Litters
Born January 15, 2010
Born August 5, 2012
Born September 21, 2017
Born November 9, 2020
Born January 3, 2022
By the time they go home at 8-10 weeks, our puppies:
- have walked on at least 7 different surfaces, eaten in at least 7 different locations from at least 7 different bowls/plates, and played with at least 7 different toys
- have had Early Neurological Stimulation from days 3-16
- are started in socialization (our goal is to have them meet as many people as possible before they leave our home, but it's the new owner's job to continue this!)
- are started in clicker training
- have been for at least one ride in the car (usually more)
- have started crate training
- are microchipped with an ISO microchip
- are CERF or OFA eye tested
- are using a turf "potty patch" and are started in housetraining
- are AKC registered (on Limited registration except in very specific circumstances)
- are appropriately dewormed (usually weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8) and vet checked
- are vaccinated once against Distemper/Parvo
- have listened to desensitization recordings of thunderstorms, fireworks and agility trials from the age of four weeks on
- have had their nails Dremeled once a week
Our puppies are born in the guest room right off our family room, so they are exposed to the normal sounds of a household from day one (we leave ESPN playing on the TV when we are not home, following a suggestion from Ian Dunbar, so they get used to loud male voices from an early age). When they are around 4 weeks old, they graduate to a bigger pen located between our kitchen and family room, the area of the house with the most traffic. They can hear, smell and see everything that goes on in the kitchen and family room from here. We also give them one-on-one handling and cuddling time several times a day from a very early age (this is the best part!).
Puppies go home with a puppy packet including:
- AKC papers (puppies are registered to the new owner upon payment in full)
- the puppy's microchip information (I suggest you register your puppy's microchip number in the AKC Companion Animal Recovery database but ask that you leave my information there as an emergency contact for your puppy)
- a pedigree
- pictures of both parents
- copies of both parents' health tests
- a copy of the puppy's CERF or OFA eye test
- the owner's copy of the contract
- the puppy's health record including copies of the veterinary examination(s), vaccinations and dewormings
- a collar and leash
- a bag of food
- a blanket that has been in with the puppies overnight (smells comforting to the puppy for his or her first few nights in their new home)
- a toy
- several useful handouts about training, crate training, housetraining, Dremeling nails etc.
- a list of recommended foods and feeding instructions
- (when possible) a DVD of the litter's birth and life experiences to date
If you are interested in a puppy, please contact me. It helps a lot if you tell me a bit about yourself, your experience with dogs, your plans for a puppy, your lifestyle, what you like about Vallhunds, if you've managed to meet any in person, etc. Our puppies are a labor of love and placing them in loving homes is our top priority. We try to match puppies to homes (in general, we do not allow people to choose their puppy, we will steer you towards the puppy or narrowed-down choice of puppies we feel will fit best into your home, we will have spent 8 weeks with the puppies by the time they are ready to go to their new homes, so our assessment of the puppies, combined with what we've learned about you, will help us try to make a good match). While we obviously give preference to people who contacted us first when placing puppies, we do not do "first come first served" as a general rule, we want the right puppy in the right home. I will provide lifetime "technical support" for you and your puppy, you can contact me at any time for any reason and I will do my best to help you. All puppies are sent home on a contract signed by the new owner and myself, outlining our respective responsibilities. Puppies MUST be returned to me if at any time in their lives the owner cannot keep them, they must never be resold (without written agreement), abandoned or surrendered to a shelter. If I do not have a suitable puppy for you, I will do my best to put you in touch with another breeder who might. Please note that we do NOT ship puppies.
A word about electronic shock fences ("Invisible Fence" etc.): there are potentially some serious behavioral consequences of using such containment methods. For one thing, they provide a false sense of security (they don't keep anything out of your yard, and all dogs have something they will brave the shock for). For another, they can cause serious problems (this article sums up my concerns nicely). I urge those who use such containment methods, or who are considering using them, to seriously research the side the manufacturers don't tell you about. It is also ludicrous to me that such methods are now being suggested by their manufacturers for addressing fear or anxiety based issues like separation anxiety. How does an electric shock make an overstimulated, frightened, stressed dog LESS stressed? Please consider the dog. I am reluctant to place a puppy in a home where this type of containment is planned, an actual fence or a leash is the best containment.
