Table of Contents
- What are the prices for your puppies?
- Why do you have a puppy contract?
- What does my puppy come with?
- What special needs will my puppy have?
- How are my puppies being raised?
- Can you help me select the right puppy for me and my family?
- What environments are best for a pug?
- Can I bring my dog to your house to meet the puppies to see if they get along well?
- What are the differences between AKC, CKC, and unregistered puppies?
- What other resources will help me to better understand my puppy?
What are the prices for your puppies?
Females and males are $700. So much is included with your purchase that it almost ends up paying for itself. See question #3.
Back to Top
Why do you have a puppy contract?
A well-thought-out puppy sales contract is an important tool in ensuring the best future for the puppy that I've carefully bred and you've fallen in love with. This contract should clearly establish each party’s expectations and responsibilities concerning the lifetime of the dog. When all parties are clear and in agreement on the items in the contract, it lays the groundwork for a long-term and mutually successful relationship, and establishes a safety net for the dog. Too many dogs are placed in shelters or bred irresponsibly. The contract should make you, the buyer, feel confident about your new puppy as well. Although no one can foresee the future, the contract is written to protect the puppy primarily but also the owner and breeder. The dogs I breed have been checked by veterinarians and other professionals to ensure the health and beauty of future generations.
Back to Top
What does my puppy come with?
All puppies have received proper veterinary care during their first eight weeks. This includes three veterinary visits, four de-wormings, first immunizations (two weeks after weaning) and a microchip. (We do not remove front dewclaws on our dogs as they are useful to the dog and are in most cases not a nuisance. If they bother you, it is possible for them to be removed at the same time as spaying or neutering your dog.) A spay/neuter incentive is also built into the purchase price. We have experience with two local veterinarians who have contracted with us to spay/neuter these puppies. We will pay the veterinarian $50 towards the spay or neuter. This built-in incentive is to encourage owners to spay or neuter their puppy in a timely fashion and helps offset the monetary demands the owner will face during the first few months of owning their puppy. The purchase price also includes a bag of puppy food, a crate, a fleece bed, a collar, a toy and a book about pugs. Leaving the pack is a stressful time for a puppy and we want to help offset this and make transfer of ownership as smooth as possible for the puppies. Our dogs are fed a diet of premium dog food (Eukanuba small breed puppy food and Royal Canin Small Breed Baby Dog food) mixed with Eukanuba canned puppy food, goat's milk and Esbilac (a milk-like supplement). We hope that you continue to feed your puppy a healthy diet. If you choose to keep your puppy on the brands they are on now, great! If not, the bag of food should be enough to slowly transition your puppy over to the brand of your choice. The crate will come in handy for training your puppy and give them a sense of security during their move.
Back to Top
What special needs will my pug puppy have?
While Pugs tend to be a healthy, hearty breed that can easily live into the
mid and upper teens, there are some health problems you should be aware of and
some health problems you can prevent to help your Pug live the longest,
healthiest life possible. This guide is meant to introduce you to some of the
common health problems seen in Pugs.
Probably the number one problem seen by veterinarians is overweight or obese
Pugs. Pugs will eat till they burst and always "act" hungry, even if they are
well-fed. A recent study by Purina showed that lean dogs live an average of two
years longer than overweight dogs and the lean dogs have far fewer health
problems. There are many wonderful foods on the market - the key is to feed the
proper amount. You base the correct amount on what your dog looks like, not what
the bag says or how much the bowl holds. You should just be able to feel your
dog's ribs and be able to see a waist.
General upkeep of your Pug should include keeping his nails short, either by
cutting them or perhaps grinding them with a rotary grinder, like a Dremel
Mototool. You need to pay special attention to your Pug's ears and clean them
regularly with an ear wash. It is time to see your vet if you notice any
redness, heavy discharge, odor, or headshaking. You also need to clean your
Pug's nose roll and wrinkles. You can use some of your ear wash if you are
careful to keep it out of the eyes. Some Pugs need their faces cleaned daily,
while others can go several days or longer. We have found baby wipes
work well at cleaning both wrinkles, nose rolls and ears.
Pug mouths tend to have a lot of teeth in a small space and they are crowded and
crooked. It is hard to visualize the teeth, let alone brush them but you should
try and do your best. Your vet may have some products that are easy to use and
pointers on keeping the teeth nice. Getting your Pug to chew on nylabones or
other special bones can help keep the amount of tartar down and there are
special foods made to help as well.
With their short, pushed in face, Pugs can have trouble breathing, especially if
there is high heat and humidity. They must be kept cool and exercised with
caution in the summer. While overheating is the biggest weather-related
problem, Pugs should also not be exposed for very cold temperatures for long
periods of time. They were bred to be housedogs and companions.
As with all puppies, pug puppies need to be trained proper behavior, potty
trained and socialized with humans, dogs and other animals. Consistency
and patience are crucial to owning a puppy. As far as potty training, a
good rule of thumb is take your puppy out after eating, sleeping or playing, or
any time they lose interest in doing the above. They will need to go potty
every few hours - tiny puppies = tiny bladders!
Some information taken from the PUG DOG CLUB OF AMERICA website - www.pugs.org
Back to Top
How are the puppies being raised?
Our puppies are being raised as part of the family. They are inside the house and are never left to roam unsupervised. When we are not at home, the puppies reside within an exercise pen with Rowan, their mom. Daily they have interactions with my husband and I. They also have supervised and limited interactions with our fourteen month old son and our neighbors' five year old daughter. We have attempted to familiarize them with daily household items. This does not mean that they will automatically know not to chew on an item left in their path (they are puppies!). Before you pick up your puppy, they will be familiar with their crate and will have taken several car rides. They spend as much time with their mom as possible, so that she can teach them good doggy manners. We believe that dogs are members of the family and should be treated as such. They are used to gentle pets and soft voices. (Occasionally they do hear my toddler voice his disapproval but we try to keep that to a minimum :-) )
Back to Top
Can you help me select the right puppy for me and my family?
We know our puppies. For the past eight weeks, we have been helping them grow and learn about the world. Although you might have a hard time choosing between our cute puglets, we can help match the puppy with the personality most suitable to your situation. We have experience understanding dog behavior and realize that temperament matters more than looks.
Back to Top
What environments are best for a pug?
Pugs are great dogs for almost any lifestyle. They thrive in small apartments as well as in lordly estates. As long as they are properly exercised, nourished and loved, pugs are happy. Unlike many other dog breeds, pugs were bred strictly as companions. This means that while beagles might take off after a scent or shepherding dogs might try to corral your kids, pugs just want to play or cuddle. Through the many centuries of breeding, pugs have also become more susceptible to external environmental factors. Their short nasal passages and flat faces make it hard for them to regulate their temperature. This means that they do not do well in extreme heat or cold. Pugs are family animals, meaning they should live inside with their family. They are not suited for complete outdoor living. Many pugs have been overcome by heat exhaustion. While pugs love to play, their family will also have to know when to call it quits - no major exercise in hot weather. Pugs are fine for short walks and jogs - they do not make the best of running partners. Again, this is due to their poor temperature regulation.
Back to Top
Can I bring my dog to your house to meet the puppies to see if they get along well?
Sorry! Our puppies will not be fully immunized until around 12 weeks. One round of shots is not enough to provide immunity against disease. We can't risk having the puppies exposed to anything hazardous. Adult dogs can be carriers of different canine infections without showing many symptoms. We hope you understand our concerns. If you have questions as to introducing a puppy into a household, we can either help or direct you to resources that can.
*** At the present time there is a major outbreak of a dog disease called Parvo in Utah. This disease can kill! We suggest not risking your puppy's health by bringing them into public places (such as Petco or the dog park) or private residences with other unknown dogs until after the third set of immunizations. Also - call ahead to your vet before checkups to ensure that your puppy will not be at risk in the vet hospital. Don't let your puppy walk on unsanitized surfaces outside of your house or yard. ***
Back to Top
What are the differences between AKC, CKC, and unregistered puppies?
AKC or the American Kennel Club, is probably the most highly recognized dog registry in North America. They are involved in registering purebred dogs and recording pedigrees, setting up venues to compete with dogs in many different events such as conformation or agility and advocating for dog/dog owner rights. They are not responsible for correct breeding or care of puppies. They are advocates for breeders rights. That means that they believe that breeders have the sovereignty to choose what dogs to breed and what tests to perform prior to breeding. They do set certain guidelines regarding registration to help ensure dam and litter health.
There are two CKCs - the Canadian Kennel Club and the Continental Kennel Club. The CKC mentioned on our web pages is the Continental Kennel Club. The Continental Kennel Club is a less stringent kennel club. It is also involved in registering purebred dogs and setting up competitions.
The main difference between puppies registered or unregistered is the ability to compete in conformation events (such as Westminster or the Eukanuba cup) and the ability to register future offspring with the associated kennel club. Many people make the false assumption that papered dogs are better, healthier dogs. Papers only confirm that a dog is indeed a purebred dog, show if dogs in the genealogy have championships and sometimes can confirm tests (OFA, CERF) done on previous generations. They are not a guarantee of health. If a dog has parents and grandparents that earned titles, that dog is more likely to be formed well for the breed. This can mean that the animal will have less health problems in the future.
Our puppies' dam, Rowan Aura, is registered with the AKC and is in the process of being registered with the CKC. The stud we used (Vader Burr) comes from an AKC registered litter. Unfortunately, his owner assumed this meant he was registered with the AKC and never sent in his application forms. The AKC and CKC (along with many other kennel clubs) have different forms for registering a litter (which the breeder does) and the individual puppies (which the breeder and future owners do together). He is in the process of being registered in the CKC. With the AKC, both parents must be registered with either the AKC or another approved kennel club. Alas, Vader's application forms have been lost. We are currently searching for his breeder to request another application form. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that these puppies will be registered with the AKC. We hope, but we cannot promise. The litter should be registered with the CKC by the time they are ready to go to their new homes. These puppies will be able to compete in most AKC competitions barring conformation under a limited registration. This means that they must be spayed or neutered in order to compete. In general, spaying or neutering your dog is a healthy responsible decision anyway. Since Pugs are difficult to breed (there are many risks associated with pregnancy and birthing for pugs), this should really be left to experienced breeders. We hope that your decision to own one of our puppies is not contingent on AKC registration but rather is due to the time, efforts, careful breeding and love we have put forth in the hopes of bettering the breed.
Back to Top
What other resources will help me to better understand my puppy?
There are many great resources that can help you get off to a great start with your new family member. These include your local veterinarian, dog trainer, other pug owners and books. We recognize that many people won't want to call their vet or drive to the library with a question at 6 am. Therefore, we have opted for convenience and listed websites instead.
Here are a few to get you started:
Dog Sites
http://www.dogtrainingbasics.com/articles.htm
Pug Specific Sites
http://www.pugbccanada.ca/puggenetics.htm
Shopping for your puglet
Back to Top
