Visitation
Policy
"Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot little puppies."
- Gene Hil
We do not allow visitors
We raise our puppies inside our home because we strongly believe that home raised puppies is both ethically the right thing to do, as well as producing the most well-adjusted puppies.
The downside to this is we do not have an office or kennel outside of our home that people can visit.
There is a very high demand for a puppy from us due to our good reputation, dedication, and the above and beyond efforts to rear puppies in the most advantageous way possible.
We get approximately 6 - 12 calls and email inquiries a day. At LEAST half of those, if not more, want to visit, and spend a few hours with us, and play with the puppies. Most say “We might want a puppy years in the future and are interviewing breeders now”, or “We think we might want a particular breed but have never actually met one”, or "We are trying to see which breed is right for us", or “We want to make sure we are not allergic before committing,” so they want to come visit our dogs to decide if they really like our Aussie Puppies.
This is not surprising given the number of “What to do when buying a puppy” websites that are outdated and advocate for visiting the breeder and meeting the puppy’s parents first.
The major flaw with these sites is that their priority is the buyer, and NOT the health and safety of the puppies and the breeders.
Many folks don't realize there are countless things to consider as a breeder of home raised puppies. The dangers of exposing young puppies to communicable disease is very serious and can be detrimental to a breeding program and the welfare of our dogs. Visitors can (of course unknowingly) bring diseases onto the property on their feet, hands, etc. The mothers are also being protective of their 'den' (impending litter/pups) during this sensitive time.
This is not a good time to assess the mother's temperament and will cause her stress and unease with a number of visitors coming and going while she is preparing for delivery or has a litter of pups.
Health Matters
Young and newborn puppies don’t have fully developed immune systems and are susceptible to life threatening illnesses, including Parvovirus, Canine Influenza, Pneumonia, Canine Herpes Virus, Kennel Cough, etc. They will have maternal antibodies built up as they grow and get stronger, but are never totally immune. Therefore, precautions must be taken to ensure their safety. They are not old enough to vaccinate as it interferes with their maternal antibodies building and their own immune system coming on board and hurts more than it helps when administered too young. When diseases like Parvo strike, they can kill a whole litter in a matter of hours and can stay in the carpet and soil for years which would be devastating to our breeding program and property for many years to come. Disease can be carried on people’s clothing, hands, shoes, etc. and can live for years in the soil, pet stores, carpet, dog parks, training facilities, kennels, vet offices, rest stops, etc. (anywhere dogs go) and unknowingly be tracked in. Litters of purebred puppies are also a high target for theft, dog flipping, and animal rights extremists.
Therefore, we strictly enforce our no visitor policy no matter who you are, or your needs. We often have potential clients say “but I want to meet the puppy before committing to it to make sure the personality is the right fit”. While we understand this sentiment, the reality is that one visit is NOT realistic for a new person to really get an idea of the true personality, for a couple of reasons. First, it’s just not enough time to judge a puppy’s temperament; that would require spending time with the puppies on a regular basis to truly judge that. Secondly, there have been several long-term studies to show temperament of an adult dog often doesn’t match that of the puppy -- their new environment heavily influences their final/adult temperament.
Visit us
We Welcome You To Visit Online or Facetime
Modern Visitation
Luckily, modern technology has a good solution for this modern problem. We ask that you 'visit' us online on our website, via email, Facebook, Instagram, and on our YouTube Channel rather than in person so that you may see our dogs and watch our puppies grow. We photograph and video our puppies regularly, and post the photos on our Facebook and Instagram pages almost daily. Video calls are welcomed with an approved application.
Confirm our Reputation
If someone wants assurance that we actually exist, are reputable, and that we take the best possible care of them, our vets and prior puppy families are more than happy to give recommendations and confirm our reputation. Simply ask us for their contact info.
We consider these concerns as indicative of our reputability as a breeder -- the safety of our puppies, dogs, and ourselves will always be placed above a potential sale. We appreciate your understanding of our commitment to the safety of our program, and hope you see this as a positive quality of a reputable breeder.
