FAQs

>When are your upcoming litters? Do you post your anticipated/planned litters?

No. We used to post our planned and anticipated litters based on our dams' heat cycle, however we have come to find that it is difficult to manage our families' expectations when one of our girls doesn't come into heat when they're supposed to or if a given breeding didn't take. Therefore, we made the decision to release litter announcements and take puppy reservations once a litter is actually born. We do keep a waiting list of folks to notify to see if they'd like to place a reservation when a litter is born and you can get on that waiting list by filling out our adoption application which can be found here. 

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>Do you have a waiting list? How do I get on it?

Yes. Fill out an adoption application and you will be placed on the waiting list.  

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>Can I place a deposit now even though there's no puppies born yet?

No. We will not take any deposits until the puppies are born. 

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>What does your pricing look like? 

Our prices vary by litter and timing.  

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>What kind of energy level will my puppy have? 

This is a wildcard question because the topic itself is subjective. There is no true way to measure "energy level" in a dog and a puppy will have their peak energy until they are at least 2 years old. There are myriad elements that can contribute to energy level, including environment, lifestyle, age, and surrounding companions, just to name a few. We have had families who did not anticipate their puppy to have energy and as a result, it was not a good situation for neither the puppy nor the family. If energy level is a true concern for you, please consider an older dog who has already gone through the puppy stage and has mellowed out. 

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>Can I bring my other dog (or family pet) on pick up day or to help us pick out a puppy?

No. We do not allow other animals on our property due to the risk it presents to our puppies as well as our adult dogs. Unvaccinated puppies are incredibly susceptible to diseases and mature dogs can be territorial. We do not want to risk our puppies' health nor our adult dogs' safety. Please do not bring any dogs, nor other animals, with you when picking up your puppy.

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>What's the diff between English and American? Do you raise English or American? 

This is a loaded question. Genetically and biologically, there is no difference between the English Labrador and the American Labrador. A quick Google search will reveal the physical differences and there are supposed energy level differences as well. Labradors who have been bred for the show ring, also known as conformation bred or bench bred, typically have blockier features and supposedly a calmer demeanor and are known collectively as "English Labradors". Those Labradors who have been bred for retrieving and hunt trials typically have sleeker features and supposedly hyperactive personalities and are known collectively as "American Labradors". However, these two categories are sometimes misunderstood and misapplied. They are not separate breeds. The AKC considers both of these categories the same breed of dog: the Labrador Retriever. There are blocky Labradors that have lots of energy and there are sleeker Labradors who are happy to sleep lazily on the front porch. There are blocky labs that will retrieve ducks all day long and there are sleeker labs that simply won't retrieve. In other words, stereotypes don't always prove to be true. Some of the dogs that we breed do have conformation lines in the pedigree and some of the dogs we breed have hunt trials and duck hunting in their pedigree. 

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>Can I come see the puppies?

We generally try to postpone family visits until our puppies have had their first vaccines. When we have puppies which have yet to receive their first vaccines, we kindly ask that folks wait until the pups have had their vaccines before visiting. We do not allow people to simply come and play with puppies. The risk of possible disease introduction is too high and we want our puppies to remain safe and healthy for their families. Our puppies are well-socialized with our own family prior to that time. We also post a myriad of videos and pictures along with size stats and growing milestones on Instagram and Facebook to facilitate familiarity with their new families prior to meeting in person.

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>Can I come meet the parents?

No. We do not offer prospective families an opportunity to visit our property and meet the parents. We leverage social media postings, along with this website, to give folks an idea of the dams and sires we use, our methodology in raising the puppies, and exposure to us in general as a breeder. However, in an effort to keep our family and dogs as safe as possible, we do not allow folks to come meet parents. Our puppy buyers will have the opportunity to meet the dam and sire (if the sire is onsite) when they pick out or pick up a puppy.

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>Will you board my puppy if I can't pick it up on time?

We do not offer a boarding service. We try to be accommodating for our families and generally offer 2 weekends to pick between for pickups. If families are not able to pick their puppy up within that time frame, there is a $25/day fee until the puppy is picked up.

 

>Will you meet me to deliver my puppy?

We have done this for previous families for an additional fee. Please reach out to discuss because each situation is unique.

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>What methods of payment do you accept?

We accept credit/debit for the initial deposit, but the balance for the puppy must be paid in cash at time of pick up. We will not accept any other method of payment for the balance of the puppy other than cash. We DO NOT accept checks, cashiers checks, venmo, paypal, zelle, cash app, apple pay, etc. 

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>Do you ship puppies?

We do not ship puppies. Our puppies must be picked up in person or delivered by us to their new families. Delivery is an additional fee.

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>Am I reserving a collar color or a litter pick number when I pay the deposit?

It depends on when a reservation deposit is placed. Prior to our "pick day" we assign a litter pick number, but after the "pick day" has passed for a given litter, we reserve based on collar color.

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>Do I get to meet the litter and pick out the puppy I want?

It depends on what pick number you are assigned in the litter. If you are pick 4 of 4 black males, then you will get the remaining puppy once picks 1-3 have selected. If you are pick 2 of 4 black males, then you will be selecting from 3 black males after pick 1 has made their selection. We have a dedicated "pick day" on which folks will be assigned a time and day to make their selection either in person or virtually; however their selection must be made at their appointed time and day. 

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>Are your puppies full AKC registration or limited AKC registration?

We place our puppies with limited AKC registration (no breeding rights). We may consider full registration (breeding rights) to the right family, but first we would need to see if the family is a good fit.

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>What do you feed your dogs?

Our sires and dams' diets consist of a high-quality kibble, Victor Hi-Pro Plus, along with a variety scrumptious toppings to keep their culinary life interesting! We also add additional high-calcium and high-nutrition foods to our dams' diets while nursing to promote good milk production. Our pups are weaned with Victor Hi-Pro Plus kibble saturated in a goat milk formula and eventually transitioning to the same dry kibble prior to going home.

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>How are your puppies socialized?

We handle the puppies every day, multiple times a day, ensuring they are growing and maturing in a healthy and desirable way. We play with them and work with them. We are very involved in their care and raising. We are a family of 4 and our kids are heavily involved in the responsibilities of raising puppies as well. The puppies are given different toys and playsets to pique their curiosity and assist in their development. Once the puppies are vaccinated, they do encounter more people as we allow visitors to interact with them at that point. As the puppies grow, they will also interact with our other grown dogs of various ages and not just mom.

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>Will my puppy be used to walking on a lead/leash?

No. They will not. They will have been introduced to it in a minimal way, but they will not be leash trained when you take them home. That is a skill that you will work with them on as they grow.

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>Will my puppy come crate trained/potty trained?

We raise our puppies with a process that encourages them to potty in a specific location and NOT to potty in their sleeping/bed area. Crate training itself is a long, extensive process which can take up to 6 months (and sometimes longer depending on the puppy) to complete. Raising puppies from birth with a method that encourages positive potty habits greatly impacts the success and timeline it takes to get a puppy potty trained. We have received incredibly positive feedback from multiple families who've adopted a Ruff Country Labradors puppy that crate training was amazingly easy. We definitely attribute this to how we raise our puppies with ingrained potty expectations from the beginning. 

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>I've never owned a puppy before or I haven't had one in a long time - what should I expect?

Owning a puppy is hard and time consuming work, but the love and relationship realized by that work is a reward that lasts a lifetime. Just like a toddler, puppies will get into everything they can reach and never clean up after themselves! Puppies love to chew on everything - including your favorite shoes, charging cords, floor molding, house plants, furniture legs, and everything else they can get their sharp, little teeth on! They are little balls of energy one second and an exhausted heap of sleeping fur the next. When you bring your puppy home, remember that this will be the first time that they've been away from their littermates and they will experience separation anxiety. This usually causes some amount of whimpering and can cause some whining throughout the first couple nights as they adjust to their new family and surroundings.  

 

>What will my puppies eating schedule look like?

Like children, puppies do go through phases where they will eat lots and sleep often while they grow, but the normal day will involve lots of play and naps in between and breaks for food. Best practices is allowing puppies to eat 3 times a day and typically a puppy will go home consuming around 1 1/2 cups of food a day. This amount can change quickly though considering that puppies are growing dogs. If you have concerns about the amount of food your puppy should be consuming or is consuming, we recommend reaching out to your vet. 

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>What vaccines will my puppy have gotten?

Your puppy will come home having had their first vet visit for a health check and exam and they will have received their first round of Distemper Parvo vaccine. From that point, there are typically 2 to 3 more vet visits to ensure your puppy is fully vaccinated. Veterinarians have their own schedules and protocols so be sure to check with your own prior to bringing your puppy home to schedule the additional visits. Even though your puppy will be coming home with its first round of vaccines, it is a good idea to resist the urge to take your puppy to public places until it is fully vaccinated.

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>I have another dog (or animal) already. How will my puppy react?

This is a wonderful question and the answer is - no one can say for sure. When introducing a puppy to a new animal never assume they will get along well. This is for the puppy's safety and not the other animal's safety. The puppy is young and has not yet established territorial convictions and boundaries; their only desire is to play and have fun. The other animal, however, typically has established their boundaries and doesn't always want to play. Play between a new puppy and another animal should always be supervised and never left alone. Even if the other animal is another dog, leaving the two alone is not a good idea. Adult dogs can quickly get irritated by a young puppy's incessant bantering and playfulness, which can result in a bite and an emergency vet visit.

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>I have young children. Will the puppy get along with them?

Yes, but it may not be what you expect. Puppies can and do make wonderful additions to families with young children, but safeguards and supervision must be leveraged to ensure safety for both the child and the puppy. Puppies love to play! Children love to play too, but puppies play by biting, jumping, and chasing. Their teeth and claws are sharp. Puppies don't mean to hurt anyone with their playful biting and nipping, but that doesn't mean they won't. There is also the risk that small children present to puppies that must be considered as well. It is always recommended that children be supervised when playing with a puppy. It is also never a good idea to allow a child to pick a puppy up due to the risk of dropping.

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>What should I bring with me when I come to pick up my puppy?

   -Crate/containment method

   -Collar (around 12" diameter)

   -Leash

   -Towel/blanket

   -Wet Ones/wet wipes (just in case!)

Our recommendation is to bring a way to contain the puppy, especially if you'll be traveling a long distance. A crate is recommended, but we've also seen folks bring laundry baskets lined with a towel. The idea is to have somewhere the puppy can be contained if someone cannot hold the puppy the entire ride. It can be very helpful for more than one person to come on pickup day to allow the driver to focus on the way home if the puppy gets anxious or rambunctious. We also recommend a collar (around 12" in diameter) and a leash for the necessary potty breaks on the way home. Our Welcome Home Puppy Packs contain some toys, a blanket that smells like their mom/littermates, a bottle of water, a water/food bowl, and a bag of dog food to help make the ride as comfortable as possible for the puppy.