Frequently Asked Questions
Pricing
Our puppies cost $2800. This price does not include any travel costs associated with picking up your puppy. To prevent uneducated breeding, we require under contract for every puppy family to spay or neuter their dog. If you are interested in breeding one of our puppies, the cost is $3500 and will require a contract for future health testing and breeding practices associated with that puppy. These contracts are strictly enforced.
Puppy Selection
Puppy picking will occur when the puppies are 7 weeks old. Visits can be arranged so that you can meet the puppies and make your selection in person if you are able to travel to Utah.
Picking will be done in the order of the waitlist. It’s tempting to choose a puppy based simply on size, gender or markings, but learning about their temperament is extremely important so you can ensure the best fit with your lifestyle and family dynamics. With all of our breeding pairs we aim for the cutest markings possible, and each puppy receives extensive early socialization and training. So whether you are pick of the litter or last on the list, you will be getting an incredible puppy!
Puppy Pickup Options
We do not organize the travel of your puppy or ship puppies via cargo, but we can provide references to trusted flight nanny services. You then coordinate with them to fly with your puppy in the cabin of the plane to your preferred airport.
We welcome visitors to Utah to pick up your puppy! You can drive to Provo to meet at our home, or you can fly into the Provo or Salt Lake Airport and bring your puppy home with you in the cabin as a carry on. You will need to notify the airline beforehand that you will be traveling with an animal in the cabin. Each airline has different policies, and will charge a fee to carry a puppy on board with you. You will be responsible for any airline fees and the required soft kennel for carry on. See our recommended products page for travel carriers.
TAKE HOME DATE
Our puppies are available to go home with their new families at approximately 8 weeks old. Refer to specific litters for what that date is. It is very important for the health and socialization of the puppies to stay with their mama and siblings for 8 weeks. They learn dominance and submission, bite inhibition, and many other lifelong lessons critical to their development. After that point, it is equally important that they get to their new families as soon as possible to start their training, socialization and bonding. We are not dog trainers, and do not claim to be. The longer your puppy stays with us after 8 weeks of age, the less time you have with your pup in their critical socialization window before 16 weeks, which means you will have less time to socialize your puppy to their new life during the time that they are most receptive to learning and adapting. We cannot stress enough how important it is to get your puppy home and start their training with their forever family as soon as possible. If you are unable to pick up your puppy by 9 weeks of age, we ask that you wait for a future litter.
VACCINATIONS and deworming
The puppies will have multiple rounds of deworming, and their first round of vaccines before they go to their new homes. Second and third rounds of vaccines, including rabies vaccination, will need to be done with their new family. After your puppy has been with you for two weeks you should do another round of deworming.
Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS)
We use the "Super Dog" or Bio Sensor technique, also called ENS, developed and used by the US Army for their service dogs to provide our puppies with controlled stresses that are proven to help them grow to be a calmer, more well adjusted dog that can handle any situation with grace. These exercises have been proven to help dogs have stronger heart beats, lower stress hormones, greater tolerance of stress, and greater resistance to disease, therefore increasing lifespan. Read more about this process here.
Empowered Puppy Curriculum
All of our litters are raised using the Badass Breeder Empowered Puppy Curriculum from 4E Kennels. This program focuses on exposing the puppies to as many things as possible in our 8 weeks with them. We follow an outlined curriculum of exposure activities. All of these activities are done in a certain way and at a certain time so as to not induce detrimental stress on the puppies, but instead to help them gain confidence, nerve strength and connection. The culmination of this program includes a Puppy Aptitude Exam done by a certified evaluator. The information gleaned from this exam is critical in getting the best match possible between puppy and family, and also to place any dogs that might be best suited for therapy or working dog futures. Learn more about the curriculum here.
Puppy Aptitude Exam aka Temperament Testing
Puppies have both stable and adjustable traits. Traits are observed and tracked beginning at 6 weeks old. Below are traits that are evaluated:
Stable Traits: assertiveness with humans and dogs, motivation, energy level, prey drive, human focus, tenderheartedness
Adjustable Traits: confidence, nerve strength/ resiliency, touch tolerance, sound sensitivity, sight sensitivity
The stable traits are traits that inherent to the puppy’s personality and do not change much, if at all over the lifetime of the dog. The adjustable traits can be shaped greatly by training, socialization and exposure. At seven weeks old, the puppies will have these traits evaluated through a standardized test by a certified evaluator. The results will be filmed, and score cards will be marked for each puppy. The results for each puppy, along with extensive explanation of the traits, will be shared with everyone on the waitlist so that each person can choose a puppy with temperament traits that are important to them. It is important to note that none of these traits are inherently good or bad, and everyone’s preferences will vary. Watch a video explaining the traits here and here.
Breeding Practices
We wait to breed our dogs until they are fully grown and developed and have passed their required health exams, after approximately 18 months to 2 years of age. Once a dam begins having litters, it is actually healthier for her uterus to breed on each successive heat cycle to reduce her risks for cancer or uterine infections. Their bodies are made for this, but we always consult our vet before a breeding to ensure she is healthy and ready for another litter. We typically have four litters with each dam. Taking care of our mamas is our absolute highest priority and we will never overbreed them.