All of our breeding dogs are Australian Shepherds registered with the AKC. They have been tested by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (an independent testing group) for their Heart, Hips, and Elbows. They've been tested by the Canine Eye Registration Foundation for their eyes. Both Darla and Trent have full genetic testing as well, their information can be found on their profile pages on our website.
Let me tell you a little about our process. We're a small hobby breeder in Carmel Indiana. We have a busy home with four children 15, 14, 11, and almost 2! Our children are a big part of our puppy's lives and help serve a very important role in providing you with well socialized and friendly pups. Because we're small scale, we're able to give the pups more individual attention than many breeders. They're born and raised in our home. When they're four weeks old, they start to explore outdoors including water, of course weather permitting.
We raise our puppies using a modified "Super-Dog" program. This program involves exposure to various stimuli at certain developmental stages for the puppies. We expose them to people, different surfaces and textures, climbing obstacles, sounds (vacuum, lawn mower, TV, etc.). By exposing them at a young age, and in a safe nurturing environment, we can produce self-confident, well socialized pups that are eager to please and ready to learn.
When you submit a contract and deposit for a puppy, you must select whether you want a male or female. The order in which contracts and deposits are submitted determine the order of puppy selection. Your new puppy will be ready to go home when they're 8 weeks old. You'll also receive a puppy care kit, which includes:
AVID Microchip with lifetime registration and lifetime guarantee*
AKC Limited Registration - Fees Paid with pedigree
ASCA registration paperwork – Fees not paid
Health Records (Vaccination, Deworming, Fecal Tests, Vaccination Schedule, etc)
3 day supply Orijen Puppy food.
Orijen all-meat treats
Collar and Leash
Toys
Puppy Tech Support
The most important thing we send home with your puppy though is a "stinky toy". As you probably already know, a dog's strongest sense is smell. Your pup will go home with a stuffing-free toy that's been used by the litter. This toy carries the smell of their mother and littermates, so it's very comforting to them. We suggest giving it to them for crate training, sleeping, or times of anxiety. It sounds silly, but we've seen huge benefits from the stinky toys! At your selection appointment you may also want to bring a used shirt or blanket of yours, so we can start exposing your pup to your scent. The item will then go home with you and your pup on pickup day.
*With lifetime registration, there are no monthly or annual fees to worry about. You only pay a small fee if/when you need to change your contact information with AVID, the monitoring company. ** When you pick up your puppy, we'll scan the microchip with you to verify it is positioned properly and scanning correctly. We'll happily re-scan your puppy for you at any time in the future (your Vet will do this as well), and if the microchip ever fails or migrates we will replace it at no charge.