Frequently Asked Questions
How do I go about purchasing a puppy from Southern Sunset Kennels?
First and foremost, you must answer some questions. Click on the button to the left "Want to Purchase a Pup". There is a form that has questions that I need for you to answer. This will help me to be able to determine if your family is a good match for one of my babies. Once you answer the questions and click the "Submit" button then the form will be emailed to me. I will make a decision and get with you usually within 24 hours. But if for some reason you have not heard back from me within 48 hours, please email me again. As we all know some email don't reach the people that they were supposed to. Also, if you have not heard back from me, please check your spam or trash. It is possible that my email could be in there. Once you receive my email, please let me know that you received it. Some families have said that they have not received my email.
Please understand my questions are not be nosey, but to make sure that the families get a pup that they want and also so that my babies go to loving, responsible and caring families. It is a very serious thing in getting a pup. This is a life time commitment.
Once it is determined that you are approved and which pup you would like, if you are interested in placing the pup on hold this can be done with a deposit. If you do not place a deposit on the pup you want then some other family may decide to place a deposit to hold the pup and it may not be available when the pups are old enough to go to their new families.
If I place a deposit, what does it consist of?
Once you have been approved for a pup and you know the pup that you want to place on hold, I will fill out a holding agreement and email it to you. You will then read, print, sign and mail the holding agreement back to me with your deposit.
If you want to place a pup on hold you can do so. I will email you the holding agreement and you can put a deposit on it in order to hold it. There will be a date on the agreement that I need the deposit and agreement returned by. This is usually for a week or there about. I cannot hold the pup for an extended period of time without the deposit. This has happened a number of times with families asking me to hold the pup and then they decide at the last minute that they do not want the pup and then families that did want the pup and were also wonderful families have already found another pup, so my pup missed out on a wonderful family. This is not fair to the pup or the family that wanted pup, but was told that the pup was on hold.
What type of payment do you accept for the deposit?
1 - Money Orders (Payable to me, not my kennel name)
2 - Certified Bank Checks (Payable to me, not my kennel name)
If you are mailing your deposit you may want to insurance it and it send to request a signature. Out of all the years that I have breed by dogs I have only had one family that said they mailed their money order and I never received it. To be honest, I am not sure that they mailed it because they totally stopped communicating with me. It is totally up to you how you send it.
As soon as I received your payment, I will email you and let you know I have it.
How do I know if the pup is on hold or is available?
You can go to the page that has the puppies for the litter and under each picture it will be posted as "On Hold for Family in .......". You can also go to the individual puppies page and at the top of the page it will tell you if the pup is on hold for a family or not.
This is subject to change should the family that has placed it on hold or changes their mind. So, continue to check back or email me and asked me to contact you if a pup is taken off hold. I can email you if a pup is pulled from being on hold.
Also, if the puppies are all on hold and you would like for me to add your name to my waiting. This means that when I have my next litter of puppies that I will contact you and let you know so that you will have the opportunity to see pics of the pups. If you would like to place a pup on hold and you have been approved to get a pup then you will have the opportunity to place a pup on hold with a deposit. My daughter also breeds Shelties and may have a litter of pups when I don't have and she can contact you.
How do I know the size of the parents, what they look like and their pedigree?
All of this information should be on my website. When you click on the link on the home page for the litter of pups that are available, you go to the page that has all the pups listed for that litter and scroll down and you will see links for the parents, etc.
When will the puppies be ready to go to their homes?
The puppies should be ready to go to their new families when they are seven weeks old. They will not be available until seven weeks old unless it falls on a Sunday and I will sometimes allow the pups to leave on the Saturday before the Sunday that they turn seven weeks old.
Can I bring my dog(s) to visit with the pup?
I would asked that you do not bring your dog unless you plan on leaving them in your vehicle.
- Your dog will not pay a lot of attention to the pup because of the new
surroundings it will be interested in smelling of everything else.
- I do not want to chance your dog possibly bringing something in that my
puppies or adult dogs may pickup.
- This would not be the best situation for the dogs to meet. It is best to
allow the dog and pup to meet slowly. Allow them to get used to one
another with something between them so that they can gradually smell of
one another and get used to one another.
- You do not want to stress the pup anymore than you have to or your dog for that matter.
Can I bring my children to see the puppies?
First and foremost, please understand that I think that getting a puppy should be a family decision, but with that being said, it is not the time for children to come and run wild while looking for a pup. I have five children, which are all in their late teens or older and I have gone to look for a pup but they were not allowed to run around. I took them because I wanted them to have good memories of getting a pup and it being a family decision.
With that being said, if you have children and you know that they do not want to listen to you when you go somewhere then, please do not bring them to see the pup. I have had children to come and they get out of the vehicle and off they go. Most of the time is spent trying to get up with the children. They run up and start raising their voice at the puppies and wanting to pick up the pup. By this time the pup is scared to death. The pups are to fragile to be dropped. Would you allow your child to pick up a baby that is seven weeks old and allow them to run around with the baby?
So if you bring your child and they start running around do not be surprised if you are asked to take them to the vehicle. I do not want your child to get hurt or to hurt the pups. You cannot concentrate on making a decision on getting a pup with having to keep track of where your child or children are at and I cannot fill out your paperwork so that you can get a pup.
My question to you is going to be: Is the pup going to be safe going to your home with the children not listening? Do you have time to take care of a pup if your children will not listen to you? If this is the way your children listen, will the pup be taught or allowed to run wild also?
I only want what is best for you and your family.
What will the puppy be eating when I pick it up?
The puppy will be eating Purina One Healthy Puppy. It will eating it dry when you pick up the pup. I start by feeding them moistened Purina One Healthy Puppy, but as soon as possible I start giving it them dry. This is best because it helps to clean the plaque off of their teeth.
What is the cost of the pups?
The cost of the pup will be on their puppy page or I will email it to you.
The price on the pup is firm. If you cannot pay for the pup then most likely you cannot pay for the needs of the pup (vet visits, food, vaccines, etc.).
What comes with my puppy?
- Sample of Puppy Food:
- Purina One Healthy Puppy
- If you decide to change the puppy's food, make sure to do it slowly, by mixing the new food in with the Purina One Healthy Puppy. Add a little of the new food and remove a little of the Purina One Healthy Puppy each day. Gradually adding more of the new food each day and removing more of the Purina One Healthy Puppy each day until you are feeding all of the new type food.
- Treats.
- The treats that the pups have been eating.
- New Toy
- Blanket (Usually a thin baby cover)
The blanket is rubbed on the siblings and the mother. I recommend taking the blanket and putting it in their crate at night with a 2-liter bottle of warm water. Lay the blanket over the bottle and put it in the crate. The pup will smell the scent of its siblings and mom and lay down beside of the bottle. I have had a number of families to tell me that this worked for them.
◦AKC Puppy Registration Application
Your pup will come with an AKC registration application for you to send in
to register your pup unless otherwise stated on the puppy's web page.
You will take this with you and fill it out so that your pup can be registered
in your name, as you being the owner. When you receive it the pup will be
registered as a part of the litter, so in order to get you registered as the
new owner you will need to complete the registration form or that the form
and go online and complete the form. It is very important that you
register your pup so you will be listed as the owner. Until you register the pup
it will still be listed on the litter under my name, so make sure you register your
pup.
NOTE: DOODLES ARE NOT REGISTERED.
Some of my Cairn Terrier puppies are not AKC registered. I have a sire that is
very handsome fellow and very loving dog and is full blooded, but not registered.
The pups he has sired are beautiful pups, you just cannot register them. Not on
the pups page if they are registered or not.
Information Sheets:
I have some information that I will include for you.
It will tell how much food to feed the pup, etc.
Contract Agreement:
You will have a contract agreement to sign and you will get a copy of it.
Health Record:
You will get a health record that have everything that has been given to the
pup (Vaccines, wormers, etc.) You will need to take this record with you to
the vet so that they will know the vaccines and wormers that the pup has
had so that they will not have to start them over on their vaccines.
Will there be a Health Guarantee on my pup?
There will be a 3 day health guarantee with your pup. This gives you 3 days to take your pup to the vet and have it checked. Some families chose not to take their pups to the vet within the 3 days and that is totally up to them. Your contract agreement will explain the 3 days given.
Will my pup have full AKC registration?
Yes, your pup will have full AKC registration UNLESS otherwise noted on his/her website page. If the pup has "Limited" AKC registration it means that the pup's offspring (should you decide to breed him or her) cannot be registered with AKC. This will not affect the pup if you are only wanting it as a pet and not for breeding.
Cairn Terriers will sometimes have white on their chest. If so, at the time the AKC application is completed when the pup is picked up then the application will be marked with "Limited Registration". The white is a fault in the show ring. If it is a pet only then it will not affect it. Some times the white will fade just depends on the color of the pup.
DOODLES: Will not have AKC Registration.
Should I spay (female) or neuter (male) my pup?
I do recommend you spaying or neuter your pup. If you are not a breeder then it will be best for your pup as it matures and for you also. If you get a female she will come in heat most of the time every six months. This can be messy with her have some blood (drainage) during this time. Also, you will not want her around a male dog at all during this time period (usually around three weeks). This can be very hard on you and the dog, especially if you have a male dog or if there are dogs in your neighborhood that are males. When you take your female outside to potty you will have to be very careful. The male dogs will dig to get to her, climb fencing, etc. in order to get to your dog. The smell that she puts off in her urine will attach them. If you have a male dog that has not been neutered they will smell the females in your neighborhood and will want to go to them. So, it will be best for all concerned. Talk with your vet to find out the best time to do this. Each vet does it at a different time frame. Our vet does it around the age of six months. You just don't want to wait too long and if they come in heat and get with a male at too young of an age it can cause problems with your dog. Pups are a lot of work. I love working with them but it is very time consuming to make sure that they receive all that they need and the mom receives the care she needs. There are many dogs in shelters now and if you are not devoted to taking care of an unaltered dog you will be adding to the already large number of unwanted dogs and pups.
Is it possible to have my pup shipped or delivered to me?
I do not ship my puppies for any reason at all. Yes, I understand that some breeder do ship their pups and may have never had any problems with doing so. But I do not because of what can happen and what I have heard can happen. I have heard of some terrible stories and there has even been death of pups because of the shipping. Pups can be stressed very easily and this can cause health issues and can even change the personality of the dog. I know of one family that had been in another state and found a breeder in that state. They paid for the pup and to have it shipped to their home in another state and the pup was shipped (flown) when it was old enough. The personality of the pup completely changed. The vet told them that it can happen sometimes when the pup is shipped and in this case that was most likely the reason. They had to find another family for the pup because of it actions. Another family had a dog shipped from another state to them and the pup died within a few days. They family did not even get to keep the pup hardly anytime because it had gotten stress and had broke with parvo and the family had to take it to the vet and the vet was not able to save the pup. The family was heartbroken. This is the reason that I don't ship.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me. I will be glad to answer any questions that I can. I will be glad to answer your questions now or after you get a pup. Email me at: southernsunsetkennels@yahoo.com
Can I come and visit the puppies in order to pick a pup out and place it on hold?
No, I do not allow anyone to come and visit with the pups before they are seven weeks of age. This is to protect the puppies from being stressed and from something (parvo, etc.) from being carried into the pups. I want to make sure that the pups are healthy pups when they come home with you at the age of seven weeks. The pups are given their first puppy vaccine at the age of six weeks. I definitely do not allow anyone to come and visit with a pup shortly after they have received a vaccine. If a pup is stressed during the first few days of receiving a parvo vaccine they can break with parvo. I know of a breeder that contacted me, wanting to know my policy on allowing families to come and pick out a pup and allowing them to come and visit. The breeder had allowed this and on one litter of pups the parvo vaccine was given and the families were allowed to still come and visit. All the pups got parvo and died a painful death. The vet said that either the pups were stressed and broke with parvo or one of the families could have carried in the parvo virus. Either way I felt so sorry for the pups, the families and the breeder. I want to prevent this from happening to any family or puppy, if at all possible.
If you want to look at the pictures on my website and pick out a pup to put on hold you can do this. You must first answer the questions on the button on the left side of each page "Want to Purchase a Pup". Make sure that you click the "Submit" button once you answer the questions. I will reply within 24 to 48 hours to let you know if you have been approved. You can then place the deposit on the pup. I have a holding agreement that will need to be sent to you.
If I have purchased a pup from you in the past, do I still have to answer the questions?
Yes, you must answer the questions. Over the years things in each family changes. I am not trying to be nosey, but just want to make sure that the pup will have a loving family.
How many litters of pups do you have a year?
This depends on when my moms come in heat. I usually have one litter at a time but this can vary depending on when my mom's heat cycles come and when their breaks in having babies come. I do allow my moms to rest to keep them healthy. Some times my moms will go through their heat cycles close to the same time or it will be the timing on when they are scheduled to breed according to the cycles that I give them a break. Each mom and pup receives all the love they could ever want. It just takes more time during this period to give them all the love they want. After all, they each deserve to be loved and that is why I want to make sure that each pup receives all the love they can from their new families.
No, not usually. I have had a couple in the past that families were not able to keep due to family issues and I tried to assist them in finding homes. But this has only happened a couple of times. My moms when I retire them stay with me. They too are my babies and have stolen my heart and they just continue to receive all the love that I can give to them. I started out with my first Sheltie in 2000. She was the one that gave me the love of the Sheltie breed. She passed away at the age of approx. 15.
Do you ever have adults that you try and find homes for?
Can we give our pups its AKC registration name? Does it have to have your kennel name in it?
Yes, you will be the one to give your puppy its name. Some breeder require you to put the kennel name in the pups name, but I do not. I feel that this is something that you should be able to do. It is your pup and I feel that you should be able to call it whatever you like. Some people do want to but part of the mom's name in their AKC registration name for their pup and I feel honored, but do not require you to name it anything in reference to my kennel or the parents.
On some of my litters I will give the pups a birth name but this just helps to call them by a name instead of pup #1 #2.....
You will receive your AKC registration application when you pick up your pup and you will complete the application (paper form) or online and give it the name you prefer. As of May of 2014 you have 36 letters, spaces, etc. that you can name your pup.
Will my pup be micro chipped?
Your pup will not be micro chipped when you get it. This is a decision that I feel should be up to the family. Some family want to have this done and some do not. I am not sure on this how it will affect the dog later in life. I realized that it can be a good thing if the dog is lost but only if the people that find the dog takes it to have it scanned. I know with volunteering with a rescue for many years that could have found the owners, but only if the dog is scanned. I have also seen dogs scanned incorrectly and the chip had moved and only after a second scan has the micro chip been found. The chips move and if this happens it can be missed in the scan. Also, I then ask myself, if the chip moves what will it affect and cause to happen if it moves to a new location? Therefore, as I stated above, I leave the decision of getting their pup micro chipped when they take it to the vet and discuss it with their vet.
Email vs Phone Calls?
I try to handle most of my transactions by email. The reason being is when you have pups and you are trying to keep up with who is interested in what and what you have told one family that you will do, it is easier for me to keep up with who I told what, then I can look back at my emails. I feel this is the best way for me to handle it. This way not only do I have a copy of what has been said, you also have a copy of what has been said. I only want to be fair to the families and I don't want to place a pup on hold for one family and then in error tell another family that I can place it on hold. This way I know what one family has told me about the pup they are interested in and can refer back to that email. This way if there is a question that I have for the family on them being a approved for a family I don't get it mixed up with another family. I can and do refer back to my emails. This way I can also reply back to emails as my time permits. I like to spend as much time with the pups and mom as I can.
Can I see pictures of the parents and their pedigree? How much do the parents weigh?
You should be able to find all of this on my website. When you go to the "Home" page and click on the link ot the pups. You should find boxes (links) to click on that will give you this information on the parents.
You can click on the pics of the pups or the box (link) under the picture of the pup and it will take you to that pup's web page so that you can see pictures of the pups that are taken weekly.
It has been over 48 hours and I have not received an email from you. Why?
If it has been 48 hours and you have not seen and email reply from me, then please check your "trash" or your "spam". I do reply usually within 24 hours. It could be that my email did not go through and if that is the case just let me know and I will check to make sure and send it again. If I am having issues with my email I will try and post it on my website.
Southern Sunset Kennels' request to you.
Please reply to my emails to let me know that you received my reply to your email. If you decide that you are not interested in a pup that is fine and I will not question you on your reasons. I just want to make sure that you did receive my email. Some times the emails do not go through and some time later I have some people to tell me that I did not reply to them. I will reply to your email. If I say I have attached something and you do not see it, please let me know. It is possible that it did not attach properly or that I failed to attach it.
ALSO, SHOULD YOU DECIDE THAT YOU DON'T WANT THE PUP AFTER YOU PUT IT ON HOLD PLEASE COMMUNICATE THAT WITH ME.
You can make a pup not get a wonderful home if you place it on hold and then will not communicate with me. More than one time a family decides to not get the pup but does not communicate that with me. This then will make the pup wait for its new family and it may miss out on a family that would be a wonderful family if they think he is on hold for another family. All I ask is that you let me know that your plans have changed. Thanks!
If you live in an apartment, community housing, rent a house, etc., is there a limit on the size of dog you can have?
Make sure that you read your housing contract, etc. before getting a pup or a dog. Some landlords will not allow you to have a dog over a certain size. Some will not allow you to have a pup, but will allow you to have a dog. You don't want to get a pup or dog and have to rehome it or move because of not abiding by the rules and regulations of the landlord. Make sure you read it carefully, some landlords will require a pet fee. If you rent or lease, please make note on your application that you have talked with the landlord and they are okay with you getting a dog/pup.
Answering the Questions?
If you are interested in a puppy, make sure that you go ahead and answer the questions. The family that is first approved will have the option for the puppy first. Click on this link "Want to Purchase a Pup".
Can I see the parents when I pick up my puppy?
In the past I allowed the families to see the parents but I know longer allow this due to some parents and children not knowing how to act and stressing out my pups parents. You can see the pics of the parents on my website. I want what is best for the families but also for my pups and the pups parents. It is stressful enough and I want things to go as smoothly as possible.