These puppies are from a previous litter and yes, everyone has a happy home. Future planned visits from the stork will be posted here when the information becomes available.
If you’re in the market for a puppy (of any breed), whether it be pet or show quality, there are some things you need to know before you enter the “puppy world”. Below is my list of the top 10 things people outside the “puppy world” need to understand in order to know what they’re buying and to bring home the perfect puppy in the process...so here’s The Inside Scoop:
1. Survey Says...First, ask your family members what they want in a dog, and how much time DAILY are they willing to devote? This will begin to determine what breed of dog you are looking for. Do you have time for lots of grooming (Poodle), and long walks (Border Collie), or is it more like, open the door when they need to pee (Chihuahua), and perhaps a quick rinse in the shower with the left over suds from your hair (Mini Dachshund)? What do you want to DO with the dog? What kinds of games do you want to play? Get the tennis ball (Golden Retriever), or steal my pillow when I get up from the couch (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel). Are you willing to have pools of slobber on your hardwood floors (English Mastiff) or a naked coffee table because the lethal tail keeps clearing it off (Great Dane). A big dog that sleeps all day (Greyhound) or a little dog that is always into something (Jack Russell Terrier). Make a family consensus first of what traits you want in your dog.
2. Do Your Homework...Now that you’ve compiled a list of what you want and DON’T want, it’ll make finding the right breed a lot easier. All dogs were bred with a purpose, a job, a reason for being. Someone needed that dog to look like this and act like that. Research breeds, find out what they were bred for and then begin to narrow the list of candidates.
3. Same Difference Theory ..."A Golden Retriever here, a Golden Retriever there, I can get a Golden Retriever anywhere." Yes, you can, but they won't all be equal. Where you purchase your puppy should depend on what you want to DO with your puppy. Here are four options and what they will provide you:
Animal Shelters - Shelters provide a wide selection of dogs of all breeds who need good homes and would make perfect pets for your family. While you won't get any registration papers on the dog, if the dog looks enough like a purebred, the AKC will let you show the dog in any competition other than conformation. That means you can still show in obedience, rally and agility! The down side is, you have no information about the dog's pedigree, meaning whether or not hip dysplasia runs in the bloodline. Having rescued two dogs myself (for the purpose of showing),
and trained them only to have them diagnosed with dysplasia, I learned a very expensive lesson. Yes, it is much cheaper to get a shelter dog...it may start out seeming like a good deal, but after you've trained and the vet bills come due and you still don't have a dog that can run...it's simply not a bargain. Remember, it costs just as much to feed, train and show a rescue dog as it does the one with the pedigree.
Now, if you only want your pet to be a house dog to romp in the yard with on weekends then PLEASE consider a shelter dog. Even if they do become dysplastic you can give them their glucosamine and chondroitin twice daily and they can live long happy lives doing exactly what you wanted them to do. However, if you want to be very active with your dog or if showing is even a remote possibility, please be aware of the gamble you take with a shelter dog.
Rescue Leagues - These are breed specific rescue organizations that place wonderful dogs in needed homes. You may not find a puppy, but they have plenty of fabulous
dogs. There can be a waiting list, however, it can
usually be shortened depending on how far you are willing to drive to pick up the perfect pooch. The disadvantages are the same as the shelter category.
Private Breeders - If you are looking to purchase a pure bred registered dog with as close a guarantee on sound hips as you can get (and a money back guarantee if they're not sound) and be able to do whatever you want to with your dog, then this is your best option. Also, these people know the personality traits of their bloodlines so they are much better equipped to match the right puppy for your specific needs.
Pet Shops - These sell pure bred dogs usually with only one registry and offer no money back guarantee on hips. Also, they are unaware of the personality and genetic traits of these dogs.
If you've chosen a shelter or rescue dog then congratulations, you're well on your way. You may have to wait for what you're looking for to become available but be patient, your baby will be coming home soon so you're all set!
4. Eenie Meenie Miney Moe ...If you’ve chosen to go the breeder route then this will involve some time on your part. First, look at their web site or ad. These usually will tell you something about what they breed for right away and make the elimination process much faster. Call and talk to them. All breeders have specific “things” that they breed for. Some breed mostly for looks, others for drive and
performance, and still others for personality.
Find the one who breeds dogs to have the same qualities, traits or dispositions and drive that match what you’re looking for in a dog.
5. Field Trip ...You have a list of breeders to visit. I’d like to say (as a fellow breeder) call first, make an appointment and please be on time, but I know that
you may prefer
to show up unannounced in
order to “see what we’re really like". If you choose to do this, please understand that we have full lives, just as you do, so we will still let you in the gate but you may have to entertain yourselves until we finish bleaching and scrubbing pens, putting puppy laundry in the dryer, washing out dog bowls or scooping the yard. That being said, regardless of when you visit a kennel facility it should be clean and there should never, ever be a foul odor. Other things to look for that may help you determine if this is the breeder for you are: do you see dog toys around, were you allowed to see and play with the other dogs on the property (remember, personalities are genetic), are the dogs well groomed, are their teeth clean, do you see any cleaning supplies within reach of the puppy pen, is there a trash can in the yard to accommodate the daily chore of scooping the yard, are there more than two feces on the ground per adult dog on the property (dogs go on average of twice daily so if you arrived unannounced before morning chores were done you should be able to do the math), are the puppies wet or damp with urine, do the dogs have good manners, was the dog titled in obedience being obedient to its master, was the dog titled in herding even vaguely aware of the stray cow standing in the driveway? All these things can help you determine what kind of breeder you may be dealing with.
6. The Fine Print ...These are things you should discuss with a breeder BEFORE you make the drive to see them. What kind of registration papers does the kennel provide and are there any limitations or restrictions? AKC is a breed registry. Registries exist to keep track of a dogs ancestors and pedigree, and all that keeping track of generations of your puppy’s bloodlines costs money. The more registries your puppy has, AKC, UKC, NSDR, ASCA, the more it’s going to cost. REMEMBER, if you want to compete in anything with this dog, it must first be registered...which means, usually, that mom and dad had to be registered. In this regard too, the more registries there are, the more places and venues you are eligible to compete in (like competitions closer to home and not just ones that are all 7 hours away…get it?)
Next, the limitations. Will you be allowed to breed the puppy or will you have to title it first? Will the breeder want a first pick of the litter? Will they insist on co-owning the dog? No, they are not being mean, stingy, controlling or greedy. They are, in fact, a very elite group of breeders who are in business to elevate their breed’s standards and to try to achieve HOF status (Hall of Fame). What these special people do is require all their puppies to be titled in whatever their “thing” is. After a truckload of offspring have proven themselves in the ring, you have an HOF kennel, a recognizable name that represents high standards and really shapes what the future generations of the breed will look and act like. They aren’t trying to keep all the good dogs themselves. Instead they are ensuring clean bloodlines of dogs that will be able to do and look just as they were intended to. If this isn’t for you, then just say, “Thank you for all you do to promote this breed” and move on. There are other breeders who breed their show dogs with slews of titles and do not require anything of puppy buyers. Mostly these are breeders who are just plain crazy about their dogs, love showing them and think everyone should have such a wonderful dog (that would be us).
7. Click OFA and Be On Your Way ... All puppies should have verifiable proof of sound hips (elbows, too depending on breed) through multiple generations. Don’t just take a breeders word for it, ask for the registered name of the parents, grandparents, etc., and look them up on the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals web site. If you’ve ever had a dog with hip dysplasia you know how heart breaking it can be. Yes, buying a puppy whose pedigree only includes sound hips for generations back usually costs more, good bloodlines always do, but have you ever seen a vet bill for a dysplastic dog…that gets expensive…and you still don’t have a show dog. Now, having said that, listen carefully. There are no guarantees with genetics here. I have seen, very rarely, clean bloodlines produce a one in a million dysplastic puppy, but the odds are well in your favor to spend the money to buy clean bloodlines from a reputable breeder who should give you your money back if the puppy turns out to be dysplastic. Why? Because you didn’t get what you paid for, oh-and they should let you keep the puppy too, unless you don’t want it or you want a replacement (this is what we do).
8. Pick of the Litter ... Don’t be swayed by looks alone. Remember the wish list you made with your family? Well, now is the time to get picky about temperament and personality. Any experienced breeder should be able to tell you which puppy has a high drive and which is more laid back. Who wants to learn new things and play all day and who would rather just find a lap. This is known as temperament testing and people who raise dogs know how to read it, people who just sell puppies usually do not. ALWAYS pick temperament over LOOKS. Yes, those perfect markings make you smile now but, and trust me on this, you won’t care how cute your puppy is when he's eaten your couch. So remember, good dogs don’t come in bad colors!
9. Show Me The Money ... Okay, so you’ve fallen in love with the perfect puppy and having done your homework you were aware of the breeder’s prices for their puppies before you ever made that first visit to their kennel. Since you chose to come look at puppies at their facility, knowing the costs, the breeder will assume you can afford it. Now I do understand there is usually a range of prices depending on markings and conformation but you should at least be in the ball park here. There is a reason why perfectly marked puppies cost more than the plain Jane ones. They may very well be living their lives in the show rings to further the promotion of this breed you’ve so fallen in love with. There is a demand for them and they can be hard to find, ergo, they are worth more. Flash costs cash. So please don’t pick up the perfectly marked, destined for the show ring, puppy and say to the breeder, “I want this one but since I’m not going to show it I want to pay the pet price.” That’s like going to a car lot and saying to the salesman (after they’ve spent two hours on your unscheduled visit), “I want the Corvette but since I don’t drive fast I only want to pay the Hyundai price.” This breeder has probably spent years waiting and working for the right genetics to produce that perfect little bundle of fur you find so impressive, so please, don’t diminish their efforts.
10. Stupid is as Stupid Does...You bought a puppy. News flash, it will act like a puppy. If you want it to become a beloved member of your household then please have your puppy enrolled in puppy classes as soon as you bring them home. Puppies may go home at 8 weeks and 8 weeks and one day is not too soon to begin to learn how to sit, come, walk on a leash and that you have great cookies. You can teach a dog to do anything except how to not be a dog. Potential is bred, relationships are built, and they will take time and effort on your part so find a dog trainer in your area and start having fun with your puppy in school and as always, bring ‘em wired and take ‘em home tired!
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willing to devote? This will begin to determine what breed of dog you are looking for. Do you have time for lots of grooming (Poodle), and long walks (Border Collie), or is it more like, open the door when they need to pee (Chihuahua), and perhaps a quick rinse in the shower with the left over suds from your hair (Mini Dachshund)? What do you want to DO with the dog? What kinds of games do you want to play? Get the tennis ball (Golden Retriever), or steal my pillow when I get up from the couch (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel). Are you willing to have pools of slobber on your hardwood floors (English Mastiff) or a naked coffee table because the lethal tail keeps clearing it off (Great Dane). A big dog that sleeps all day (Greyhound) or a little dog that is always into something (Jack Russell Terrier). Make a family consensus first of what traits you want in your dog. 
want to DO with your puppy. Here are four options and what they will provide you:
Rescue Leagues - These are breed specific rescue organizations that place wonderful dogs in needed homes. You may not find a puppy, but they have plenty of fabulous
dogs. There can be a waiting list, however, it can
usually be shortened depending on how far you are willing to drive to pick up the perfect pooch. The disadvantages are the same as the shelter category.
5. Field Trip ...
being said, regardless of when you visit a kennel facility it should be clean and there should never, ever be a foul odor. Other things to look for that may help you determine if this is the breeder for you are: do you see dog toys around, were you allowed to see and play with the other dogs on the property (remember, personalities are genetic), are the dogs well groomed, are their teeth clean, do you see any cleaning supplies within reach of the puppy pen, is there a trash can in the yard to accommodate the daily chore of scooping the yard, are there more than two feces on the ground per adult dog on the property (dogs go on average of twice daily so if you arrived unannounced before morning chores were done you should be able to do the math), are the puppies wet or damp with urine, do the dogs have good manners, was the dog titled in obedience being obedient to its master, was the dog titled in herding even vaguely aware of the stray cow standing in the driveway? All these things can help you determine what kind of breeder you may be dealing with. 
whatever their “thing” is. After a truckload of offspring have proven themselves in the ring, you have an HOF kennel, a recognizable name that represents high standards and really shapes what the future generations of the breed will look and act like. They aren’t trying to keep all the good dogs themselves. Instead they are ensuring clean bloodlines of dogs that will be able to do and look just as they were intended to. If this isn’t for you, then just say, “Thank you for all you do to promote this breed” and move on. There are other breeders who breed their show dogs with slews of titles and do not require anything of puppy buyers. Mostly these are breeders who are just plain crazy about their dogs, love showing them and think everyone should have such a wonderful dog (that would be us). 
name of the parents, grandparents, etc., and look them up on the 
