FAQ {frequently asked questions}
We are a small hobby show breeder located in the beautiful mountains of Central New York. What that means is we breed our dogs looking for our next show dog. Now every puppy born does not have what it takes to be a show dog so we do have "Pet" puppies available from most of our litters. “Pet” puppies are not deformed or inferior, they just have something about them that will not allow them to do well in the show ring. Something like they may mature a little too large or too small for the standard or a wrong marking, or there could be nothing wrong and you get a show worthy gem at a reduced price. Pet puppies MUST be spayed or neutered at an age appropriate time (not younger than 6 months old, but before 1 year old) NOT only for their health but also to not contribute to pet overpopulation in shelters.
All of our puppies go out on a contract that states if there is EVER a time that you can not keep him/her, you MUST contact us to make arrangements to return the puppy and have us find an appropriate home. We screen all of our potential homes through veterinary and personal references.
As your puppy’s breeder, we are here for you at any time you may need us. We also enjoy keeping in touch with you and love to share in the puppy’s growing up process. Pictures are ALWAYS welcome!! If there is EVER a question or concern about the pup- PLEASE contact us!
Tail docking Dew claw removal and ear cropping
Between 2-5 days after the puppies are born, they go to the veterinarian to get their tails and dew claws removed. This is the breed standard and we adhere to it. If you do NOT want this done, you will need to be preapproved and the puppy will need to be paid for in FULL at the time of birth. We do NOT crop pet puppies ears because they leave us before the age that our vets do the crop, but if you wish to have them cropped I can give you leads on vets that **may** do them in your area. Please keep in mind also that many of our pups have ears that naturally stand.
Health
Puppies will be given deworming medication at 2,4,6, & 8 weeks old and will receive their first 5-way puppy vaccination (Duramune® Max 5 prevents Canine Distemper, Adenovirus Type 1 (Hepatitis), Adenovirus Type 2 (Respiratory Disease), Parainfluenza, Parvovirus) at 8 weeks old as well.
The puppies are taken to the vet at 3 weeks old, to get a health check. The vet checks for heart murmurs, hernias, checks eyes, ears, mouth and lungs and listens to their gastric sounds. They are also checked for parasites. After they are given a clean bill of health the deposit is due.
Pups are taken to the vet again when they are ready to have their 8 weeks (first) puppy shot to again be health checked and get their health certificates. 9 weeks is actually when the puppy leaves our home.
If at any time we feel there is a problem with the puppies, we take them to the vet without hesitation. We spare no expense with the health, safety and well being of our puppies.
Deposit
A non-refundable** deposit of $100.00 is due within 1 week after the puppy has its 3 week health exam and is pronounced healthy by the veterinarian to hold the puppy for you.
For the deposit, we take check or money order, Paypal (3% fee is required) and a couple of forms of electronic funds transfer. The balance of the price will be due in cash at the time of pick up or delivery, unless other arrangements have been made.
** There are some circumstances where the deposit IS refundable which can be discussed if the need arises.
Pictures
I take pictures at least once a week and try to post videos as well. Because raising puppies is very time consuming, I can not take daily pictures but I can sometimes accommodate special requests. We have cell service at our house so I now have the ability to live stream or “facetime” between you and your puppy as my schedule allows.
Socialization
While they are here, We work with the pups as much as we can on basic commands and teach them their names if one is chosen. We socialize them with cats, and take them outside, weather permitting. They are taught to use a litter box and potty pads and occasionally go outside to potty. We have cats and all the other dogs they get to play with too. When I have the time, I will take them on car rides and occasionally they get to see children (we have no young children of our own, they are all grown) when we encounter them.
Microchip
Each puppy will receive a microchip before they leave, with us as the breeder being kept on their lifetime chip registration if they are to ever become lost as a safety net. It is the buyer's responsibility to inform us if they change address or telephone number to keep the contact information on the chip up to date. Microchip will be registered in the new owners name directly after they take possession.
When can they go home
Puppies will get their first 5-way puppy shot and health certificate at 8 weeks old. The puppy will remain here until it is 9 weeks old so that we can monitor them after their shot and make sure they have no reactions and are 100% healthy before they leave. This extra time will also let us ascertain that the pup is over the fear stage before they leave. This also gives us time after their 8 week old stool sample to make sure it has no abnormalities and the puppy requires no further treatment.
Pick Up/ Shipping
We prefer you come here to pick up your new addition, but we know that is not always feasible. We do offer:
Meet at a place convenient to both parties, usually a midpoint.
Full delivery to buyers home.
The cost of either service is the cost we pay for gas and tolls (if any) and a hotel room if necessary.
Meet buyer at our local airport. The cost of this service is our cost of gas to the airport and parking fees.
Flying the puppy to your local airport for you to come pick the puppy up. This service will be preformed by
one of my children as I do not fly. The cost of this service is round trip ticket, fee charged by the airline
for the puppy as a carry-on, and the airport parking fee.
We do NOT allow any of our puppies to travel unaccompanied on flights/in cargo.
Other arrangements can be discussed as needed.
Care and Information
(NOT all inclusive)
Health:
Puppies are wormed here at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks old. We use Pyrantel Pamoate, Fenbendazole,OR a specialty Dewormer depending on what organism the pup requires treatment for. Regular deworming or fecal float tests are recommended because puppies can get worms anytime and worms can bring down a puppy VERY quickly!
Pups will be given a 5 way puppy shot (Duramune® Max 5 prevents Canine Distemper, Adenovirus Type 1 (Hepatitis), Adenovirus Type 2 (Respiratory Disease), Parainfluenza, Parvovirus) at 8 weeks old. It is suggested to continue with another shot of this at 12 weeks old and 16 weeks old. SOME vets will suggest MORE vaccinations. Your pup does not need more than 3 puppy shots to develop an immunity and in some cases it can be very harmful to over vaccinate.
They will get a booster vaccination every year OR have a titer test done by your vet to prevent over vaccination.
Rabies vaccine is given at 12-24 weeks. I, personally, prefer to wait until pup is 5 months old. A booster is given at 16 months that lasts for 3 years. Depending on the laws in your area, you will then have to re- vaccinate either every 3 years or have a titre test done.
Personally I do not do Kennel cough because my dogs don’t stay in kennels or go to doggy daycare but this would have to be addressed with your vet. I have also been told by a breeder friend not to give Miniature Pinschers the Leptospirosis shot as they have an allergic reaction to it. PLEASE discuss this with your veterinarian to see what they think. Also read the note on Leptospirosis
https://www.snomoon.com/leptospirosis.html
**PLEASE do NOT let your vet talk you into getting more than 1 (ONE) vaccination shot at any one visit, Wait at LEAST 2 weeks in between vaccination shots.**
Flea and tick
We use and recommend the Seresto 8 month collars. In the 6 years we have been using them we have not had a single flea or tick on any of our dogs. When we first got the “long life” collars I had bought an “off brand” {Forresto} at the feed store but I did not know there was a difference! NEVER again. They were on for about 1 hour when George’s eyes started to water uncontrollably and swell shut! I had to take him in the shower to flush his eyes out! His eyes had to be flushed and medicine put in for 2 weeks after. Meeka had a reaction as well within 45 minutes of putting the collar on, she broke out in hives and was scratching herself RAW. Lots of cortisone and steroids for treatment. USE the real name brand. Here in upstate NY we buy the collars in March and they last until the next March.
Do you recommend a crate?
** See our crate training tips** https://www.snomoon.com/some-training-tips.html
Emphatically YES! Not only is it safer for the puppy but also your home. Puppies can get into a lot of things when unsupervised, think toddler children. They don't automatically know right from wrong so they have to be taught. For instance, if the puppy's teeth hurt because it is teething s/he does not KNOW that it is better to chew on a bone to alleviate the pain and therefore MAY chew up the couch instead. To MANY dogs their crate is their "safe spot"... a place they can unwind from too much hustle and bustle. Their "den". Crates can have beds and blankets in them to help with their desire to burrow, a "room" where they can take all their prized possessions. I honestly think a crate is essential for teaching the pup boundaries and an important tool in the housebreaking process.
I really do not like the wire ones, not only can they get caught a lot easier in them, I don't feel the puppy feels as secure in them (not the "den" feeling.) Vari kennel, Petmate,& Sky Kennel are some of the brands available and either brand does a fine job. I would say at LEAST 24" so it still fits when pup grows.
General
The puppies have been using a litter box here (with pine shavings just to keep the cost a little lower) If you want to continue the litter box, you may want to use horse bedding pellets. With the amount of litter box changes we do, due in part to the larger amount of puppies we have it is just not very cost effective for their use here. If you prefer pads, just put the pad in the litter box and slowly transition over so you take away the litter box. The pads can then be moved to end up outside and eventually done away with if that is your goal. The puppies usually potty within ½ hour of waking up.
We use Stainless Steel food and water bowls, they are easier to clean and keep bacteria levels down.
Exercise
While exercise is essential for the proper growth of your puppy, make sure you don’t allow them to over do it or try things their small growing bodies should not be doing. Again, I like to say “think human toddler”. You would not expect a toddler to walk up steps, they just are not coordinated or strong enough to do it. Same applies to puppies! A breeder friend had one of her puppies, that was no longer in her care, break its elbow because the puppy fell trying to climb stairs. My suggestion is to limit the amount of jumping, stair climbing, leaping and rough play until the pup is quite a bit older.
Water
Water can carry many organisms! Simple rule I have is if you won’t drink your water, DO NOT make your dog drink the water either!
Feeding
****PLEASE SEE THE NOTE ON HYPOGLYCEMIA**** https://www.snomoon.com/hypoglycemia.html
We have gone to feeding several brands of dog food. When our preferred brand went on recall we were left scrambling to find adequate foods. I am going to continue this practice just in case one of the brands goes on recall in the future, we can just take that specific brand out of our mix and not have to scramble again for proper nutrition or to keep the dogs digestive system functioning properly. We will give you a supply of the current food your puppy in eating so you can mix it in with the food you want to feed without having major gastric issues. Here are some suggestions for you to find the proper food for your puppy.
Choose a PREMIUM brand, one that has consistent quality ingredients. You will pay more for the food (your puppy is well worth the cost) but the long term advantage of proper health far outweigh the slight increase of cost.
Choose a food that has MEAT as the first ingredient, be it chicken, beef, salmon, venison etc just make sure it is real meat.
Choose a food that is grain INCLUSIVE but stay away from "filler grains" such as corn, wheat, soy, rye and barley just to name a few. These grains are cheap alternatives used to bulk up a food.
Choose a food that is between 25-30% protein, this is needed for proper growth and development.
Personally, I prefer an all life stages food that takes us all through the life of the dog because I always have different ages of dogs that I am feeding. With fewer dogs it is easier to use a life stage food.
Remember DRY kibble is best for their teeth.
Stay AWAY from "colorful" foods as they use vast amounts of dyes that have been known to cause allergies.
Choose a food that is readily available in numerous establishments in your area in case one place is sold out.
Try to always have a week or two worth of your chosen food on hand.
ALWAYS save the bag or at least the lot/best buy information in case of a recall.
Definitely research any brand you want to choose.
NEVER give rawhide! It does not digest which can cause a block in the digestive tract that will require surgery to remove, and FULL of harmful chemicals.
We use a LOT of different treats.
~Lamb ears
~Cow hooves
~Several of the Nylabone Edible treats (we get these from Chewy.com) in size small or petite. Bison flavor is a favorite for the dogs as well as the turkey. I like to cut them in half or thirds with a pruning shears and that gives the right amount be be able to use them as treats when the dogs come in from doing potty.
~Pig ears and we like to stay with the natural flavors to avoid as many chemicals as possible.
~Beef knuckle or marrow bones straight from the butcher (or even the grocery) but if you get the circular ones have the butcher cut them in half so they can't possibly get stuck on the dogs' jaw.
~I make my own treats as well! Their favorites are the dehydrated meats. Here are some recipes I use too for baked treats
https://www.snomoon.com/recipes.html
Here are some other dos/don't s as well.
DO
Apples (no core or seeds), Blueberry, Strawberry, Frozen banana
Cantaloupe, Watermelon (no seeds), Plain popcorn, Green beans
Carrots (raw or cooked), Squash, Zucchini, Lettuce
Spinach, Sweet potato mashed or cubed, Rice, Plain chicken
DO NOT
Grapes and raisins, Garlic and onion, Tomatoes, Avocado
Mushrooms, Fruits with pits
*****Nuts( not so sure on this one….. We use peanut butter for the dogs ALL the time)
DO NOT use peanut butter with Xylitol, as a sweetener it is safe for humans but potentially deadly for dogs. If ingested, it can cause seizures, liver failure and death, warned one animal hospital, which called xylitol "extremely toxic" to dogs.
*** NEW ALERT!!! Benadryl is sometimes used for allergies in dogs, DO NOT use the liquid caps as they contain XYLITOL.