Frequently Asked Questions
So what is the process if I find a puppy I want?
We ask all prospective puppy families to fill out an application. The application is simple and is not meant to be intimidating; it just ensures us that the puppy you want will be a good match for your home. You're welcome to specify a puppy you're interested in unless you would rather we choose for you, but not every puppy is suitable for every household. We don't make our puppies available for deposit until their personality is coming through.
With that, puppies are very adaptable to new environments and most can adapt to most situations. There are certain circumstances when a puppy might not be the right fit for a family. Once you are approved, we keep your application on file and you're welcome to put a deposit on a puppy!
Can we come visit the puppies and choose one?
We no longer allow visitations in the home prior to when puppies are 14 weeks old. We limit visitors to those individuals that have put a deposit down already. This is to protect our dogs, our family, and our livestock. Part of raising our puppies in the home means that we invite strangers into our home to bring their puppies home. Visitors can track bacteria into the home that can make our dogs and puppies very sick and we take this very seriously. We limit our risks by reducing the amount of traffic in our home.
Once puppies are 22 weeks of age, we are willing to meet in a public place with the puppy you're interested in if you do not want to put down a deposit. We will also do this with adult dogs. However, keep in mind that we do not hold puppies without a deposit. We understand that this is not the same policy that everyone has and not everyone feels comfortable putting down a deposit without seeing a puppy first. For this matter, we encourage you to read our testimonials, visit our Facebook page, consider doing FaceTime calls, and ask questions. However, we are very firm on this policy and do not make exceptions.
Do you ship puppies?
Most puppies are ready to go to their new families between 10-12 weeks of age. This varies depending on the puppy and we will determine the date they are old enough to go home. Puppies that go to local homes may be allowed to leave earlier if they only have to travel a short distance. For puppies that fly, we have a wonderful pet nanny who holds the puppies in the airplane, and we let them go home this way at 10-12 weeks old. Due to the extremely long time they are in a kennel and the high risk for disease, we do not ground ship puppies.
We have flown puppies around the world and had excellent experiences doing so. Flight nanny prices have gone up since Covid and now can run $500 and up, so we usually suggest that to reduce the cost, you fly out and meet us at the airport.
Can you put me on your waiting list?
We now offer waiting lists! In order to be put on the waiting list, you must first have an approved application, which you can submit any time. Once approved, there is a non-refundable fee of $100 (free for previous buyers) to be put on the waiting list for 12 months. This deposit is applied toward your puppy if you choose to purchase one. When we have one that matches coming available, the people on our waiting list are notified first and get first priority at purchasing a puppy. We still require the full deposit is made within 24 hours to hold your puppy for you once your puppy is available. Our waiting list is intentionally kept small, and is limited to 5 females and 5 males at a time. After that, our waiting list is full until someone either claims a puppy who was on the waiting list, or chooses not to purchase one.
If you do not want to pay the $100 fee, you are still encouraged to complete an application, which can be submitted any time. Submitting an application by itself does not put you on a waiting list, but after the waiting list has been satisfied, applications are accepted in the order received. Therefore, someone with an approved application on file is going to get priority over choosing a puppy before someone who has not yet filled out an application, but after the waiting list.
If you are interested in staying up to date on our current litters, you are encouraged to like our Facebook page, where the most current updates are shown.
What is the cost of a male/female puppy?
We do not have "set" prices for male verses female puppies. Puppies are assessed individually, and are priced based on several factors: Quality, estimated adult size, sex, color, pedigree, and several other factors. Prices on male puppies start at $1800 and prices on females start at $2500.
All puppies come from champion pedigreed lines and in some litters the parents have show points. All puppies are vet checked. The parents of the puppies have been genetically tested for more than 170 genetic diseases. In most cases, puppies will come with an AKC registration application. AKC is the ONLY kennel club in the United States that inspects kennels to ensure that owners are not operating puppy mills. This is done annually. We are proud to say that we are a breeder in good standing with the AKC.
Why do females cost so much more than males?
In a normal litter (average size 2-3 puppies) that has at least 1 female puppy, I will get about 20 inquiries. Of those 20 inquiries, I will get 18-19 for the female, 1 for the male, and rarely 1 person that will take a male or female and is more concerned with personality than gender. As with all toy breeds, females are in exceptionally high demand and nearly everyone wants a female. However, chihuahuas have small litter sizes, and at most 50% of the puppies born are female. There is always a much higher demand for girls than boys and I can never fulfill the demand for girls. Therefore, females are priced higher because the demand is much higher than I can supply.
Will you hold a puppy for me?
We take applications for each of our puppies. If your application is approved and the puppy has reached the age where he or she is old enough for a deposit, we will send you an invoice (that can be paid with a credit card) and a contract. We will approve one application per puppy, but we will also approve 1-2 backup applications. The first person with an approved application will be sent a contract and an invoice for the deposit. The invoice must be paid by the end of the day. At midnight, the puppy will no longer be on hold for that person, and the next person with a backup application will be notified and given an opportunity to purchase the puppy. We assume that people who are serious about purchasing a puppy will put down a deposit, and if they do not, that they are still deciding if they want the puppy. Therefore, the puppy is available to the next interested party, and so on down the list, if there is a list on a certain puppy.
It is generally safe to assume that if you're interested in a puppy, someone else is also. You will not necessarily be notified if there is someone else interested in a puppy, as I do not want people to feel pressured into buying a puppy just because someone else is interested. However, if you are seriously interested, do not wait about putting your deposit down.
