General FAQ
Breeders of Non-Shedding and Allergy-Friendly Family Dogs
- How can we contact you?
- Can we visit and see the pups?
- Why do some people prefer one gender over another?
- Do we own both parents of the puppies?
- Do we own the puppies, or do we buy them from other breeders?
- Are puppies harder to housebreak in the winter?
- Are the pups raised in the house?
- Are the parents purebred or registered?
- Are the puppies registered?
- Do we guarantee our puppies?
- Do our pups have shots and have they been wormed?
- How are our puppies socialized?
- Do we have any housebroken pups or adults for sale?
- Are we a puppy mill?
- How often do we breed our dogs?
- Do you have puppies that are available?
- When will we be able to choose our puppy?
- Do we do any health testing?
- Do we sell to pet shops?
- Do we start housebreaking?
- Do we ship our pups? How is that done?
- Is our kennel inspected?
- Why don't we post pictures of all the adults (especially the mother)?
- What kind of food do we feed our dogs?
- Why do the eyes on some puppies stray from center?
QUESTION: How do we contact you?
ANSWER: It is best to call between 10 and 4:30 (EST) on Monday through Friday (we're in the kennel by 7 am, and until at least 6 pm usually, but too busy to get the phone sometimes). Lucy does her best to work on e-mails daily, but it has become impossible to keep up. Most of the 60 or more e-mails and 50-75 telephone calls we receive daily (including Saturdays and Sundays) are questions that are already answered on the site. We do try to answer questions on the site in order to save time. We'd so rather be interacting with the puppies than answering simple questions that are answered on the site. The puppy and the puppy buyer benefit greatly from the time that we spend individually with them. HOWEVER - please do not fear calling us if you need to ask some questions, especially ones not answered on the site. We are friendly and open to questions. It's just so hard to get anything done when we take so many calls from folks that are asking "How much do you charge for your puppies?" which is answered on the PRICES page. Sometimes, the 125 gallon goldfish tank looks like a great place to set the phone ;-) You can call 218-546-2811. Mike, while completely computer illiterate, can answer most questions as well as Lucy! Cindy also does a fantastic job with the phone!
QUESTION: Can we visit and see the pups?
ANSWER: We used to answer this with a resounding YES! However, we recently had an experience with a pup that became sick shortly after going to her new home. The pup recovered nicely, but the only way this pup could have been exposed to this virus was through casual contact with visitors, as we have NEVER dealt with this virus before. No, you don't need to worry about getting a pup from us, but we really do need to safeguard the health of our puppies, for the puppies' sake, our sake, and the buyer's sake. Unfortunately, even the most diligent, clean, well-meaning visitors can bring a disease to our kennel that can spell disaster for our puppies. Think of it this way - hospitals don't allow visitors into the nursery area. Baby and Puppy immune systems are not fully functional for months.
QUESTION: Why do some people prefer one gender over another?
ANSWER: Very common question. Twenty or thirty years ago, when folks were growing up that are NOW purchasing puppies, neutering and spaying was not commonly done. Gramma's intact male schnauzer (or poodle, chihuahua, etc) used to "mark" on the chair leg, so males got a bad reputation.
However, neutered males and spayed females make equally good pets. It is essential to neuter between 4 and 6 months of age in the smaller dogs, which is before the hormone rush of puberty, which causes the development of male behaviors like marking, roaming, "riding", etc. Neutering also prevents the development of several fairly common cancers in male dogs, namely testicular cancer, rectal cancer, and prostate cancer. Spaying at 6 months of age is very important to prevent the development of breast tumors in female dogs. Most males that are neutered between 4 and 6 months of age still "squat" to urinate. Those that do lift their leg, will empty their bladder in one spot, rather than running around frantically trying to mark every tree in the yard. And, neutered males do not have fully developed male genitalia, so they won't have excessive secretions that cause licking, dripping, etc.
Our house pet, Doogie, is a male cockapoo, adopted from a rescue organization, 6 months ago, at 2 years of age. He was neutered by the rescue organization just before we got him, at 2 years old. He is the most sweet, loving, loyal, clean, gentle dog that you could ever imagine. He even allows our little two year old, Eleanor, to walk him around the house and the yard with just her tiny little index finger through the ring on his collar. Had we had any concerns about a male dog, we would have gotten a female, and missed out on perhaps the nicest dog we've ever owned!
QUESTION: Do we own both parents of our puppies?
ANSWER: Easy answer - Yes! And, often, we own the grandparents too.
QUESTION: Do we own the puppies, or do we buy them from other breeders?
ANSWER: These are our own puppies. We absolutely never buy puppies from other breeders for re-sale.
QUESTION: Are the puppies harder to housebreak in the winter?
ANSWER: Don't be too concerned about weather and housebreaking. The reality is that it's actually easier to housebreak in the winter. During the summer, people like to play with the puppies outside, and of course, the puppies love to play outside too exploring, chasing leaves, chewing acorns (poisonous!) They think that they're outside to PLAY, and don't get it that they are outside to POTTY. Summer housebreaking can confuse lots of puppies, unless you really make it a point not to play with the puppy outside, and don't allow it to play outside by itself either. In the winter, with snow on the ground, there is just much less to explore, and the pups rapidly learn that outside means POTTY TIME!
QUESTION: Are the pups raised in the house?
ANSWER: No. Frankly, no-one could have litters of puppies like this in a clean, healthy, environment in the house. And, we have a small grooming shop and boarding kennel, so we're at work in our kennel anyway. Mike and Lucy generally begin their day with the puppies at about 6 am, and finish up about 5 pm, with a final walk for the dogs at about 9 pm. The kids, Elizabeth (12), Charles (5), Rachel (3), and Eleanor (2) love to play with the pups. The babysitter has a scheduled time to bring the three little ones out the "shop" to play with puppies every day.
QUESTION: Are the parents of the puppies purebred or registered?
ANSWER: Almost without exclusion, our adult breeding dogs are both purebred and registered. A very few of our dogs are purebred, but not registered. Most of our adults are AKC registered (American Kennel Club) and a few are APRI registered (American Pet Registry Inc.)
QUESTION: Are the puppies registered?
ANSWER: No. Because these are mixed breed puppies, they cannot be registered with the American Kennel Club. You can register your mixed breed puppy with the North American Mixed Breed Registry however.
QUESTION: Do we guarantee our puppies?
ANSWER: Yes. Our puppies are guaranteed, health and temperament too, including a 2 year congenital health guarantee. Your puppy is guaranteed to be free of disabling congenital defects until the age of 2 years. Your puppy is also guaranteed to have a sound temperament until the age of 1 year. In the event the puppy develops a behavior problem, the buyer must work with us immediately, so that we can advise the correct training to modify the behavior. Dominance issues, which can appear during adolescence, need to be addressed immediately.
Your puppy is guaranteed for a period of three days (72 hours) to be free of illness. This health guarantee does not include stress induced illnesses such as stress induced hypoglycemia, coccidia, worms, and kennel cough. A letter from your vet is required in the event of a problem. This guarantee is limited to replacement only. Money refunds will not be made. Veterinary expenses are not covered (without prior consent.) All freight charges will be paid by the buyer. This guarantee is not transferable to a second party, should the original buyer sell the puppy.
QUESTION: Do our pups have shots and have they been wormed?
ANSWER: We begin our vaccination program for the puppies at 5 weeks of age with a Parvo/Corona vaccination. We follow that up at 7 weeks of age with a 5 way vaccination for Parvo, Distemper, Adenovirus Type 2, Para-influenza, and hepatitis. The puppies are always up to date on vaccinations, even when they go to their new homes beyond 8 weeks of age. We begin our worming program at 3 weeks of age. We worm form all nematode parasites, as well as microscopic parasites like Giardia and Coccidia. Wormings may need to continue after you get your puppy. It's always a good idea to have your vet check a stool sample within a week or so of the puppy's arrival, and again a month later. Parasites can and do develop resistance to some of the worming medications, so we alternate using several medications.
QUESTION: How are our puppies socialized?
ANSWER: Of course, Mike and Lucy play with the puppies and interact with the puppies from birth, on a several times a day basis. Once the pups are 4 weeks old, the children play with the puppies too. When the pups reach 6 weeks of age, they are moved into the entryway of the shop, where our customers play with the puppies too (who can resist?). The kids, Elizabeth (12), Charles (5), Rachel (3), and Eleanor (2), love to play with the pups. The babysitter has a scheduled time to bring the three little ones out the "shop" to play with puppies every day.
QUESTION: Do we have any housebroken pups or adults for sale?
ANSWER: Generally not. Occasionally we'll have an adult purebred dog for placement in a home, but that's pretty rare, as most of the adults go to local pet homes when they are retired from breeding. Our pups are generally placed by 8 weeks of age or so. Rarely, we may have pups that are 8-12 weeks of age, available beyond the waiting list. Pups don't generally take long to place once we place their photo on the Puppy Page as being available for open adoption (without deposit). You can watch the Litter Page for news of available puppies, and to see photos of all the pups too.
QUESTION: Are we a puppy mill?
ANSWER: Ahhh, the BIG QUESTION! An emphatic NO! People have different definitions of a puppy mill. To some people, anyone that raises dogs for profit must have a puppy mill. To some people, if you have more than a certain number of dogs, you have a puppy mill. To some people, if the dogs aren't in your home, you must have a puppy mill. None of these definitions work. None of them consider the care that the dogs receive. None of them consider the happiness and comfort of the dogs in the kennel.
A puppy mill is a horrible place. Dogs are raised there in wire cages suspended off the ground. Imagine the sore feet. Poop builds up thick under the cages, cleaned up only when absolutely necessary. Imagine the flies and the fly bite wounds on the dogs. Most dogs never feel the soft touch of a human hand, and are fearful of being approached by strangers and by kennel workers alike. Puppies at puppy mills are yanked from their mothers at 5 weeks of age, before being well weaned, sold to puppy brokers, and then sold again to pet stores. Imagine the stress these poor babies go through.
What makes us different? Our adult dogs are housed in pens on the floor, generally three dogs to a run. The pens range in size from 6 foot x 4 foot, to 6 foot x 12 foot. The adults and puppies alike have shredded paper for bedding. This is a comfortable, cozy bedding, that allows the dogs to happily cuddle with each other. They love to play in the paper. This bedding is changed every day, even on the weekends! Our dogs are happy, friendly dogs. They love our attention, and love to climb all over us when we sit in the pens to play with them. All of our dogs are good with our kids, often even when they have puppies. We clip the dogs every 12 weeks to keep them comfortable.
The AKC was here just this past summer for their surprise inspection of our records and kennels, and we passed with flying colors. The representative was very pleased with how we raise our puppies, and he commented on how social our dogs are - he noticed that there was only one dog that was leery of him, and that was a mom that just that morning had been separated from her puppies for the first time. She was missing her babies!
QUESTION: How often do we breed our dogs?
ANSWER: Males, of course, are eager to "work" for us as often as every other day. With the females, a year or two ago, we would have answered that with once a year. Iams has done a study over the past several years, with over 7000 females, and 17,500 litters, that shows that breeding every heat cycle (on average, females cycle every 6-10 months) is far healthier for the female dog and the puppies too. We were surprised to see this, after hearing for the last 40 years, how important it was to "give Mom a rest." Wolves only cycle once a year, and raise only one litter a year. Their lifestyle is quite a bit different though, with Mom and pack hunting and providing for the puppies nutritionally for 10 months. Dog puppies, on the other hand, begin to be weaned from Mom at 6-7 weeks of age.
Dog foods have improved enormously starting about 30 years ago, and dog food companies (the serious ones) have learned a lot more in just the last 10 years! Nowadays, if you supplement these good, well balanced foods with people food, you're actually compromising the quality of the food. As written above, it used to be thought that Mom needed to rest between litters. Studies are showing that she'll produce healthier puppies, and stay healthier herself, if she is bred each cycle, providing that you maintain her nutrition with the proper balanced diet. Certain essential fatty acids, like Omega 3 and Omega 6, and DHA need to be in the correct balance. Fed these special foods, she'll actually be healthier than if she had only one litter a year, fed an average quality premium food. Females bred each cycle will continue to have balanced hormone systems. Females bred once a year, often have trouble becoming pregnant from time to time because their hormone systems get out of whack during these "rest" periods.
QUESTION: Do you have puppies that are available?
ANSWER: We have waiting lists for each of the different mixes that we raise. Some lists are quite long, some are happily quite short. We do the Puppy Selection process when the pups are between 6 and 8 weeks of age. We wait until that age because the personalities of the individual puppies are not evident until the pups are nearly weaned. If we delay weaning because the puppies are small, we may wait until 7-8 weeks of age to begin selection process.
QUESTION: When will we be able to choose our puppy?
ANSWER: It really is impossible to know. So much depends on the choice of people ahead of you on the waiting list, their preferences for color, gender, size, and temperament. Also, your wait will depend on your own preferences. And, of course, much will depend on the genders, colors, etc, of the puppies that are born in the coming months. And, to complicate things even more, most people are in more than one (usually several) of our lists, so each list shortens over time as different puppies are chosen from a different waiting list. During any given selection, typically at least half of the people contacted about selection do decide to "pass" because of timing issues, color, gender, etc. On average, you can expect to have the opportunity to choose a pup within about 2 months, sometimes as long as 4 months.
QUESTION: Do we do any health testing?
ANSWER: We do screen our larger dogs for hip dysplasia by having their hips X-Rayed. All our breeding dogs are certified by a Certified Veterinary Ophthalmologist to be free of congenital eye disorders. This was last done in July of 2003. And, of course, our dogs are given annual exams by our veterinarian. We certainly don't want to breed with any dogs that have health issues!
QUESTION: Do we sell to pet shops?
ANSWER: NO NO NO. All our pups are sold privately to individual families.
QUESTION: Do we start housebreaking?
ANSWER: No. Trouble is, if you start housebreaking and are not able to do a good job, it's far worse than not starting housebreaking. Our pups are raised on shredded paper, which is not found in the average home (I hope anyway ;-) ). Shredded paper is a great bedding because it's so absorbent, and keeps the puppies and adult dogs surprisingly clean. And, it feels just like grass underfoot, so the pups do transition to grass very well. Training and Housebreaking info is available on the site.
QUESTION: Do we ship our pups? How is that done?
ANSWER: Yes, we do ship our puppies. In fact, 85% to 90% of our puppies are shipped. We're so comfortable with shipping, that in December 2003, we had a show quality Standard Schnauzer shipped all the way from Argentina, a two day journey by airplane. Of course, he arrived safely, and greeted us with wagging tail happily inside the cargo facility of the airport.
We make the flight arrangements for you. The pups travel in the cargo hold of the plane, which sounds scary, huh. Truth is, it's pressurized and climate controlled. The only time that the pups are exposed to the weather is traveling to and from the plane across the runway. They don't know that they're in the cargo hold, or that you prefer to fly first class. Puppies have a different mind set than an adult dog. Everything is new to them, so shipping is just another new experience. Of course, most are quite happy to get their feet on ground in their new home.
QUESTION: Is our kennel inspected?
ANSWER: Yes, we are inspected every two or three years (surprise inspection) by the American Kennel Club. Breeders need to stay in compliance with their record keeping requirements, or they will lose AKC privileges. The AKC also checks a breeder's kennels to make sure the dogs are raised in suitable, safe, comfortable kennels, and to make sure that we are properly caring for the health of the dogs. The AKC is extremely stringent!
QUESTION: Why don't we post pictures of all the adults (especially the mother)?
ANSWER: We of course, like to make sure that the pictures that we post on the site represent the dogs fairly. Many dogs are just not that comfortable about getting their picture taken! Grooming, bathing, and vaccinations are given in the grooming shop, the same room we use to take the adult photos. Some of the dogs are just not that happy standing on a grooming table, with a strange, noisy, object shoved in front of their face (the camera, click, buzz, whir ;-) ) How many of you like your photo taken? How can we make a dog "smile" that is not happy on the table? I'm too old (I know I'm only 42, but my legs are 84!), with 4 knee surgeries, and just can't get down on the ground or back up again to take pictures from the dog's level. Often, we have photos of these adults - while they're not suitable for public viewing on the website, we can e-mail them to you privately. Taking dog photos is very hard. The person holding the camera can't just reach out and adjust the dog. The person holding the pup can't see what the camera sees. AARRGGHH! Maybe it wouldn't be so hard if we weren't so picky :-) The other reason that it's tough to get good, representative adult photos, is that once the ladies start to cycle, their coat goes through changes every cycle, and every pregnancy. Just about the time the coat is nearly nice enough to photograph, she's back into "season" and blowing her coat again.
QUESTION: What kind of food do we feed our dogs?
ANSWER: We feed our dogs "Pro Kennel's Choice Puppy Food" which is very similar to Iams Performance foods, except in price ;-) Because this is not a nationally advertised brand, and we purchase our food directly from the manufacturer, our food costs about a THIRD of the cost of Iams, etc. This is a chicken and meat meal based formula, with the proper balance of DHA, Omega 6, and Omega 3 (very important for puppy health, and Mom's reproductive and general health.) This food does not contain soy!
QUESTION: Why do the eyes on some puppies stray from center?
ANSWER: Remember, the pups have had their eyes open for only a few weeks. The muscles around the eyes are still weak, so it's common for one or both eyes to stray to the side for a few more weeks yet. Shih Tzu and Pekingese (and their mixes) have the weakest eyes as puppies because they have a rounder skull. If you worry much about this, you can actually strengthen your pup's eyes by holding a treat in front of the puppy, and moving it toward the face, and away from the face. Repeat, but don't let the pup get frustrated. Be sure to give some of the treat from time to time. You've probably also noticed that most puppies appear to have blue eyes - that's just because of the flash. Brown pups will often appear to have green or red eyes for the same reason.
North Country Kennels - Phone: 218-546-2811 - 