Frequently Asked Questions
Knowledge is power...so let's be powerful!
Do you allow visitors?
Yes, absolutely! We are thrilled to invite families to meet our adorable puppies once they reach 3 weeks of age. This ensures that the mother has ample bonding time with her little ones and allows her hormones to settle, making it easier for her to relax while strangers her precious pups.
Will we meet the parents?
We don't own all of the males we join our girls with, so excluding the odd male, yes you can meet the parents.
Do you crate train the puppies?
We are huge advocates of crate training as it can benefit your dog throughout their entire life! Imagine every time you take pup to the vet, they may need to spend some time in a crate. Our goal is to make that experience as comfortable and stress-free as possible, especially during emergencies. Crates are also really safe places for dogs, they can keep them safe from other animals or keep young children safe from enthusiastic or unpredictable behaviour.
Can we choose a puppy?
Our puppies are temperament tested between 6-7 weeks of age, this helps us predict each puppy's behavioral traits. The Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test focuses on: Social Attraction, Following, Restraint, Social Dominance, Elevation, Retrieving, Touch Sensitivity, Sight Sensitivity, and Stability.
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After we have tested the puppies, we can help guide families toward a puppy that will fit their expectations, usually giving families a choice of one, two, or sometimes three puppies.
Toilet training...???
Our puppies begin their training from around two weeks old. They start with a puppy pee mat, then move onto an artificial grass potty, and eventually to the great outdoors. We humans need to have realistic expectations, they are puppies after all! There will always be accidents, and we have found that they are few and far between when puppy families understand that puppies need regular toileting and respond to the puppy's behaviors.
Why are the puppies 10 weeks when they're homed?
In Australia, puppies must be at least 8 weeks old before they can be adopted This extra time with their litter mates helps them develop important social skills and resilience.
Puppies go through fear phases at 3-4 weeks, 8-10 weeks, and 6-11 months, during which irrational fears can be imprinted, the phases last for hours or days and may explain why some dogs develop unexplained fears. Therefore, it is not recommended to place a puppy with a new family who may have unrealistic expectations are not familiar with the puppy's normal behavior, and not notice the puppy experiencing a fear phase.
Why are Pedigree Papers important?
Pedigree papers mean more than just "who's your daddy"! To be pedigreed, a breeding dog must have a hip and elbow score to assess their structural integrity, DNA tests to determine their genetic compatibility and reduce the risk of passing on genetic disorders, and lineage information to examine the temperaments of the puppy's ancestors.
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Breeders must have a long-term perspective, as hip and elbow scores can only be performed after the dog is 12 months old, and only the best scores can be used for breeding. As you can imagine breeding dogs are worth a great deal of money, if a dog doesn't pass it's a huge loss - financially and emotionally.
Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS)
The US Military created the ENS technique to enhance the abilities of future military working dogs. This method has been proven to stimulate the neurological system earlier than usual, resulting in increased capacity and improved performance. ENS must be performed between the third and 16th days of a puppy's life as it is time-sensitive.
ENS has been proven to improve:
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cardio vascular performance (heart rate);
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stronger heartbeats;
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stronger adrenal glands;
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more tolerance to stress;
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greater resistance to disease.
Our process
To adopt a puppy from us, you will need to complete an application form and have a chat with Bek either in-person, via zoom, or on the phone. After paying a deposit of $500, you can meet the puppies (if possible) and follow our Facebook and Instagram pages for updates. At 6-7 weeks, we will temperament test the puppies and present allocation choices. Once the balance of $5000 is paid at approximately 10 weeks, you can bring your puppy home and stay in touch with us through our Facebook group, email and phone.
What is
Puppy Culture
Puppy Culture is a comprehensive approach to raising and training puppies, developed by Jane Killion, a respected dog trainer and breeder. It focuses on early puppy development and aims to optimize a puppy's potential through structured socialization, positive training methods, and environmental enrichment.
Early Socialization: Puppy Culture emphasizes the critical period between 3 to 12 weeks of age when puppies are most receptive to learning and socialization. It encourages exposing puppies to a wide variety of experiences, people, sounds, and environments in a positive and controlled manner.
Enriched Environment: The program promotes providing puppies with a stimulating and enriching environment that encourages exploration and learning. This includes using various toys, puzzles, and activities to develop mental and physical skills.
Positive Training: Puppy Culture advocates for positive reinforcement training techniques, where desirable behaviors are rewarded with treats, toys, or praise. This approach helps to build a strong bond between the puppy and its owner while encouraging good behavior.
Health and Care: The program emphasizes the importance of proper health care, nutrition, and grooming practices to ensure the puppy grows up healthy and well-adjusted.
Developmental Milestones: Puppy Culture outlines key developmental milestones and provides guidelines on how to support each stage of a puppy's growth and learning process.
Breeder and Owner Education: It educates both breeders and new puppy owners on the principles of early socialization and training, empowering them to raise well-adjusted and confident dogs.
Problem Prevention: By focusing on early socialization and training, Puppy Culture aims to prevent common behavior problems in dogs, such as fearfulness, aggression, and separation anxiety.
Overall, Puppy Culture is designed to give puppies the best start in life by setting a solid foundation for their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It's particularly popular among breeders who want to produce puppies that are not only physically healthy but also well-socialized and adaptable to different environments and lifestyles.