What does an Excelsior puppy come with?
When you purchase an Excelsior puppy, they are always Volhard temperament tested, BAER hearing tested, and (weather permitting) herding instinct tested before deciding on placements. They come with quite a few things, including but not limited to:
- AKC registration paid for and taken care of by us
- Go Home bag packed with loads of toys, chews/bones, different training treats and things to keep them busy
- Go Home binder containing pedigree, Volhard temperament testing rubric, Baer hearing testing information (already paid for and to be posted to OFA by us), printouts to help guide you through the trials and tribulations of crate training, potty training, and surviving life with a cattle dog puppy
- Several rounds of deworming and at least one set of Distemper vaccines done prior to leaving us
- Microchipped and examined for optimum health
-Most importantly: LIFETIME 24/7 Breeder support!
- AKC registration paid for and taken care of by us
- Go Home bag packed with loads of toys, chews/bones, different training treats and things to keep them busy
- Go Home binder containing pedigree, Volhard temperament testing rubric, Baer hearing testing information (already paid for and to be posted to OFA by us), printouts to help guide you through the trials and tribulations of crate training, potty training, and surviving life with a cattle dog puppy
- Several rounds of deworming and at least one set of Distemper vaccines done prior to leaving us
- Microchipped and examined for optimum health
-Most importantly: LIFETIME 24/7 Breeder support!
What does an Excelsior puppy cost?
Our pricing depends on our breeding costs, which includes but is not limited to: stud fee, travel, pre-and-post breeding exams for the dam, Brucellosis testing, artificial insemination costs, c-section or emergency care for the dam, unpaid time off work to whelp and raise the litter, and broad-spectrum vet care for the puppies. Our puppies are a labor of love, and while money is not the most important thing to us, our hope is to recuperate breeding costs so we can continue doing what we love. Generally our pups are between $1500-$2500 with the potential for rising with our changing economy. If you want to know pricing for a specific upcoming pairing, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.
Can I choose my own puppy?
The short answer is "no". We realize that this isn't what most people want to hear. However, our philosophy is to get to know our puppy families closely enough to determine which pup may be the best fit for them, based on goals and wants. If there are multiple pups in the litter whose temperament may fit your family, at that point we are happy to take aesthetic wants and desires into account. If you are dead-set on a certain color or style of marking, it may be a matter of staying on our wait list for a few different litters until that perfect pup comes along with the perfect temperament for your goals. Good puppies are worth the wait!
What health testing is performed on the parents?
We believe that breeding for long-lived, healthier dogs is part of our responsibility as breeders. We are members in good standing with the Australian Cattle Dog Club of America, and we follow the ACDCA recommended health testing for the breed by completing the following on our breeding dogs:
- OFA Hip and Elbow radiograph examination
- CAER Eye Exam
- BAER Hearing test
- Genetic test panel for Primary Lens Luxation (PLL) and Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), both genetic eye diseases
Because we are serious about breeding healthier dogs as our partners in work and sports, we go above and beyond by logging some additional health testing for our own peace of mind, beyond the ACDCA requirements. Some additional testing we have done includes:
- OFA Shoulders
- OFA Advanced Cardiac (Echocardiogram)
- OFA Dentition
- Full Panel genetic swab testing for ACD inheritable diseases including some of the big ones: NCL 5, NCL 8, NCL 12, RCD4 Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Degenerative Myelopathy, Cystinuria, and more
All of the testing for our dogs is either uploaded to the OFA database or linked directly to individual dogs pages on our website. We are always happy to provide copies of the authentic reports to interested parties.
- OFA Hip and Elbow radiograph examination
- CAER Eye Exam
- BAER Hearing test
- Genetic test panel for Primary Lens Luxation (PLL) and Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), both genetic eye diseases
Because we are serious about breeding healthier dogs as our partners in work and sports, we go above and beyond by logging some additional health testing for our own peace of mind, beyond the ACDCA requirements. Some additional testing we have done includes:
- OFA Shoulders
- OFA Advanced Cardiac (Echocardiogram)
- OFA Dentition
- Full Panel genetic swab testing for ACD inheritable diseases including some of the big ones: NCL 5, NCL 8, NCL 12, RCD4 Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Degenerative Myelopathy, Cystinuria, and more
All of the testing for our dogs is either uploaded to the OFA database or linked directly to individual dogs pages on our website. We are always happy to provide copies of the authentic reports to interested parties.
Can I meet you and your dogs prior to being on the waitlist?
Short answer: ABSOLUTELY! Long answer: We travel throughout the Midwest and sometimes farther for various dog related events, and are always more than happy to meet up with people at events or along our way to chat and let you see the dogs. We encourage anyone interested in an ACD to meet the breeder's dogs in person if possible, because temperament is so important in this breed and you never really know a dog until you meet them in person. Photos, videos and nice write-ups online only give half the picture. We are proud of our dogs and generally happy to bring them out to introduce to people!
Can I visit after puppies are born?
This question has some nuance to it, but the answer is generally "yes". We raise our puppies following Puppy Culture protocols, which includes regular "puppy party" gatherings to promote sociability with people. We do have a strict sanitation protocol we follow with people coming to our home, as pups immune systems are fragile and we need to be extra careful with visitors prior to vaccines being given. That said, our philosophy is to utilize as much of the critical socialization window as possible, while still keeping pups safe.
Do your puppies come with a contract?
Yes, our pups all leave us with a legally binding sales agreement that's designed to protect them, their new family, and us, the breeder. We do not aim to be overly-controlling in our contract; we will not force you to feed a certain type of food, or tell you what training tools you aren't allowed to use. Things we do include in our contract that you should know:
RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL CLAUSE: This dictates that, if for any reason you can no longer keep a pup you purchased from us, we MUST be informed and have the option to take the puppy back into our possession immediately. We never want any of our pups to be rehomed or turned into a rescue/shelter/animal control without our knowledge. They will always have a place with us back here at their first home, and we welcome them back with open arms.
CONTACT CLAUSE: We require a photo/video update of the pup enjoying life with you at least twice a year. This seems like a small ask, and most people fulfil this just by being our Facebook friend or emailing us the occasional pic. For us, it's how we maintain knowledge that the family still has the puppy, is happy with him/her, and gives us a chance to check in and see how things are going/ask if there's anything we can help with.
SPAY/NEUTER CLAUSE (for companion- Limited Registration pups): We ask that puppies remain intact until at least 18mo to allow their growth plates time to close, and their body receive the benefit of those hormones through adolescence. After 18mo you may choose to spay/neuter or not at your discretion.
FOR SHOW/BREEDING PROSPECTS: We stay on Full Registered pups as co-owners until all health testing is complete and uploaded to OFA at 2yrs old. No breeding is to happen prior to testing or during the co-ownership period without express written permission. For certain puppies, we may ask to stay on as co owners indefinitely and/or retain some breeding rights to use in the future of our program. We do this on a case-by-case basis with people and are happy to negotiate terms in a way that all parties find amicable.
Everything else in our contract is very general; fraud disclosures, minimum care requirements, etc. We are happy to email a mock-up contract to any interested parties, just send us a message.
RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL CLAUSE: This dictates that, if for any reason you can no longer keep a pup you purchased from us, we MUST be informed and have the option to take the puppy back into our possession immediately. We never want any of our pups to be rehomed or turned into a rescue/shelter/animal control without our knowledge. They will always have a place with us back here at their first home, and we welcome them back with open arms.
CONTACT CLAUSE: We require a photo/video update of the pup enjoying life with you at least twice a year. This seems like a small ask, and most people fulfil this just by being our Facebook friend or emailing us the occasional pic. For us, it's how we maintain knowledge that the family still has the puppy, is happy with him/her, and gives us a chance to check in and see how things are going/ask if there's anything we can help with.
SPAY/NEUTER CLAUSE (for companion- Limited Registration pups): We ask that puppies remain intact until at least 18mo to allow their growth plates time to close, and their body receive the benefit of those hormones through adolescence. After 18mo you may choose to spay/neuter or not at your discretion.
FOR SHOW/BREEDING PROSPECTS: We stay on Full Registered pups as co-owners until all health testing is complete and uploaded to OFA at 2yrs old. No breeding is to happen prior to testing or during the co-ownership period without express written permission. For certain puppies, we may ask to stay on as co owners indefinitely and/or retain some breeding rights to use in the future of our program. We do this on a case-by-case basis with people and are happy to negotiate terms in a way that all parties find amicable.
Everything else in our contract is very general; fraud disclosures, minimum care requirements, etc. We are happy to email a mock-up contract to any interested parties, just send us a message.
Can I choose my puppy's registered name?
We like to give our puppy owners creative freedom, so we generally allow people to choose from a list of registered names that we create in reference to what you choose as the dog's everyday call name. Registered names will always begin with "Excelsior's" as our prefix, and if you have a particular registered name in mind for your puppy already, we are always willing to hear and consider it. We reserve the right to veto names that we find to be a poor fit, but will try to work with you to settle on a name that everyone is happy with. No other kennel names besides "Excelsior" will appear in the registered name, unless discussed and approved by us well in advance before purchasing your puppy; an option that is only available to already-established breeders, or the stud owner.
