Visiting Desert Flower:

You are always welcome to visit me and my dogs at Desert Flower (by appointment only, please). I am proud of my dogs, and I love to talk about them and show them off :-). 

Pricing:

Puppies - $500.00 to $1000.00        Adults - $800.00 & up

Deposit:

I prefer not to take deposits until a litter is born. A deposit of $200.00 will hold the puppy of your choice until it is old enough to go home. No puppy is reserved until I receive a deposit on it, first come, first serve. Placement on the waiting list does not ensure a puppy. Your deposit is completely refundable until a) you meet your puppy in person and/or b) the puppy reaches 6 weeks of age. After that, only %50 of the deposit will be returned.

Method of Payment:

All puppies must be paid for in full before leaving Desert Flower. I accept Cash, Cashier's Check, or Money Order. ABSOLUTELY NO PERSONAL CHECKS.   

Shipping:

I do not ship puppies under any circumstances. It would be impossible for me to send a puppy that I love to a stranger :-) I prefer to meet all potential puppy owners in person. Many people contact me assuming that they will be the exception to the rule. I do not make exceptions. I do not ship puppies. If you are interested in a puppy, you must pick it up personally. Many airlines allow you to check a puppy as "baggage." 

Photos:

I try to update my web site, with new puppy photos, on a weekly basis. If you are interested in a specific puppy and would like more photos, I will email them to you.

Puppy Buyer Requirements:

1) Do your research: Australian Shepherds are not for everyone.  They are active and inquisitive.  They require lots of human interaction and do not do well when left alone for long periods of time.  They need exercise, and room to run. They won't be happy living in the backyard. They enjoy long walks (or runs). I recommend investigating an activity you can do with your aussie. Australian Shepherds are extremely intelligent. If you don't give them something to do, they may get bored and take it out on your couch, rug, favorite shoes etc. :-) Agility, herding, fly ball, Frisbee, advanced obedience, and therapy training are a few of the thing aussies excel at. They are activities that keep your aussie 's body and mind active.  I am happy to answer any questions you might have about aussies. You are also welcome to come and meet my adult dogs to see if an Australian Shepherd is right for you. There are lots of web sites on the internet that offer great information on the breed. You can look on my Links page for a few of them.  There are also several books available (check www.amazon.com)

2) All buyers must have a fenced yard that is secure. Some aussies can jump very high. A three or four foot fence is not sufficient. 

3) I recommend that all puppy owner enroll in obedience class. Trust me, you don't want a 55-60 lb dog who pulls on his leash or jumps on you every time you walk in the door! 

4) Please keep in touch: I love updates!  You are welcome to call me with questions or concerns. I love to hear about how your dog did in obedience class, or the new trick he learned :-)

Age:

Puppies are released on an individual basis depending on how they are doing, their litter size, when they start to eat on their own, and lastly how they react to their puppy shots. Generally, puppies go home between 8 to 10 weeks.  This is only if the puppy is completely ready to go and the environment where the puppy is going is a safe and secure one. Occasionally we have an older puppy available due to someone changing their mind as to color, pattern, quality or sex. These puppies usually have a better defined temperament and still adjust very well to new environments.

Vaccinations:

Vaccinations are usually given at 6, 8, 12 and 16 weeks. If a puppy goes home at 8 weeks,  it will have received the 6 and 8 week vaccinations. The 12 and 16 week vaccinations will be the responsibility of the new owner.   After a pup is a year old, it requires  an annual booster. My puppies are wormed prior to going to their new homes. I worm all puppies at least twice before they leave.  

Microchip Implants:

When the puppies are 8 weeks old, they receive a microchip implant. The chip is about the size of a grain of rice, and it is injected in the back of the puppy's neck when he gets his vaccinations. It does not cause them any more discomfort than the shots do. The microchip works like a bar code. When a lost dog is taken to the pound, he is scanned for a chip. If he has one, the pound has access to all the information about the dog including: the owner's name and number; the dog's name, breed, age; the vet's name and number, and 2 contact numbers. Even the most carefully watched dogs can sometimes get lost. I consider the microchip implant to be an insurance policy. 

Health Guarantee:

I guarantee all puppies to be healthy when they leave the kennel.  It is my recommendation that after  buying a puppy, you take it to a veterinarian so that you are comfortable with your purchase and know the health of the puppy you are purchasing. If you receive a puppy from me and a health problem develops within 48 hours, you must contact me regarding the problem. I cannot be responsible for veterinary costs not approved prior to treatment. If your puppy should die within 7 days of leaving Desert Flower due to Parvo or Distemper (autopsy report required), I will replace it with a like quality puppy or refund the full purchase price. If a puppy is found to have any hereditary health problems, I will refund the full purchase price of the puppy or provide a replacement puppy. Confirmation by a veterinarian is required.  

All parents of my  puppies are in excellent health. All vaccines are current, and they receive annual health exams by a veterinarian.  All dogs have their hips and eyes checked. After researching Canine Hip Dysplaysia (CHD).  I believe that Pennhip is a more accurate method of hip evaluation.  From now on, I will  use Pennhip  instead of OFA ratings on my male dogs. Since many  breeders only accept OFA ratings on bitches, I will be doing both Pennhip and OFA ratings  on my female dogs. For more information about CHD and Pennhip click on the links.   All my dogs have their eyes cleared, free of eye defects, by a certified ophthalmologist annually. All puppies will have their eyes examined by an certified ophthalmologist prior to leaving Desert Flower. 

Inbreeding:

I believe that inbreeding is destructive and a bad breeding practice. I have a computer program that calculates the percentage of inbreeding in any potential mating. I have extensive pedigrees on my own dogs (in some cases going back 10-12 generations). I believe that a breeding pair should be a maximum of 10% inbred in 10 generations and/or the puppies should be less inbred than either of the parents. 

Spaying/Neutering:

Even though spaying/neutering is the popular point of view, I do not believe that it is the best thing for a dog.  Hormones are an essential part of development. In people, a body can not grow and develop properly without hormones. If it is true for people, it is probably true for other mammals as well. I have never spayed or neutered a dog, and all of my dogs have led long and healthy lives. Having an intact dog, does not mean that you must breed them, in fact, most dogs probably shouldn't be bred. I believe that a responsible owner is entirely capable of have an intact, non-breeding dog. Because of these beliefs, I prefer that that my puppies not be spayed/neutered. If you insist on Spaying/Neutering your puppy I prefer that you wait until the puppy reaches maturity (usually 1-2 years) and I am consulted. 

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