The Selection Process

Our puppies are smart, eager to please and willing to learn just about any skill.  But there can be some personality variations within a litter. These small variations help us to distinguish which puppies have areas of strength that align with certain jobs or activities as well as areas they may need more focused training.  However it is not a definitive determination of what each puppy can or can't do, SO much of that comes down to training after they go home.  It just gives us a useful piece of the puzzle to help our families select the right puppy for them.  We use Volhard Aptitude testing and our observations of the puppies within the litter to distinguish these differences to ensure our families are selecting not only based on color and gender but the personality that best fits their family of the available puppies.  We know color and gender can be important but we ask our families to be open to any of our exceptional puppies even if they did not fit the color or gender they were originally interested in. 

(We work hard to invest the same level of training and care into EVERY puppy which is why we would never differentiate price based on color or gender.  With proper training all of our puppies turn out to be amazing rock stars! Boy, girl, cream, brown, merle does not change how amazing each puppy is)

​Puppy Selection Step by Step

1. Volhard testing is completed when the puppies turn six weeks old (historically many of our puppies go through their second fear period at 7 weeks which is why we complete our testing at six weeks)

2. Sessions for each puppy are recorded so that each family can view how each puppy reacts to the different exercises in the testing and the video is uploaded to YouTube.  These videos will also include number scores for each exercise as well as our observation and evaluation of the puppy within the litter (see an example here). This email will also include detailed information about the Volhard scoring system and any relevant information discovered during the puppy wellness exam by our veterinarian.

3. A list containing a link for every puppy in the litter will be emailed to all families with deposits as soon as they are completed (we will send a test email the night before to ensure that all of our emails are going through and nothing is getting caught in a spam folder).

4. Selection will begin with the first deposit holder, once they have made their choice the second family is notified which puppies are still available, and so on.  When a family's selection turn comes up we are available to answer any and all questions via text, messenger, email or phone call. We always leave at least one spot unreserved in each litter so that every family has at least two puppies to select from.

5. We welcome visitors to meet and interact with the puppies anytime after the puppies turn 3 weeks old!  The best time is after the puppies turn 5 weeks old and their personalities have started to emerge but before testing occurs when they turn 6 weeks old.  All visits for decision making MUST take place before the puppies turn six weeks.  We still welcome visitors after this time, but to ensure a smooth selection process for all of our eager families it is easiest to have all families ready to make the decision when it is their turn rather than trying to align schedules for a visit which can greatly slow down the selection process. We do not take visitors on selection day.

Please contact us with any questions about this process. Thank you for, above all else, wanting to choose a puppy because it is specifically from our program.  It has been said before that the choice of the puppy is not nearly as important as the choice of the breeder.  We take pride in providing families with an exceptional, intelligent, versatile and healthy companion that will always have our support.