|










| |
Our FAQ's
|
Hopefully
this page can help you out with some of your questions, if I have missed
something please let me know and I will add it. We try to keep this page as well
as the rest of the website up to date as we possibly can.
|
|
I thought your
were holding my puppy for me for when I could come meet him.
I do not hold a puppy for anyone
unless you have a deposit placed on that puppy. The only exception is if
we do a pending, which a pending hold a puppy for 24 hours ONLY.
I will not force you to place a deposit on a puppy nor will I ask you to
place a puppy before we have even gotten to the process of setting up a
firm appointment. Once we are to the point of a firm appointment time,
we will remind you that without a deposit there are no guarantees that
the puppy will be available when you get here, unless we do the 24 hour
pending. If there is no set appointment, no deposit, the puppy very well
could be sold to someone else, that is a fit for that puppy as well.
This is our policy to protect our puppies and ensure they do not miss
out on a potential new home/family to call their own, that they so very
deserve.
|
|
Will
you meet us halfway or come up to the Twin Cities area?
We will meet on occasion
to try to help out with distances for people. Of course we prefer you to
come to our home and meet the puppies in the setting they are most
comfortable with. We do understand times are tough and you really want
that new puppy but just can't drive the distance. So we do try to
accommodate people when we can make it possible.
We are willing to meet for additional cost
to help in our gas expenses. Meeting where will depend on the day/time
and the weather. Only one puppy will be brought when meeting out of
Albert Lea, NO EXCEPTIONS. The fee for meeting will be required
irregardless if you choose to purchase puppy or not. We only will meet
within the state of Minnesota.
For more information on meeting please
find our Meet Policy under the Deposit/Payment Page.
|
|
Can we have the phone
number/email of one of your past puppy buyers?
Our past puppies page is
our reference page. This is where you will get past puppy buyers
experiences with the breed they purchased, the puppy they purchased, and
about working with us. Our past puppy buyers have asked us to refer you
to this page. They have taken the time to write up their stories and
email pictures and would like you to read them on the past puppies page.
They thank you for understanding, they want to enjoy their time with
their 4 legged family member, their human family and with their other
obligations and many do not have the time to converse about their
experience, thus why we have been asked to make the past puppy section
of our website. There will be no exceptions to this, as a few of our
past puppy buyers have been harassed by some those who have contacted
them asking for "their references". Called many times during the day,
without every leaving a message, and called at late hours at night. We
will keep our past puppy buyers information confidential out of respect
for their privacy.
|
|
I
thought we could show up whenever it works for us, as you are here to
sell puppies.
We are not just
here to sell puppies, and for you to show up whenever it works for you.
Sometimes we will fit you in between our other plans or maybe even other
appointments so you can come and meet a puppy. Other times we have set
personal plans for after your appointment time and can not accommodate
to you being late. We also have a 3 year old and a 1 year old, so a set
appointment time is required so we can tend to their needs as well. We
ask that you take your appointment time seriously and understand that we
do have personal lives and are not just here so you can buy a puppy and
to also be courteous to other puppy buyers appointment times as well,
please be respectful of the time they scheduled to meet their new puppy
as you would want others to be respectful for your appointment.
Thank You!
|
|
Are
the puppies potty trained?
We no longer start potty
training on any puppies, irregardless of their age, due to the
many different methods of training. We of course do not allow them to go
anywhere they want. We have a puppy play pen box that is specially made
just for them, they often play in there, it is their area, or if weather
is nice we spend a lot of time outside. Even in the winters on nice days
we will bring them outside for playtime, so they get used to all weather
types. Also when they are in the house with us we watch them very
closely and if we see any signs of having to go potty they are either
placed in their play pen or brought outside, if that is the closest
option. We leave potty training up to the new owners so they can choose
the method that works best for them, outdoor, potty pad, paper, or
litter box, indoor grass spot, turf pad. Plus then you become their
master. If we start one method and you
try to change it and go with another, past experiences has caused a
confused puppy who will potty in the house. We do send along Outdoor
potty training tips. If you choose any other method, we do not and have
not ever potty trained any other way besides outside, you will have to
do homework on the other potty training methods. Please remember every
puppy trains differently and at their own pace, one puppy may train in 2
weeks while another may take 4 weeks. Potty training, is all about
schedule, dedication and persistence. Not only are you training them but
they are training you on their cues. We also will not start potty
training for an extra fee, as there is much relearning to be done when
the puppy goes to a new home: ie a new home lay out (where the doors
are, which doors he is suppose to go to) and ways to get to the yard, is
there a deck? Stairs? is there a certain area in your yard you want him
to go to? Even a puppy that is potty trained or started on potty
training, will have accidents when they go to a new home, this is
because of the new home layout and relearning process, so we will never
tell you we will start to potty train your puppy outdoors, even for an
extra fee. Potty training is part of the experience of owning a puppy.
|
|
We have had our puppy a
week and he/she is not potty trained?
A lot has changed in
the puppies life they are still settling. NO puppy will be trained in 1
week. Training a puppy takes time, patience, and a schedule. Your puppy
needs to be watched nonstop if out and about, if not able to watch your
puppy while out, place him in his kennel, AFTER you have let him outside
to eliminate, never put him in the kennel without taking him to his
potty place first! This will only cause accidents in his kennel. The
smaller the puppy the more frequent they need to eliminate. The younger
the puppy the more frequent they need to eliminate. Schedule feedings
are a great source to aid in potty training as well. Water should be
given freely. Potty training your puppy not only is you training him but
he training you for his cues and when he needs to eliminate. Each puppy
is different in training, not one puppy is the same.
|
|
The
puppy is 4 months old or older, isn't it too late to potty train?
The
answer is No. We have found that at these ages they are much more mature
and ready to train, not only can they hold it longer, but they can also
make it through the night, as long as they are not being fed right
before being put to bed. We have potty trained several puppies that were
5 months and older, who took to potty training like pros. One of them
had 1 accident in the house and from there on learned where she must go.
This does not mean that you can not train younger as you can. But just
because they are older than 8 weeks does not deem them un-trainable. In
my own opinion I find the older ones to be easier to train.
|
|
Will
you have puppies in the Spring/Summer, when it is easier to potty train?
We are not sure why people think
this. It is actually easier to potty train in the winter. As much as you
do not want to go out of the warm house into the cold, neither does your
puppy. We find from experience they are quicker to do their business in
the winter, they want to do whatever it is they need to get back in the
warm house. When it is warmer outside it is easy for them to get
distracted and get carried away chasing leaves, or carrying sticks, and
doing everything else but going potty.
|
|
Are
the puppies crate trained?
The puppies are put in
crates during the night, when we are gone, and other times we can not be
with them. They are used to being with other puppies, so the first night
or so they may cry at their new home because they are lonely and missing
their puppy company.
|
|
What
size of kennel should I get?
We suggest that you
purchase a kennel the size of the puppy, if it is too large then your
puppy will make their "messes" on one end and then go lay at the other
end, resulting in not getting potty trained. We often have people show
up with a kennel that would fit a Golden Retriever and they are
purchasing a tiny puppy who will never be that size, then they email
back asking why the puppy keeps doing their business in the kennel.
|
|
A few
weeks ago I saw a puppy on your website and now they are not pictured on
the website but also not on the past puppies page, are they still
available?
No the if a puppy is no
longer pictured, the puppy has been sold and is in his or her new home.
The past puppy page is for the new owners to show off their new puppy
and tell people about their new puppy and their experience with us.
|
|
How
do I get my puppy on the past puppies page?
Email us pictures and a
statement, and we will add them as time permits. Please also included
town/state in which the puppy is living in.
|
|
I am
interested in a puppy but see he is On Hold, can I still put a deposit
down on him or meet him before they come?
Oddly enough I get this
question at least once a day if not more. On Hold means someone has put
a deposit down on the puppy. Anytime a puppy is On Hold, the appointment
date is under the ON HOLD, check back after this date to see if they did
in fact take the puppy they original chose or if another one caught
their eye. 90% of the time the puppy they originally picked out is the
one they end up taking home. As long as the puppy says ON HOLD under
their name, they are not available, not even to meet. If it says
Available Now under the picture they are available.
|
|
Can
we view and meet all the puppies?
We give you up to 2
puppies to view. (If we have a full day you may only be given your
number 1 choice to meet) We have found when it is more than this people
get overwhelmed and have a very hard time choosing a puppy. When
scheduling an appointment to meet the puppies we will ask for your
choice of top 2 you want to meet this 2 includes the one puppy you put
on hold, the other 1 you will be able to meet if they haven't been put
on hold before your appointment.
No
puppy is held without a deposit,
so if there is a puppy you just can't bear not to meet and your leaning
more towards that one, then we ask that you put deposit to hold
that puppy for your appointment. (More information on Deposit/Payment
Page) Your 2 choices must be given by 6pm the
day before your appointment so we can have everything prepared. For your
appointment those will be the only 2 you will meet. You will not be able
to get here and change your mind and want to meet different puppies.
|
|
What
are your hours?
We do not have "hours", we
sell our puppies out of our home, and also have work schedules and two
small children, so puppies are viewable by scheduled
appointment time only. Contact us with the days that are open for you
and we will get back to with our times available for that day. Anyone
who just shows up will be asked to leave and schedule an appointment.
Please view our Scheduling Policy under the
Deposit/Payments Page.
|
|
Do
you take checks, we have high numbered checks?
We accept CASH & Credit
Cards only!
|
|
Will
you hold a puppy without a deposit?
We no longer hold any
puppies without a deposit. People change their minds and do not bother
letting us know that they have either found another puppy elsewhere or
have decided something in their lives will not allow it at this time.
Then the puppy goes on being put as Pending in good faith that we will
be let know if changes happen and puppies go on without finding a home
or miss out on the opportunity of a wonderful home. A deposit is
refundable if we are contacted saying that things have changed, if a no
show happens no refund is given.
For more on placing a deposit please visit
the deposit/payments page.
|
|
We
are going on vacation, we really want this puppy can you board him until
we return?
We will board your puppy,
for $25.00 per week (this is per puppy). We ask that you come and meet
your puppy first and be sure that this is the puppy you want, unless you
are sure from the picture and description (this has been the case many
times). The puppy must be paid in full, along with the boarding fee,
with NO
REFUNDS. We
also require you to schedule the pick up date of your puppy. Any time
over this scheduled date will result in additional cost for boarding.
For our boarding policy please view our
deposit/payments page.
|
|
Do
you ship your puppies?
The answer will be no
every time. We want you to meet your puppy, before committing to years
of having this puppy. There is absolutely no EXCEPTIONS to this rule. We
do not care if you can not find any in your area or we have such a cheap
price compared to your area. Shipping is very stressful on the puppy, as
they are stuck in the cargo area of the plane, alone, in a weird, noisy
place. Plus without meeting your puppy you do not have the opportunity
to see if you and the puppy jive, which may result in the puppy going to
a shelter. Sorry to be rude, but I would rather loose out on a sale than
have any of the puppies go through this.
|
|
I
want to come meet the puppy and if I like him then place a deposit and
come another day for my family to meet him.
The answer is No. The
deposit is for your first initial meeting of the puppy. Often times we
have others waiting for you to meet that puppy so if you do not take him
or her home, they can come have their chance at meeting the puppy. After
you have come and met him or her, there is no longer the time for a
deposit, if he is not taken that day and you need time to think about it
or bring the rest of the family, then you will have to take the chance
that the others will not take him. We suggest you bring the family with
for this first initial meeting so you do not miss out if he is the one
for you. We have had too many issues with people doing this and the
puppy losing out on their wonderful new home, because before the family
came to see the puppy, you found a puppy elsewhere or changed your mind,
and now those people who were excitedly waiting for the puppy to become
available have given up hope and found a different puppy to love. And a
few of those others who didn't find another, often wonder why you passed
up this puppy and often believe that there was something wrong with the
puppy, so they will then pass on the puppy as well, which all in all is
unfair to the puppy.
|
|
I
bought my puppy within the last week and now I see they are on sale, can
I get the difference back?
The sale had nothing to do
with you purchasing your puppy. My Aunt and Uncle do the sales, we do
not, with this said we do not know when or what kind of sale they will
run until the day they tell us to run the sale. Whenever you purchased
your puppy is the price he or she is that day, irregardless if the next
day we are contacted to run a sale, this does not change what your
puppy's price is. All sales are final and no differences will be given
if sale runs after you purchase your puppy. Again this has nothing to do
with anyone purchasing their puppy, the sales are out of our hands. My
Aunt and Uncle do not know what we have in the making for appointments
to come or appointments passed when they choose to run sales.
|
|
Are
the puppies good with children or been around children or babies?
All
the puppies here have been very well socialized on a daily basis with
children. We have a toddler son who adores the puppies and helps us out
a lot with getting them used the noises that a kids can make and also
show them how sometimes kids petting can be innocently a little rough
from little ones. We have an infant son, who also lets them know the
noises little babies can make. We also have friends and family who have
children in the age range of 3 months to 12 years of age, who come help
socialize the puppies and get them used to children of all ages. We have
had great response back about how much the puppies just adore children.
If puppy is not kid friendly and would not be good for a children's
home, we will state this fact on their more information page or often
times steer you towards another puppy that is always good with children.
We have had some that are in general good with children, but get
overwhelmed and sometimes not do so well with them, these puppies are
sold to homes where children only come as visitors and do not live in
the home.
|
|
How
are the puppies with cats?
We do not have cats in the
house due to cat allergies. Puppies seem to do just
fine in homes with cats, being they are young and very open to new
things. The bigger worry is how the cat will except the new puppy.
Usually if the cat is older it takes sometimes a week for him/her to get
over the new addition, sometimes it can be longer, depending on your
cat. The migrating farm cats that come to visit every Spring and
Summer, are curious of the puppies, some will stay their distance and
watch them, we have had a few that will try to play with the puppies.
|
|
We
have a large dog, how is the puppy with large dogs?
Each puppy is different.
We do have several puppies in homes with larger dogs such as Boxers,
Labs, Giant Schnauzers, Golden Retrievers and so on. At first the puppy
may be nervous or scared because of their large size and they feel
towered over, but after they have become acquainted with the dog they
become fast friends with them and do not think of their size.
|
|
Have the puppies
been vet checked, given shots or wormed?
All puppies have been vet
checked, wormed and given age appropriate shots, starting at 6 weeks.
Worming has been started at 2 weeks of age with Pyrantel. But by the
time you get your puppy they will have had worming at 2, 4 and 6 weeks
of age. A copy of the vet check form, the shot/worming record are all
given at the time of purchase. Continuing shots we recommend discussing
with your vet his/her shot protocol, we have found that each vet does
their shots differently, and rather than telling your vet how to do
his/her job, we have you discuss how your vet does things.
|
|
What
is the annual cost to have a puppy?
This is a question we will
not answer. This question is to hard to say for sure, what the annual
cost for one pet owner to the next changes, from the brand of food you
choose to feed your puppy, to the vets prices. We have found that our
vets are much cheaper in our area than those up in the Twin Cities area.
So for us to tell you what the cost will be, will be misleading you. The
best way for you to get answers to this question is to choose what brand
of food you will feed your puppy, go and price it at the available
stores it is at. Then call around to your local vets and get their
prices. Some charge office visits, some to not. Some will package deal a
visit and others will not. Every vet is different.
|
|
Do
you have a guarantee?
We do have a guarantee,
which we go over with you when you are here, you will sign the guarantee
and get a copy of it for your own records.
|
|
Is
the puppy neutered or spayed?
Females can not be
spayed until they are 6 months of age, males depending on your vet is
usually 5-6 months of age. It is not wise to get them neutered or spayed
until this time, as things do not properly develop and may cause
problems down the road, such as stunted growth and not developing
properly. We highly encourage everyone to get their puppies spayed
and neutered.
|
|
Do
the parents have any health issues?
This question always makes
me shake my head. Seriously why would you breed a dog that has a health
issue? The answer very obviously is no, to breed a dog that has a health
issue, it just asking for a poor quality of life for the puppies they
produce. This is cruel and inhumane and will not happen. The parents are
checked by a licensed vet frequently, if any concerns were ever to rise
the dog would be retired from breeding and placed in a pet only home. My
Aunt and Uncle have been breeding their lines for many many years, so
they have worked and know their dogs health lines very well and have
chosen to only breed those with excellent health lines.
|
|
Is
the puppy registered?
No the puppies are mixed
breed and not registered. The parents of the puppies are registered as
they are pure breed dogs.
|
|
Do
you have more pictures of the puppy you can send me?
All of the pictures that
are taken of the puppy are on the website, if I take additional updated
ones they will be put on the website right after they are taken. The
pictures that are on the website are all that I have. Taking pictures of
a puppy is not the easiest task to get the best picture. Some puppies do
not care for the camera and come off as scared, when really they are
not, black puppies are hard to get the perfect picture and others want
to move around and be active rather than sit still and have a photo
shoot, others like to follow you around and be at your feet which makes
getting their picture very hard. We give you several pictures on the
website, we ask that if you need to see more to please schedule a time
to come see them in person. Taking pictures is time consuming, as the
puppy changes we will update their pictures, but rather than updating
pictures every other day we would much prefer to spend our time with the
puppies playing and be with them rather than sticking the camera in
their face all the time.
|
|
Can
you email me pictures of the puppy standing this way or a different view
of the puppy?
We have taken several
different pictures of the puppy and put them on their more information
pages. This is show you the puppy, if you need more please come and meet
the puppy in person, as pictures are often deceiving and many times the
puppy is smaller than you had thought from the pictures. Plus you get to
see the puppies true nature as the puppies often times do not care for a
photo session where they have to look this way or that, they would much
rather be playing and being puppies. The pictures is to just show you in
general of the puppy, they are by no means how we want you to purchase
your puppy. This goes even more so for our black puppies, black puppies
are near impossible to get the best shot, often times we will get the
cutest picture and then when we put it on the computer we realize you
can not even see the puppies face, because it all blends in together,
pictures never do a black dog justice!
|
|
How
can I talk my spouse or father or mother into getting a puppy?
We will never help you
talk anyone into getting a puppy. We will never force you to buy a
puppy. We want our puppies to go to homes where everyone in the family
agrees on getting a puppy. Emailing me yelling at me, saying "Then I
will just go to a pet store and buy my puppy!" will not make me help you
talk anyone into buying a puppy. I want you and your family to feel
comfortable with your experience with us, with no pressure to buy.
|
|
Do we
have to keep the name of the puppy?
The name is changeable, we
name the puppies for a couple of reasons, the first being that as long
as the puppies are here they are out pets, and every pets deserves a
name. Second it is for identifying purposes when you contact us. If you
email or call us saying we like the white and buff Cockapoo and there
are 6 available, it is hard to know exactly which one you are inquiring
about. This way you can say, "We are interested in the Cockapoo you call
Jade" We know who your inquiring about. They are not used to their
names, a lot of times they get called Baby, or as my toddler calls them
Doggie, we have had a few leave that would come to the name Doggie if
called. He also calls them "Arffs" and "Hotdogs". So feel free to change
their names to whatever you would like, we love to hear what you have
named your puppy.
|
|
Can
you tell me about the puppy's personality or email me more pictures?
We have a more information
page for each puppy, if you click their picture you will get this page.
If the page says Bio Coming soon, please email for the information, as
between our 2 children and the puppies, I just have not had time to set
down at the computer and get the page done. But this page you will find
more information about the puppy and more pictures with the date that
pictures were taken. Birthdates and which parent is the poodle and vet
check information can all be found on this page. We have tried our best
to make our website as user friendly as possible in helping you choose
your puppy.
|
|
Can
we see the parents?
As we explain on our home
page.
We are
not
the breeders of the puppies,
so it is very simple, the parents are
not
here. My Aunt and Uncle, are the breeders, they are at the age where
there are no children around anymore to help play with and socialize the
puppies, we bring the puppies back to our home and start the
socialization with the little people (kids/babies). We have two children
ages 4 and under. So now the puppies get very used to children and
babies and leave feeling confident of these little people making so much
racket and not exactly handling them the best. We do know all the
information about the parents and have personally met them to know what
they are like. We are confident about all the puppies that we sell. They
do not come from random breeders or strangers to us. They take great
care in wanting the best fit for their puppies in their new families.
Children are a BIG part of the kind of home they will go to. Not every
puppy is suitable for a home with small children. Please visit our past
puppy link to see what some of our puppies new owners have had to say.
|
|
We want to see the
parents or we won't purchase one?
We very
much encourage you to go elsewhere to find your puppy. We are
not
the breeders
nor
do we claim to be. We are very upfront and honest about this! The
parents are not here to meet. If meeting the parents is an important
step in your adoption process we
HIGHLY
encourage you to go to an actual breeder who has parents and will let
you meet the parents.
|
|