Puppy Info
Introduction
Thank you for considering Back Country Aussies when thinking about adding a new member to your family. Let us tell you more about what we have to offer! Our goal is to provide quality pets, whether that be for show, working, agility, special services or simply companionship. Note that every Aussie has a unique personality so we will do our best to match that with your needs. Personalities develop starting at 5 weeks old so if you are concerned about whether or not your puppy will fit your family the older they get the more we will be able to tell. Puppies become available for reservation at the age of 1 month old. This allows us time to determine eye color, price accordingly and start quality evaluation. Please research this breed. In general they are a high energy dog so make sure you are prepared for any challenges you may encounter raising a working type dog. We can not guarantee personalities as they can change depending on how they are raised, nor can we guarantee how big they will get or how they will look.
What makes our puppies stand out from others one may ask!? Our commitment to our puppies and to our perspective puppy owners! We strive to have clear and quick responsive communication and willingness to work with your situation. Our puppies are also raised like one of our own! From the moment they are born they are weighed and monitored for the first 72 hours, and regularly cared for until they leave. Tails and dewclaws are removed no later than 5 days old. If you wish your puppy to have a full tail then choice puppy will need to be paid in full before that time.
Puppies eyes will start to open at 14 days. Sometimes it is difficult to determine eye color for an additional week or two and even then they can continue to change color. The weaning process starts at 4 weeks old. This is when teething starts to irritate momma so it is a natural process. They will be fully weaned between 6-7 weeks old. We worm them at 6 weeks with Nemex and 8 weeks with Interceptor Plus. They will receive their first puppy vaccine (DHAP+CV) at 8 weeks old and will all have their first vet check before going to their new homes. Note that puppies are not fully vaccinated until their last puppy shot. DHAP is a series of 3 vaccines a month apart starting at the age of 8 weeks old. The veterinarian checks eyes, ears, mouth, heart and lungs and anything else that may stand out to them. If going out of state the puppy will be issued a health certificate for travel at that time or within 30 days of vet inspection. We do not microchip our puppies. Puppies get regular nail clips, learn to use a doggie door to do their business, get to interact with farm life, kids and other dogs, have at least 2 baths, and are started on crate training and leash training before they go to their new homes at 8 weeks old.
Please note that in general this breed tends to go through an "Ugly Duckling" stage during their teen phases generally taking place at 4-8 months of age. Not all experience this tall gangly stage with no undercoat but for the most part it happens and I assure you, they are still Aussies and be patient, their full coat does not come in until they are 9-14 months in our experience. After that, expect heavy shedding twice a year.
Crate Training
Puppies are in crates for no more than 2-3 hours at a time. To continue their crate training we recommend crating them for small amounts of time throughout the day and after activity if possible. Let them out after a few hours or when they wake up after a nap. Know that in general once a puppy wakes up and starts moving around they generally need to potty, so take them out as soon as you can. If whiny in the crate, do not reward with holding them, this will only create a bad habit, and your crate training experience may not be as successful. Sometimes clapping your hands to break crying, covering the crate with a blanket or rattling something to discourage crying helps. Not all puppies take well to crate training but we always try and get them accustomed to it the best we can. It helps keep them out of trouble as well, especially during the terrible teething and chewing stage. Sometimes keeping a chew toy or rawhide in the crate can keep them from boredom.
Leash Training
Your puppy will be accustomed to the leash as well. As tempting as it can be to constantly hold them we encourage new owners to walk them on a leash at least once a day to keep them in rhythm. Not doing so can result in having to start all over.
Photos/ Videos
Because photos can be time consuming we try and take photos at birth, around the age of 3-4 weeks old and 6-7 weeks old. We will do our best to take some in between and video footage as well. We are not always able to do constant puppy photo updates due to our busy schedule. When we do photo shoots we take several hundred photos at a time so editing takes time and we would rather work with your pup when given the opportunity. Video chats can be arranged if desired.
Deposits/ Breeding Rights
Our puppies are listed between $1000-$2000 depending on color, gender and quality. We require a $200 non-refundable deposit to hold the puppy of your choice, that is if they are spoken for before the age of 8 weeks old, where we will mark them as reserved until paid in full when picked up. Puppies are sold on a "Pet Only" basis. If interested in breeding rights please contact us, puppies are evaluated to ensure breed quality. Additional genetic testing may be required if interested in a particular puppy for breeding which may be an additional cost to buyer. Once a deposit is placed we ask owners to arrange for pickup within a week of turning 8 weeks old or within one week of deposit or purchase. After this time we do charge a $70/week board or $10/day until time of pickup.
If interested in a puppy please contact us. We will send you a copy of our puppy contract for you to review before we accept any deposits. Or you can download a copy of our puppy contract at the bottom of this page! We accept checks, cash and credit cards for deposits. Please know that there is a transaction fee (4%) for any and all card transactions. If paying via Paypal, please do not send directly, we will send an invoice to you for proper documentation. We accept only cash or cards at the time of pickup. If wanting to pay final payment with a check, please send 1 week prior to pick-up so all funds can clear.
Transportation/ Delivery
We can arrange for your puppy or dog to be transported via air-cargo or ground delivery. There is obviously no charge to pick up in person locally (which we encourage) and remaining balance can be due upon time of pick-up. Occasionally we can arrange delivery or meet part way but please note that we are not a transport company, our time is very limited with our schedule. We allow our buyers to arrange their own means of transportation if they wish as well. Please note that any and all final payments must be complete 1 week prior to transport day whether they are flying, ground delivery service or meeting at agreed location. Feel free to review our contract for further information.
What comes with your Puppy
All puppies come with a care package! In your care package you will receive a custom canvas bag, folder containing copy of contract, medical records, vaccine/ worming schedule, etc., a small container of puppy food for you to transition your puppy over to your choice of food (we feed Diamond Puppy food) , puppy pad, puppy chews, disposable/ adjustable leash, collar, poo bags and a pet hair roller.
If your puppy is applicable for registration we now take care of all the paperwork for you so your new registration papers show up at your door from the appropriate registry. Most of our dogs are registered with either ASDR (American Stock Dog Registry) or AKC (American Kennel Club), sometimes both. All our puppies registered names include our Kennel name and the pairing initials so others can distinguish where the dog came from and the cross!
Lifetime Aussie Support
Know that when you purchase a puppy from Back Country Aussies we offer lifetime breeder support. Any questions you may have as your puppy develops we are here to help! If you ever need to re-home your puppy, we are here to help!
Waiting Lists
Because of the amount of interest we have in puppies, we now offer a Puppy/ Dog waiting list. To be on the waiting list for a future puppy or dog, we require a $50 non-refundable deposit that will go towards the total cost of your puppy or dog if we ever have any older dogs become available. We will contact potential buyers when puppies are at least 1 month old. The order in which we receive deposits will be the order in which we will contact potential buyers. The first one on the list will receive the first call/email when a new litter arrives. They then have the option to choose one from that litter or pass and be on the top of the list for the next litter. We will allow up to 48 hours for a response before we continue down our list. Please reply promptly and check spam folders if necessary. If we attempt to contact you and receive no response then it is an automatic removal from our waiting list! The waiting list was designed to allow those who want a puppy from us the first opportunity to choose from our available puppies and we want it to be fair for everyone that has been waiting their turn.
If you have noted specifications on your application as to what you are looking for we will only contact you when we have an animal that matches your specifications. If you would like to change that please email us. If you have not chosen specifications on your application then you will receive notification on every availability.
Note that this deposit is to ensure your pick of the next available litter, not a puppy reservation deposit. However, any an all deposits goes towards the total cost of the animal. Please note that being first on the list does not necessarily mean pick of the litter. Pick of the litter often goes to some litters that we have used outside males for breeding, or as holdbacks for possible breeding prospects for our program. Feel free to download the "Waiting List Application" at the bottom of this page to include with any deposits.
Visitation Policy
Due to recent events we can only offer limited on-site visitation so please contact us for availabilities. We can also offer video chat and update with photos if necessary. All puppy pick-ups will be arranged at the local parks & outdoors to help protect our kennels and family from outside parasites, diseases and other unforeseen dangers. We have nothing to hide. Our place is not perfect but it is still growing and under construction. With as many dogs as we have, strangers visiting the farm are not always welcomed by the dogs as they can be a bit protective and will express that vocally. We want everyone to have a positive experience with keeping the health of our kennels and family in mind! Thank you for understanding!
4-H Discounts
Now offering a 10% off discount for any kids needing a project to show in 4-H.
In Honor of our Military and First Responders
We now offer military, veteran and first responder discounts in honor of their bravery and service! This includes anyone currently serving in the military or national guard, veterans, law enforcement officers, paramedics, fire fighters, wild land fire fighters, or emergency medical technicians. Please verify your status and enjoy 10% off your next companion! This does not apply to dogs purchased with breeding rights.
Crates We recommend
These wire crates are nice with the double doors for easy access and placement. They do collapse and are great for in home use. Large is a good size for average minis as it allows for enough room to move around in and laying comfortably. Click on photo to visit site to purchase!
These crates are recommended for travel, especially for air travel as they meet airline standards. Medium to large are good sizes. Large more for adult dogs and medium for puppies. Click on photo to visit site to purchase!