FUZZYPUPS! Q & A PAGE WAS CREATED TO ANSWER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING OUR PUPPIES. WE HATE WEB SITES THAT DO NOT CONTAIN INFORMATION, SO HOPE TO NOT CAUSE ANYONE SAME FRUSTRATION AS WE GET WHEN WE ARE SEARCHING SITES.
OUR FACILITY PROVIDES BOARDING, GROOMING AND PUPPY PLACEMENT. THIS IS OUR PROFESSION AND THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY HOURS IN THE DAY AVAILABLE TO DO ALL THAT IS NECESSARY TO RUN OUR BUSINESS. OUR PRIMARY GOAL IS THAT OF CARING FOR THE PETS THAT COME AND GO ON A DAILY BASIS. DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC IS IMPORTANT TO US BUT, OUT OF NECESSITY, IT IS OUR SECOND PRIORITY. IF WE SPEND ALL DAY ANSWERING THE SAME QUESTIONS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE THIS TAKES TIME WE NEED TO CARE FOR PETS WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR.
PLEASE REVIEW ALL THE BELOW INFORMATION AND IF WE HAVE NOT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTIONS OR YOU NEED MORE DETAILS ON A QUESTION, FEEL FREE TO CALL OR EMAIL. HOPEFULLY, EVERYTHING AND MORE YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT US HAS BEEN PROVIDED ON THIS AND OTHER PAGES ON OUR WEB SITE. IF WE HAVE MISSED ANYTHING VITAL, PLEASE BRING TO OUR ATTENTION SO WE CAN ADD TO OUR WEB SITE FOR FUTURE INQUIRIES.
PLEDGE OF A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER: A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER IS DEDICATED TO THE BREED. RECOGNIZING AND ADHERING TO BREED STANDARDS, ALWAYS LEARNING, AND STRIVING TO MAINTAIN AND PRESERVE A GIVEN BREED FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF FUTURE GENERATIONS. A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER CAREFULLY WEIGHS EACH MATING WITH AN EYE FOR WHAT IS BEST FOR THE BREED IN TERMS OF THE APPEARANCE, TEMPERAMENT AND HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS. A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER NEVER BREEDS JUST TO SELL PUPPIES FOR MONEY, INSTEAD A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER LOOKS UPON EACH PUPPY AS AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE. ALL POTENTIAL PUPPY OWNERS ARE THOROUGHLY SCREENED TO DETERMINE SUITABILITY, RESPONSIBILITY, AND CAPABILITY. A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER IS ALWAYS THERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, GIVE ADVICE AND OFFER GUIDANCE TO NEW PUPPY OWNERS AND WILL REMAIN A READY SOURCE OF ASSISTANCE THROUGHOUT THE ANIMALS LIFETIME. A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER IS THERE THROUGH THE JOYS OF LIFE AND THE HEARTACHE OF DEATH. RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS HAVE LONG RANGE PLANS AND LEAVE A LASTING LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS OF DOG LOVERS TO ENJOY ~~~ D & B Brennan ~~~
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS:
1) "At what age do you let your puppies leave"
Typically we let puppies go at 10 - 12 weeks of age. If puppy is small, or a Tiny Tot, we will keep longer to make sure you have no problems with housebreaking, eating or socialization. This also gives us time to set a schedule for housebreaking which will make your life easier. Remember, the older the puppy, the more we have worked on housebreaking so do not be afraid to adopt an older puppy thinking they will be harder to housebreak.
2) "Vet References"
Our vet can be found on the web site, including a short statement from them. Dr. McKenzie whelped our first litter of puppies (1993) and has been our vet ever since. Dr. Annette, has been our vet since we moved to Highlands Ranch in 1997. And we recently started working with Cottage Vet in Parker.
3) "Owner References" -
We are still in contact with the family that adopted our very first Frise back in 1993. Their current puppy is also on the web site showing off her many tricks. Other owner references are also on this web site. If you need phone contact or email contact, just call us.
4) "How old are the dogs they are breeding" - too old and too young can cause genetic problems - just like in people
We typically start breeding our moms at 18 months to 2 years of age and retire at 6
5) "How long have they been breeding this breed of dog"
We started breeding the Frise in 1993. In 2012 we decided we wanted a change and partnered up with a friend who has bred the Havanese since 1997. For more information about this relationship, see the link entitled "Partnership"
6) "Are you licensed and zoned"
We are legal in every aspect of our business. We are zoned with Elbert County, licensed with the State of Colorado and have a commercial well permit with the Division of Water Resources. We have gone to great expense and considerable trouble to be legal with our business. The breeder we work with is also legal in every aspect of the business and has consistently rated excellent with all inspections from AKC, the state and USDA.
7) "What guarantees do you provide me in writing"
We give a 1 year written guarantee on our puppies. A sample contract can be found on this web site
8) "Do you take back my dog if I can no longer care for him"
We welcome back a Fuzzypup! as we feel we are the best person to re-home them. Our contract requires you contact us before re-homing a Fuzzypup! While we take a puppy back, this does not mean we "buy him back". Our contract will refund on a puppy with health issues verified by our vet, but we do not refund for any other reason.
9) "Do you have any relatives of these puppies on site that I can meet"
We run a very active small dog resort in which we do grooming and boarding. So there are also relatives of puppies on premise. We also personally own a Shih Tzu, Frise and Havanese.
10) "Can I call you with questions after I adopt"
We encourage phone calls and emails for any reason. Our contract encourages you to contact us and our housebreaking instructions tell you you need to contact us at day 8 if things are not falling in to place. It is important to us that the transition goes smoothly between you and puppy for benefit of both of you.
11) "What immunizations and worming do you provide on the puppy"
Puppies should be properly wormed monthly and should start their vaccines no later than 6 weeks of age, with shots spread out every 2-4 weeks dependent on what immunizations they give. Fuzzypups! give 2 Parvo vaccines as well as a combo on all our puppies prior to placement. Parvo is the #1 killer in puppies, and by using Neopar we have avoided this killer disease.
See the copy of the contract for this information. We provide immunizations and worming up to the time puppy is adopted so you can be sure your puppy has been properly cared for in this regard.
12) "Does puppy come with AKC Papers"
Our puppies are AKC registered, limited registration. However, we keep registration papers until puppy is neutered. We are not placing puppies for other than family homes. If you are looking to breed or show a dog, we are not the breeder for you. The papers we give from AKC do not allow you to do either. It is only proof to you that puppy comes from AKC parents, and other than providing you a certificate to hang on wall or put in a drawer, is a worthless document in our opinion. You need Full AKC registration papers to show or breed a dog. See below notes for further information on AKC registrations.
MORE DETAILED AND ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q; I am thinking of adopting two puppies at same time
A: We do not recommend adopting two at once. The rigors of training a puppy require a very dedicated schedule. To have 2 at the same time can be overwhelming as both puppies seldom have the same schedule so it can be twice as hard to housebreak and train. We always love our puppies to have a companion, but it is best to have one puppy home and trained who can help you train a second. So do reconsider two at once, and just enjoy the puppy experience twice. Having twins is always harder than a single.
Q: There are puppies listed for much less than yours, and for much more. Why the ride range of prices?
A: First of all, don't be fooled. It takes money to legally raise healthy, social dogs. And it takes expensive quality dogs to raise quality dogs. Many who sell their puppies for a low price are not legal. Additionally, many let their puppy go very young, before they are properly weaned so they don't have to supply puppy food, and even worse, without proper worming and immunization. Many do not even have proper housing for their dogs. Parents, and babies alike live in sub-standard conditions, cutting down on the expense of raising them, allowing breeders to cut-rate their puppies. Most breeders willing to let puppies go cheaply, have no investment in the parents they breed. They do no genetic background checks so have no clue about the quality of dog they are breeding. They will buy cheap and/or older dogs to breed, and many even breed these dogs from first heat cycle to last, until they are no longer able to produce, and then they just become expendable. Most of these breeders do not vet their parents: i.e.: immunizations, proper dental care, proper medical care during pregnancy and whelping. These sub-quality breeders do not have the same investment or the expense of raising a puppy a quality breeder will.
Quality breeders do extensive background checks on genetics of the dogs they breed, and purchase only good quality breeding dogs, they have a substantial investment in this regard as a breeding dog should be show quality, which means an investment of thousands of dollars. The potential parents are then tested on an ongoing basis to avoid bad genetics, given proper care (including socialization), food and housing, and are only used for breeding for a short period of time. Just to meet current standards for Federal, State, City and County regulations, is an investment, which is ongoing with annual changes, and renewed fees.
Puppies from show lines, those with the potential of being show dogs, and breeders letting their dogs go for breeding purposes, are placing superb dogs, not just pet quality, but puppies meeting perfect breed standards. Therefore, whether you breed or show them expect to pay a substantially higher price for these dogs. Show quality dogs are usually a minimum of 100% - 300% higher than a pet quality puppy. .
Puppies from a pet store, are purchased from a broker, who bought the puppy from a breeder. In general, the average mark-up on a pet store puppy is 4-5 times more than the breeder got for the puppy. ie: a pet store puppy selling for $800, the breeder got $200 or perhaps less. It is not possible to raise and vaccinate a quality pet cheaply.
Always keep in mind the old saying, "you get what you pay for." If you are saving a couple hundred dollars up front, it may costs you thousands in vet or training bills later on. And a breeder who is selling you a $450-$500 dog probably paid $150 for the breeding parents - because they don't care.
Q: What is meant by the term: Show Breeder?
A: A show breeder looks to raise a dog that can compete and win in a registered dog show. A Show breeder is concerned first with looks, second with personality and third with health. Some show breeders are concerned with genetics based not on the health of the dog they are breeding, but based on whether past dogs have won dogs shows, and consequently have in-breeding practices which cause genetic health defects. Some show breeders do not place "pet" puppies. Or only place reject dogs as pets (i.e.: bad bite, missing pigment, etc). If you are not wanting to show a dog, this can be a big drawback with dealing with a show breeder, as the quality you are getting from a show breeder may be less than what you could get from a pet breeder.
Q: Do you show your dogs?
A: Our breeding dogs are not from show lines, however, they meet all breed standards. We want our puppies to go to pet homes not live the life of a show dog.
Q: What type of breeder are Fuzzypups coming from?
A: A professional breeder who is highly respected and spent years giving lectures to others is very active in legislating laws to protect dogs as well as the professionals who raise them. Raising dogs is a profession, and as such we take it very. We are educated in our profession of dog care, and are continually updating that knowledge. We are conscientious about genetics. We do not inbreed our dogs, introducing new genetics with each generation by adding an un-related quality male. Our dogs have large indoor and outdoor open play areas, and are bred at a safe age. As a professional, we know the breed has certain aspects that are distinct to the breed. We know that our dogs have distinct personalities and what each is, and therefore can tell you what personality your puppy will have. Our choice of breeding dogs is based on knowledge of their genetics - which make up health, looks and personality, all of which are important to you for your puppy. Further, as a professional, we are concerned with each individual puppy. From the moment they are born, they are given individual care and nurturing. They are socialized with adults, children and other dogs. Additionally we adhere to a worming and immunization routine important for puppies as well as parent dogs. We have local vets that are very familiar with us, as we see them on a regular basis. To us, all our dogs are pets.
Q: When I come visit, will I be able to see both parents?
A: Puppies are placed from our Fuzzypups! location in Parker, Colorado. However, they are bred elsewhere. We board and groom peoples pets and did rescue for 22 years.. We cannot have unneutered pets on premise, therefore we will not have parents on site as an intact dog can cause problems in our open environment. We let the breeder do what they are best at. Their expertise is the genetics, breeding and whelping. Our strength is that of finding just the right home for the puppies, and maintaining the web site and paperwork. By allowing each partner to thrive where their strengths lie, our customers benefit, and we are not overwhelmed trying to do more than humanly possible for one person.
Q: Do you do genetic testing for knees and other genetic disorders?
A: Original generations were genetically tested for heart, patella's and hips. Since we are multiple generations into our breed, we no longer do genetic testing as we know our puppies are not only beautiful, but healthy. .There is no actual testing available for knees, however we do vet check all puppies, including knees and hearts, before they are placed. And since Patella are genetic, parents knees must be perfect for us to consider using them for breeding. Although there is a test for hips, they are not always conclusive, and in general, small dogs do not develop hip problems. Genetics of the parents are important in this regard, which is why we are proud to be breeding puppies from generations of similar genetics.
Q: Is puppy AKC Registered and what does this mean?
A: The term Registered pet, strictly means that the litter is in a book somewhere that a pedigree of dogs is maintained. American Kennel Club are the most known registration company as they hold the large dogs shows shown on television each year, however there are other registration companies, such as APRI and CKC. Our puppies are AKC registered. DNA testing required by AKC signifies that you are getting the parents of the puppy listed on the registration form. We place our pet puppies with spay/neuter agreements and with limited registration with AKC which means you are not getting the right to breed or show puppy. If you want this right, you need to work with a show breeder who is willing to place a puppy with full registration.
Q: What's up with the nasty signs on the neighbors property with the tree farm?
A: That is a neighbor dispute turned ugly. www.evicttristonconstruction.com Before we moved here we did all the research to make sure we were properly zoned and licensed for our business. We have made sure we pay all the added costs needed to be a legal business; including taxes, commercial well permits, State licensing, etc. We are also a resident in the neighborhood and care about our neighbors and have tried to make sure we do not adversely affect their lives with our business. We are also active in road maintenance. This owner purchased the property knowing it was zoned residential. They told everyone they were going to build and reside on the property. However, instead of becoming a resident (they have been here 17 years), they built berms to hide their goings on, then proceeded to plant tens of thousands of trees without water ownership (theft) and ran an industrial business, including soil reclamation. They have adversely impacted all of neighbors with water theft, environmental damage and road damage. We and the other neighbors turned them in to the authorities and their retaliation are the signs and the bus. They told the County in Sept. of 2017 that they were moving to Nebraska, so the County desisted action against them. They have not moved, and continue to run illegal activity on the property. Sadly, the County continues to do nothing about it. We instead deal with the un-neighborly conduct.
A: That is a neighbor dispute turned ugly. www.evicttristonconstruction.com Before we moved here we did all the research to make sure we were properly zoned and licensed for our business. We have made sure we pay all the added costs needed to be a legal business; including taxes, commercial well permits, State licensing, etc. We are also a resident in the neighborhood and care about our neighbors and have tried to make sure we do not adversely affect their lives with our business. We are also active in road maintenance. This owner purchased the property knowing it was zoned residential. They told everyone they were going to build and reside on the property. However, instead of becoming a resident (they have been here 17 years), they built berms to hide their goings on, then proceeded to plant tens of thousands of trees without water ownership (theft) and ran an industrial business, including soil reclamation. They have adversely impacted all of neighbors with water theft, environmental damage and road damage. We and the other neighbors turned them in to the authorities and their retaliation are the signs and the bus. They told the County in Sept. of 2017 that they were moving to Nebraska, so the County desisted action against them. They have not moved, and continue to run illegal activity on the property. Sadly, the County continues to do nothing about it. We instead deal with the un-neighborly conduct.