I use my dogs to hunt everything.
I've lived and hunted all over the US, and need dogs that can easily adjust their hunting style to any type of terrain.
I hunt almost every day during the seasons, so my dogs have to be driven and athletic. They can't slow down or quit when they get tired or when the conditions get tough. I want my dogs to want to get the game as bad as I do.
I have been hunting and training dogs my whole life. I trained dogs for obedience as a child, and have trained, trialed, and tested multiple retrievers, pointers, and versatile dogs. I have ran dogs in JGHV, NSTRA, NAVHDA, VHDF, and AKC events. I am a JGHV performance judge, and am working towards becoming a breed show judge. I love anything and everything that gets me out with my dogs.
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To save time and questions, here is some general info on my puppy placement requirements, breeding plans, and other miscellaneous information.
I am breeding for a high drive dog. My ideal dog is not necessarily the type of dog that just anyone can (or wants to) train or hunt with. I prefer to place pups with owners who have experience training hunting dogs, have owned dogs before and, in addition to providing game and field exposure, will begin basic obedience training right away with their pup. However, if you are a first-time handler with the drive and desire to put in the work to train your dog, I will definitely consider placing a dog with you. I thoroughly enjoy helping ambitious new handlers along. If you are unable to train your dog yourself, contact me about started dogs.
If you are planning on getting a pup and sending it to a trainer, please look elsewhere.
Hunt testing is not required but preferred. It is a way for me to guarantee to puppy owners that their dog possesses the natural abilities required of a versatile hunting dog, and to ensure that the owners are willing to put in the work to train their dogs, so all of that potential doesn’t go to waste. It also gives me valuable information about my breeding program, so that I can continue to make performance-based decisions on the future of my breeding stock.
I do my best to produce dogs with exceptional form, coats, and performance, but because of the VDD’s strict breeding requirements I do not guarantee that dogs will make the cut to be certified for breeding.
I only do reservations based on gender, not coat color, so your pup may be either color. If you require a specific coat color please look elsewhere. All of my females are heterozygous carriers of the beard gene. This means that pups may or may not have beards depending upon the furnishings status of the male. In the event that there are slicks in the litter they will be available for a discounted price. If a beard is a must for you and I do not have enough pups with furnishings I will move you to the next litter.
The cost of a puppy is $2000. A $300 nonrefundable deposit is required to hold your spot on the litter list, with the remaining $1700 due within 2 weeks of the litter whelping. I am willing to work with you if more time is needed, or if you are coming to pick up your puppy in person. If you can’t take a puppy at the time of whelping, I will move you to another litter. I keep pups until they are 8 weeks old. Arrangements need to be made to pick up the pup by the time they are 9 weeks old. In special circumstances I can keep pups for a little bit of extra time for a boarding fee.
I no longer fly puppies as cargo. It has become a goat rope since covid. Instead, all owners fly into MSP on the same Sunday, and we meet at the airport, so that they can fly home with their puppy. More info is available on that once everything gets closer to whelping.
All pups leaving my kennel are registered with the VDD and have been microchipped and DNA tested for genetic disorders. Pups are sent home with information on how to register the microchip in your name. They have their tails docked, have been wormed and are current on their immunizations. All pups are certified healthy by a veterinarian prior to leaving my kennel. New owners are required to take their pups to a veterinarian for a wellness exam within 48 hours of taking possession of the pup and provide me with proof of the exam. This is flexible if you are driving in to get your pup and need a couple of extra days, or if you get your pup on a Friday.
New owners do not get to choose their pups. If we mutually decide that the litter is a good fit, we’ll go over your hunting needs, training experience, family dynamics, and non-hunting hobbies and I will choose the pup with the temperament to best fit your situation. I place dogs based on temperament and drive first. If there are multiple dogs from the litter that will be a good fit for you and your needs, I try very hard to give consideration to coat and color preferences.
More info on the drahthaar can be found at www.vdd-gna.org.
If my dogs do not seem like they would be a good fit for you, make sure to check out www.vdd-gna.org/dog-and-litter-listings/ for a list of upcoming litters from other breeders. It’s hard to go wrong with a drahthaar. Make sure that you find a breeder who hunts the way that you do, ask them questions, and get references from people who have dogs from their kennel. Remember that this is a dog that you will hunt with for the next decade and beyond, so don’t make a hasty decision. Good luck in your search!