INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE PUPPY BUYERS
No planned litters at this time.
IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR PROSPECTIVE PUPPY BUYERS: Due to recent regulations implemented by USDA/APHIS, hobby breeders with 4 or more intact bitches will lose their hobby-breeder status and be forced to become a commercially licensed kennel if they sell any puppies "sight unseen". Even though I have only 1 female I intend to breed, I have others who are unspayed. Because I want to raise my puppies in my home and not in some concrete kennel away from human & canine contact, this means that I am unable to ship any puppies to their new homes. All new owners will need to come to Ohio to pick up their puppy. We can arrange a meeting location, and I can drive a few hours to meet you along your route, or can meet you at the airport should you decide to fly. Please contact me for more information.
In the past, I personalized the information I provided to prospective puppy owners, based on what I knew about the recipient; however, I have now decided to include all of that information right on my website so that this information is readily available to all. Please review the following pages:
Please consider a dog from Belgian Rescue:
IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR PROSPECTIVE PUPPY BUYERS: Due to recent regulations implemented by USDA/APHIS, hobby breeders with 4 or more intact bitches will lose their hobby-breeder status and be forced to become a commercially licensed kennel if they sell any puppies "sight unseen". Even though I have only 1 female I intend to breed, I have others who are unspayed. Because I want to raise my puppies in my home and not in some concrete kennel away from human & canine contact, this means that I am unable to ship any puppies to their new homes. All new owners will need to come to Ohio to pick up their puppy. We can arrange a meeting location, and I can drive a few hours to meet you along your route, or can meet you at the airport should you decide to fly. Please contact me for more information.
In the past, I personalized the information I provided to prospective puppy owners, based on what I knew about the recipient; however, I have now decided to include all of that information right on my website so that this information is readily available to all. Please review the following pages:
- About Dog Breeders
- "Puppy Buyer Etiquette"
- Belgian Shepherd Dogs
- Belgian Health Information
- Belgian Temperament and Training
- Things to do with your Belgian
- Recommended Reading
- Sample Contracts
- Prospective Puppy Buyer Questionnaire
Please consider a dog from Belgian Rescue:
Now that you've done your research and still decided that you want a Belgian puppy <g>, it's time to decide where to get your puppy. So, now you get to research breeders the same way you have researched your chosen breed.
Important points:
I would like to discuss a few things that are extremely important to me as a breeder.
(1) The first is something that I can’t emphasize enough—Please, Please, Please keep in contact with me throughout the life of your Genesis Belgian. Not only do I feel like I’m placing a member of my own family with you and naturally want to keep up on their lives, but also it is so important to a future breeding program that I know as much as possible about your dog! I want to know any temperament or health issues—or non-issues, for that matter!! I want to know any quirks that they may have, because I may find out that most or all of the puppies have inherited the same quirk. Depending on what it is, it may not mean anything, or it could make an impact on my next planned breeding.
I know there will come a time when you will feel that you are bothering me or that you’re being a pest, and I couldn’t possibly want to hear about Fido’s latest silly antics. Let me assure you that I do! I felt the same way when I got my first Belgian, and except for a phone call or two during the first year, I fell out of contact with her breeder for over 6 years. When I finally did drop her an e-mail, she was very excited to hear from me, and very glad to see photos and hear about her little puppy all grown up. Please don’t go 6 years before you contact me—if you do, I will have a breakdown! ;-))
(2) All of my puppies are contractually required to have their health clearances done at the appropriate age. This is so incredibly important to any breeding program! You might think that if your dog is not going to be shown or bred or compete in agility, it doesn’t matter—but that is not the case!! I need YOUR help if I am to breed sound dogs.
(3) Short and sweet—remember that I am here for the life of your dog! If you get a puppy from me, I will be available to help you with anything—good or bad!!—for the lifetime of the dog. Any questions, concerns, problems, issues—let me know and I will help you in any way that I can!!!!!!
Raising the litter:
I handle the pups as often as possible—great for reducing the blood pressure <smile>—and puppies are raised in my home, underfoot, and are socialized to as many sights and sounds as possible. I try to get the pups out of the house for “field trips” to accustom them to car rides and for further socialization.
Rear dewclaws (if any), are removed when the pup is just a few days old. Front dewclaw typically pose no problem, but rear ones tend to be floppy and catch on things. When the dog is an adult, ripping or breaking a dewclaw is not only very painful, but can cause infection. Dewclaw removal on an adult is serious surgery…basically amputation of a toe. But dewclaw removal on a puppy takes only a second and then it’s all over -- like removing a hangnail. I was able to watch the dewclaw removal on one of my litters and am much more comfortable having it done than I was before I was actually able to see firsthand how it is done.
Puppy progress reports are posted on Facebook (usually weekly) with lots of photos. For the first couple weeks, the photos aren’t too exciting—lots of nursing & sleeping, and sleeping & nursing ;-) But then, their eyes & ears open, and they begin to explore their world. And when that happens, it’s hard to get a good photo because they’re on the go ;-)
Placing puppies:
My goal is to place the right puppy with the right home, so the more information I have, the better able I am to make the right placement decisions. If you are interested in a Genesis Belgian puppy, please fill out the Prospective Puppy Buyer Questionnaire, and also let me know what questions you have for me. Then we would set a time for us to chat on the phone, kinda get to know each other a little, and make sure that I am comfortable with you as a potential owner and that you are comfortable with me as someone to not only provide you with a companion, but also someone to keep in contact with for the rest of the dog's life! We'll talk about how the dog would fit into your family, training, personalities, etc. This process will help me determine if the dog I have available would be a good match for your situation. Should we agree that you want a Genesis puppy and that I have a good match, I'll check your references, and assuming that goes well, we'll discuss details of payment and pick up.
If you are new to the world of purebred dogs, it may seem unusual that you do not get to choose your own puppy. Frankly, the first time I was told I couldn’t choose my own puppy, I felt rather insulted. But now I “get it”. The breeder has spent the puppies’ entire lives with them…has assessed their personalities, their good and bad qualities…has observed their adaptability to situations…has evaluated their attitudes and aptitudes…and has a very good idea in what environment each puppy will best thrive and succeed. Even an experienced Belgian owner would have a nearly impossible task to compress all that into a one-hour evaluation and go home with the perfect puppy.
Instead, the breeder determines which puppy is best suited—or not—to a particular environment. For example, a puppy who is easily startled, or is noise sensitive, or is reactive would not be a good choice for a houseful of children! That home needs a puppy with a “foolproof” temperament, a happy-go-lucky pup who would just love to play with the children. If the breeder simply lets dad come choose a puppy for the kids, somebody could end up being bitten, and (in the best-case scenario) the dog will be returned to the breeder. In that situation, nobody wins—not the breeder; not the family, whose kids are heartbroken that the puppy is gone, or worse, now frightened of dogs altogether; and certainly not the dog whose life has been full of stress and upheaval.
This is why it is SO VERY IMPORTANT that you be open and honest with me when you fill out your questionnaire and when you tell me about your life and what you want to do with your dog. Don’t tell me what you think I want to hear—tell me the truth. And I will be honest with you, also. If I have a puppy that I feel will be suited to your lifestyle and goals, I’ll tell you. On the other hand, if I don’t have a good match for you, I’m not going to take your money and give you any ol’ puppy—I will be honest and tell you that I don’t have what you’re looking for. I will do my best to help you find a puppy from another breeder or will be happy to place you on a waiting list for a future litter.
At 7 weeks of age, Puppy Aptitude Testing is done to assist in matching pups to their owners. Preliminary structural evaluations will be done at that time also. At 8 weeks of age, structural evaluations will assist in determining the best prospects for show and competition performance venues. After assessing temperament and structure, and taking into account personal preferences, I will have some idea of who’s going to whom. I will then reassess my thoughts on placements to make absolutely certain I’m making the right decisions. The puppies will be vet-checked, wormed, vaccinated, and microchipped before they leave for their new homes at approximately 8-10 weeks of age.
Important points:
I would like to discuss a few things that are extremely important to me as a breeder.
(1) The first is something that I can’t emphasize enough—Please, Please, Please keep in contact with me throughout the life of your Genesis Belgian. Not only do I feel like I’m placing a member of my own family with you and naturally want to keep up on their lives, but also it is so important to a future breeding program that I know as much as possible about your dog! I want to know any temperament or health issues—or non-issues, for that matter!! I want to know any quirks that they may have, because I may find out that most or all of the puppies have inherited the same quirk. Depending on what it is, it may not mean anything, or it could make an impact on my next planned breeding.
I know there will come a time when you will feel that you are bothering me or that you’re being a pest, and I couldn’t possibly want to hear about Fido’s latest silly antics. Let me assure you that I do! I felt the same way when I got my first Belgian, and except for a phone call or two during the first year, I fell out of contact with her breeder for over 6 years. When I finally did drop her an e-mail, she was very excited to hear from me, and very glad to see photos and hear about her little puppy all grown up. Please don’t go 6 years before you contact me—if you do, I will have a breakdown! ;-))
(2) All of my puppies are contractually required to have their health clearances done at the appropriate age. This is so incredibly important to any breeding program! You might think that if your dog is not going to be shown or bred or compete in agility, it doesn’t matter—but that is not the case!! I need YOUR help if I am to breed sound dogs.
(3) Short and sweet—remember that I am here for the life of your dog! If you get a puppy from me, I will be available to help you with anything—good or bad!!—for the lifetime of the dog. Any questions, concerns, problems, issues—let me know and I will help you in any way that I can!!!!!!
Raising the litter:
I handle the pups as often as possible—great for reducing the blood pressure <smile>—and puppies are raised in my home, underfoot, and are socialized to as many sights and sounds as possible. I try to get the pups out of the house for “field trips” to accustom them to car rides and for further socialization.
Rear dewclaws (if any), are removed when the pup is just a few days old. Front dewclaw typically pose no problem, but rear ones tend to be floppy and catch on things. When the dog is an adult, ripping or breaking a dewclaw is not only very painful, but can cause infection. Dewclaw removal on an adult is serious surgery…basically amputation of a toe. But dewclaw removal on a puppy takes only a second and then it’s all over -- like removing a hangnail. I was able to watch the dewclaw removal on one of my litters and am much more comfortable having it done than I was before I was actually able to see firsthand how it is done.
Puppy progress reports are posted on Facebook (usually weekly) with lots of photos. For the first couple weeks, the photos aren’t too exciting—lots of nursing & sleeping, and sleeping & nursing ;-) But then, their eyes & ears open, and they begin to explore their world. And when that happens, it’s hard to get a good photo because they’re on the go ;-)
Placing puppies:
My goal is to place the right puppy with the right home, so the more information I have, the better able I am to make the right placement decisions. If you are interested in a Genesis Belgian puppy, please fill out the Prospective Puppy Buyer Questionnaire, and also let me know what questions you have for me. Then we would set a time for us to chat on the phone, kinda get to know each other a little, and make sure that I am comfortable with you as a potential owner and that you are comfortable with me as someone to not only provide you with a companion, but also someone to keep in contact with for the rest of the dog's life! We'll talk about how the dog would fit into your family, training, personalities, etc. This process will help me determine if the dog I have available would be a good match for your situation. Should we agree that you want a Genesis puppy and that I have a good match, I'll check your references, and assuming that goes well, we'll discuss details of payment and pick up.
If you are new to the world of purebred dogs, it may seem unusual that you do not get to choose your own puppy. Frankly, the first time I was told I couldn’t choose my own puppy, I felt rather insulted. But now I “get it”. The breeder has spent the puppies’ entire lives with them…has assessed their personalities, their good and bad qualities…has observed their adaptability to situations…has evaluated their attitudes and aptitudes…and has a very good idea in what environment each puppy will best thrive and succeed. Even an experienced Belgian owner would have a nearly impossible task to compress all that into a one-hour evaluation and go home with the perfect puppy.
Instead, the breeder determines which puppy is best suited—or not—to a particular environment. For example, a puppy who is easily startled, or is noise sensitive, or is reactive would not be a good choice for a houseful of children! That home needs a puppy with a “foolproof” temperament, a happy-go-lucky pup who would just love to play with the children. If the breeder simply lets dad come choose a puppy for the kids, somebody could end up being bitten, and (in the best-case scenario) the dog will be returned to the breeder. In that situation, nobody wins—not the breeder; not the family, whose kids are heartbroken that the puppy is gone, or worse, now frightened of dogs altogether; and certainly not the dog whose life has been full of stress and upheaval.
This is why it is SO VERY IMPORTANT that you be open and honest with me when you fill out your questionnaire and when you tell me about your life and what you want to do with your dog. Don’t tell me what you think I want to hear—tell me the truth. And I will be honest with you, also. If I have a puppy that I feel will be suited to your lifestyle and goals, I’ll tell you. On the other hand, if I don’t have a good match for you, I’m not going to take your money and give you any ol’ puppy—I will be honest and tell you that I don’t have what you’re looking for. I will do my best to help you find a puppy from another breeder or will be happy to place you on a waiting list for a future litter.
At 7 weeks of age, Puppy Aptitude Testing is done to assist in matching pups to their owners. Preliminary structural evaluations will be done at that time also. At 8 weeks of age, structural evaluations will assist in determining the best prospects for show and competition performance venues. After assessing temperament and structure, and taking into account personal preferences, I will have some idea of who’s going to whom. I will then reassess my thoughts on placements to make absolutely certain I’m making the right decisions. The puppies will be vet-checked, wormed, vaccinated, and microchipped before they leave for their new homes at approximately 8-10 weeks of age.
