Question & Answer

Why don't you allow visitors until puppies are 6 weeks of age? Unfortunately, injury and death for two of our puppies, on separate occasions, have occured from the mishandling of puppies by visitors. There is also the risk of disease being brought in on shoes and clothes from visitors who spend their time at multiple breeding programs and then visit here. My buyers KNOW from the presentation on my website and from the many pictures and video I send that I am the breeder they want to make their selection from. There have also been too many visitors that steal my time staying 3-4 hours per visit without ever making a decision and those that just want to allow their children to play with puppies with the intentions of never making a purchase. Breeders are some of the busiest people on the planet. We just don't have time to entertain families for hours at a time.

I think I maybe kinda sorta want to buy a puppy. Can I visit and see them first to be sure? .... No. Either it's a good time in your life to make a 15 year commitment to a dog or it's not and "seeing" the puppies is not going to make that decision for you. BE SURE you are ready for the commitment.

I want to buy a puppy from you. Other breeders advertise that they will let me take a puppy home and then make payments to them. You do that to, right? .... NO. I am not a bank. I do NOT 'finance' puppies. I am responsible for MY puppies and the management of MY breeding program. ALL Fifteen Acre Farms puppies are paid in full before leaving my care. I am not responsible for the decisions of other breeders and how they handle getting paid for THEIR puppies.

WHAT? You mean you don't let your females birth their puppies inside your home? Then I will not be purchasing a Fifteen Acre Farms puppy .... ABSOLUTELY NOT. There is NOTHING pretty about the birthing process with people or animals .... especially animals. There is a terrible smell that goes along with the birthing process, that can take an hour or more per puppy, not to mention the spewing of more than 10 feet in every direction of vomit, drool, pee, blood, and birthing fluids FOR EACH PUPPY born. It's disgusting. Not too mention how noisy puppies can be. We would NEVER be able to get any sleep. We have two state of the art facilities here designed specifically for the birthing process, clean up, and housing of puppies and their parents.

What do you mean your dogs don't live inside your home? I will be making my selection from a breeder that keeps ALL of their dogs and puppies inside their home because that means they are part of the family .... Here at Fifteen Acre Farms we usually keep 20 something adult dogs here because females in this breed can only safely have up to 5 litters of pups. That means females are here for a very short time. They can reach the 5 litter, or less, limit very quickly by age 4 or 5 then they are spayed and placed with families as our dogs are in exceptional health and can live another 10 years. We need to keep several young females at all times growing up to be ready to take the place of the older females that age out of the program. Keep in mind that not all young females will breed or, if they do, they may only have 1 or 2 litters or they may be 3 or 4 years old before they breed or they may be placed as a breeding female to help improve or sustain a breeding program for another breeder. The breeding program costs the same everyday to operate whether we have puppies or not so if we do not keep young females to take the place of the one's aging out well .... the money to operate the program has to come from somewhere. It would also be complete chaos to have 20 something loose dogs in my house as breeding males do not get along and are never kept together. If 20 something dogs were kept loose in my home there would be absolutely NO control over who is breeding who then you wouldn't know the sire to the litters not to mention breeding females can also take on a much different temperament than dogs kept as pets so there would be fighting every second of every day AND we usually raise 2-7 litters of pups at a time so there would be NOTHING but fighting going on between all of the dogs causing injury to puppies all day everyday. Crating my dogs inside my home all day everyday is also NOT an option and is so unhealthy for this breed. In addition, we are outdoor people and I spend many many hours outside everyday with my dogs grooming, training, and caring for them. Keeping 20 something dogs and multiple litters of puppies in my home is not healthy for the dogs, puppies, my family, or visitors and shame on you for not wanting better for my family than that. So ... if making your selection from a breeder that raises their dogs in their home makes you happy then that will be your decision. The care and comfort of my dogs along with training, grooming, outdoor exercise, sunshine, fresh air, & at will potty time is most important to me and MY buyers here at Fifteen Acre Farms.

Since there is such a demand for Miniature's why don't you raise them? Because those dogs are not purebred Australian Shepherds and do not represent the breed well. They are mixed breed dogs. Australian Shepherds have always been 18-23". We didn't wake up one day and now they are 10" tall. Those dogs have had smaller breeds bred into them reducing their size and bringing in genetic defect from other breeds. Check the breed list at www.akc.org. You will see there is no Miniature Australian Shepherd there. Then read the home page at www.asca.org to see that ASCA does not support the registration or promotion of mixed breed dogs either. I work hard to keep the breed PURE and to reduce genetic defect.

I can buy a much cheaper puppy on craigslist and other places. Why do your puppies cost more? I am not responsible for how other breeders run their program or price their puppies. I am only responsible for MY program here and the representation of MY dogs and puppies. My prices reflect the investment I have made into the program with genetic health testing, housing, ongoing care, and endless time commitment & financial investment into my program.

Other breeders advertise their puppies as 'registered' with no mention of AKC AND/OR ASCA. How will I know which 'registry' they use? Unless a puppy is CLEARLY advertised as AKC AND ASCA registered, it probably isn't. You the buyer should BE SURE you ask the seller if BOTH AKC AND ASCA puppy applications are in hand at time of purchase. If not, refuse the sale as any reason to not have the paperwork in hand is an excuse. Many times just the word 'registered' refers to a substandard registry that has absolutely no qualifications.

I know someone that bought a puppy from another breeder. I gave them your contact information so you can help them with obedience training, destructive behavior, potty training, and sleeping through the night. They also did not receive registration paperwork, vaccination record, or feeding instructions at time of purchase. I told them you would be happy to help. I hope that's ok? ABSOLUTELY NOT. 'I' am responsible for MY puppies and MY buyers. I CANNOT & WILL NOT be held responsible or accountable for THEIR mistake of buying a $200 puppy off craigslist, or other ad, from a breeder that does not take their responsibilities serious with the proper upbringing of their puppies, presentation at time of sale, or lifetime commitment to both the buyer and the puppy. My schedule does not allow for such nonsense. Perhaps your 'friend' should have been more selective in their search for a breeder.

I know someone looking for another breed of dog. I gave them your contact information and told them you would be happy to do all the research for them for the breed they are interested in and would spend your time searching for a reputable breeder for them to make their selection from. I hope that's ok? 'I' am neither willing, nor responsible, for spending hours and hours and days and days and weeks and weeks of MY time researching and learning about other breeds of dogs for people I don't even know and selecting a breeder for them to make their purchase from. I do not run a "petfinder" service here.