Adoption Process

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  1. 1) Please take a Quiz to determine if a White Shepherd puppy is a right choice for you.  Learn more about White Shepherds at American White Shepherd Association web site and think carefully if this is a suitable breed for you.  Subscribe to free dog  email lists to ask questions and learn from other owners of White Shepherds.  Find a local puppy socializing and obedience class and talk with the instructor. Read good books on training that we recommend our training tips page so you have an idea how much time and effort it will take to do it right. You can buy books that we recommend on raising puppies and obedience training, or check some out from a library.  If your yard is not fenced - make sure you build a fence before arrival of your puppy, or install invisible fencing.

  2. 2) Make sure you read our Contract and Guarantee and willing to agree to the set conditions. You will need to sign the contract and return one of its copies to us when you are approved to have one of our puppies.

  3. 3) Make sure the timing is correct for you to be getting a pup. Do you have any extended trips planned for that time?  Will you have time for training classes and frequent walks? Will you have the finances to pay for the pup, shipping, crate, food, vaccinations, heartworm & flea control, etc. and still have enough to cover any health emergencies or other unexpected expenses without relying on credit? Check the prices of the food and NuVet supplies.

  4. 4) Email us your answers listed in our Puppy Buyers Application for our review. We have to trust that you are responsible and committed to providing a good lifetime home for the pup.  We won't consider your inquiry serious without this information.  Please put White Shepherd Puppy  as the "subject" of your email so it doesn't get lost in the junk mail. If you have convinced us you will provide a good home, and that you are ready for a puppy, then we will proceed to the next step.

  5. 5) If I have approved you as a potential adoptee, we will put you on the waiting list if we don’t have puppies available at the time of your inquiry. If we have a litter we will invite you to send a reservation by e-mail with a NON REFUNDABLE $200 PayPal payment, or mail a money order deposit made out to Elena Ralston.  Your deposit is transferable to another litter, if you change your mind. In your reservation please specify whether you prefer male or female, long or short coat, show & breeding prospect with full registration or limited registration to be spayed/neutered.  Include your full name, address, and phone as you wish it to appear on the AKC registration, shipping documents, health certificate, and contract.  Here is the address:  Elena Ralston, 239 Midland Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14223.  You can use the PayPal service that allows a person to send money by e-mail without giving the seller your credit card number.

  6. 6) Choose a registered name for the puppy for the AKC/UKC registration application. The name of a puppy has to start with Victorious and have a ‘call’ name of puppies’ mother incorporated into the official registered name of a pup. Other words in a pup’s name are solely up to you. We require our buyers to pay for the $12 AKC "lost and found" option on the AKC registration application which registers the microchip with the AKC Companion Animal Recovery System. 

  7. 7) When the pups are about 6 1/2 weeks old we evaluate their structure and temperaments.  We post a picture, description and temperament scores for each puppy on our website.  We allow people to choose from the litter in the order in which we received their deposits, except for two first pick pups that are sold for an additional charge. Please understand that I (the breeder) always have a right to pick a pup first for my own purpose.  About a week before shipping, or If the pup or dog is ready to go now, I will give you a total price and you may send the full amount for pup, $50 microchipping,  around $230 for shipping (if applicable), and $65 crate (if applicable) and $60 for a health certificate (if applicable).  No personal checks accepted, unless it got cleared in advance prior to you getting a puppy. We prefer cash, Money Order, Bank check or bank wire transfer for payments.  Please no PayPal  for final payments (deposits are okay to pay via PayPal). Ask us for the bank account information for a bank wire transfer.  If you are coming here to pick up your puppy, be sure to bring ether cash, or a Money Order.

  8. 8) Tell us if you plan to come to pick up the pup.  If shipping is the option you want to go with tell us which major city we should ship a pup to. Please be advise that we only ship our puppies via direct none-stop flight. We have  a bad experience with shipping a puppy on flights that have one or two stops. In fact our Faith got lost when she was shipped to us by her breeder - she was ship to us with a one stop flight and got lost in the airport while waiting for a connecting flight. If there is no direct flight to your area then we would have to ship a puppy to the nearest large city in your area and you would have to pick it up there. We will check with the airlines to see what flights are available and discuss with you when the pup will be arriving.

  9. 9) Please call us immediately when you get home with your new puppy to let us know a pup arrived safely.  These things will come with the pup: about 2 lb. of Puppy food, 1 week supply of NuVet Plus supplement tablets, pedigree, parents pictures, puppy's health record, health certificate (if puppy is shipped to you), our training recommendations, and two copies of the contract/guarantee.  Sign one copy of the contract and send it back to us within one week.  You will NOT get the AKC/UKC registration certificate until the signed contract is returned.  

  10. 10) Take your pup to your vet for a checkup when it arrives. You have three days to decide if you are happy with the pup. During that time you may return the pup for a full refund or exchange if you are not happy for any reason.  When the signed contract is returned, we will send the pup’s AKC registration application to you.

  11. 11) Please call or email us with any questions or problems that come up. We are always available for advice on any puppy behavior or health questions.