Saturday, January 9, 2010

Puppy Questions

Since posting the pictures of the "reindeer", I have received a number
of posts to my blog inquiring about them. Not only do I not allow posts
to this blog, but the sender's e-mail is not included when the comments
are forwarded to me. If you want to contact me about these puppies or
a future litter, there is a contact link on the right of this page that says:
"contact Cheryl". As with most PWD breeders, I place each puppy in the
home that I feel is most suitable and don't accept deposits on a specific
puppy because of its markings. There are so many more important
considerations in placing a puppy than the color of its coat.

I try to keep puppies in the greater Washington D.C. area and only make
exceptions if the puppy is going to a dedicated show home or the buyer
already has one of my dogs and has had the nerve to move away from the
area! I do a lot of owner mentoring and I like to see my dogs after they are
placed. If folks are more than 100 miles from me, the likelihood of my seeing
the dogs and being able to maintain good follow up on them is nil. Since
knowing the long term results is key to improving one's breeding program,
I discourage distant buyers and try to refer them to breeders closer to their
homes.
The best resource for finding a puppy is to go to the puppy listing
at www.pwdca.com All puppies listed on that site are bred by people who
have signed a six page agreement with the parent club guaranteeing that
they will do all appropriate health testing on the breeding pair and stand
behind their animals if there is a problem for the life of the dog. There are
many fine breeders who do not use the puppy listing as well. If the puppy
is not on the breeders' list, a buyer should expect to see original documents
confirming the health testing on the parents before purchasing from the
breeder. There are some people who breed just for the money and don't
care about the dogs they produce. Fortunately, the majority of the PWD
breeders are careful and conscientious. Ask the breeder to provide you
with references and then call them.