Puppy Adoption Process
How to pick a good breeder and why:
- Puppies should all be individually AKC registered to ensure you have a pedigreed dog
- Sire and Dam should have all recommended health testing done for the breed to ensure you have the best chance of a healthy long lived pet
- Sire and Dam should both be shown in AKC events and have their championship or equivalent to ensure that your dog has correct type and healthy conformation
- Breeder should be available for the lifetime of your dog for advice
- Breeder should be able to take your dog back if at any point you can't keep him-hardly any one will need this but the point is that your breeder should be willing to stand by their dogs at all times, no matter what
- Breeder should be a member of national and local breed clubs and all breed/obedience clubs in order to make sure that they know the most they can about any issues for the breed and are actively involved with breed preservation
- Puppies should have a health guarantee
- Puppies are never sold by a pet store or third party
- Puppies should be microchipped and enrolled
- Puppies will have their first vaccine or two and be dewormed multiple times with vet check
- Puppies will not be the cheapest on AKC marketplace- obviously cost matters, but it takes a huge amount of money to raise the pups properly, and it really does matter to give you the best pet possible. Ultimately, spending $1600 to get a puppy mill puppy that does not have the health testing and temperament background will cost you well more than a little more to get a the pet you deserve.
My puppies cost $3700 currently for either show or pet puppies including all of the stuff below. Honestly, the puppy is free, but you are paying for all the work I put in and the fact that I will stand behind your pup for life!
Puppies go home from Swallowfield at 9 weeks with:
- Lifetime AKC registration paid for in new owner's name
- Lifetime microchip inserted and registration paid for in new owner's name
- Up to date vaccinations 6 and 9 wk, deworming, a negative fecal test and report for your vet
- First month AKC pet insurance coverage and 10% off for future coverage
- A book of health, training and breed specific information written by me
- Information and booklets from AKC and other sources
- The fabulous training book Puppy Start Right and/or Train Your Dog Now!
- A clicker
- Food they have been eating as well as coupons for more
- Probiotics
- Tug toy
- A stuffed toy that smells like their littermates to decrease separation anxiety
- Training to sit, come, starting to walk on a leash with collar, and other tricks depending on the puppy
- housetraining foundations
- Clicker foundations and shaping training foundations- learning how to learn
- Loving all sorts of different people and other animals
- Learning not to jump on people
- Lessons on crate training, settling down, riding in the car and going other places
- Exposure to all sorts of sights, sounds, smells and interesting things so that they are not afraid but also as enrichment to help grow healthy brains
- Lifetime support and vet advice
- 3 yr health guarantee against life threatening congenital diseases
- Regular low stress nail trims and baths
-Puppy Culture fundamentals
And as for the why we put so much effort in- see the pictures of the new owners with their amazing puppies. This is simply the best way to raise the best dog possible, and even though it is a crazy amount of work, I love it!
Puppy Adoption/Purchase Process
- Read through the website, links and other information
- Meet a Swissy or Farmdog if you have not met one before to make sure they are right for you (I can help you with this)
- Fill out the application
- I will email you back within a few days (if not, email me) and keep you posted about my litter plans
- You send me emails every month or so to check in and let me know you are still interested
- As soon as I have a pregnancy confirmed I will notify you
- When pups are born and I make sure I have one for you I will send photos and a deposit agreement
- New puppy homes get emails and Facebook updates frequently as well as lots of training info and visiting opportunities
- Your new best friend goes to your home at about 9 weeks of age