SAFETY FOR THE DOGS AND PUPPIES
Breeder's policies on accepting visitors at their residence to meet their dogs and puppies vary as much as breeders themselves do! There is no right way or no wrong way, it is all a matter of breeder's preference to the procedure they go by.
None of us breeders have exactly the same policy or health guarantee etc, that’s for
sure.
We are very
strict here at Sauder’s Kennel.
Let me explain
why, beginning with a discussion of Parvovirus, a deadly disease in dogs.
**Parvovirus**
Workingdogs.com defines
Parvo in this way:
Parvovirus is a viral disease of dogs. It affects
puppies much more frequently than it affects adult dogs. The virus likes to
grow in rapidly dividing cells. The intestinal lining has the biggest
concentration of rapidly dividing cells in a puppy's body. The virus attacks
and kills these cells, causing diarrhea (often bloody), depression and
suppression of white blood cells.
In very
young puppies it can infect the heart muscle and lead to sudden death.
Parvo is an
opportunist disease that can live for years on pavement where a sick dog has
vomited or defecated and thus continuing to re-infect other animals. Some
strains are more deadly than others and we have recently heard reports of
already-vaccinated dogs getting sick with it.
Parvo has been
around for years, and seems to come and go – sometimes lots of outbreaks,
sometimes not as many. Recently there have been many outbreaks and this causes
us great concern as owners and breeders, as we do not want any of our puppies
or dogs exposed. Once you see a dog infected with Parvo, you’ll do anything you
can to ensure you never see it again. It’s one of the worst viruses around. It
will break your heart to see a dog with it.
Many who
get it do not survive, and puppies have the highest death rates.
Fortunately, there are vaccinations available for
Parvo, and we make sure all our dogs and puppies are vaccinated. For puppies,
the series is not complete until the pups are 16 weeks old. Of course if you
are picking your puppy up at around 8 weeks old, you’ll need to finish out the
series with your own vet to ensure he is completely protected.
We realize
many people like to meet the parents of their prospective pup and see where
they live prior to making a purchase, or even want to pick out their puppy in
person before they make a lifetime commitment. This is understandable, BUT
this puts our dogs and puppies at risk for and other diseases. Instead,
we do things a little differently here at Parvo"Sauder’s Kennel", and have worked out
a compromise we hope is acceptable to you. We actually do like your input through
pictures, in which pup appeals to you. Puppies are chosen on a first reserved
basis by making a deposit. All deposits are non-refundable so make
sure this is the breed for you before you reserve and pay a deposit.
**Rationale**
From our perspective the reason we do this is as
follows: We are not a "PUPPYMILL" – we do this for the love of the breed.
We are dedicated to preserving our fine reputation by making sure all our
puppies and dogs are safe. We definitely want to see you happy with your new
baby, but we need to be, above all else, guardians for our dogs and puppies –
as well as for your new puppy, always putting their safety and well being
first.
**Preparing to Pick Up Your New Puppy**
Please do
not visit any other kennels, breeders, pet stores or places where there could
be unvaccinated dogs. Please wear freshly washed shoes. On the way home
with your new puppy we suggest that if you stop at a rest stop, you not allow
your pup out in any area where other dogs could have been. I usually pull off
down a side road and let the puppy do their business in a ditch. Please
make sure you have bags with you to clean up after your puppy. Also take care not to expose your pup to
public dog areas before he has had all his boosters plus rabies at 16 weeks of
age. We apologize for the disappointment this may cause some families who
would like to visit our dogs but we know a number of breeders who have lost
whole litters to Parvo and we are not taking any chances with our babies. We
know this is a lot to think about, and may make you think twice about getting a
puppy from "Sauder’s Kennel". However,
Parvo is a serious issue. We are dedicated to not bringing it into our
facility. This is the only way that we can ensure your puppy will not contract
this horrible disease from our kennel.
**We
sincerely hope our kennel will provide you with a lifelong happy, healthy
Sauder Puppy who will become a well-loved family member.**