Things to Know: Adoption Day

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Adoption Day is a Saturday, and possibly Sunday afternoon, eight weeks after the puppies are born. If you have reserved a puppy, please block out the entire weekend to avoid any conflicting activities or commitments.

The date for each litter is indicated on my Puppies & Prices pages. Pictures of the puppies and reports of their development will be posted on my Puppies & Prices pages starting the week they are born.

Adoption appointments are scheduled for one hour each, beginning with the first reservation on the list. At your scheduled appointment, you will have your choice of the remaining puppies in the litter. I do not ship puppies. It's an easy drive here from central or eastern Wisconsin, and from northern Illinois.

Please be on time for your appointment. If you miss it, I will move to the next family on the list. You will have fewer choices or may not receive any puppy at all. Deposits are non-refundable.

Please be flexible in your expectations. Because of genetic variability, we can’t anticipate the exact colors, coats or genders of the puppies that will be born. Puppies will grow up to be somewhere between the size of their mother and their father, not necessarily an average of the two. Relative size as of Adoption Day is not always an accurate indicator of final adult size.

Not Enough Puppies

If there are not enough puppies in the litter to satisfy your place on the reservation list (for example, if you are number 8 on the list and only seven puppies are born), I will refund your deposit after Adoption Day, or at your request place your name at the top of the list for the next available litter.

Failure to Adopt

If puppies remain available but you decide you don’t want one, you may place your name on the list for the next available litter, or you may decline altogether. Deposits are non-refundable in either circumstance, since if you fail to adopt a reserved puppy, I will have to make special, last-minute arrangements to find it a new home. If you decide to place your name on the list for the next available litter, you must adopt a puppy from that litter or abandon your deposit. You may not defer your purchase more than once. Keep in mind I offer puppies only once a year.

Parents with Children

Are you planning to bring your children to Adoption Day? Your children may choose and fall in love with different puppies, or not the one that you prefer. This may lead to conflict, power struggles and heartbreak. This is up to you, but consider making the selection yourself, without them. When you bring your new puppy home, your children will fall in love with the puppy you present to them.

Payment

The balance of the purchase price (purchase price plus state and local sales tax, less your deposit), will be due upon arrival on Adoption Day. This final payment must be cash only. No exceptions. 

When you reserve a puppy, you will receive a confirmation letter showing the final purchase price calculation. On Adoption Day, please bring an envelope with cash in the exact amount.

Puppy Contract

The Puppy Contract includes the terms of purchase and your health and genetic warranties. Please read the contract carefully before you return your Puppy Reservation Form and deposit. Ask me about anything that’s not clear to you. You and I will both sign the contract when you select and pay for your puppy. We will each retain a copy which doubles as a sales receipt.

Bring With You

When you come to pick up your puppy on Adoption Day, bring the following things for the drive home, especially if it’s more than 15 minutes:

• Crate with padded bottom, unless a passenger is prepared to hold the puppy during the drive
• Towels for cuddling and comforting the puppy
• Leash
• Doggy bags
• Paper towels and spray cleaner (just in case)

Take-Aways

With your puppy and Puppy Contract you will receive:

• A gallon bag of puppy chow to continue your puppy’s current diet (the brand will be listed on the Puppies & Prices pages so you can stock up before Adoption Day)
• A small blanket or soft toy with the scent of your puppy’s litter mates
• Your puppy’s first collar
• An Adoption Kit including instructions to help you continue your puppy’s socialization; a reminder about your first vet visit and further vaccinations; tips on food and nutrition, housetraining, toys and exercise, and puppy training; and a list of helpful resources, Your Adoption Kit will also include:
• Documentation of your puppy’s vet visit(s) and vaccinations to date, including a certificate of veterinary inspection
• Record of your puppy’s microchip ID and a form for you to send to the microchip registry (fee about $25)

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