top of page

Frequently Asked Questions

Puppies

How often do you breed or have puppies available?

We focus on quality rather than quantity, especially because all of our dogs live in our home and we raise our puppies in our home.  Therefore, we only breed once or twice each year.  

How much are your puppies?

Our pet puppies with limited AKC registration are $2500.  Show potential  puppies with breeding rights are negotiated separately.

Why are your puppies priced higher than other breeders?

To start, all of our dogs are health tested, which goes beyond a genetic panel.  We put the effort into titling our dogs to prove their worthiness of carrying on traits to the next generation.  We study numerous pedigree and strive to incorporate the best lines in the world in our breeding program.  Finally, we follow the Puppy Culture program and put hours each day into raising our puppies.  Puppy Culture focuses on socialization but also teaching the puppies to think critically, gain confidence, and communicate with humans.  This intense program and exposing puppies to all of the day to day household sounds and activities is simply something that cannot be duplicated with puppies that are raised in a kennel setting or when breeders are raising numerous litters at once.  We also start grooming the puppies before they go home (depending on whether their coat is ready or not).   Even if you won't continue traditional terrier grooming at home, it's important to get them used to being handled for grooming at an early age!

What health care is provided to the puppies before leaving?

All puppies are de-wormed every 2 weeks, starting at 2 weeks old.  Puppies will also have age appropriate vaccinations, usually one or two DHPP vaccinations depending on when they are picked up.  All puppies are examined by a licensed veterinarian before leaving for a health check.  The puppies will also be microchipped while at the vet's office.  We will send you home with all of the documentation so you can continue the vaccination schedule with your veterinarian.  

Do you offer transportation? 

We are conveniently located 10 minutes from the BWI airport and are happy to meet you there with your puppy.  Drop off to Dulles and Reagan Airports can be arranged at an additional cost.  We do not fly our puppies in cargo.  Depending on our schedule, we may be able to offer flight nanny services to bring your puppy to your closest airport at an additional cost, or we can recommend a flight nanny service.  Our preference is always to meet our new puppy owners in person, but we understand that may not be feasible and our happy to work with you on transportation options.  

What do the puppies come with?

Puppies come with their health record (see above), prepaid AKC registration, prepaid AKC Reunite (microchip program for life), a sample of food, a toy with their mother's scent, a clicker for training, and some other goodies!  We find that most new owners like to pick out supplies for their new puppies on their own.  

Do your puppies come with a health guarantee? 

Yes!  All of our puppies come with a one-year health guarantee, which is included in the contract.  

Is there a contract when buying a puppy?

Yes, the contract lays out the rights and responsibilities of both the breeder and the buyer.  The main points are that the buyer agrees not to breed a dog with limited registration, spay/neuter at the appropriate age, provide adequate care for the dog, and return the dog to the breeder if the buyer can no longer care for the dog.  The contract is available at any time upon request, but at the latest is sent for the buyer to review before placing a deposit.  

Can I come visit the puppies before placing a deposit?  Or conduct a kennel visit with the parents?

The short answer is probably not.  We are happy to show you where and how our dogs live, but please understand that we do not have a kennel building and we breed and raise our dogs out of our private residence.  While we wish the world was a safer place, we will want to know you better before inviting you to our home.  If you would live to meet our dogs and live locally, please reach out and we will be glad to spend some time with you at the next local show.  Additionally, puppies have very limited immunity to diseases before being vaccinated and we do not feel comfortable with people coming in and out of the home before that time.  If you would like to see the puppies, we are happy to Facetime/video call you instead.  

puppy nose

Our Dogs

I'm used to the traditional short haired jack, but your dogs have hair?

The Russell Terrier comes in three coat types: Smooth, Broken, and Rough.  All of our dogs are considered rough coated, meaning they carry heavier coat.  A broken is in-between a rough and smooth coat.  Confused about a Jack Russell versus a Russell Terrier?  We needed a full page for this explanation! 

How much grooming is rough coat?

Traditional hand stripping can be a lengthy process, and to truly keep a coat up it needs to be done every week for showing.  However, if you are not showing you can go a few weeks without hand stripping, or you can clipper the coat.  Note that clippering will soften the coat, but it is easier.  If you are interested in continuing hand stripping when you puppy leaves, we are happy to try to help you find groomers that hand strip in your area.  We think the grooming is worth it for the cute scruffy faces!  And they don't shed as much as a shorthaired dog.  

Where do your dogs live?

All of our dogs live in our home.  Polo even sleeps in the bed every night!

Why is it important to title dogs?

Getting  a title from an established kennel club like the American Kennel Club (AKC) show that the dog excels in a certain area.  We focus on conformation shows, meaning that we compete with other Russell Terriers to see which dogs best conform to the breed standard, our blueprint for the breed.  In order to get a championship, the dog must be awarded numerous times over other Russell Terriers by multiple judges.  While a championship title doesn't define a dog, it certainly helps show their quality as a breeding dog to continue the next generation.  It also shows a biddable personality.  In order to compete, the dogs must travel to events, tolerate grooming, allow a stranger to examine them, and listen to commands with multiple distractions such as other dogs, the public, and loud noises (shows are often in crowded buildings!).  

Products

What food do you feed? 

We feed Annamaet Option as an all life stages food.  We prefer the salmon based formula for the omegas that it provides.  A good chicken based alternative is Annamaet Extra.  Follow the links to find on Amazon!

What do you use to keep their teeth healthy?

We use Tropiclean Water additive.  It's easy, just add a cap to their water!  Even for dogs that tend to get more plaque build up, this product makes it easier to scale off the plaque. 

What Grooming products should I use?

Brushes : Our favorite brush of all time is the Chris Christensen Firm Brush, a classic pin brush but firm for terrier coat.  We try not to use slicker brushes because it breaks coat, however, if you need one for dematting, we recommend a Chris  Christensen one.  

bottom of page