How and where are your puppies raised? |
We keep all of our dogs inside our home, on carpet or dog bed, not in a kennel or on cement. They are all house broke and have professional obedience training. |
|
Why did you start raising puppies? Income, hobby? |
We started raising puppies to help reconnect a family with their lost companion; Sandy was adopted from a wonderful breeder. We received a phone call from that breeder sadly informing us that Sandy's mom had been stolen. We were then asked if there was any way we would consider raising a litter, they wanted in some way to have their "family" back. Our intention was to have one litter of puppies... however, we fell in love with the experience. We raise Retrievers out of love for the breed. We hope that others will share the same happiness that our dogs have brought us. |
How many litters do you have per year? |
We don't breed our dogs for a source of income, so some years we won't have any litters. We love to travel so we keep our litters to a minimum. Typically we have a wait list for our puppies which will encourage us to have another litter. |
What happens to your retired breeding dogs? |
This is an important question. To so many kennels once a dog is retired it means more than retirement, it means replacing a "useless" dog with a "producer". Our dogs are first and foremost our companions, they won't be treated any differently when they "retire" than we treat them now. I often get harassed when shopping because I will have the cart full of dog toys, snacks, bones etc. Since we have no children we spoil our dogs, probably more than we should. We are advocates of environmental enrichment for all of our dogs. And couldn't imagine being without any of them. |
At what age can the puppy go to it's new home? |
We will not adopt one of our puppies until 7 weeks at the earliest. We encourage a full 8 weeks to allow for the puppy to have full pack socialization. We feel the 8th week is crucial in a young puppies development. If you can wait till the 8 week mark we strongly encourage it. |
|
Have your dogs been tested by the O.F.A.? |
Yes.
Rosco's OFA number is GR-86983G41M-PI DNA V293769
Lacey's OFA number is GR-86982G38F-PI
Sandy's OFA number is GR-88121G29F-PI and GR-EL12499F29-PI |
|
What is OFA and why is it important?
What is Hip Dysplasia? Click Here |
The OFA or Orthopedic Foundation for Animals helps to establish and control programs to lower the incidence of orthopedic and genetic diseases.
Veterinarians and responsible breeders of purebred dogs are well aware that hip dysplasia and other inherited diseases can be controlled by careful, selective breeding programs. DNA tests for specific diseases remain the "gold standard" in determining an animal's genotype, but in the absence of available DNA tests, phenotypic evaluations are the best alternative. Information regarding the test results from the sire and dam, along with information on other close relatives allows breeders to apply greater selective pressure to produce normal offspring and avoid affected offspring. |
Do the puppies have any type of training prior to being sent to their new home? |
Yes. We start training as soon as they start walking. Teaching them with a gently affirming presence. Since most dogs are typically toy motivated we have several small puppy toys we use to support positive behavior. We frequently use toys and treats that promote animal enrichment. At 6 weeks we start the formal house breaking process, the puppies are each taken outside on a strict schedule. They are also introduced to basic commands like "sit" and "come here." We are full members of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and use their techniques to train our dogs and puppies. |
|
Are you affiliated with any clubs or associations? |
Yes, we are members of Association of Pet Dog Trainers and we are also actively involved with our local dog club. |
Do you have references?
Our Privacy Policy : |
Yes. several. We do not post them on our web page for confidentially reasons.
Please be assured that we will keep all your information strictly confidential. We will not add your name to any mailing lists or give out your information without your permission to be used as a reference. However if you would like to share puppy stories, pictures, or become a reference please let us know. We love keeping posted on our puppies progress. |
What guarantees do you offer with your puppies? |
Please see the guarantee section of our web site for detailed information. |
|
Are your dogs registered? If so with what registry? |
Yes, all of our dogs are registered with the AKC and all of our puppies will come with AKC registration papers.
This is an important question to ask, BE SPECIFIC. We have talked with a lot of dog breeders throughout the years and they will say "yes they are registered" but they will fail to tell you whom they are registered with. Make sure you get a firm answer. You may even want to ask for the sire and dams AKC numbers to verify registration. We feel it is important to be registered with the AKC. |
Do you require spay/neuter contracts on your puppies? |
No, although we encourage you to have your puppy spayed/neutered we do not contractually require it. We place all of our puppies as family pets, if you are interested in breeding please contact us for more specific information. |
|
Where can you ship and how much does it cost? |
We can arrange transportation to most major international airports in the United States and Cananda for an additional $250. This includes preflight vet check, health certificate, travel kennel, transportation to the departure airport, and airfare. Please see the Shipping / Delivery section of our web site for detailed information.
If you would like to pick up your puppy in St. Louis, Missouri this can be arranged for $95 and includes a vet check, health certificate, travel kennel, and transportation to the St. Louis airport. |
|
What type of payment options do you accept? |
We accept and prefer PayPal, but are open to other options. Paying a "Verified" member with PayPal is one of the safest ways to adopt your puppy.
With PayPal you can pay with a Major Credit card or Bank Account using their secure server. This allows you to adopt a puppy without having to provide us with any of your credit card or bank information. PayPal is one of the most trusted payment processing companies and is how most transactions are completed with eBay and over 100,000 other on-line sites. |
|
Have you become ID Verified with PayPal or Next Day Pets? |
We are verified with both. I would not do business on-line with an unknown person unless they were a verified member.
Next Day Pets says "If YOU are an honest person and not a scammer you should have no hesitation or problem becoming ID Verified."
To become Verified with PayPal one must provide proof that he or she has opened an account at a bank or other financial institution in the United States. Because these institutions are required by law to screen account holders, PayPal's verification process increases security when you pay parties you do not know. You should always consider other indicators when evaluating members, including length of PayPal membership. We have been Verified members since July 1st, 2002. I'm PayPal Verified |
If, for any reason, I am unable to keep the puppy, what is your policy? |
We realize sometimes that circumstances change. You may be forced to move into an area that isn't pet friendly. You or your family may decide that taking care of a puppy really isn't something they want to do after all. Health may prevent you from giving proper care or attention to your puppy. At any time during your puppies lifetime we will always welcome it back, regardless of the reason or age, no questions asked. We want to make sure all of our puppies stay happy and are well cared for. If you ever have to give up your puppy please contact us before giving it away to a stranger or releasing it to a shelter/adoption facility. |
|
What do I need before adopting a puppy? |
Getting a new puppy is very exciting! Whether this decision was a long time in the planning, or she just "happened", you can both look forward to a lifetime of adventure and companionship. To help you get started their are a few basic supplies you will need to have on hand to welcome your new arrival. Click here for more information. |
