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Puppies: Purchasing a Puppy From Us

Many of our inquiries pertain to the process of purchasing a puppy from us, and what is involved.

First, read the Puppy Information Package. It will explain a lot of what to expect from your puppy and will answer many of your questions. If you are seriously considering reserving a puppy, fill out the Puppy Survey and return it to us. this will help us to help you in picking out the best puppy for your situation and goals. You may also do this via e-mail, and just number your answers. By returning the survey to us, it gives us information we can use to help you pick the best puppy for what you are looking for. We may even send you to another breeder if we feel one of our pups would not make a good match for you, because not every puppy will fit the personality or expectations of every home. We may also refer you if we don’t have any puppies available in the time frame you are looking for.

Contact us either by phone or e-mail so we can discuss the dogs, upcoming litters, specifics on what you are expecting out of your Mal, and answer any other questions you may have.

Reserving Your Puppy

If the litter you are considering has not yet been whelped, fill out the reservation form for that litter, and return it to us. We must have a signature and valid contact information to consider a reservation for a puppy. When the pups are whelped, we will contact people in the order we received reservations. People who submitted reservations have 10 days to submit their deposit for a puppy. If the litter you are considering is already on the ground, we will not hold a puppy until we receive a deposit. A non-refundable deposit of $200.00 is required to hold a puppy.

Before picking out your puppy, please reread through the information package, especially concerning the contract and vaccination protocols. If you have any questions or concerns, ask them before it is time to pick up your puppy. All of our puppies are sold under contract. There is a sample contract in the Puppy Information Package.

Avid Microchip

All puppies are microchipped before they leave for their new homes. Please read the microchip information page for more details.

Vaccination Protocols

Our puppies are vaccinated according to the Colorado State Veterinary College Vaccination "Program 1701" using an early split method. Understanding the protocols we use is vital to your puppy's health, as well as the contract health guarantees. More information can be found on the Vaccination Protocol page, as well as in the Puppy Information Package.

Shipping Options

We try to express the personalities and characteristics of the pups as best we can through descriptions and pictures. Future owners are welcome to visit the puppies by appointment. Owners are encouraged to pick up their puppy in person, but since this is not always possible, puppies can be shipped domestic or international via Delta Airlines. Please review the shipping policies if you will need to have a puppy shipped.

Payment Options

We accept cash, checks, money orders, and online payments via Paypal. If the puppy is being shipped, full payment must be received by us before the puppy will be shipped. If the new owner is coming to pick up the puppy in person, full payment must be received before taking possession of the puppy.

Cost and Considerations of a Puppy

This of course is the next most common question. The answer is, it varies. If you are looking for a solid competitive obedience or companion dog, pups start at $750.00 for some litters. Please see our Planned Litters for 2008 page for more details.

One comment about the term of a pick puppy: Most people have little conception about what determines a pick puppy and I really wish there was a better term to use, but due to convention this is what we have. I prefer the term best fit as opposed to pick. The reason for this is, every dedicated breeder has specific goals in mind as to what they want out of a litter. Their ideal of that, or as close as they can come in a specific litter, would be considered their pick puppy. Because the Malinois is so versatile, people purchase a puppy for various reasons, and there are about as many reasons as there are breeders. Therefore, one breeder's pick puppy, may not be what a person is looking for at all. This is why we prefer the best fit term. In this way a person can obtain a puppy that is better suited to their needs, not what we feel is the ideal puppy according to our breeding goals. We do still use the pick term to indicate puppies which we feel exemplify our breeding goals. There are many things we consider in evaluating a puppy, not just one or two things. We breed with the intentions of producing puppies to improve and maintain the highest working and structural qualities of the breed. Our breeding program focuses on the intense drives, determination, desire to work, and soundness in character of the Malinois.

With all that being said, I have one last comment for people who still insist on considering an extreme or pick puppy. These puppies ARE NOT HOUSEHOLD MATERIAL. They will stand on your dining room table to get a better view out the window (or the entertainment center, or kitchen counter, back of couch, or whatever). They will dig. They will bark, at you, your spouse, guests, delivery guy, whoever. They will jump up on your guests and stare them in the face. They will chase anything that moves. Nothing is far enough out of reach. Everything they can reach is fair game. They will jump the little gate you put up to keep them confined. They will chew through their leash if you look away for a few seconds. They will be dominant. If you think they can't possibly get through that little space, they can. If you think play time is over, they don't, they will protest. And those are just the positive points.

We also have puppies that make wonderful companion dogs in very active households. However these pups still need some type of a job and will require training at least through intermediate off leash obedience in order to be acceptable partners.

Future owners are encouraged to visit to pick out their puppy with our assistance. Again we understand this is not always possible, so it is vital to the future owner's happiness, as well as the puppys, that we have as much information as possible on what a potential owner expects out of their puppy.