Dobson Dogs
Loving Puppies
Puppies from Souteast Iowa

Puppy FAQs

What is the process? (How can you get a puppy?)

If you would like to be notified about future litters, please send me an email at dobsondogs@yahoo.com. I will add you to the notification list and let you know when I am expecting puppies. 

Option 1: I now accept deposits for unborn puppies. If you would like to have pick of the litter, you can send your deposit before the puppies are available for sale. At about three-four weeks of age, I will email you a link where you can see pictures of the puppies and if you want, you can set up a time to come pick puppy out in person. If more than one deposit is received for a litter, those customers will get to pick their puppies in the order their deposits are received.

Option 2: If you’d rather not pay a deposit before selecting a puppy, that’s okay too. After everyone who has paid deposits choose their puppies, I will make the remaining puppies available for everyone else on a first come/call, first serve basis. Upon choosing your puppy, I do require a deposit.

Either way, I require a non-refundable deposit of $200, which comes off your remaining balance and the remaining balance is due when you receive your puppy at 8 weeks of age. The cost is the same whether you pay the deposit before the puppies are born or if you wait until you can see the puppies. The advantage to “pre” paying the deposit is that you are in line for selecting a puppy.

Pricing:

Our prices are:

$650  for all Tris

$950 for all Merles

PayPal is accepted, but I do charge the 3-4%fee to customers for these transactions.

 Deposit:

In order to consider your puppy sold, a non-refundable deposit of $200 is necessary. The remaining payment is due when you receive your puppy.

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 Shipping:

I will ship within the United States with advanced notice. I will ship within the USA for about $400, depending on current flight rates and the size of the puppy. This rate includes the shipping crate, flight, and health inspection.  The airport is about two hours from home, so arrangements need to be made at least a week in advance. Full payment for the puppy and flight is expected before the shipping occurs. Unfortunately I have already been stung by letting the puppy go with only a partial payment made. If only we still lived in a world where everyone could be trusted!

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 Health Guarantee:

Our puppies come with a one-year health guarantee. If, in the first year of owning your puppy, you find that your puppy has a genetic disorder or disease, we will either replace your puppy with a puppy of equal value OR refund your money in the amount of the cost of the puppy (not the flight), in exchange for the puppy.

We raise Australian Shepherds because we love the breed and want them to bless others as much as they have blessed us with happiness and companionship. We strive to provide healthy, genetically sound puppies that will improve the quality of the breed. I do not EVER want one of my puppies to end up homeless or unwanted; therefore, if your puppy does not work out for ANY reason, I will do everything I can to help you find a new home for your puppy/dog. Please keep my contact information and never hesitate to contact me if you are having second thoughts or circumstances prevent you from being able to provide for your puppy.

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 What will your puppy come with?

Each puppy comes with the following:

** Registration papers (See Current Puppies for more information on registration)

**Health Guarantee

** A collar that fits

**A pack of starter food, which will be enough food for you to transition your puppy into eating whatever kind of food you would like to feed

**Health Records, which will demonstrate current vaccinations and worming treatments

** A lifelong commitment from us. We will support you and stay in touch with you as frequently as you prefer. We are not going to sell you a puppy and then never talk to you again; we want you to be happy with your puppy and your puppy to be happy with you.

**Many weeks of love and attention, preparing them to join your family. All of our puppies socialized with adults, children, and adult dogs. We do not have cats and we do not let our puppies meet the cows.

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Can your Aussie puppy keep his/her tail?

No. We believe in upholding Australian Shepherd breed standards, which includes a docked tail. We have been surprised by the number of customers who have wanted their Aussie puppies to keep their tails; hence the reason for this question being posted. If you want your Aussie to have a tail because of the emotions a dog shows through their tails, trust me when I say that Aussies show every emotion possible even without their tails!

 How do you know if an Australian Shepherd is right for you?

Australian Shepherds are a wonderful breed and have so much to offer you and your family. However, I encourage you to do some research about the breed before purchasing one. Aussies are high energy and require daily exercise. Also, because they are so intelligent, they often need to “feel needed”; some people recommend finding a job for your Aussie, such as getting the newspaper each morning. The breed is intended for working and herding, so they can become destructive if they are not exercised, trained, or given the opportunity to use their intelligence. Currently none of my dogs are trained to work cattle.

Australian Shepherds can also become protective of their owners and family. This is actually a good trait and is what makes them wonderful cattle dogs; however, it is important that you socialize your Aussie as a puppy and young adult so she gets used to having new people over and going to new places.

Australian Shepherds have beautiful, thick, long coats that I find very easy to groom. I rarely have to bathe my dogs even when they run around on the farm and get muddy. Usually I put them in their outdoor kennels and within a couple of hours, they are completely clean again. I bathe about 3 times a year and brush 2-4 times a month depending on our activities. Although their coats are easy to clean, with several in the house, I can’t deny that they do shed!

In short, it is important that you read about this wonderful breed and make sure the Aussie is a compatible breed for your life style. They make wonderful companions and farm hands, but do require exercise, training, and socialization. If you have other questions, I’d be happy to help you to the best of my ability.

 If you have other questions, concerns, or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me by clicking the Contact Us link.

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