The Puppy Buying Process 2018-2019
The number of families who dream of having a puppy is virtually infinite, but those who are actually ready to adopt is more limited. So that I can focus on those who have a realistic prospect of adopting a puppy, I limit the time I spend communicating with "dreamers." Nevertheless, I encourage dreamers to look over my website, research breeds, and determine whether a puppy at this time in your life is practical. When you are ready for a puppy, and suspect that I may be the breeder you desire, contact me to initiate the interview process. Initiating this process does not mean you intend to adopt one of my puppies, but that you are seriously working toward this decision.
1. Begin the Process
Buying a puppy begins with deciding that the time has come in your life to expand your family, to take in a new family member. When the family decides that it is time to adopt a dog (or to add another one), the first step is to chose a breed, and then to chose a breeder. Many families want a Schoodle because of its non-shedding, hypoallergenic coat. Or they love the active, friendly disposition of a Schnoodle. Or they adore their cuddly teddy-bear look. You know what leads you here. And presumably you are looking at FantasyPups because you have been recommend to us by a reputable source, maybe a family that adopted from us in the past, and you like the look of our puppies, you like the love we pour out on our pets and their puppies, you like that your puppy will begin its life treated as a pet, in a family environment, where it is loved from day one, and you like that it will be healthy, balanced, and well-trained, ready to start up a new life in your home.
So now that you are at this point, now that you have researched and read through my website and decided that you would like a FantasyPups Schnoodle, what now? You know me, but I don't know you. You want the perfect puppy, and I want my puppies to go to the perfect homes. So the next step is for us to get to know each other. Send me a short email, just letting me know that you have seen my website and you are interested in adopting a Schnoodle. Email me at any time, but it is best to email me at least 6 months before you want to bring a puppy home since I only have a few litters in Winter and Summer, so most people want to get on the Waiting list early.
2. The Puppy Application and Phone Interview:
Step 2: once we have opened up a line of communication, if you feel you are ready for a puppy then let me know and I will send you a Puppy Application through Google docs. It is a short interview form, the main purpose of which is be sure that you understand the responsibility of owning a puppy, and are ready for this responsibility. When I have received the Application and read it over, I will call you to conduct a phone interview. This second interview gives me the opportunity to advise you on items that show up on the written interview (suppose you are uncertain about whether you can handle grooming your dog, or whether you can adopt if you live in an apartment, etc.) The phone interview serves another purpose, just as important: to give you a chance to learn more about your breeder, to get some of your questions answered. In short, these two interviews start the process of determining whether your family and FantasyPups is a good fit for producing a happy family with a happy puppy.
I reserve the right to decline the purchase of a puppy to any person for any reason at any time. It is important to me that my puppies to have a good home and a good life, and that they in turn contribute to the joy of our family. I do not sell to Breeders, Puppy Mills or Puppy Stores. My puppies are sold as Pets ONLY. You will be required to SPAY or NEUTER your puppy by 6 months of age. I do not sell breeding rights for my Schnoodle puppies.
3. Deposits
After you have been approved to adopt one of my puppies, you next need to get on my Waiting list (assuming there is not a puppy immediately available.) Once the phone interview is complete, you will be invited to send a deposit to show your intention of adopting a puppy and get onto my Waiting List. The deposit for Winter 2018-19 is $250.00. This deposit is non-refundable. It is a commitment to buy a puppy. The deposit is applied to the purchase price of a puppy. It is in your interest to purchase a puppy when one becomes available, otherwise the prices may go up. Deposits establish your position on the General Waiting List by the date that it is received. Customers who have paid a deposit can list on the general Waiting List the litter and sex that they prefer as well, but until a litter is born, this is only for informational purposes. The purpose of the general Waiting List is to establish ranking so that those who first make a deposit are first in line when the puppies are born.
Because timing of deposits is very important in establishing priority of customers for puppy availability, I require that deposits be sent in one of two methods, so that I have a record of the exact time the deposit was sent: (1) Either the deposit must be paid through Paypal (see Paypal Policy below), or (2) a deposit check must be sent by USPS and a tracking number for the letter must be sent to my email so that I can verify the time the check was sent from the Post Office.
All funds sent by mail must be sent via USPS Priority Mail, and the tracking number must be emailed to me so that both of us have proof the letter has been sent and have the ability to track its arrival. If an invalid tracking number is sent to me (as indicated here), I will assume that the funds are not in transit and that I can offer the puppy to another family on the waiting list. Therefore, test the tracking number is authentic on the USPS website and send me the link to the confirmation page. (The link will look like this: https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction?tLabels=##########, where the hashtags are your tracking number.) Since irregularities in the payment of a deposit confuse the ranking process, it is necessary that checks "lost in the mail" or checks that do not clear within 3 business days be treated only as "sent" on the day they clear my bank.
4. Choosing your Litter Preference
Before a litter is born, a customer cannot chose a puppy since the number and sex of the litter is unknown. Therefore, before a litter is born, customers will indicate which litter they prefer based on what is known: the litter's sire and dam, and the litter's projected date of birth. This information goes onto the General Waiting List.
When a litter has been born, I will start the Active Waiting list for that litter. The purpose of the Active Waiting List is to list the specific puppies available, their number and sex, and to establish customer rank for a particular litter. Therefore, once a litter is born, those on the General Waiting List who have preferred that litter need to lock in their place on that particular litter.
At or before a litter is three days old, I will notify by email each family on the general Waiting List who has indicated an interest in that litter that the puppies have been born. It is the responsibility of the family to contact me before the puppies are one week of age if they are interested in that litter. The names and ranking of all those customers who are on the General Waiting List and have confirmed the desire to be placed on the Active Waiting List for a particular litter will be placed on the Active Waiting List at that time.
Ranking on this list will depend at that time on customer ranking in the General Waiting List (unless the customer has purchased a "First Pick" choice. See more on "First Pick" below.)
Customers who seek to be placed on an Active Waiting list after that time will be placed on the first available slot in the Active Waiting List regardless of their place in the General Waiting List. This ensures that a customer cannot be "bumped down" or "bumped off" an Active Waiting List.
5. Choosing A Puppy.
You must be in contact with me before a litter is 4 weeks of age, and ask your questions so that when the time comes you are prepared to choose your puppy. Between 3 and 4 weeks of age, I will put up new photos and the people on the Active Waiting List can let me know the puppy that they would like to purchase. People may pick based on gender, size and color. (Puppies cannot be chosen by temperament since personality does not emerge before 10 weeks of age.) I am happy to talk with you about the puppies in the litter to help you choose the puppy that is best for you. Customers may decide at 4 weeks to wait for a different litter (see note below), and that is fine too. If you are not ready to buy a puppy when they are available for purchase, then the next person on the list will make their choice. After you pick your puppy you need to make your payment to secure your choice.
A note on "personality": A puppy's temperament does not begin to show before ten weeks, when their individual personality begins to develop. At this point, the development depends primarily on breed, and environment. For this reason, we discourage families from attempting to focus their selection on puppy personality.
6. Buying "First Pick"
There is no way to change one' s priority ranking on the General Waiting List, nor on a particular Active Waiting List. However, I have learned that some customers can be very specific in their preferences for a puppy, and are willing to pay more to have priority in choosing, while other customers are content to have any puppy from the litter that is available with few restrictions such as sex and dam. In order to satisfy these customers, therefore, I am offering the option for a "first pick male" and "first pick female" on each litter for an additional $200 fee. That would give "First Pick" customers the ability to pick the qualities that are most important to them. Keep in mind you would still need to pick your puppy at 4 weeks of age, so size or color would be the most common qualities that you would be looking at with this option. Please discuss this with me in your telephone interview if you are interested in this option.
Note that there is just one first pick for each sex in each litter. The first pick option is litter and gender specific and can only be transferred to another litter or gender if that option has not been previously purchased in that litter and for that particular sex.
7. Changing litters.
Most customers do not change litters, but some do, and there is a special process for doing so. The general Waiting List is not litter specific in how customers are ranked, even though it usually lists a family's preference for a particular litter and a particular sex. Customer ranking on the general Waiting List is established solely by the date of deposit. Therefore, it is not possible for a customer to change their ranking on the general Waiting List. The only thing a customer can change on the general Waiting List is their litter and sex preference.
Customer ranking on the Active Waiting List, however, is different. Here priority is given to those customers who have chosen that litter at the time it is born. At the time of birth, customers who have communicated their preference for the newly born litter will have their names taken from the general Waiting List and placed on the Active Waiting List for that litter. Therefore, if a customer wishes to change to a different litter that is already born, they will not have priority over those customers already on the Active Waiting List. Rather, they can only be offered the slots that are still available on that list.
Therefore, if a customer who has paid a deposit wishes to change litters, their order of priority depends on whether they are changing to an unborn litter or a born litter. When changing to an unborn litter, the customers priority over other customers depends solely on their order in the Waiting List, i.e. the date of their deposit. However, when changing to a born litter, the customer is automatically placed in the last open position on the Active Waiting List. This is because once a litter is born, the Active Waiting List RESERVES a particular position within the litter. At this point, customers need to start selecting their puppy, and they need to know their priority within a particular litter. When a customer chooses to move to a born litter it is necessary that they be respectful of those other people who have reserved spots on that Active Waiting List and are excitedly waiting to know which puppy in the litter is their own. When a customer moves to a born litter, they cannot bump another customer from their spot on an Active Waiting List. By no means may a customer hold a spot in several litters at once.
Note that "Pick of the Male" and "Pick of the Female" only gives the customer priority in a specific litter. If the customer changes litters, they can transfer their first pick status only if it is available in the new litter.
8. Puppy Photos
One cherished part of the adoption process in our Internet age is our ability to share photos or video of puppies with the adopting families. It needs to be kept in mind, however, that newborn puppies should be left to their mother's care, and that older puppies do not sit still for the photographer. Moreover, caring for the puppies take priority over capturing their images. Therefore, the posting of photos or video is a very difficult part of what we do. When the puppies are young, group still or video images will be posted. Once they are older, we will post individual photos. We make every effort to produce photographic or video images of your puppy every two weeks.
I take group puppy photos of puppies every few weeks of the litter. For individual photos I require the help of an assistant since puppies are very mobile and difficult to capture on camera. Moreover, puppies are not always cooperative for photos -- they may be sleeping or too active to sit still for a picture. Finally, caring for the puppies is my first priority. Nevertheless, I know that photos are rightly important to families so I make repeated attempts until we can capture a good photo of each puppy. We usually schedule a photo session for a litter at around 2 weeks (when puppies first open their eyes), 4 weeks, and 6 weeks of age so that you can see the progress of your puppy.
Any additional photos that I take are a gift of serendipity, so I grab these opportunities as they present themselves. Nevertheless, I make sure that the progress of your individual puppy's nursery days is periodically captured in photos for you. However, if you would like to request extra photos of your puppies, then I may be able to arrange for an extra visit from an amateur photographer. Let me know what you are looking for and I can let you know the fee for his service.
9. Puppy Visit
We do not accept customer visitations before five weeks of age for the health of the litter. At 6 weeks of age I will designate a Puppy Visit day for all customers to come and visit their puppy. Do not bring other pets on this day.
No family may come to a Puppy Visitation who has not already picked their puppy in advance and paid for their puppy in advance. Alternately, you may pay the full balance of your puppy payment in CASH on the date of the visit. Be aware that on Visitation Day, people are coming to view the puppy they have purchased, not the other puppies. As fun as it is to play with half a dozen puppies, keep in mind that visitation is exhausting for these little ones. This is not a pet store, and it is not fair to the puppies nor to other families to have their puppy worn out and exposed by playing with strangers.
Everyone wants to have quality time with their own puppy so we ask that Visits be kept within the scheduled times. Families that arrive late are asked to leave on time, those that arrive early are asked to wait outside until the present visitors appointment is over. We may allow some leeway in this, especially for families coming from hundred of miles away, but so that it is a positive experience for all, we ask that everyone's time be respected.
One family's visit time tends to encroach on another's when they are late arriving. We suggest that you plan on coming early, keeping in mind that I-95 traffic can delay your arrival by 30 minutes or more.
Another reason one family's visit time will encroach on the next's is when they focus their attention on visiting with us and not on their puppy. Although we welcome lots of questions on Puppy Visit Day, do keep in mind that you want to spend most of your appointment getting to know your puppy, and that we are always available to answer your questions by phone and email at other times.
10. Paying for your Puppy
After you have selected your puppy, a Puppy Purchase Agreement will be sent to you which details the full amounts paid and owed, including Virginia Sales Tax (5.3%), as well as kennelling and transportation fees if applicable. You must pay for your puppy within a week of choosing your puppy or I will allow someone else the opportunity to purchase the puppy. No personal or cashier's checks are accepted after the puppy is 6 weeks of age. I do not accept Credit Card payments. All payments made after the puppy is six weeks old must be in cash. All payments that remain at the time of pick up must be paid in CASH.
11. Puppy Take Home Day.
Puppies go home at 8 weeks of age. I usually choose one Saturday around that day so all the puppies can go home at once. This helps puppies bond with their adopted families, so that as soon as they are separated from their litter, they move in with their new "pack". If you cannot pick up your puppy on Pick Up Day, you need to let me know when you chose your puppy so other arrangements can be made.
Please note: The above policies have been made from years of puppy experience. They are developed out of consideration for my family and my customers. Experience has shown that this is the most fair way to operate a puppy business. Please know that I am a fair person who cares about people. I will always make my business decisions based on what is fair to all parties involved.
Other FAQs
Can I get my deposit back if I change my mind?
A deposit is a commitment to buy a puppy. It also compensates me for the time that I spend with people on the waiting list keeping them informed. Finally it holds a spot on the Waiting list for you. If people could change their mind and get the deposit back then a deposit wouldn't mean anything. It wouldn't be fair to the other people on the waiting list either. The other problem is that there are people out there who will place a deposit with several breeders and then buy the first puppy available. They will make up a story to get their deposit back and take advantage of the kindness of the breeder. A deposit is a commitment, and needs to be treated as such.
Can I come with my family to pick my puppy?
Most every responsible breeder that I know does not allow puppy visits before 5 weeks of age for the health of the litter. Because, I am not a big breeder I have a limited number of puppies. Therefore, my puppies are usually sold out as soon as their 4 weeks photos are put up on the website. If you are determined to buy your puppy when you can visit him, it is most likely that all the puppies will be sold before you come. If it happens that there is still a puppy available at 5 weeks of age, we can talk about a visit. Keep in mind, however, that for the safety of my family and my dogs, I cannot offer visits at just any time. I offer puppy visits on the closest Saturday to 6 weeks of age, so all our families can come and visit the puppies, and I can better ensure that all parties will be safe.
Can I buy two puppies so they can grow up together?
I never recommend that anyone buy two puppies within 18 months of one another unless they have a lot of time on their hands. Puppies that are so close in age can develop Puppy Litter Syndrome. The puppies that spend more time interacting with one another instead of people will learn the social cues of the dog world and not pay attention to the social cues of the people world. As a result they can end up being less confident, and harder to train. Overall it is a very difficult situation to manage. When I had two puppies that were within a year of age, my trainer recommended that I separate the puppies from one another for most of the day. I had to take one of the puppies in the car wherever I went to make sure they were socialized separately. Training is more difficult exponentially as they distract one another. My dogs grew up without issues because I did put the time into it. I enrolled in one obedience class after another to make sure all went well. But I am in the dog business and have more time to train my dogs. This is so much harder for people that work away from home and don't have time to train their puppies separately. So please keep this in mind if you are thinking of buying two puppies within 18 months of age..
Can I bring my other Dog to your home when I visit?
Please do not bring your pets with you to visit or pick up your puppy. Many of my customers are choosing a Schnoodle because they have severe allergies to pets, I cannot risk your pet introducing allergens or illness into my environment that will cause a reaction for another customer or an illness for my litter. Thank you for this consideration.
Do you require owners to Neuter or Spay their pet?
Yes, I require my puppies to be Neutered or Spayed by 6 mths old. My puppies are sold as pets only and must not be bred. I have this policy to ensure that my puppies go to loving homes and never end up in the hands of puppy mills.
Do you take back a puppy, if it does not work out? Although I expect that each customer plans to keep their puppy throughout its life, sometimes, illness, or other circumstances may make it impossible to keep a puppy/dog. In situations where a customer cannot keep their Schnoodle I strongly encourage that you contact me. There are no refunds on a puppy, but I have the network that you need to place your Schnoodle in a loving home in a timely manner. For convenience some people will give their dog to the first person that will take him. Bad idea. Who knows what kind of commitment they will have to the puppy. You should NEVER take one of my Schnoodle puppies to a Shelter. It puts your dog into a very bad situation and it is truly unnecessary! Please remember Schnoodle dogs are in very high demand as puppies and as adults! There is much more chance of success in placing a dog, when the new owners are screened and make a commitment to the lifetime care of the puppy. There will always be an adoption fee for for the customer for any dog that is placed through my website.
Do you dock Schnoodle puppy tails?
No I do not dock tails. The majority of my customers prefer natural tails. Since tails must be docked at 2-3 days after birth, I cannot dock one puppies tail for a customer since I do not know at this point which puppy they will be taking home.
Do you crop puppy ears?
No I do not. I believe this to be a terrible and unnecessary practice.
Do you remove Dew Claws?
For the most part, I do remove Dew Claws. It is an easy procedure at 2-3 days of age. However, I reserve the right to keep the Dew Claws on my litter. The dew claws cannot be removed by the breeder after 5 days of age. Such things as weather, a difficult birth, or a struggling newborn, may all be good reasons to NOT disturb the litter for taking them to the vet for removing Dew Claws. This is an elective procedure. It is not medically necessary. It is something I do for the convenience of the customer (fewer claws to clip)....but I am not opposed to leaving them on a litter when circumstances at the time require it. So the short answer is: most of my puppies have dew claws removed, but not all.
Why do dogs have Dew Claws? There is much debate over whether the dog needs dew claws. The dew claws do seem to be an advantage for hunting or working dogs, as well as dogs in the wild. For the home pet, the dew claws are a possible source of injury and tend to be more of a hazard then a help. I have opted to remove them which is standard practice among dog breeders. At 2-3 days old, the dew claw is barely developed and puppies are not affected much from the procedure.
Can I request that you take more photos of my puppy than what you offer on your litter page, or that you take videos of my puppy?
Although most families are content with the photos and videos they get when they commit to buying a FantasyPup, some customers have suggested that I should offer more photos than I do, or more videos given the price they pay for a puppy. I understand their perspective and so I think it is helpful to explain the choice we have made on this question.
When you place a deposit for a Schnoodle puppy from FantasyPups you are buying a puppy from a litter raised in a family home. A busy family home. There are many advantages to your puppy in being home raised. These puppies have been individually socialized, loved and cared for. They are use to living with the normal sounds and activities that a home will have. You will have one person who can answer all your questions about your puppy because I know each puppy. These are not kennel puppies. No matter how conscientious a Kennel breeder may be, the large kennel cannot replicate the family raised puppy environment.
But there are disadvantages to a small home breeder that I also want you to be aware of. I do not have a regular professional photographer to come and take photos and videos to market the litter - I just do not have the volume to be able to do that -- nor would I want to sacrifice the advantages of being a small home breeder to obtain that kind of volume. Nevertheless, I do strive to take quality photos of your puppy at 2, 4 and 6 weeks of age. If I can do more photos or a video without sacrificing other needed things I have done that and will continue to do that, and I do it voluntarily because I enjoy working with the puppies and the artistry of the photographic process. But I can not take photography or video requests from my customers.
Photos are taken on schedule for each litter. I have a very detailed daily plan for the care of each litter and veterinary appointments, worming, cleaning, grooming and other puppy care will not be put aside for individual customer demands. If I drop everything to put in extra time for one person then that takes away from care in some other area.
I am confident that you will get a high quality puppy buying experience when you buy from me. You are on this page because you already like what you have seen. Take a moment to scroll through the individual litter pages. If you are happy with the puppy photos shown on the past litter pages, then you will be happy with your own puppy photos.
If you would prefer to have more photos and videos then you see here, then you may prefer to buy from a large kennel. They have the volume of puppies to pay a professional to do all that. I don't know if they actually would give you more photos or videos after you have given them a deposit. But some breeders will take videos of a litter when they have lots of puppies that have not sold and need to move the puppies faster.
But I am going to be upfront with you about this. I offer photos on a biweekly schedule because I have puppies to care for. And I cannot take special requests unless you want me to pay a photographer to do that for you. I just do not have that kind of time.
Thank you for your understanding!
The number of families who dream of having a puppy is virtually infinite, but those who are actually ready to adopt is more limited. So that I can focus on those who have a realistic prospect of adopting a puppy, I limit the time I spend communicating with "dreamers." Nevertheless, I encourage dreamers to look over my website, research breeds, and determine whether a puppy at this time in your life is practical. When you are ready for a puppy, and suspect that I may be the breeder you desire, contact me to initiate the interview process. Initiating this process does not mean you intend to adopt one of my puppies, but that you are seriously working toward this decision.
1. Begin the Process
Buying a puppy begins with deciding that the time has come in your life to expand your family, to take in a new family member. When the family decides that it is time to adopt a dog (or to add another one), the first step is to chose a breed, and then to chose a breeder. Many families want a Schoodle because of its non-shedding, hypoallergenic coat. Or they love the active, friendly disposition of a Schnoodle. Or they adore their cuddly teddy-bear look. You know what leads you here. And presumably you are looking at FantasyPups because you have been recommend to us by a reputable source, maybe a family that adopted from us in the past, and you like the look of our puppies, you like the love we pour out on our pets and their puppies, you like that your puppy will begin its life treated as a pet, in a family environment, where it is loved from day one, and you like that it will be healthy, balanced, and well-trained, ready to start up a new life in your home.
So now that you are at this point, now that you have researched and read through my website and decided that you would like a FantasyPups Schnoodle, what now? You know me, but I don't know you. You want the perfect puppy, and I want my puppies to go to the perfect homes. So the next step is for us to get to know each other. Send me a short email, just letting me know that you have seen my website and you are interested in adopting a Schnoodle. Email me at any time, but it is best to email me at least 6 months before you want to bring a puppy home since I only have a few litters in Winter and Summer, so most people want to get on the Waiting list early.
2. The Puppy Application and Phone Interview:
Step 2: once we have opened up a line of communication, if you feel you are ready for a puppy then let me know and I will send you a Puppy Application through Google docs. It is a short interview form, the main purpose of which is be sure that you understand the responsibility of owning a puppy, and are ready for this responsibility. When I have received the Application and read it over, I will call you to conduct a phone interview. This second interview gives me the opportunity to advise you on items that show up on the written interview (suppose you are uncertain about whether you can handle grooming your dog, or whether you can adopt if you live in an apartment, etc.) The phone interview serves another purpose, just as important: to give you a chance to learn more about your breeder, to get some of your questions answered. In short, these two interviews start the process of determining whether your family and FantasyPups is a good fit for producing a happy family with a happy puppy.
I reserve the right to decline the purchase of a puppy to any person for any reason at any time. It is important to me that my puppies to have a good home and a good life, and that they in turn contribute to the joy of our family. I do not sell to Breeders, Puppy Mills or Puppy Stores. My puppies are sold as Pets ONLY. You will be required to SPAY or NEUTER your puppy by 6 months of age. I do not sell breeding rights for my Schnoodle puppies.
3. Deposits
After you have been approved to adopt one of my puppies, you next need to get on my Waiting list (assuming there is not a puppy immediately available.) Once the phone interview is complete, you will be invited to send a deposit to show your intention of adopting a puppy and get onto my Waiting List. The deposit for Winter 2018-19 is $250.00. This deposit is non-refundable. It is a commitment to buy a puppy. The deposit is applied to the purchase price of a puppy. It is in your interest to purchase a puppy when one becomes available, otherwise the prices may go up. Deposits establish your position on the General Waiting List by the date that it is received. Customers who have paid a deposit can list on the general Waiting List the litter and sex that they prefer as well, but until a litter is born, this is only for informational purposes. The purpose of the general Waiting List is to establish ranking so that those who first make a deposit are first in line when the puppies are born.
Because timing of deposits is very important in establishing priority of customers for puppy availability, I require that deposits be sent in one of two methods, so that I have a record of the exact time the deposit was sent: (1) Either the deposit must be paid through Paypal (see Paypal Policy below), or (2) a deposit check must be sent by USPS and a tracking number for the letter must be sent to my email so that I can verify the time the check was sent from the Post Office.
All funds sent by mail must be sent via USPS Priority Mail, and the tracking number must be emailed to me so that both of us have proof the letter has been sent and have the ability to track its arrival. If an invalid tracking number is sent to me (as indicated here), I will assume that the funds are not in transit and that I can offer the puppy to another family on the waiting list. Therefore, test the tracking number is authentic on the USPS website and send me the link to the confirmation page. (The link will look like this: https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction?tLabels=##########, where the hashtags are your tracking number.) Since irregularities in the payment of a deposit confuse the ranking process, it is necessary that checks "lost in the mail" or checks that do not clear within 3 business days be treated only as "sent" on the day they clear my bank.
4. Choosing your Litter Preference
Before a litter is born, a customer cannot chose a puppy since the number and sex of the litter is unknown. Therefore, before a litter is born, customers will indicate which litter they prefer based on what is known: the litter's sire and dam, and the litter's projected date of birth. This information goes onto the General Waiting List.
When a litter has been born, I will start the Active Waiting list for that litter. The purpose of the Active Waiting List is to list the specific puppies available, their number and sex, and to establish customer rank for a particular litter. Therefore, once a litter is born, those on the General Waiting List who have preferred that litter need to lock in their place on that particular litter.
At or before a litter is three days old, I will notify by email each family on the general Waiting List who has indicated an interest in that litter that the puppies have been born. It is the responsibility of the family to contact me before the puppies are one week of age if they are interested in that litter. The names and ranking of all those customers who are on the General Waiting List and have confirmed the desire to be placed on the Active Waiting List for a particular litter will be placed on the Active Waiting List at that time.
Ranking on this list will depend at that time on customer ranking in the General Waiting List (unless the customer has purchased a "First Pick" choice. See more on "First Pick" below.)
Customers who seek to be placed on an Active Waiting list after that time will be placed on the first available slot in the Active Waiting List regardless of their place in the General Waiting List. This ensures that a customer cannot be "bumped down" or "bumped off" an Active Waiting List.
5. Choosing A Puppy.
You must be in contact with me before a litter is 4 weeks of age, and ask your questions so that when the time comes you are prepared to choose your puppy. Between 3 and 4 weeks of age, I will put up new photos and the people on the Active Waiting List can let me know the puppy that they would like to purchase. People may pick based on gender, size and color. (Puppies cannot be chosen by temperament since personality does not emerge before 10 weeks of age.) I am happy to talk with you about the puppies in the litter to help you choose the puppy that is best for you. Customers may decide at 4 weeks to wait for a different litter (see note below), and that is fine too. If you are not ready to buy a puppy when they are available for purchase, then the next person on the list will make their choice. After you pick your puppy you need to make your payment to secure your choice.
A note on "personality": A puppy's temperament does not begin to show before ten weeks, when their individual personality begins to develop. At this point, the development depends primarily on breed, and environment. For this reason, we discourage families from attempting to focus their selection on puppy personality.
6. Buying "First Pick"
There is no way to change one' s priority ranking on the General Waiting List, nor on a particular Active Waiting List. However, I have learned that some customers can be very specific in their preferences for a puppy, and are willing to pay more to have priority in choosing, while other customers are content to have any puppy from the litter that is available with few restrictions such as sex and dam. In order to satisfy these customers, therefore, I am offering the option for a "first pick male" and "first pick female" on each litter for an additional $200 fee. That would give "First Pick" customers the ability to pick the qualities that are most important to them. Keep in mind you would still need to pick your puppy at 4 weeks of age, so size or color would be the most common qualities that you would be looking at with this option. Please discuss this with me in your telephone interview if you are interested in this option.
Note that there is just one first pick for each sex in each litter. The first pick option is litter and gender specific and can only be transferred to another litter or gender if that option has not been previously purchased in that litter and for that particular sex.
7. Changing litters.
Most customers do not change litters, but some do, and there is a special process for doing so. The general Waiting List is not litter specific in how customers are ranked, even though it usually lists a family's preference for a particular litter and a particular sex. Customer ranking on the general Waiting List is established solely by the date of deposit. Therefore, it is not possible for a customer to change their ranking on the general Waiting List. The only thing a customer can change on the general Waiting List is their litter and sex preference.
Customer ranking on the Active Waiting List, however, is different. Here priority is given to those customers who have chosen that litter at the time it is born. At the time of birth, customers who have communicated their preference for the newly born litter will have their names taken from the general Waiting List and placed on the Active Waiting List for that litter. Therefore, if a customer wishes to change to a different litter that is already born, they will not have priority over those customers already on the Active Waiting List. Rather, they can only be offered the slots that are still available on that list.
Therefore, if a customer who has paid a deposit wishes to change litters, their order of priority depends on whether they are changing to an unborn litter or a born litter. When changing to an unborn litter, the customers priority over other customers depends solely on their order in the Waiting List, i.e. the date of their deposit. However, when changing to a born litter, the customer is automatically placed in the last open position on the Active Waiting List. This is because once a litter is born, the Active Waiting List RESERVES a particular position within the litter. At this point, customers need to start selecting their puppy, and they need to know their priority within a particular litter. When a customer chooses to move to a born litter it is necessary that they be respectful of those other people who have reserved spots on that Active Waiting List and are excitedly waiting to know which puppy in the litter is their own. When a customer moves to a born litter, they cannot bump another customer from their spot on an Active Waiting List. By no means may a customer hold a spot in several litters at once.
Note that "Pick of the Male" and "Pick of the Female" only gives the customer priority in a specific litter. If the customer changes litters, they can transfer their first pick status only if it is available in the new litter.
8. Puppy Photos
One cherished part of the adoption process in our Internet age is our ability to share photos or video of puppies with the adopting families. It needs to be kept in mind, however, that newborn puppies should be left to their mother's care, and that older puppies do not sit still for the photographer. Moreover, caring for the puppies take priority over capturing their images. Therefore, the posting of photos or video is a very difficult part of what we do. When the puppies are young, group still or video images will be posted. Once they are older, we will post individual photos. We make every effort to produce photographic or video images of your puppy every two weeks.
I take group puppy photos of puppies every few weeks of the litter. For individual photos I require the help of an assistant since puppies are very mobile and difficult to capture on camera. Moreover, puppies are not always cooperative for photos -- they may be sleeping or too active to sit still for a picture. Finally, caring for the puppies is my first priority. Nevertheless, I know that photos are rightly important to families so I make repeated attempts until we can capture a good photo of each puppy. We usually schedule a photo session for a litter at around 2 weeks (when puppies first open their eyes), 4 weeks, and 6 weeks of age so that you can see the progress of your puppy.
Any additional photos that I take are a gift of serendipity, so I grab these opportunities as they present themselves. Nevertheless, I make sure that the progress of your individual puppy's nursery days is periodically captured in photos for you. However, if you would like to request extra photos of your puppies, then I may be able to arrange for an extra visit from an amateur photographer. Let me know what you are looking for and I can let you know the fee for his service.
9. Puppy Visit
We do not accept customer visitations before five weeks of age for the health of the litter. At 6 weeks of age I will designate a Puppy Visit day for all customers to come and visit their puppy. Do not bring other pets on this day.
No family may come to a Puppy Visitation who has not already picked their puppy in advance and paid for their puppy in advance. Alternately, you may pay the full balance of your puppy payment in CASH on the date of the visit. Be aware that on Visitation Day, people are coming to view the puppy they have purchased, not the other puppies. As fun as it is to play with half a dozen puppies, keep in mind that visitation is exhausting for these little ones. This is not a pet store, and it is not fair to the puppies nor to other families to have their puppy worn out and exposed by playing with strangers.
Everyone wants to have quality time with their own puppy so we ask that Visits be kept within the scheduled times. Families that arrive late are asked to leave on time, those that arrive early are asked to wait outside until the present visitors appointment is over. We may allow some leeway in this, especially for families coming from hundred of miles away, but so that it is a positive experience for all, we ask that everyone's time be respected.
One family's visit time tends to encroach on another's when they are late arriving. We suggest that you plan on coming early, keeping in mind that I-95 traffic can delay your arrival by 30 minutes or more.
Another reason one family's visit time will encroach on the next's is when they focus their attention on visiting with us and not on their puppy. Although we welcome lots of questions on Puppy Visit Day, do keep in mind that you want to spend most of your appointment getting to know your puppy, and that we are always available to answer your questions by phone and email at other times.
- ALLERGY Visits:
- T-Shirt ALLERGY Test:
10. Paying for your Puppy
After you have selected your puppy, a Puppy Purchase Agreement will be sent to you which details the full amounts paid and owed, including Virginia Sales Tax (5.3%), as well as kennelling and transportation fees if applicable. You must pay for your puppy within a week of choosing your puppy or I will allow someone else the opportunity to purchase the puppy. No personal or cashier's checks are accepted after the puppy is 6 weeks of age. I do not accept Credit Card payments. All payments made after the puppy is six weeks old must be in cash. All payments that remain at the time of pick up must be paid in CASH.
11. Puppy Take Home Day.
Puppies go home at 8 weeks of age. I usually choose one Saturday around that day so all the puppies can go home at once. This helps puppies bond with their adopted families, so that as soon as they are separated from their litter, they move in with their new "pack". If you cannot pick up your puppy on Pick Up Day, you need to let me know when you chose your puppy so other arrangements can be made.
- Extended Care:
Please note: The above policies have been made from years of puppy experience. They are developed out of consideration for my family and my customers. Experience has shown that this is the most fair way to operate a puppy business. Please know that I am a fair person who cares about people. I will always make my business decisions based on what is fair to all parties involved.
Other FAQs
Can I get my deposit back if I change my mind?
A deposit is a commitment to buy a puppy. It also compensates me for the time that I spend with people on the waiting list keeping them informed. Finally it holds a spot on the Waiting list for you. If people could change their mind and get the deposit back then a deposit wouldn't mean anything. It wouldn't be fair to the other people on the waiting list either. The other problem is that there are people out there who will place a deposit with several breeders and then buy the first puppy available. They will make up a story to get their deposit back and take advantage of the kindness of the breeder. A deposit is a commitment, and needs to be treated as such.
Can I come with my family to pick my puppy?
Most every responsible breeder that I know does not allow puppy visits before 5 weeks of age for the health of the litter. Because, I am not a big breeder I have a limited number of puppies. Therefore, my puppies are usually sold out as soon as their 4 weeks photos are put up on the website. If you are determined to buy your puppy when you can visit him, it is most likely that all the puppies will be sold before you come. If it happens that there is still a puppy available at 5 weeks of age, we can talk about a visit. Keep in mind, however, that for the safety of my family and my dogs, I cannot offer visits at just any time. I offer puppy visits on the closest Saturday to 6 weeks of age, so all our families can come and visit the puppies, and I can better ensure that all parties will be safe.
Can I buy two puppies so they can grow up together?
I never recommend that anyone buy two puppies within 18 months of one another unless they have a lot of time on their hands. Puppies that are so close in age can develop Puppy Litter Syndrome. The puppies that spend more time interacting with one another instead of people will learn the social cues of the dog world and not pay attention to the social cues of the people world. As a result they can end up being less confident, and harder to train. Overall it is a very difficult situation to manage. When I had two puppies that were within a year of age, my trainer recommended that I separate the puppies from one another for most of the day. I had to take one of the puppies in the car wherever I went to make sure they were socialized separately. Training is more difficult exponentially as they distract one another. My dogs grew up without issues because I did put the time into it. I enrolled in one obedience class after another to make sure all went well. But I am in the dog business and have more time to train my dogs. This is so much harder for people that work away from home and don't have time to train their puppies separately. So please keep this in mind if you are thinking of buying two puppies within 18 months of age..
Can I bring my other Dog to your home when I visit?
Please do not bring your pets with you to visit or pick up your puppy. Many of my customers are choosing a Schnoodle because they have severe allergies to pets, I cannot risk your pet introducing allergens or illness into my environment that will cause a reaction for another customer or an illness for my litter. Thank you for this consideration.
Do you require owners to Neuter or Spay their pet?
Yes, I require my puppies to be Neutered or Spayed by 6 mths old. My puppies are sold as pets only and must not be bred. I have this policy to ensure that my puppies go to loving homes and never end up in the hands of puppy mills.
Do you take back a puppy, if it does not work out? Although I expect that each customer plans to keep their puppy throughout its life, sometimes, illness, or other circumstances may make it impossible to keep a puppy/dog. In situations where a customer cannot keep their Schnoodle I strongly encourage that you contact me. There are no refunds on a puppy, but I have the network that you need to place your Schnoodle in a loving home in a timely manner. For convenience some people will give their dog to the first person that will take him. Bad idea. Who knows what kind of commitment they will have to the puppy. You should NEVER take one of my Schnoodle puppies to a Shelter. It puts your dog into a very bad situation and it is truly unnecessary! Please remember Schnoodle dogs are in very high demand as puppies and as adults! There is much more chance of success in placing a dog, when the new owners are screened and make a commitment to the lifetime care of the puppy. There will always be an adoption fee for for the customer for any dog that is placed through my website.
Do you dock Schnoodle puppy tails?
No I do not dock tails. The majority of my customers prefer natural tails. Since tails must be docked at 2-3 days after birth, I cannot dock one puppies tail for a customer since I do not know at this point which puppy they will be taking home.
Do you crop puppy ears?
No I do not. I believe this to be a terrible and unnecessary practice.
Do you remove Dew Claws?
For the most part, I do remove Dew Claws. It is an easy procedure at 2-3 days of age. However, I reserve the right to keep the Dew Claws on my litter. The dew claws cannot be removed by the breeder after 5 days of age. Such things as weather, a difficult birth, or a struggling newborn, may all be good reasons to NOT disturb the litter for taking them to the vet for removing Dew Claws. This is an elective procedure. It is not medically necessary. It is something I do for the convenience of the customer (fewer claws to clip)....but I am not opposed to leaving them on a litter when circumstances at the time require it. So the short answer is: most of my puppies have dew claws removed, but not all.
Why do dogs have Dew Claws? There is much debate over whether the dog needs dew claws. The dew claws do seem to be an advantage for hunting or working dogs, as well as dogs in the wild. For the home pet, the dew claws are a possible source of injury and tend to be more of a hazard then a help. I have opted to remove them which is standard practice among dog breeders. At 2-3 days old, the dew claw is barely developed and puppies are not affected much from the procedure.
Can I request that you take more photos of my puppy than what you offer on your litter page, or that you take videos of my puppy?
Although most families are content with the photos and videos they get when they commit to buying a FantasyPup, some customers have suggested that I should offer more photos than I do, or more videos given the price they pay for a puppy. I understand their perspective and so I think it is helpful to explain the choice we have made on this question.
When you place a deposit for a Schnoodle puppy from FantasyPups you are buying a puppy from a litter raised in a family home. A busy family home. There are many advantages to your puppy in being home raised. These puppies have been individually socialized, loved and cared for. They are use to living with the normal sounds and activities that a home will have. You will have one person who can answer all your questions about your puppy because I know each puppy. These are not kennel puppies. No matter how conscientious a Kennel breeder may be, the large kennel cannot replicate the family raised puppy environment.
But there are disadvantages to a small home breeder that I also want you to be aware of. I do not have a regular professional photographer to come and take photos and videos to market the litter - I just do not have the volume to be able to do that -- nor would I want to sacrifice the advantages of being a small home breeder to obtain that kind of volume. Nevertheless, I do strive to take quality photos of your puppy at 2, 4 and 6 weeks of age. If I can do more photos or a video without sacrificing other needed things I have done that and will continue to do that, and I do it voluntarily because I enjoy working with the puppies and the artistry of the photographic process. But I can not take photography or video requests from my customers.
Photos are taken on schedule for each litter. I have a very detailed daily plan for the care of each litter and veterinary appointments, worming, cleaning, grooming and other puppy care will not be put aside for individual customer demands. If I drop everything to put in extra time for one person then that takes away from care in some other area.
I am confident that you will get a high quality puppy buying experience when you buy from me. You are on this page because you already like what you have seen. Take a moment to scroll through the individual litter pages. If you are happy with the puppy photos shown on the past litter pages, then you will be happy with your own puppy photos.
If you would prefer to have more photos and videos then you see here, then you may prefer to buy from a large kennel. They have the volume of puppies to pay a professional to do all that. I don't know if they actually would give you more photos or videos after you have given them a deposit. But some breeders will take videos of a litter when they have lots of puppies that have not sold and need to move the puppies faster.
But I am going to be upfront with you about this. I offer photos on a biweekly schedule because I have puppies to care for. And I cannot take special requests unless you want me to pay a photographer to do that for you. I just do not have that kind of time.
Thank you for your understanding!