Usually, when the puppies are about six weeks old (or sometimes sooner) prospective owners start getting anxious about which puppy will ultimately be theirs. Because the best time to evaluate puppies for structure is at least eight weeks, and because the development of their personalities is an ongoing process and assessment, it would be unrealistic for us try to decide sooner than eight weeks of age. So patience, hard as it is to maintain, is a must.
We screen our puppy buyers very carefully to assure a successful placement. Many of our puppies are sold as companions with limited registration. This means they can not be bred, and they must be spayed or neutered by 8 months of age to remove any chance of accidental breeding. Altered dogs make happier and healthier pets.
All potential show-puppy placements will be made with a legal contract outlining co-ownership and the requirements for finishing the championship and health testing before any breeding.
What we try our best to do is match puppies to owners, not just maintain a first-come, first-served list. A good example is a family who may want a "couch potato" type of puppy - it would not be in the best interest of the puppy or the family to place an "energizer bunny" type of puppy with them.
The more open owners are to different colors of either sex, the easier it is for us to find the pup of the appropriate personality and structure to match their needs. The more specific they are, the harder it is to provide people with exactly what they want.
Our puppies go home at 10-12 weeks with first vaccinations, Microchip, BAER (hearing) testing, and vet health check. These tests are expensive, and many breeders don't do some of them before the puppy goes to a new family. But it is my commitment to each puppy and each family to try to ensure that the puppy is as healthy as it can be.
We don't ship puppies - we want you to come to visit us to see our dogs in our environment. Some breeders will insist on meeting you at the airport or a parking lot to transfer the puppy to you, and you never have a chance to see where and how the puppies have been raised. We would much rather have you come to our home, meet the Briarpatch Gang, and have a chance to ask as many questions as you would like.
Most airlines will allow you to bring your puppy home on your flight for a nominal fee. Check with your airline well in advance about the requirements for traveling with in-cabin pets.