Puppies come home vet checked, health guaranteed/contract (we want to make sure you have a happy, healthy family member), current on vaccinations and deworming with starter puppy food, 30 days pet insurance, a snuggle puppy and scented blanket from mom. We follow the puppy culture method and will start crate/potty training before going home.

Our waitlist is simply a contact list. I reach out to everyone at the same time when puppies are born and then create a new puppy selection list based on the order deposits are received. 

We start accepting deposits to hold a puppy once puppies are born. We require a gender selection at the time of deposit so families have a better idea of what puppies are available to them based on their puppy selection order and so I know how many male and female deposits to accept. (Example: if there are 4 males and 5 females I will accept 4 male deposits and 5 female deposits).

We do not accept deposits until puppies are born as we cannot guarantee pregnancy, gender, color, coat type, etc.

We accept deposits and require a gender selection at the time of deposit. Then at 6 weeks, after their first round of vaccinations, we start having families come over or via virtual visit (in order of deposits received) to pick out the puppy you will take home at 8 weeks. (Example: male pick #1 would meet all 4 males to make their selection. Male pick #2 would meet the remaining 3 males to make their selection. It can be overwhelming for families to try to pick from an entire litter. This is what has worked best for us over the years.

For the health and safety of the puppies we do not allow visitors before 6 weeks of age. However, we are active daily with puppies on FB and IG stories (@thebrucefarm) with the puppies so families can watch them grow.

My typical advice is the females will love you and the males will be IN love with you. In my experience, both genders can be very cuddly and sweet. Much of it has to do with the social interaction, the breeder and the receiving family. We have never had families reach out that their puppies are not cuddly nor want to be held. Of course, they will go through little independent and energetic stages but your puppy (male or female) should love being held and cuddled if they’ve had a loving and healthy beginning.

Honestly, it’s never happened to us before because they are all great dogs but we also don’t want a puppy going to a home that isn't a good fit. Typically our deposits are nonrefundable and we do not hold deposits for future litters because we cannot guarantee pregnancy, gender, color, coat type, etc. but I also want families to be happy in their pick. That being said, this is something that we would have to handle on a case by case basis. Another option is to wait and see who (if anyone) is still available at 6 weeks once puppy selections have been made.

I’m happy to hold puppies for a boarding fee. Each litter has a flexible pick up window between 8-9 weeks of age at no additional cost. After 9 weeks of age it’s an additional $25/day boarding fee.

No, puppy’s dewclaws are not removed. We prefer to keep puppies out of the vet (germs) as much as possible plus we believe their dewclaws are useful and similar to “thumbs” in humans. They help support and prevent injuries when a dog is running and making a sharp turn as well as offer tendon and ligament protection.

Our Genetic Health Guarantee covers all health issues stemming from congenital defects (genetic defects). If you suspect that your dog may have a health issue, please contact us so that we can work to achieve a solution together. We are a team in the matter.

Yes, we recommend you spay/neuter your puppy prior to 12 months of age or as directed by your vet. Our reasons behind this recommendation:

Females/Spay: The risk of mammary cancer goes up significantly if you want to spay. Dogs spayed before their first heat have a 0.5% risk. Spaying after the first heat, the risk jumps to 8%. After the second heat the risk is 26%. Chance of pyometra which is life threatening and requires expensive emergency surgery. About 25% of unspayed female dogs will develop pyometra before the age of 10 years. It’s more common in older dogs, but can happen at any age. Spaying adult females, especially medium to large size ones is also more difficult for the surgeon and can lead to more complications during surgery or post op. Greater risk for blood loss, increased time under anesthesia, and greater risk for infection. With females, the chance of an unplanned and unwanted litter can happen quickly and raising a litter is a lot of work.

Males/Neuter: Most medical issues related to being intact can be solved by neutering (such as testicular cancer and behavior issues).

Most people are unaware about how quickly dogs can be bred or how to prevent unplanned/unwanted pregnancies - spay/neuter can help prevent unplanned pregnancies and male dogs from roaming to find intact females.

All puppies are started weaning between 4-5 weeks of age and will be fully weaned by 6 weeks of age. This allows them to be completely on dry kibble prior to coming home. We do this so that there is less change from our farm to your home and that makes things easier on the puppy’s transition.

We start indoor potty training at 4 weeks old and transition to outdoor potty training at 6 weeks old. All puppies live in an environment that encourages good potty training habits, however families will need to continue with a routine and consistency before puppies are fully potty trained. Puppies go home with a packet with my tips and tricks to crate and potty training and I am always available to answer any questions you have.

Most puppies will be fully potty trained in a week or two with their owners full attention. It will take several weeks for a puppy to be reliable without supervision.

Generally we only offer puppies as family pets and our health guarantee/contract has a spay/neuter clause in it. If you are wanting to breed I would need to have further conversations about your breeding program and experience before I would consider a puppy with breeding rights.

You can have as little or as much contact with us as you desire. We love to hear stories, see pictures, and talk about your puppy with you. You are always welcome to call because after your puppy leaves our home to be your new family member, we move to a member of your dog team. We are there for support, questions and concerns without judgment. We know you intend to do the best by your dog and we are there to assist you in that task. However, ultimately it is still your dog, and the decisions are yours.

We do not offer any training at this time, however we can recommend trainers in your area.

If you can no longer care for your dog we will take the dog back at anytime, any age, in any condition, no questions asked. We will either rehome the dog or retire him/her at our farm depending on what is best for the dog.