​SNOWEY  RIVER​​

So, you are interested as a member of the public to purchase a Puppy and you have arrived at my website. As a breeder I am always delighted when someone expresses interest in my Kennel and pups and so I say thank you and enjoy your journey through my website.

As a breeder I get asked many questions, lots of queries on the breed, house training, genetic questions - you name it, I have been through all the questions both good , bad, outright rude, from prospective buyers etc. the list of types of puppy buyers is endless, some and most are calm and sensible/some so excited they can barely contain themselves, some seemingly cold upfront but are true animal lovers and some cold and not such good owners, some purely and only interested in the price of the pups,  information on what I charge for a puppy, any genetic info etc - so I have compiled a random list of items below that I would like to share my views on  :

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1. ASKING FOR THE PRICE OF THE PUPPY : I see no harm in asking for the price of a puppy providing you show a genuine interest in my kennel and pups. It is a good idea to ask several questions expressing your interest in your initial contact with me.

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2. MAGIC WAND : aagh, the magic wand. As a breeder of many years I do not wave my magic wand and suddenly produce the exact gender, health results, coat , size, temperament and looks that everyone wants - breeding is a complicated game and many factors both environmental and genetic determine a good puppy.  Nature dictates how many puppies and the genders there will be in a litter - therefore 'No', it is not possible for me to know whether there are males or females in my litters.

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3. EXPLAINNIG  SCAN's TO BE DONE ON PROSPECTIVE MOTHER DOGS : Breeders have the option of booking a scan with their Veterinarians to confirm the pregnancy of a bitch. But, in no way does the scan mean that the bitch will carry full term - the scan confirms the pregnancy - not the amount of puppies the bitch will have. The pregnancy scan is usually done around 30 days after the first mating, but can also be done a little later. Some breeders opt not to scan their bitches because of the stress of taking a bitch who may be preggy into a Vet clinic, there is also a risk of her 'contracting an illness' from the many dogs visiting the Vet Clinic or from walking on the ground into the clinic. No breeder wants to compromise their breeding stock and it is their choice whether they would like to scan or not scan.

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4. RADIOGRAPHS FOR PREGNANT MOTHER DOGS : Once again there is a high risk when breeders take their pregnant bitches in for radiographs to determine HOW MANY PUPPIES she is carrying - some bitches are also stressed when set up for the radiographs as well as the risk of 'getting an illness' from the many dogs visiting the Vet Clinic. The breeder will know each mother dog , also based on the risk factor and in consult with their Vet will make the decision to either radiograph or not.

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5. A SUITABLE PUPPY & CHOOSING  A PUPPY : There is a lot of information out there on how to choose a suitable puppy - some good some I struggle to agree with. Firstly, it is not wise to go see the Mother dog when she is pregnant or when she has just had her pups (this advice is contrary to what many advise and believe) - explanation: by nature, the vast majority of Mother dogs are highly protective of their newly born pups - so when they 'eye' you out, growl at you for coming to close, have strangers peering at their precious babies they are not giving you a true reflection of their temperaments, understandably. It is normal for a Mother dog to be highly protective of her young, some are more protective than others. The Mother dog can stress and fall heavily on her new born pups in a show of 'protection' because of strangers suddenly coming into her whelping area, this can also affect her milk and will go through to the pups. Once the pups have gone to their new homes, the Mother dog will return to her good-nature. In a breeding establishment situation, it is best to view the parents in a neutral environment some time before the matings take place.

Caring breeders spend a lot of time with their puppies and are in a better position to choose a puppy the vast majority of the time. They get to know their pups pretty well. So many times I hear stories from families of how the breeder allowed them to choose a puppy for themselves and so many times I hear how the puppy ended up to be the wrong choice.

I have heard how 'puppies choose their owners' - how is this possible? can your human baby of 8 weeks of age choose who it wants as its family? wow, must be some genius of a child. As with children, puppies are all a little different in their temperaments - there is no guarantee that a quiet puppy on a breeders property will remain quiet on its new owners property, the puppy that may appear a little shy or insecure sitting in a corner may well turn out to be a noisy, outgoing, confident little 'terrorist' and that brings me to another interesting observation over the years - White Swiss Shepherd Dogs are highly intelligent and observant, they also form their own friendships in their pack - I have noted that in some cases, the pups that are ultra confident or quietly confident sometimes keep a distant from new families that come to collect their pup - this behaviour can happen after the 2nd or 3rd puppy has been collected - they work out quickly that when a strange family arrives one of them is leaving, 'its a believe it or not moment' for sure.

This brings me to another point which the public for the most has not 'thought about' : PICK OF THE LITTER. So you would like, as do many other puppy buyers 'PICK OF THE LITTER' - why? and pick of what? - pick of the temperaments? pick of the size? pick of the colour? pick of the what? and why would you want to have pick of the litter by taking the' best potential for breeding puppy' to your family pet home when you are not going to be breeding with it? 

Firstly, you are then saying 'well, so what - who care's about the improvement of the breeding going forward', you are expecting the breeder to give you the best breedable dog that you are going to spay or neuter.

Good Breeders chose the most suitable breedable pups to continue strengthening their individual breeds and bloodlines - they may not necessarily choose for any one specific 'thing' in a breedable puppy - it  will be for what their breeding stock requires in its bloodlines - it may be for temperaments, for size, for coat, for pigment etc.

A breeder may ask on occasions that some responsible family pet owners keep their pups intact (not spay or neuter) because of the value of that puppy and its bloodlines to the breed - in the case with our White Swiss Shepherd dog breed this would be understandable as our genetic pool has shrunk considerably in South Africa - if you are requested to keep your pup intact please adhere to this condition as this is a wonderful breed and is definitely in need of more breeding dogs/bloodlines and folk with a passion to continue our awesome breed.

Breeders should be breeding for a litter where the majority of the puppies are of showeable and breedable quality - therefore there should never be only one outstanding puppy in a litter.

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CHOOSING A PUPPY ON SIZE ALONE: I hear this all the time : I want a BIG puppy, The biggest male or biggest female. So, think about this request for a moment - you have a family or you are out in public a lot of the time: why are you not considering temperament above all else?

Also,  a big puppy may well turn out to be the smallest in its litter when he reaches full maturity - what will you do with your dog then? rehome him because he has not met your expectations of 'big size'. There is no guarantee that a big puppy will remain big and a small puppy will remain small - the smallest pup can and often does grow much much bigger than the biggest pup, so there are no size guarantees. As a breeder, I believe that there is more to breeding a good dog than just focusing on the size.

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6. CHOOSING A NAME FOR YOUR PUPPY : at Snoweyriver I reserve the right to choose official names for my pups. This being because in the past some requests have been not exactly what I would call 'fitting' eg. "Faithless Babe' , in my opinion is not a name that I would ordinarily choose.

However, my Puppy Owners are free to choose their 'call names' : example 'Alaska', 'Ice', 'Delta' - their 'home' name.

 

7. WORRY WORTS PUPPY BUYERS/OWNERS : We are not all born of the same personalities, some new owners/buyers are by nature 'over cautious', 'over worry', 'over concerned' to the extreme. Buying a new puppy is for them a very stressful event, its a big happening - and one can understand their concerns to a large degree - but for them I say, Don't 'over think' or get too 'technical' about owning or buying a puppy, it is supposed to be a 'happy and exciting' time to bring a new furry companion into your family. Life is full of learning curbs and experiences. So sit back, do your homework and enjoy the process. 

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8. What Happens If I have put my Deposit down and the Mom dog doesnt have pups or doesn't have a suitable pup for Me? All deposits are non-refundable as per my Puppy Page. If the Mom dog does not have a litter, or there is not enough pups to accommodate the amount of puppy buyers booked, or the pup allocated to them has an unforeseen accident or illness, or the Mom dog does not have a suitable gender for your order, you will be shifted automatically to my next litters -* the final decision is at my descretion.

Once the full purchase has been paid or you have paid part, there are no refunds - if a suitable puppy is not available you will 

be shifted to the next litter, also at my descretion. Any decision for a replacement puppy will be made at my descretion.

Since my breeding dogs do require a break from breeding from time to time, there can be several weeks or months wait before the next planned matings. (it is not uncommon for folks to wait between 2 months to 6 months and on the odd occasion and up to 1 year or slightly more for a puppy - the right dog comes at the right time).

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9. CANCELLATIONS  & HOLIDAYS: So, luckily these do not happen often once my puppy buyers have booked a puppy. It is not fair on a puppy to cancel your booking especially when the pup is already 5, 6 , 7 or 8 weeks of age - as a breeder I take care to find the best caring and loving homes for my pups and this takes time, so to find a suitable home may take several weeks if I dont already have a suitable home lined up, therefore I request that BEFORE you pay your deposit you give getting the puppy a good think over. 

This applies to your holiday's too - PLEASE PLAN YOUR HOLIDAY's carefully - I am sometimes asked (usually after the pups are born) to keep them for up to a month after 8 weeks of age - your puppy's BONDING phase is very important at this age and this is the perfect time for him/her to bond with their new families, and puppies adjust much quicker to their new homes around this age as well. To minimise the stress your pup has to go through in changing environments as well as thinking about the bonding phase,I suggest you consider carefully your holiday plans. This applies to 'moving house' as well, in most cases people are aware they are moving months ahead, so please plan carefully when you can fit a puppy into your lifestyle.

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10. DEPOSIT'S : A deposit does not guarantee you a puppy - the most suitable home will be selected for each puppy and at my descretion, and at my descretion I am entitled to cancel a booking even if I have received a deposit before the puppies are ready to go to their new homes. (during this time I often send photo's of the pups and/or video's and try to get to know interested person's and their families a little more to get an idea of my puppies new home and lifestyle - the photo's and video's are sent at my descretion and may not be shared on public media nor to a third party). *Responsible families that have ordered two pups - please refer to my Puppy Page

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11. REGISTRATION (see Puppy Page)

My breeding dogs are registered with the KENNEL UNION OF SOUTHERN AFRICA, Cape Town (FCI affiliation), I reserve the right to change the organization with which I would like to register any of my dogs with at any time before, during or after bookings.​​​​​​​​​​​​

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12. IS THERE A CHARGE /KENNEL FEE FOR KEEPING YOUR PUPPY FOR A LONGER PERIOD : Yes, please enquire what the conditions and fees are. However, I am not a 'boarding kennel' - on the odd occasion I will agree to a puppy staying a few days longer for good reason. Feeding the puppy, any Grooming (washing) of the puppy, Food costs, any Veterinary expenses incurred, Training of the puppy (if required/if any) will be charged.

*Please request the conditions/fees.

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13. ARE PUPPIES IN A LITTER ALWAYS READY TO GO TO THEIR NEW HOMES AT 8 WEEKS OF AGE: Puppies are not always 'ready' to go to their new homes, on the 'odd' occasion some pups are simply too immature to leave their Mom's - in this case I contact the owner's before 8 weeks of age and inform them. Immature does not mean that something is wrong with the puppy, it simply means it needs more time physically and mentally to mature. 

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14. DO WHITE SWISS SHEPHERD DOGS ENJOY GOING FROM HOME TO HOME : A DEFINITE 'NO'.

This is a very DEVOTED breed and its loyalty is absolute and to it's family. It does not enjoy being away from its owner/family.

And as a breeder I am also mindful of this, hence I whelp my own litters where the Mom dog remains in the comfort of my home where she is in familiar surroundings and with her human and furry family.

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15. IS THE WHITE SWISS SHEPHERD DOG FRIENDLY :  The breed is FRIENDLY TO THOSE HE KNOWS, HE IS WARY/CAREFUL, and CAN EVEN BE DESCRIBED OFTEN AS 'ALOOF' TO THOSE HE DOES NOT KNOW.

The breed belongs to the HERDING GROUP OF DOGS. The temperament of our breed is often misunderstood. The 'friendly' temperament is not the same as a Labrador or Golden Retriever 'friendly' to all. The breed is HIGHLY INTELLIGENT and very OBSERVANT and INQUISITIVE. They can be sensitive to your tone of voice and generally do not require a harsh tone when correcting them. They are willing and keen 'working' dogs.  They are fun-loving dogs to have as companion pets and sporting dogs.

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16. ARE WALKING UP STAIRS/STEPS/VERY STEEP GROUND OK FOR MY WSSD PUPPY: NO, it is not Okay.  it is best that your puppy is kept away from stair cases and steep ground - this is because your puppy is still growing and their bones have not quite 'fused' together (to put it into common terms), your puppies bones are soft so no climbing up flights of steps or rough playing. If you need your puppy at the top of any flight of steps, you need to pick it up and carry it to the top.

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17. HOW DO I KNOW IF MY PUPPY IS LAME/LIMPING AND WHAT DO I DO : Your puppy will favour one leg if it is lame. Please take it to the Vet and do not let it go for days , weeks or months without consulting with a Vet. In the case where your puppy is lame your Vet will sometimes administer medication or /and an anti inflammatory injection - PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR VET WHEN HE SAYS ' YOUR PUPPY/DOG MUST REST FOR A FEW DAYS' - IF HE TELLS YOU TO REST IT FOR FIVE DAYS, TRY YOUR BEST TO CONFINE THE PUPPY SO THAT IT DOES NOT RE-INJURE ITSELF AND TAKE YOUR PUPPY OUT OF THE CONFINED AREA FOR CONTROLLED WALKS ON A LEAD - if you do not adhere to a resting period, your puppy will end up having permanent damage and a big possibility of arthritis early on as an adult dog - this will shorten its lifespan considerably so please do the best that you can as a responsible owner. (you would do the same for your child, if your Doctor says your child has a sprained ankle you would make sure your child rests for a few days - the same principle applies to your puppy/dog)

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18. PUPPY TRAINING PADS /toilet training :  I generally put down Puppy Training Pads on the flooring to 'give my pups the idea' of where to do their toilets - HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE FULLY TOILET TRAINED WHEN YOU GET THEM. They are BABIES and arrive in their new homes leaving all they know behind them so you need to do the majority of the toilet training - carry on with the puppy training pads for a few weeks and take puppy out to grass as much as you can. NO PUNISHING THE PUPPY IF IT HAS AN ACCIDENT.

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19. HIPDYSPLASIA/ELBOW SCORING EXPLAINED IN BRIEF: The old scoring system in South Africa was much less complicated than the international one, several years ago KUSA changed to the international scoring system. To be clear, all A and B scores on the new system are 0-0/free/clear on the old system. Combinations are most often practiced by many breeders around the world in efforts to improve HD/ED scores. Full scoring system charts can be googled. In recent years, experts worldwide have come to the conclusion that HD is caused by a variety of factors included are environmental, dietary, genetic, stress, exercise, trauma etc- ' a combination or just one factor can be responsible for HD scores. For the most, breeders can no longer be blamed for 'genetically producing bad hd scores' - the responsibility of raising the puppy with care and correct feeding, exercise lies jointly by both breeders and owners. My advice is to seek out the best nutritional value, tried and tested dog foods for the best results for the health of your dog - EVERYTHING YOU DO , EVERYTHING YOU FEED YOUR PUPPY/DOG, EVERY EXERCISE MUST BE IN MODERATION. Early stages of bone growth, development are vital for your puppies future health status, their bones as puppies are still soft therefore puppies must not be over exercised nor get involved in too much rough play, nor steps or very steep inclines. 

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20. SPAYING/NEUTERING - please google the new latest findings on spaying/neutering when your puppy is very young - the negatives and positives. I am happy to share info with you on the topic too.

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Occasionally, new updates will be loaded to this page in keeping with my breeding policies, news, valuable info for new puppy buyers /those interested in querying about a puppy from my kennel - this page is a must read for those puppy buyers that are being handed a puppy from me - thank you​