Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do you have any puppies available?
Q. How far in advanced should I contact you if I'm interested in a puppy?
Q. How much does a puppy cost?
Q. Do you require a deposit?
Q. What if I'm talking to other breeders?
Q. What is your puppy-raising protocol?
Q. When do the puppies go to their new homes?
Q. Are the puppies AKC registered?
Q. What food do you feed your dogs?
Q. What vaccinations and preventatives do you give your dogs?
Q. What are my options for picking up my puppy?
Q. How do you match puppies to their new homes?
Q. What is in the Puppy Pack?
Q. Do you have a health guarantee?
A. We don't breed that often, and when we do, we already have a wait list. That is why, if you are interested in one of our puppies, we highly recommend filling out a puppy application in advance to discuss being placed on the wait list. We are currently accepting applications for Steal and Mia's litter. However, at this time, we are no longer accepting applications for Thor and Willow's litter.
A. If you know you're interested in one of our dogs, its not too early to reach out. Even if your timeline for a puppy is a few years out, that's okay!
A. We understand that you may be researching and speaking to multiple breeders. That's okay and we encourage it. There are a lot of factors that go into picking a pup--including litter timing and geographic distance. We won't be upset if you ultimately decide to get a pup from another breeder. We just ask that you let us know so that we can open your spot on the wait list to another person.
A. We do not require deposits to be placed on our wait list. Once the litter has arrived, we will contact those on the wait list to let the know whether we have a puppy that fits their preferences in the litter. Once a puppy match has been made, a $500 non-refundable deposit will hold the puppy until the puppy goes home.
A. This is probably the most common question we get. And we certainly understand the need for transparency in pricing. With that being said, our pricing ranges from $3000-3500. The pricing varies from litter to litter depending on the expenses related to that litter. However, we do not charge different pricing based on sex, color, "pick order," or any other differentiating factor.
A. Yes. All of our companion puppies are sold with limited AKC registration. This enables the dog to participate and earn titles in all AKC events except conformation. Show prospects are sold with full AKC registration to approved show homes on a co-ownership agreement with titling and health testing requirements.
A. We continually evaluate the puppies as they grow and mature. Between 7 and 8 weeks they will have an official structural evaluation and be temperament tested. Based on those evaluations and our overall impressions, we will select our show and performance prospects and as well as which type of pet home would be suitable for each puppy. We then use the information provided in the puppy application and subsequent conversations to match puppies to the homes that will best fit their structure, temperament, drive, and energy-level. We believe matching puppies to the right home sets the puppy up for success and helps ensure the new owners preferences and exceptions in their new companion are met.
A. We practice early neurological stimulation (ENS) and follow the Puppy Culture protocol and Avidog practices.
A. Puppies go to their new homes between 8-10 weeks. Occasionally, we may have puppies that we've held back longer to evaluate as show prospects that we place as older puppies. One key benefit of getting an older puppy like this is that it will have a head start on training.
A. We encourage owners to come pick their puppies up in person. We like to meet the owners and it also gives the puppy owners the opportunity to meet the dam. Jacksonville International Airport and Pensacola International Airport are our closest major airports.
A. We begin de-worming puppies at two-weeks old and repeat every two weeks until they go to their new homes.
At six-weeks old, we vaccinate them for distemper/parvo. This vaccine must be repeated in a series in order to ensure immunity. We will provide vaccination records for your vet to pick up the vaccination schedule and conclude the series of vaccines. Most vets will space the vaccines out every 3-4 weeks, so by approximately 16 weeks, the series should be completed.
Once their distemper/parvo series is completed, the dogs may then be vaccinated for rabies. We recommend waiting for the dog to be at least 16 weeks old before being vaccinated for rabies and to ensure that no other vaccines are given during this appointment. If your vet recommends other vaccines based on risk factors in your area they can be given at a separate appointment.
All of our dogs are on Sentinel for flea and heartworm prevention, and this is what we recommend.
A. We feed Royal Canin Medium Breed dog food to our adults. We feed Royal Canin Starter Mousse when weaning. By the time your puppy goes home, he or she will be on Royal Canin Medium Puppy food. A starter bag of food is included in the puppy pack to ensure puppies have the same food in their new homes. If you do ultimately decide to change foods, we recommend transitioning slowly by mixing the Royal Canin with the new food and slowly phasing out the Royal Canin to avoid the puppy having an upset stomach.
A. We want to help ease the transition and ensure your puppy is off to a great start in its new home. That's why we send all puppies home with a puppy pack that includes a starter bag of food, a blanket with the litter mates' scents, a toy, and some grooming essentials.
A. Yes, we do. The health guarantee covers life-threatening and shortening disorders of the heart, liver, kidneys and any disease or condition for which the dam and sire have been tested. A replacement puppy will be offered.
Q. What health conditions do you test for?
A. Health tests are performed on the dam and sire prior to breeding. We test our dogs in line with PCA's recommendations and beyond what is required for CHIC. We perform the genetic tests that are recommended for standard poodles. Additionally, we have our dog's hips evaluated through OFA, and their results are publicly posted on the OFA website. Our dogs are also tested for Autoimmune Thyroditis, have a cardiac exam by a vet board certified in the specialty of cardiology, and have their eyes examined by a vet board certified in Ophthalmology.
While we do everything we can to ensure we're producing healthy pups, there is no certainty in dog breeding. For instance, with conditions such as hip dysplasia, Addison's (hypoadrenocorticism), sebaceous adenitis, etc., we can only know that our specific dog is not affected by the condition at that very point in time, but there is no way to genetically test the dog to know for sure that a puppy from that dog could not develop the condition. With these types of conditions, we study pedigrees to try our best to avoid breeding to known affective dogs.
Additionally, there are conditions like hip dysplasia that have environmental factors as well. That is why we strongly discourage overexercising young pups and stress the importance of minimizing jumping and impact on the developing joints when your pup is still young.