Our Breeder Information

Our ultimate goal is to provide a great life-long pet for our clients

Our breeder requirements are designed to help us reach our goal.

The pet industry is portrayed to the public as cruel, heartless and insensitive towards the animals in our care. We all know this is not true, but with perception in the minds of the animal rights groups and even some of our clients, we must be above reproach and offer the best possible husbandry and interaction with both the breeding dogs and the puppies we raise. Our breeders are professionals and continually strive for the betterment of their kennel facilities and dogs. This includes not only housing and medical/physical care, but also the mental and psychological wellbeing of all the dogs they have in their care. Our breeders are required to go above and beyond the USDA,Animal Welfare Act minimum requirements.

There are only four (4) sources you can get a puppy from:

  • Shelters/Rescues
  • Show Breeders
  • Casual/ Backyard Breeders
  • Pet Stores partnering with Professional Breeders

All four have good points. We believe the public should have the right to choose. As you will see below there are a lot of things that happen prior to the puppies arriving at our stores including veterinary care and socialization both with dogs and people allowing us the potential of selling you the gentle family friendly breeds we are known for.

Pet Stores partnering with Professional Breeders is the only source this kind of presale opportunity exists, especially in the area of oversight and inspections (see list below in #5). Most other sources have neither oversight nor inspections to ensure proper care of the animals they breed!

Here are a few of the things we require of our breeders:

  1. EXERCISE AND SOCIALIZATION
    We champion the reputation of providing very well tempered, happy, social dogs. Most all of our breeders have exercise pens to get the breeding parents out of the kennel regularly. The dogs have unfettered access to the outside sun and fresh air. Many go above and beyond with larger areas for the dogs to run, play and be a dog with other kennelmates. The elements of these "Playgrounds" are: Minimum of 45' in length, Shade available, Covered primary water source, Grassed ground cover andmany have a Cool-Down kiddy pool for hot days. These playgrounds are used for group play of both breeding parents and litter to litter interaction. We have personally seen the joy in the dogs and puppies as they romp with each other. This dog-to-dog interaction is huge in the area of socialization. This socialization helps set the temperament of the pups for life! This is just one of the areas that set us above the pack in providing gentle family puppies to our customers! Recomended socialization includes:
    1. Biosensor Tactile Socialization:  Day 3 - 10 Neonatal Neurological Stimulation.
    2. Mother and littermate Interaction:  Birth-4th week Puppies learn bite inhibition and how to interact with each other.
    3. Dog to Dog Socialization:  Week 4-8 Introduce puppies to other litters in the kennel. Professional breeders are the best places to have this happen. Private breeders do not have multiple litters.
    4. Dog to People Socialization:  Have as many different people, children and adults, as possible handle your puppies. With exercise pens this affords excellent socialization at this early age.
  2. VETERINARY CARE
    We have a veterinarian charged with screening and tracking any health issues in the pups we purchase from the breeders. Many times the breeder's veterinarian travels to the kennels. Our goal is to examine and care for all breeding parents at least once a year, wether that is in the kennel or at the veterinarian office. We have begun genetic testing of parent dogs' hearts and patellas on small breeds, and hips on large breeds. The breeders are submitting for OFA certification. We typically have two veterinarians examine the puppies prior to being available to the public. This proactive screening of breeding parents coupled with two puppy exams is NOT usually done by private breeders or online puppy sources that we know of, and is a great benefit for our customers.
     
  3. BREEDING PRACTICES
    We have established guidelines for breeding age and frequency. When available, we strive to have all of our breeding parent dogs AKC registered. We also have a strict policy against In-Breeding or Line-Breeding. We ONLY sell what we deam "Family Friendly" breeds. Our years of experience have taught us that not all families can handle certain breeds, ones that are bred for tasks that we do not do in our day to day lives anymore, for example the Jack Russel - "Ratting" or the Akita - "Silent Hunter". Even though these breeds can be great pets, if they are not allowed to do the task they were bred for they will develop anxiety or aggression and are not well suited for the typical home as a rule. We also do not sell breeds that have excessive health issues as a breed. Read more in "What Do I Get" "Family Friendly Breeds". Generally we provide Purebred, or a better term is PURPOSE BRED dogs, and what we have called, "1st Generation Crossbreeds", example; GOLDENDOODLE - A purebred Golden Retriever crossed with a Purebred Poodle. We ocasionally have 2nd generation crosses of the 1st paring. In most cases, with only two breeds in the cross, we can reasonably determine the outcome of the cross breeding and to be able to help you understand the dog's needs and personality. In many cases, if you were to consider a mix breed that has more than two breeds or unknown breeds as parents, you cannot assess if this dog's character will match your family's needs. A PURPOSE BRED puppy is a big plus for your family as you choose a breed that is right for you and your lifestyle!
     
  4. KENNEL DESIGN
    We have experienced, and helped breeders build or retrofit to kennels with increased size of the kennel above and beyond what USDA Animal Welfare Act requires and remove the top row of kennels making the kennel single level. We have also found flooring that we suggest replacing coated wire, even though we know wire flooring is the best for sanitation, that's why many shelters use it in their kennels. It is heartwarming to see the vast improvements that have becomethe norm and how it has affected the lives and welfare of the dogs and puppies.
     
  5. INSPECTIONS
    Our breeders are inspected and given oversight by multiple government or industry organizations. Our breeders, depending on the kennel size, are inspected by up to 5 different organizations and must be in good standing with them all:
    • USDA United States Department of Agriculture (as of May 2009 all inspection reports are available on-line to anyone) USDA Inspection Reports
    • AKC American Kennel Club About AKC
    • State Department of  Animal Health such as: BOAH Indiana State Board of Animal Health BOAH and MDARD - Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Developement.
    • Breeder Education Groups such as: ICAW - Indiana Council for Animal Welfare, MICAW - Michigan Council of Animal Welfare or any other state inspection entity
    • And of course with the exception of a few special order puppies, all kennels are inspected by the owners of The Family Puppy.

This is a huge benefit to our client families. These inspections and screening is our way of servicing our clients in a manner that is unattainable with other puppy sources.

Specific Breeder Guidelines and Requirements

  • Any breeder with more than 4 intact females must be USDA licensed and in good standing with no abusive violations and no reoccurring violations. We look for inspection reports that indicate "No Non Compliance Issues".
     
  • Any Indiana breeder with more than 20 intact females must be registered with Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH).
  • Any Michigan Breeder with more than 15 intact females must be registered with Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Developement (MDARD)
  • All breeders must be inspected by American Kennel Club and in good standing with AKC. ALL breeding stock is to be AKC registered and can be dual registered with APRI or ACA.
     
  • They must be a member in good standing with all state organizations that work on your behalf to protect your rights to operate a kennel.
     
  • They should attend educational seminars/meetings annually.
     
  • In order to minimize stress on toy breeds, that are prone to hypoglycemia, NO puppy will be shipped unless 2 3/4 pounds or 12-16 weeks old.
     
  • Any puppies shipped after 12 weeks of age must have rabies vaccine to cross state lines.
     
  • Dogs should not breed before 12 months of age or be bred after 8 years of age.
  • In all breeding planning a bitch should only be bred if healthy and full body weight. Guideline is every other cycle with the exception of consecutive breeding between 3-4 years when she is in her prime adult condition.
  • All kennels must be cleaned daily and totally disinfected twice weekly with an products approved by the breeder's veterinarian. Bleach is not as effective and is discouraged due to corrosive traits and your dog's nasal irritation especially puppies.
     
  • An exercise pen should be used for best socialization. The exercise pen should have a shade area. We also suggest they have some sort of climbing boxes or stairs for the dogs to get more than flat dimensional exercise. This will also help the puppies to learn stairs at an early age. Adult dogs and puppies must be exercised properly and regularly. Not only is this the humane thing to do, it is a great way to socialize your breeders and will develop healthier parents. Due to having multiple breeds and litters, a professional kennel provides one of the best environments for this much needed temperament shaping socialization.
     
  • Socialization of puppy litters for temperament development is a must. Early socialization, beginning at birth, will form a sound temperament and develops a happy, healthy puppy, a great life-long companion. This is an unequaled process at the most formidable age molding our puppies into great family member. Early socialization offers; Neonatal, Dog to Dog and Dog to People socialization. The goal is that each puppy meets 100 different people or animals before it goes to the new owner's home. Socialization includes:
    • Biosensor Tactile Socialization: Day 3 - 10 Neonatal Neurological Stimulation.
    • Mother and littermate Interaction: Birth-4th week Puppies learn bite inhibition and how to interact with each other.
    • Dog to Dog Socialization: Week 4-8 Introduce puppies to other litters in the kennel. Professional breeders are the best places to have this happen. Private breeders do not have multiple litters.
    • Dog to People Socialization: Have as many different people, children and adults, as possible handle your puppies. With exercise pens this affords excellent socialization at this early age.

Suggested Adult Disease Prevention Protocol

ALL ADULT BREEDING PARENTS - ONGOING PREVENTION
  • Parasite Control Panacure or similar product 4 X per year
  • 7 Way Vaccination in Spring
  • NeoPar in Fall
  • Rabies Annually or as required by state law
NeoPar Vaccine Information

Many vets are not familiar with NeoPar vaccine for Parvo Virus. Here is some info and stats on the effectiveness of this vaccine. NeoPar has been very effective at eliminating Parvo Virus in pet store puppies.

NeoTech information:

Understanding Core Vaccines:  NEOTECH Information

  • Building A Lifetime of Canine Core Vaccine Protection
    Dispelling Veterinary 'Myth'
    Veterinarians generally believe that the immune system of young puppies is unable to respond to vaccination because maternal antibodies adversely impact the effectiveness of a vaccine. This idea

NeoPar Titer Dose Comparison:  NeoPar

  • NEOPAR®
    (NEOTECH, LLC) Average serial - 3,162,278/dose
  • Vanguard
    (Pfizer) serial 183615090, Exp: 10/10/00 100,000/dose
  • Progard
    (Intervet) serial 4019001, Exp: 8/1/00 245,471/dose
  • Duramune KF-11
    (Ft.Dodge) serial 1481474A, Exp: 4/1/01 794,328/dose
  • ​Duramune Max PV (2b)
    ​(Ft.Dodge) serial 1211008, Exp: 5/22/00 15,849/dose

Puppy Disease Prevention Protocol

3 WEEKS - WORMING
  • Pyrantel = 1cc per 4 1/2 lbs body weight. Give orally 1 dose.
5 WEEKS - PARVO AND KENNEL COUGH VACCINE
  • Neopar
  • Intra trac III
5 WEEKS - PARASITE PREVENTION AND CONTROL
  • Preventative worming for Coccidosis and Giardia
     
  • External Parasites = Fleas, ticks, etc.
    Ivermectin- pour-on 
    DO NOT USE ON COLLIE BREEDS (35% of Collies have a genetic issue that could cause fatal neurotoxicosis)
    Other breeds that are a risk for Ivermectin toxicity:  Bearded Collies, Border Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs, Australian Shepherds, and Old English Sheepdogs
    Note:  Due to both pups and adults on the ground in the exercise pen a good protocol of Insect Growth Regulator IGR should be in place on the grass of all your property    .
7 WEEKS - VACCINE AND WORMING
  • 5 Way Vaccine - 1cc per pup
  • Preventative worming for Coccidosis and Giardia