how does the Selection Process work?!?!

Each time we have a litter of puppies we start at the top of our reservations list and start reaching out to the families on our master reservations list.  We will send you an email with a link, showing the puppies that were just born.  We will give you as much information as we have included an approximate go home date.

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If you opt to take a puppy from that litter, we will ask you which gender you prefer.  At this time, you will need to select a gender (At least the majority of the time). If you opt to go on that litter, then we would ask that you like the majority of the puppies from the litter.  We do NOT allocate individual puppies at birth.  There is no way to know who the puppies are going to be at birth.  By the time the puppies are 8 weeks old we have a really good idea of their disposition.  Do not under value the wait and see mode.  This 8 week of developmental time gives us a chance to know who each puppy is.  We will have you and your family sit down and complete a form after you've been allocated to a litter.  The form will give us some helpful information about you and your family.  The energy level and activity level in your home, your hopes and desires for a puppy and what you plan on doing with the puppy.  This will help us to help you make the selection that is best suited for your home.  Looks only goes so far!  You can have a puppy that looks exactly like you are hoping for, but it could have a disposition that is not going to be the best suited for your home.  Our goal is to help you select a puppy that is the right mental fit as well as close to the look that you are after.

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When we reach out to you with information about a litter that was just born.... if we do not have the correct gender or not the look you are after or just not the right timing.... we simply ask you to send us a quick email that just says pass.  If you pass too many times, I will most likely eventually email you and ask more questions.  If you pass you stay right where you were on the reservations list.  If people above, you take a puppy from a litter then you move up one spot.  

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I am sitting down creating this page for our website in hope of elevating some issues we've been experiencing lately.  When we send you an email and you look through the photos it's VERY helpful if you keep an open mind to all of the puppies that are in the litter.  If you only see one puppy in the litter that you like unless you will have first pick, then this most likely is not going to be the litter for you.  Please do not send me an email stating yes, we are interested, and we will take the red tuxedo with one white paw and one blue eye.  There are several things that have to happen before we can even begin the puppy allocation process.

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1.  When the puppies are 7 - 8 weeks of age all of our puppies are seen by our vet Mark Weber at Newberg Animal Hospital in Newberg, OR.  Each puppy is given a thorough exam by a licensed vet.  Each puppy leaves there with a well-baby exam report that will be included in your go home packet.  All of our puppies are microchipped at this well baby exam as well.  Once we know which puppy you are getting, we will provide this number to you and ask that you register your puppies microchip before the puppy leaves our home.

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2.  At 8 weeks of +/- 3 days we have all of our litters of puppies evaluated by Pat Hastings from Dog Folk, Int.  Pat is a world renowned AKC judge that flies around the US judging dog shows and evaluating litters of puppies.  Pat has been evaluating each litter that we have produced for the last SEVERAL years.   Pat has an eye for a structurally, well put together puppy.  The only time that you can evaluate a dog for structure is 3 days +/- 8 weeks of age or once the puppy is fully developed, growth plates are fused, and all development is done.  So, having Pat evaluate each litter prior to us picking our breeding prospects is critical.  Thankfully, Pat lives only 45 minutes from us and we are able to have her evaluate each and every litter.  This does a few things for us.  

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3. We do VOLHARD’S PUPPY APTITUDE TEST individually at 7 1/2 weeks. 

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It helps us to know if the litter has breeding quality puppies.  If there are breeding quality puppies then we can make the selection that is best for our program based off of structure, disposition and looks.  Us keeping the structurally BEST puppy in a litter and only breeding in the future to other dogs that are structurally correct only improves our bloodlines and improves the structure of what we are able to provide not only for ourselves but to families that will have our puppies for the next 15 years.  The better the structure the less health issues that will develop over time.  Such as hip dysplasia, torn ACL's, spinal issues, shoulder issues... Correct structure will mean your dog will most likely age more gracefully and with less pain.  So, for us waiting until the puppies are 8 weeks old for puppy allocation is an extremely important part of our process and unfortunately, it's a part of the process that we cannot rush.

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Once we have the well-baby exam with our vet and our structural evaluation with Pat Hastings then we know who we are holding back as a breeding prospect if anyone at all.  There are times when we have puppies’ spots that we've held on our litter list, but the puppies aren't what we would want for breeding purposes.  In that situation everyone that is on the list for a pet puppy simply moves up a spot. Once we've worked through our process, we will immediately start calling each family starting at the top of the litter reservations and working our way down the list until we've spoken to everyone.  It is common that Pat Hastings is here in the morning, and we have puppies going home later that day.  We do have each family complete a form that gives us additional information about your lifestyle and what your needs as a family are.  The more information you can provide us the better we can help you to make the selection that meets the emotional and energy levels that you are looking for as well as help you get as close as possible to the look that you are hoping for.    We can and do FaceTime calls all the time.  If you would like to see the puppies on screen or if you have a couple of puppies that you are interested in after we describe them to you then we can video them for you and send you a quick snip or just go for it right, then and there and let's do a FaceTime! FaceTime works awesome for the puppy selection process.

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At times when we have a litter going home over a couple of day period... on occasion there will be a time when we will have one person come meet the puppies and pick by playing with a couple of them after we've already narrowed it down a bit.  We used to have group pickups (pre-COVID).  At times I miss them but all in all I think we are getting better fits now that we are asking for people to engage with us and let's really dig in and figure out what your needs are in a puppy verses this puppy came up to me first this must be my puppy... or I fell in love with this puppy on one photo 3 weeks ago and he just spoke to my soul.  Soul speaking only goes so far if it's the wrong disposition for your home. :-)   We are here to help you make the selection that will be best for your home.  We have spent 8 weeks with these puppies, and we know who they are and are happy to help you make sure you are getting the right puppy.

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In all honestly the coloring of the pup should be the least of the concerns.  Our ultimate goal is to help you pick a puppy that is going to integrate into your home and FIT your lifestyle with a puppy that you adore the look of.  It's a proven fact that if you like the look of your puppy, you will provide better care for your pup.  I want spoiled, loved and well cared for puppies out there.  This is the best way to help accommodate this happening for each puppy that leaves our home. 

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I hope that this helps to clarify the selection process.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Looking forward to meeting you!

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Thanks!

Nicole