For us, breeding dogs is not simply about producing puppies. It is about caring for parent dogs responsibly, supporting puppies through their earliest stages of development, and helping families make thoughtful decisions about bringing a new companion into their lives.
Our children are involved in age-appropriate interactions with the puppies, helping them become familiar with family life, gentle handling, household activity, and everyday routines.
When we are not caring for our dogs, we enjoy spending time together outdoors, camping, golfing, hunting, and appreciating the simple moments of family life.
Golden Retriever and Cavalier Puppies Raised in Illinois
Sunset Paw Babies raises Golden Retriever and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies in Sullivan, Illinois.
Both breeds are known for their affection and interest in human companionship, but they have different sizes, activity levels, grooming requirements, and health considerations. We encourage families to learn about each breed before deciding which may best fit their lifestyle.
Golden Retriever Puppies
Golden Retrievers are often friendly, active, intelligent, and people-oriented. They tend to thrive in homes prepared to provide regular exercise, training, grooming, and family interaction.
Our Golden Retriever puppies are raised with daily care, early socialization, and foundational routines intended to support their transition into family homes.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppies
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are small companion dogs often known for being affectionate, gentle, and closely connected to their families.
Our Cavalier puppies receive attentive care, regular handling, early socialization, and exposure to normal household routines.
Our Approach to Responsible Breeding
Our breeding program is guided by a commitment to health, welfare, transparency, responsible placement, and lifelong support.
We believe responsible breeding includes more than providing basic care. It requires thoughtful decisions about parent dogs, health information, puppy development, socialization, living conditions, and the suitability of each prospective home.
Carefully Selected Parent Dogs
Our parent dogs are selected with attention to health, temperament, structure, and suitability for family life.
Applicable health and genetic testing is completed as part of our breeding program. Families are encouraged to ask about the testing and health information associated with a specific litter.
Health-Focused Puppy Care
Each puppy receives age-appropriate care throughout its early development.
This may include:
- Routine health observation
- Age-appropriate veterinary care
- Vaccinations and deworming as appropriate
- Microchipping
- Clean and carefully managed living conditions
- Health records for the new family
Specific care and documentation may vary according to the puppy’s age and scheduled go-home date.
Early Development and Socialization
From an early age, puppies receive gentle handling and carefully managed exposure to everyday experiences.
Our early-development program may include:
- Early Neurological Stimulation
- Early scent introduction
- Household sounds and routines
- Interaction with adults and children
- Age-appropriate toys and surfaces
- Early crate familiarity
- Potty-training foundations
- Basic leash exposure when developmentally appropriate
These experiences are introduced gradually with the goal of supporting confidence and adaptability.
Home-Raised Environment
Our puppies are raised in a dedicated home environment where they experience normal family routines and receive consistent daily care.
This allows us to observe developing personalities and help families understand the temperament and needs of individual puppies.
Thoughtful Family Placement
We want each puppy to join a home prepared for its needs.
Families are encouraged to share information about:
- Household routines
- Activity level
- Children or other pets
- Previous dog experience
- Breed preferences
- Training expectations
- Preferred timeline
This information helps us guide families through availability and the selection process
Ongoing Breeder Support
Our support does not end when a puppy leaves our home.
We remain available to answer questions and provide guidance as families navigate the transition, early routines, training, socialization, and puppy development.
Foundational Puppy Training Options
For families interested in additional preparation before pickup, Sunset Paw Babies may offer puppy-training options designed to provide a stronger foundation before the puppy goes home.
Training may include age-appropriate work with:
- Crate familiarity
- Potty-training routines
- Handling
- Basic manners
- Household structure
- Leash introduction
- Calm transitions
Training does not mean a young puppy will arrive fully trained. Continued patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement will still be necessary in the new home.
Contact us to ask about current training options, availability, pricing, and what is included.
Our Licensing and Certifications
Sunset Paw Babies operates with a commitment to transparency, accountability, and compliance with applicable animal-care requirements.
Families may review information about our licensing and third-party certifications before beginning the adoption process.
USDA Certification
Sunset Paw Babies is a USDA-licensed Class A Breeder under the Animal Welfare Act and is regularly inspected to ensure proper animal care standards are met.
USDA Animal Care Certificate Number: 33-A-0628
License Status: Active (expires November 30, 2026)
Canine Care Certified
In addition to federal licensing, Sunset Paw Babies is a Canine Care Certified Breeder, a designation administered by the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. This certification verifies that our breeding practices meet high standards for animal welfare, health, and responsible care through independent inspection and review.
Families interested in additional verification may view copies of our current licensing and certification documents below.
View Canine Care Certified Breeder Certificate (PDF)
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Learn More About Our Puppies
Families interested in Sunset Paw Babies can explore our current puppies, learn about our breeds, and read experiences shared by previous puppy families.
Join Our Upcoming Puppy Waitlist
Some families choose to reserve from an upcoming litter before puppies become publicly available. Joining our waitlist gives you early access to future litters and helps us match each puppy with the right home.
Join Our Upcoming Puppy Waitlist
Some families choose to reserve from an upcoming litter before puppies become publicly available. Joining our waitlist gives you early access to future litters and helps us match each puppy with the right home.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are part of a network of responsible dog breeders. This means that we follow the strictest of standards for all our dogs and pups. To be on this network we adhere to the following:
• Vet-checked and updated on all vaccines and deworming
• Microchipping of all puppies
• Daily exercise schedule for all dogs and puppies
• Socialization schedule for all dogs and puppies
• Kennel license where applicable by law
• Certification of inspection from a 3rd party
Your deposit is fully refundable within a 48-hour window. Alternatively, you can transfer the deposit to reserve another puppy
Once a puppy is paid in full, refunds are not available, nor do we accommodate refunds for buyer’s remorse. Please review our health guarantee in our Refunds and Returns Policy page which includes a 30-day money-back health guarantee.
We want every puppy to go home happy and healthy. To ensure that all is well in its new environment, we ask that if possible you get your puppy checked by a vet within 10 days of going home. We also recommend not placing your puppy down on any grass where other dogs have gone to potty until your puppy is seen by a vet. To view the whole health guarantee, please visit our Refunds and Returns page
- Browse through the puppies and select the puppy you are interested in.
- You can click on the link to schedule a visit or you can request an in-person visit.
- You can leave a deposit or make a full payment on our website.
- Once payment is made, you will be asked to electronically sign the sales agreement and health guarantee.
- If you just make a deposit, you will need to log in before picking up your puppy to make the final payment. A link to make the final payment will also be in the deposit receipt email. All payments must be completed before you can take your puppy home.
We partner with Trupanion Pet Insurance to offer you a Go Home Day Offer. This is a free 30-day pet insurance policy that must be activated within 24 hours of picking up your pet. Once you make the final payment, you will get an email with all the information you need to sign up.