Application Procedure

Please read this page before filling out an application!

         How do we decide which puppy goes to which family?

• Before placing any of our puppies or adult dogs, we want to get to know each family and have a clear understanding of the kind of pup you are hoping to have. Put some thought into describing your lifestyle. Do you spend a lot of time outside? Do you like to walk and be active or would you be happiest with a pup that will snuggle up on your lap as you read or watch TV? Does the mischievous pup make you laugh or would the easier-going one be a better fit. Do you have small children or other animals? Are you interested in training for obedience, agility or maybe even Earth Dog trials? Would you like to get your dog's Canine Good Citizen award or get it certified as a Therapy Dog to visit hospitals and nursing homes? All of these are possible with a healthy, happy, well-trained pet. We often begin to see each puppy's individual personality develop at an early age and that helps us match them up with their prospective families.
  
  When we match the puppies to their families, we do so with the details listed in your application and with our conversations with you in mind. We are experienced in making these matches and will choose the one we feel will fit best in your family and lifestyle. We want you to be happy with your puppy. If the family is not happy, then our puppy will not be happy. When we breed dogs, it is our responsibility to place our puppies where they will be wanted and loved.  
  
  Do we ship puppies to their new homes?
  

• We do not ship our puppies, so new owners need to talk to us about how they will pick up their new puppy. We welcome your visits and hope that you can come out to see the puppies sometime before they are ready to go. We feel it is always best for you to have at least one visit with the pups before he or she goes home with you. We will work with those of you who are flying in to make arrangements.  However, we prefer to have you plan your trip to stay overnight in the area so you can meet the pups and then think about it seriously overnight before you take your puppy. We do not want anyone to make a quick decision as we want this to be a "forever home" for the puppy. There are more details about this on the New Dog Info page.    While it isn't set in stone, I prefer that the puppies do not live in homes with underground fencing.  I have reasons for this which you can read on this page: "Our Opinion of Underground Fencing."  
  
  When do we decide which puppy you might get 
  & what if we don't have a puppy for you?
  

• If you are serious about getting one of our puppies and we think we might have one for you, we may  require a $250 deposit. However, we do not take deposits until after the litter is about 8 weeks old and we have an idea of which might be show and pet prospects. Final decisions are usually made on pet puppies sometime between 8-12 weeks old.  Because we are breeding to add a show prospect to our line, we retain first option on ANY of the puppies. If we do not have the sex of puppy available you asked for, or if we do not have one we consider suitable for you or if you are not happy with the puppy chosen for you, your deposit will be fully and promptly refunded. We will also be willing to help you find a puppy from another reputable breeder.  We will do our best to help you find exactly what you are looking for.  You might like to know that in 30+ years of breeding and showing dogs, we have never had one returned to us. I am pretty good at matching families with the kind of dog they are looking for.

   

         What is in the AfterAll contract?

• A contract will be signed by the buyer and seller outlining our agreements. A sample contract is available on this website and we are happy to discuss the details with all prospective puppy owners. The contract spells out what you can expect of us and what we expect of you.  We do not sell puppies on a breeding contract. Your puppy is to be a much loved companion and hopefully in a "forever home." It is every breeder's nightmare that one of their pups might someday end up in a puppy mill so you will see that our contract requires you to send the dog back to us if you cannot keep it for any reason.  More options and details about this will be discussed when you come to pick up your puppy. 
  
  We do not sell breeding animals. All pet puppies are sold with a spay/neuter contract and on limited registration with the American Kennel Club.  They will come with A.K.C. Limited Registration papers which means no offspring may be registered from either a planned or accidental breeding. While your puppy is not being placed as show dog, we do encourage you to participate in performance events such as obedience or agility and to consider Canine Good Citizen or Therapy Dog training. 

You can count on us to remain a resource for you for as long as the dog lives.