Isengard Puppy FAQ

Belgian Sheepdogs are large active dogs that like a job to do.  For a detailed description of the breed please check out my About Belgians page on my website.

What activities do you breed for?
I try and breed for a Belgian that can be competitive in multiple AKC venues, primarily conformation, agility, obedience and herding. I aim for moderately high drive Belgians and usually get a range of temperaments and drives within a litter which I do my best to match with their new homes.

Do you sell only show dogs?
No, we sell show, performance, and pet puppies. Non-breeding stock is sold only on a limited registration basis. All puppies are expected to have their hips and elbows x-rayed at two years and the results sent in to OFA,  and have their eyes checked between one and two years of age by a board certified ophthalmologist and the results sent into CERF. This is the only way we can keep accurate health records on ALL the puppies in a litter so we know what direction our breeding program is going and that future generations of Belgian Sheepdogs will be healthy.

I will generally refer first time out of state Belgian owners to a closer breeder if possible. A good breeder can be a wonderful source of knowledge and help over the years, and if you can meet when a training issue comes up it will be much easier to provide assistance in person.

Serious performance homes will receive dogs that are as structurally sound as our show dogs because they need as good - if not better - structure to maintain a lengthy performance career. If you plan on doing competitive performance sports let me know.  

What is the difference between a show quality puppy and a pet puppy?
Most of the time it is merely cosmetic. It could be too much white on the chest or a smaller more refined puppy that may not be as competitive . Occasionally a male can  be a cryptorchid or monorchid which cannot compete in AKC conformation. Sometimes a Tervuren colored puppy will show up in a litter as it is a recessive color. Those pups can be shown in Canada or in UKC shows as a Tervuren but not in the breed ring in the US. They can also be shown in AKC herding, tracking, obedience and agility.

How much is a puppy?
Currently my show/breeding quality puppies are $1200 and puppies sold on a limited registration is $1000. Occasionally I have co-ownerships for show and breeding quality puppies and these are worked out on an individual basis. If a puppy is shipped the buyer is responsible for the cost of a properly sized crate and shipping expenses. It can be less expensive to fly here and take your puppy home in the cabin in a Sherpa bag if the puppy is between 8 and 10 weeks.

I don't make money raising dogs, ask my husband! By the time one raises, trains, shows a dog to a performance or conformation title and have done all the necessary health checks you have spent thousands of dollars on each dog. I have flown to Finland, France and the Netherlands to breed my girls to top stud dogs in those countries and have imported semen for AI breedings to bring in new bloodlines to my breeding program. It has been worth it to me. The quality of the puppies I bring in this world has always been more important than which stud dog is the most convenient or saving money on the stud fee.

Each puppy is wormed twice, micro-chipped (Home Again) registered with the AKC CAR program, given its first shots and examined by my vet at 2 or 3 times during their first weeks before they go to their new homes. Eyes are given a CERF eye exam between 7 and 8 weeks.

I do charge more for a show/breeding quality puppy than I do for one placed on limited registration, which means the AKC will not register puppies produced from a dog with a limited registration and it may not be shown in conformation, but it can be shown in all other AKC venues. It just seems fair to me that if there are limitations placed on registration there should be a break on cost.

What about temperament?
Temperament is one of the biggest criteria in our breeding program. But what is a great temperament for one home may not work out at all in another home, this is one reason why it is so important to find out as much as possible about the new home, the experience level of the new owner, the training methods that are used and what were the personalities of past dogs.  We do Puppy Aptitude Test (PAT) temperament testing between 7 and 8 weeks to help evaluate each puppy's personality in as an objective a way as possible and to try and ensure it will fit into your family’s situation and with your personality as much as is possible when dealing with a 7 or 8 week old puppy.  Structural evaluation is done at 8 weeks of age following the Pat Hastings Puppy evaluation method. Puppies are placed in new homes between 8 and 9 weeks of age.  I will sometimes keep a puppy a longer to better evaluate what home is the best fit for the puppy.

How do I know which puppy is mine?
Puppies are selected for their new homes based on the show standard, structural evaluation, and temperament testing of the litter. None of this will be evident until all evaluations are completed. The only time we may be able to tell which ones are pets from the beginning, would be if a color fault is visible.

Even when we keep a puppy for ourselves, we don't know which one for sure until 8 or 9 weeks as they change so much in those first two months. I try and put up puppy photos on my website on a regular basis but a photo does not convey a true picture of the puppy’s temperament or physical qualities. I discuss in great detail my observations of each puppy and my rationale in recommending them for a particular home. Some owners are strong leaders for their puppies and some are easy going and sensitive, different puppies work better for each personality.

What do I have to do to reserve a puppy?
To reserve a puppy, you must first be approved. We admit, it is almost like adopting a baby. We want to be sure you are the right home as much as you want to be sure you are getting the right puppy and have thought through the responsibility of bringing a large active dog into your life for 12 or more years. One of the first things we ask is that you fill out a buyer’s survey form which will be sent on request. Next, we will want to talk with you so we can both be comfortable about communicating with each other. If I do not feel I have the right puppy for you and your family or lifestyle, I am very happy to refer you to another breeder and litter. I do not want to place a puppy in a home where I feel it will not be a good fit.

We do require a home check or references, before placing a puppy. I have generally had very good luck in placing puppies but the few times it has not worked out have caused me to institute this requirement for the safety and well being of the puppies I place. I generally do not accept deposits; I just ask that if at any time you change your mind, or circumstances in your life change, then you will let me know as soon as possible. If you need me to keep a puppy for you beyond 8 weeks then I do require a 25% deposit.

I have a puppy contract that covers health guarantees as well as responsibilities and expectations of both the buyer and seller which is available on request.

How do I get my puppy?
We prefer that owners drive or fly and get their puppies especially if they have very specific requirements in a show or performance puppy. We do ship puppies, and have quite successfully done so over the years, I will get the puppies used to riding in a crate in my car as much as possible before it leaves home. However, we prefer to ship on a direct non-stop flight for the safety of the puppy, so this may mean the buyer may have to drive a distance to an airport. We can ship from either San Francisco or San Jose Airport almost all year round but some parts of the country have temperature restrictions to extreme heat or cold at certain times of year.

How do you keep track of the health of your dogs?
In order for us to offer  healthy Belgians, we need the cooperation of our puppy buyers to help us continue in our efforts to do the best we can as breeders  to assure that the Belgians we produce are healthy. Checking one or two show puppies in a litter is not enough. A litter has more than just show puppies, and unless a breeder checks all the puppies they cannot know for sure that the litter is free from problems. This requires cooperation on the part of each owner, again if you do decide to purchase one of my puppies be sure you are willing take your dog to your veterinarian after it is two years old for hip and elbow x-rays and submit the results to the OFA and to a canine othalmologist for a CERF exam and submit results.  I do put health results on my website, both good and bad.

Puppies are seen and treated by the staff at Summit Veterinary Hospital in Los Gatos CA: (408) 353-1113.

What should I ask of a breeder?
Do not feel embarrassed to ask a breeder to provide you with copies of health clearances. All OFA and CERF certifications can be verified on the OFA and CERF web pages, on my links page. Currently there is no test for epilepsy, so no one should be claiming that their dogs have certifications or clearances against epilepsy. The only way to know if a dog has had any idiopathic epileptic seizures is to observe the dogs 24 hours a day - a physical impossibility. We can only tell you that to the best of our knowledge we have never witnessed the dogs we are breeding having any seizures and be honest in our knowledge of close relatives and research into risks in the parent’s pedigrees. I wish we had better answers for this health problem, but at this time we don't. The BSCA and ABTC, in conjunction with the AKC and the University of California, Davis, are working on isolating the gene. Hopefully in a few years a test will be available.

We strongly recommend that you research the Belgian Sheepdog breed as thoroughly as possible. Belgians are not for everyone. They are a high-energy, sensitive and protective breed. Be comfortable with the person you are dealing with when purchasing a dog, you are also buying a relationship with a breeder. You need to 'click' with the breeder and feel comfortable communicating with them.

Kristen Nelson is developing a Breeder Interview for the BSCA, please take a look at it and be sure to go over the questions in it with any breeder including me.

A good breeder is with you for the life of your dog.

Many thanks to Cachet Noir Belgian Tervuren for sharing their puppy information documents which I have modified.

Lorra Miller