Infectious Disease :

Young puppies do not have a fully functioning immune system and can become sick very easily. We must take every precaution to keep them as safe as possible. Though they do pick up antibodies from their mother, they only hold maternal immunity for a short period of time and there is no way to tell how well they are protected or for how long. It is unsafe and unwise to rely on maternal immunity for protection at any time.

Visitors can unknowingly carry viruses or bacteria on their shoes and clothing that could be very dangerous to the puppies. The most dangerous of these is Parvovirus which is highly contagious and has, in the distant past, caused the death of several litters. Watching the babies that we love suffer and die a horrible death, even with extensive care, is heartbreaking and one of the most emotionally draining events we have ever experienced.

To learn more about vaccines, how they work, immunity and the puppies recommended vaccine schedule, visit our Vaccine Information page.

Stress Concerns :

All mothers are naturally protective of their young, and even if she isn’t aggressive, strangers will cause her to become stressed. Stress can have a long term affect on the health and wellbeing of the mother and her litter. Strangers visiting the property will cause all of our dogs to sound an alarm that there is possible danger. This stress can disrupt her daily schedule, reduce her milk production and her babies will feel that she is in distress. Her puppies could be affected by a reduced growth rate, become more susceptible to disease and also learn that anxious behavior is normal.

Do to these factors we do not allow visitors to interact with young puppies until they are vaccinated at 8 weeks and ready to join their new families. Please be cautious of any breeder that allows you to interact with babies that are unprotected!

How Puppies are Selected :

Families can set any parameters they wish concerning the the sex, color, energy level and other specifications of their puppy. They can also ask to be offered any puppy that becomes available with no parameters. Puppies are offered to the families in order of when the deposit was submitted. Once we know that one or more puppies are available, that fits their specifications, we will offer it to first family on our reservation list.

If a family is only interested in a male black puppy, then that is what they will be offered. If they set their preferences for a moderate energy puppy, regardless of sex or color, then I will offer them any available puppy/puppies that match that criteria. It is up to the family as to which puppy they select, so please be sure to ask as many questions as you like about any puppy offered. Once the puppy/puppies are 8 weeks of age we do allow visitors and at any time they can choose a puppy or decide to remain on the waiting list for the next available. We can also provide photos, information about their final evaluations and occasionally we can pull off a video or a Zoom meeting (weather permitting as we have horrible Wi-Fi service).

Please remember that not all of the puppies from a litter may be available. I do occasionally keep select show prospect puppies for myself to continue my program. I will provide photos of the puppies as they grow, and you can have a favorite, but please do not get overly attached to any particular puppy until we perform the final evaluations and know who will be offered.

The difference between a puppy that is being offered as a family companion, and a puppy that is a show prospect, can be something so slight it is undetectable by the untrained eye. It could be that their ears are a bit shorter than I like or that they need a bit more depth of chest than I prefer and many other slight things. I have also placed many show quality puppies with families as pets. It all depends on what puppies I feel will better the breed at that particular time and decide to part with or keep.

If you have any questions about puppy placement or show prospects please ask.