This page is meant to help you understand what to expect when you buy a livestock guardian puppy or dog from us and is in addition to our Sale Terms page, which is essential reading. Our concepts and policies are guided by our commitment to holistic husbandry and a spirit of respect for our animals and for fellow farmers. If you find they are incompatible with your own, no hard feelings. We can try to help you find a breeder that better matches your goals.

Personality Matching

We personality/temperament match our pups to specific buyers through a process that is both intuitive and clinical. I will ask you questions about your own personality, experience, setup, other dogs and what your hopes and expectations are from your dog. We spend considerable time with our pups, getting to know each of them–their personalities, strengths and weaknesses–and then we do our best to match the right pup to the right buyer. This process can’t be rushed and typically takes place between 7-11 weeks of age. Due to this and other factors, especially takeaways the pups receive from spending extended time with their parents and siblings, (learning important lessons, such as bite inhibition, among others), we place our pups in their new positions at 12 weeks of age. Though rare, if it turns out we don’t feel we have a puppy that will work for you, we will refund your deposit or roll it into another litter at your choosing. While it's not 100%, our ultimate goal is a perfect match, equaling success for both our buyers and our puppies. We reserve the right at any time to decline to sell a puppy to a particular buyer.

Parent Health Testing

We test our dogs to provide information about any potential genetic risk factors or health problems. The test we use is recognized by OFA and tests for 250+ genetic health risks.

Due to purchaser demand, we have elected to also have OFA certification done on our AKC Registered dogs.

Our personal preference overall is to skip OFA, and to that end our unregistered dogs are not OFA certified. Here is why.....

Hip dysplasia prevalence does not seem to be affected by testing, at least not in a positive manner. There seems to be promise in genome testing, but it has yet to be made widely available. To quote this study
https://www.icbblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Verhoeven-et-al-2011-Worldwide-Screening-for-Canine-Hip-Dysplasia-Where-Are-We-Now.pdf (emphasis mine):

“The OFA, FCI, and BVA/KC screening methods, which use the hip extended radiographic projection, have had relatively minor success on CHD prevalence. These screening approaches are prone to conflicting data regarding interobserver agreement. The PennHIP and Dorsolateral Subluxation (DLS) systems, both distraction methods, have not reported on prevalence but seem to be important heritable traits in genomic screening of dysplastic dogs.”

If they aren’t reducing prevalence, why are we subjecting our dogs to mechanical stresses that could potentially in and of themselves cause hip damage?

Here is a good summary with many sources if you’d like to learn more about hip dysplasia.

We will not breed dogs with evidence/symptoms of health defects and have not had an instance of any health defect or illness in any of our livestock guardian dogs to date. We keep an open door policy – you are welcome to make an appointment and come see the parents and our setup. I feel like this transparency is the best way to both educate and reassure potential buyers. Plus, who doesn’t love visiting with fellow goat and dog lovers!

Puppy Health Treatments

As part of our commitment to holistic husbandry, we use absolute minimal vaccinations on our puppies. They are treated weekly with homeopathic Parvo Nosodes, and given a single Parvo only vaccine at 11 weeks. They are regularly dewormed with herbal dewormer and fed as much raw food as we can spare, plus goat milk, goat milk kefir and kibble.

We are committed to seeing our dogs not just live, but thrive, so to that end I, Julie am continuously seeking to expand and improve my own knowledge on natural animal husbandry through various education programs. I am constantly expanding my knowledge of herbal remedies, homeopathy, nutrition and essential oils as they relate to dogs, as well as the other species on our farm.

Health Guarantee

We guarantee that any animal leaving our farm is healthy and displaying no known/visible symptoms of any communicable disease or health defect. Because we cannot control what happens once an animal leaves, we do not guarantee health after the animal has left our property.

Lifetime Support

As with all of our animals, we are here for you 100% for as long as you own the animal. Email or call us with any questions or concerns that may come up after you bring an animal home.

Taking Dogs Back

If for any reason you are not able or willing to keep the dog or puppy you have purchased from us, we typically will accept it back and work to place it in another working home. If due to space constraints we are unable to take a dog back right away, we will still work to help get it into another working home, or help place in a foster situation until kennel space can br freed at our farm. We understand that circumstances change and decisions are not always black and white. We are not able to buy dogs back, but will always do our best to provide a safe place to land for our dogs in need.

Spay/Neuter Contract

Nope. First, once you have taken possession of an animal from us, it is yours and we have no authority, real or imagined, over what you do with it once you own it. We believe and trust that you’ll love and cherish it, provide food, water, shelter, training, affection and necessary health care, but we recognize that our ability to demand that ends when we no longer own the dog.

Second, we don’t advocate for alteration as a standard practice, but trust that our buyers are capable adults making their own decisions. If you choose to spay or neuter, we recommend waiting until the dog is two years old or older.

Buyer Requirements

We hope that you have researched livestock guardian dog ownership before deciding to buy. I happily provide ongoing breeder support to help you learn about and be successful with your dog. I also am available to answer any questions you have before you make your final decision, peior to purchasing. We also hope you’ll be willing to put in the time and effort to bond with your pup. The bond is the biggest factor in determining success on your end. Spend lots of time with your pup, but don’t stress about checking off boxes or following a roadmap. Focus first on building a relationship. Have secure fencing and a willingness to continue learning and adapting as your relationship and knowledge with your pup grows.

I hope this helps you make an informed decision about buying from us. If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to reach out through the Contact form above. See more info on current or upcoming litters on our sales page.

LGD Buyer Information