Choosing a puppy to be committed to for the next 12-15 years can be a daunting task! Often we are asked how one can choose a puppy successfully. Here are some helpful tidbits of information.
We have very healthy dogs and do not breed any dog with health issues. We have been very successful in breeding healthy, balanced puppies. We socialize our pups well with handling every day. We spend time with and talk to each puppy daily and give them treats (cheese usually.) We let the moms wean the puppies naturally at around 6-7 weeks of age, so that she has time to socialize them to the world of the dog pack. We also keep the pups together until 8 weeks of age, as they do a lot of socialization among themselves as well.
We do temperament testing between 6 and 7 weeks of age. This means we sit down with each pup and run them through a variety of tests that help us to understand what the pup's temperament is going to be naturally. These tests are quite accurate most of the time and are good predictors of future temperament. We post each puppy's results along with a current photo on our website, and then everyone chooses their pup in the same order in which they placed their deposits. Each family has up to 24 hours to make their choice. If a family is not able to find the pup they want they just wait for more litters to come. Once you have placed a deposit on the Wait Lists, you will not lose your place in line by waiting. The deposits are non-refundable but we do allow just about any amount of switching around. We also welcome visitors out to our ranch to visit with us, the pups, and the parents and to participate in the temperament testing. You always have the right to switch to another puppy or wait for another litter, even up to the moment you actually receive your pup in your arms. You are not committed to any particular puppy until you have seen him or her, held him or her, and know for sure that you love him or her!
We cannot guarantee that we can provide you with the coat type or color of pup you request, as those factors vary sometimes from litter to litter. We can guarantee though, that we will provide you with a pup that is the breed and gender you want within one year of your deposit date, or we will refund your deposit. Most of the time you will get a pup from the litter you expect, but animals are not machines...they can be unpredictable. Sometimes a dog will not come into season on the date we expect. Sometimes a dog that is bred during her season will not turn out to be pregnant. Sometimes a dog will have all one gender when you wanted the other gender. These things are outside of our control, though we do our best to provide you with the perfect puppy for your family in a timely fashion.
We do require you to meet your puppy prior to making final payment (usually at delivery.) We do not ship puppies by air cargo at all. You can come here to the ranch or meet us when we deliver to Seattle or Spokane. We are also happy to meet you at the airport if you are flying in to pick up your puppy. Seattle area delivery is $150 and Spokane (including the airport there) is $100.
Our goal is always to place our puppies in committed, loving homes where they are a good match for the family. If, for some reason, it does not work out with the original family, we always, always, always are willing to take the puppy or dog back and do whatever is necessary to find the perfect home. Please do not ever take one of our dogs to the pound or a rescue...please contact us first! We will help. We are committed to our dogs for their entire lives.