Puppy Policies and Prices


Getting a puppy is a decision that should not be taken lightly.  You can't put a price on the value of an excellent dog, but it does come at price.  You are committing yourself to be that dog's protector for the rest of his/her life.  Be prepared for considerable financial and time expense.  If you are looking for a relationship that requires commitment, keep reading.  If you are looking for a casual pet that is kenneled or tied out all day, than you're at the wrong place.  There is considerable expense apart from the initial cost of the puppy.  Healthy dogs go to a vet for regular immunizations and parasite preventative.  Healthy dogs temperaments are solid because their owners spend time building a relationship, socializing and training them. Take some time to think if you can provide this kind of home before you decide to invest in a dog.

We are committed to you and your new puppy. The best thing for you, the best thing for us, and the best thing for your puppy is for you to be extremely happy with your dog.  We can do our part to make this to happen by doing our best to place the right puppy into the right home.   We want you to know up front what you are getting into before you get too invested in the process.  Please read the following polices carefully.  Think about it.  If getting a Shiloh from Fireside is something you are interested in, let us know.

Pricing

The cost for one of our puppies is $1200.  Your choice pick of puppy is based on the order your deposit is received. 


The Process of Getting Your Puppy

  1. Read and Think:  Read our policies and expectations.  Think it over.  If this is something you would like to move forward on, contact us.
  2. Puppy Application:  We will e mail you a copy of the Puppy Application .  This will help us match the right puppy with the right owner.  We would appreciate talking with you, so we can get to know you and your expectations.  If we both agree that a Shiloh from Fireside is right for you, we can move on to the next step.
  3. Deposit:  A deposit of $400 will secure your place on a list to receive a puppy.  The remaining $800 is due when you pick up your puppy at eight weeks old.  We only accept deposits after we have a confirmed breeding.  We will refund your deposit in full, if your choice is not available, (ie: gender, show/breed prospect) or if we think that we might not be placing the right puppy in your home.  Because we are so concerned about you being happy with your puppy, we will refund $200 of your deposit if you change your mind for any reason.  We can also transfer your deposit to an upcoming litter if you choose.
  4. Prepare: The best way to prepare for a new puppy in your home is to remember or imagine what it is like to have a toddler running around.  Baby proof your house.  Plan where your puppy will spend his/her time when you are not there.  Plan when and how your puppy will get regular exercise.  Get an XL crate that you can section off when they are small.  Get an undercoat rake, nail clippers, leashes and a good book on dog training.  Decide on which veterinarian and what obedience classes you plan on taking your new puppy to.
  5. Keep Up Contact and Watch Our Puppy Page:  We will update pictures of the puppies every week on our puppy page.  Watch them as they grow.  Please keep an open mind, but let us know what traits you are looking for so we can do our best to match you with the right puppy.  Don't forget that pictures are not as important as the litter evaluation in determining which puppy is right for you.
  6.  Veterinary Visit:  Your puppy will visit our veterinarian and receive an examination, routine deworming, and his first round of vaccinations.  He will also be micro chipped.  We will give you these health records and microchip information when you come to pick him up.
  7. Litter Evaluation: The Litter Evaluation Report (LER) will be conducted when the puppy is seven weeks old.  It will evaluate each puppy's temperament, drive, and general confirmation.  I will contact you soon after to discuss the results and work with you on choosing the right puppy.  These results will also be given to you when you come to get your puppy.
  8. Choosing the Right Puppy:  We want to make sure you get the puppy that you want, so we are open to your comments before the LER, but ask that you reserve final judgment until I contact you with the results. Such important decisions are best made with an open mind and with the most information available.  To be fair the order deposits were received will determine the order of choice.  We do reserve the right to return a buyer's deposit and cancel the sale of a puppy in the rare occasion we feel that a particular puppy would not be a good fit for a home.
  9. Picking Up Your Puppy:   At eight weeks your puppy will be ready for his/her "forever home".  You will receive with your puppy: pictures of his/her first 8 weeks, a pedigree, puppy food, copies of parents' health tests, vet and microchip info, testing results, and a lifetime of support.  We look forward to meeting all of the people in person who we will have spent time in contact with.  How exciting!    We would prefer for you to pick up your puppy in person, but we understand distance can be a major issue,  e-mail us about rates to fly your puppy from Lynchburg, Va. to an airport near you.
  10. Obedience and Socialization:  Obedience and socialization are a must with all dogs, but especially with a Shiloh Shepherd who in many cases will grow to be over 100 pounds.  They also have a natural (well-balanced) protective instinct that can be lost without social interaction.  As soon as it is healthy for them, expose them to as many positive experiences with people, other dogs and small animals as possible.  Enroll in an obedience or puppy class.  Be prepared for your investment in your relationship with your dog to blow you away!
  11.  Health Testing:  It is crucial for the development of this rare breed that I know what kind of Shilohs I as a breeder am producing.  Therefore we ask everyone who gets a puppy from us to have their Shiloh's hips evaluated by Penn Hip or OFA by 30 months of age
  12. Stay in Contact:  We would like to hear from you about your puppy, and have continuous updates into adulthood.  Give us details and pictures.  We would be happy to post them on our site.


Health Guarantee

We guarantee our puppies against life threatening congenital defects (apparent by 30 months). 
We also guarantee our puppies against hip displasia (rated OFA: moderate or severe, apparent by the age of 30 months). 
If your puppy is found to have any of these problems, we will replace your puppy with one from our next litter.  If we are not planning a litter, we will refund your purchase price.  In any case, when a puppy does not meet the expectations of the health guarantee, we retain the right to have a second veterinarian's opinion.  We do not expect you to return the puppy.

Purchase Agreement

You will be asked to sign the purchase agreement before you purchase a puppy from Fireside Shiloh Shepherds.   We will send you a copy of the purchase agreement by e-mail or snail mail when we approve your puppy application.  Bring the signed copy with you when you come to pick up your puppy. 

Show/Breed Breeders Agreement

All our puppies are sold with temporary puppy papers registered with the NSBR as "upgrade possible".  After the puppy comes of age, has met or exceeded our registry's rules for permanent adult registration, and we mutually agree that this dog would be a good candidate for breeding, I will sign to upgrade your dog's papers to Adult Show/Breed (see NSBR registry rules). 

When your dog is upgraded to Adult Show/Breed you will be asked to agree to the breed contract.  These are the terms of the contract on Show/Breed Males and Females:

Males:  If your male is upgraded to Adult Show/Breed, Fireside Shilohs retains the right to use him for stud service a total of 3 times without charge.

Females: If your female is upgraded to Adult Show/Breed, Fireside Shilohs will receive two puppies back from her first litter (typically second and fourth pick).


Pet/Companion Spay and Neuter Agreement

Breeding your Shiloh carries a great deal of responsibility.  Most people are not interested in breeding.  If you fall into that category simply have the puppy spayed or neutered by 24 months of age, or at the time of his or her hip X-rays. 


Working Together

We are thrilled at the idea of helping to bless others, the way we have been blessed, with amazing Shilohs.  We know that if you work at it and take time to get to know your dog and earn his/her respect, you will have a devoted gift for a lifetime.  We are devoted to helping you have the best dog ownership experience of you life.  If you decide to get a Shiloh from us, we look forward to working with you.


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