FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

1) What is a BoloNoodle? Click here.

2) I hear that there are a lot of Puppy Mills in Missouri. Can you reassure me that you are not a puppy mill? Click here.

3) Is there anything I need to know that will help my puppy thrive?

1. Puppies need 16-20 hours of sleep per day.

2. Gentle treatment -- Puppies should not be unsupervised with children and other animals. Like human

babies, puppies need to be held and like all babies, care and handling is very important. No poking,

tossing, or swinging.

3. Crate training: Unsupervised pups should BE IN THEIR CRATE, so they feel safe and secure and

reduce training stress.

4. In the crate the puppy should have safe toys and all toys should be at least 3 times larger than the

puppy's mouth is wide.

5. During supervised play, give puppies soft latex toys, rope bone, and raw hides (as long as they stay

hard). If a rawhide is chewed on for a long period of time, it can get very soft and wet from the

puppy's saliva. When it gets soft and small, it can be swallowed and potentially cause bowel

obstructions. A puppy needs chew toys only while TEETHING, and at no other time. Once all the

baby teeth are out, he/she no longer needs the chew toys.

6. Puppies thrive and learn best when they are on a schedule and have consistent expectations. Sudden

changes in food or environment can play havoc with their digestive system.

Here is a link for a crate that will work for small breeds. Click here.

4) Why are some of the puppies in the same litter priced differently? Or why are some of your dogs so expensive?

Each puppy is priced differently based on information such as size, gender, markings, and the overall quality of each puppy. The rarity or availability of the breed also affects the price of some of our higher priced dogs. Females are generally more expensive (due to demand) than males. A rare color or markings that perfectly meet the standard will also raise the price, likewise, a common color or markings that are not within the standard will reduce the price. All our dogs are purebred (unless otherwise advertised), but some are pet quality, others are are show quality. The price rises with quality.

5) How will I receive my puppy? I don't live anywhere near you.

We fly American Airlines, Priority Parcel, and Delta, Continental or Northwest if American does not come to your town. If the temperatures are too hot or too cold, we can ship by truck or with Continental. We also hand deliver to some areas of the midwest. We ship to every state (except Hawaii) and also to Canada. We won't ship to Hawaii because they have a 6 month quarantine period where the puppy is kenneled in a state run kennel. We don't want to subject our puppies to 6 months of no family. Living in a cage for 6 months is not for our puppies. If Hawaii changes this law, someone PLEASE let us know, e-mail here.

6) How much does it cost to ship the puppy?

Normally from $200 to $275, depending on the size of the breed. This includes: registration papers, shot and worming record, health guarantee, health certificate from the vet, a few days sample of the food we use, crate and airfare. In some cases, the price listed includes shipping, unless otherwise indicated. When shipping to Alaska or northern Canada, it can cost as much as $335.

7) What types of payment do you accept?

We gladly accept PayPal (please add their 3% fee), personal check, Wal-Mart MoneyGram, or postal money order. Western Union is also an option, but is expensive. Send it to Salem, Missouri, there is only one Western Union here. If you use this method, please call us with the tracking number. If you mail a personal check, send a MoneyGram, money order or Western Union, please e-mail us and let us know so we can put your puppy on hold until we receive it.

8) Do you offer a contract or health guarantee?

Yes. Click here.

9) Will my puppy be house broken when I get it?

We will begin the potty training process. It will be up to you to finish the job. Very few 8 week old puppies have mastered this process. Besides, even if we train your puppy completely, he will have no idea where the bathroom is at your place. Our tip: BE CONSISTENT. Accidents are your fault, not the puppy's.

10) Will my puppy have had his shots?

Yes, all our puppies are kept current on their vaccinations and wormings (for their age) and will come with their shot and worming record. Simply take this to your vet and they will be able to keep your puppy on schedule.

11) What brand of food do you feed or recommend?

Royal Canin or Bil-Jac. We will send a sample of our feed for you to use until you can purchase some. If you choose to use a different brand, please mix the portion we send 50-50 with your selected brand. When that is gone, your puppy will be transitioned to your food and may eat it without getting sick. We DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES recommend store brand dog foods. They are very poor quality, have a lot of sawdust (called cellulose fiber) in them and poor quality meats. Any sickness or skin problems resulting will not be covered in our health guarantee.

12) How long do I have to wait after I select my puppy?

Depends on how old your puppy is when you select him/her. We cannot (by law) ship a puppy before it is 8 weeks old. We are usually able to ship the puppy within one week of receiving the final payment--presuming it is 8 weeks of age, and the puppy vet checks OK and is large enough to travel. A very tiny breed we may choose to hold back a week or so. This will be at our discretion, and will be agreed upon ahead of time. If we keep them back, we will send you updated photos while you wait.

13) Can I make payments?

Yes, we will accept payments as long as you are regularly doing so and we are not holding the puppy for an unreasonable length of time.

14) You offer the AVID microchip. Does my dog NEED this?

The chip is not for everybody. If you live in an urban area where the puppy might get lost or stolen, a chip is a good idea. If your dog shows up in a shelter or dog pound, a simple scan will immediately identify him/her as yours. No questions asked.

If you live in a rural area where dog theft is virtually unknown and neighbors understand that dogs will roam around and that is not a problem, then you probably don't need a chip.

The toughest issue is if you live somewhere in the middle, in a more suburban area. I can only tell you what the pros and cons are and let you decide if you would like a chip for your puppy. Some who raise show dogs chip them because of their value. Some who are so emotionally tied to their pet that they can't imagine life without them will chip them to identify the dog faster IF it ever shows up again. Some people chip their dog just because it is a cool conversation piece, a new technology. And for every reason to chip there are equally good reasons not to. Animal advocates say that it hurts the animal (yes, it is inserted with a needle). Some people say that it is just the next step toward having BIG BROTHER in our midst, desensitizing people to idea of micro-chipping children, which is a WHOLE other, although related, can of worms.

What the chip does not do is track your dogs movements by satellite if he's lost. The chip will benefit you if your dog later turns up at a vets office (if he's stolen) or animal shelter (if he's lost). They can scan the dog and know that the dog is indeed registered to you and rightfully yours if you choose to reclaim it.

Basically, we offer a service to our customers for a lot less than they can get it from their local vet. We are not endorsing chipping over not chipping, just giving you an idea how it may be beneficial for you or your pet. The option is yours. We offer it for a fraction of what your vet will charge.

15) How often should we bathe our puppy?

You do not need to bathe a dog more than once a week (unless they have wallowed in something smelly). Dog shampoos are priced higher than necessary. Use Johnson's baby shampoo and a good quality conditioner/cream rinse (the kind made for humans is fine) then blow dry the puppy and while combing him/her out, lightly powder the puppy with Johnson's baby powder. This baby powder will coat the hair and will keep the hair looking nice and clean for a longer period of time.

16) Do you offer T-Cup puppies other than T-Cup Chihuahuas?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: T-Cup describes only a Chihuahua that is smaller than the Chihuahua standard ("Toy" describes only a small Poodle, "Sleeve" describes a Pekingese that is smaller than the standard, and "Imperial" describes a Shih Tzu that is smaller than the standard). Granted, the Yorkshire Terrier (for instance) is called a toy breed because it is small (4.5 to 7.5 lbs is the standard), but there is no designation for a Yorkie that is smaller than the standard. Many unscrupulous breeders designate their small breeds Toy or T-cup in order to jack the price up--because a dog that is smaller than the standard generally commands a higher price. If one of our puppies is smaller than the standard, we simply state as much. Yes, the price may be higher, but our integrity as a breeder will not permit us to sell a puppy as a T-Cup or Toy, unless it is a Chihuahua or Poodle (respectively). We offer both breeds.

We had a customer who had a 8 lb Yorkie and told us that it was purchased as a Toy. They were so proud, they were bragging about this "Toy Yorkie" to us over the phone. We were shaking our heads in disbelief, a toy should have been less than 4.5 lbs. Some breeder sold them a Yorkie that was larger than the standard, but charged them for a tiny one. They should have paid a reduced price, but instead, they paid an extremely high price. This person did not even know they had been ripped off until they contacted us wanting another Yorkie as a companion for the first.

This is what drives our honesty. We will tell you the truth and let you decide. Do you want dishonesty in your breeder or integrity? We are content with our decision even if we lose this sale and you purchase elsewhere. There is no charge for your education in this matter. Use it wisely and don't be afraid to ask the breeder questions.

17) You will not sell some of your puppies unless they are spayed or neutered. Why? What is the benefit of spaying and neutering?

Males: If you wait a year to have him neutered, he will have become an adult and he will be peeing on everything you own. Marking his territory will have become a habit by the time he is a year of age so even if you neuter him then, he will continue to do it. If you want to neuter him on your end, that is fine, but if you want to have a nice pet, we recommend neutering at 4-6 months of age. This way he will not learn the adult behaviors that males are noted for. Your vet can help you decide when he is ready. If you plan to breed him THEN neuter him, he will have become a "man" and you will never be able to discourage him from marking his territory afterward.

With males, you can have a good pet or a breeder, one or the other. If he will be an outside dog, this won't be an issue, but most folks do not want an inside dog peeing on everything.

Females: For every heat cycle that she goes through and she is not bred, you increase her chance of cancer in the female organs by 10%. Since an adult will go through 2 heat cycles a year normally, that is 20% chance increase every year. Is this a risk you want to take?

If you want to spay her on your end, that is fine, but if you want to have a nice pet and a healthy pet, we recommend spaying at 4-6 months of age. Your vet can help you decide when she is ready. If you plan to breed her a time or two THEN spay her, that is OK as long as she is spayed when the novelty of breeding has worn off.

There are some who do not like to alter animals because they think it is cruel or expensive, or unnecessary. However, animals were designed to make babies at a certain rate. When that cycle is interrupted by mankind, problems occur. Nature is what it is. Spaying is not cruel, permitting an animal to get cancer when it is preventable is cruel.

A neutered male makes a better pet than any female, every day of the week. We recommend a neutered male for families because a male will love everybody. As a general rule, a female will like one family member best and tolerate everyone else. Some of our breeds we do not sell unless they are spayed or neutered. We are protecting the breed.

Now you can make an informed decision. Pets happen.

Thanks again for your interest in our puppies. Please feel free to contact us via telephone: (573) 729-6804 or e-mail.