Puppy Application
Questionnaire
If you would like to be considered for a Kilnhurst pup please take the time to thoroughly read and digest the 'Credo' page (top menu)
and the 'Our Breeding Philosophy' section (down there at the bottom of the left hand menu.)
If you are comfortable with our approach and ethics as the breeders of your next dog, please introduce yourself
with an email containing a completed Questionnaire, as below.
Our questionnaire is intended to be the start of a dialogue between us as breeders and you, the potential puppy owners. It requires your honest answers; the questions
are designed to help you focus your thoughts on what you're really looking for in a dog. For our part, the questions help us get to know people we do not know personally.
Understanding a bit about you and your lifestyle, your hopes and your expectations will, in due course, help us make the best fit between a puppy and your family.
These dogs should be an integral part of the family for many years, so finding the perfect match is important.
PLEASE BE DETAILED AND SPECIFIC WITH YOUR ANSWERS. You can't write too much!
In fact, one way to get rejected quickly is to provide brief, uninformative answers that don't tell us much about anything. All we have to base
our initial yes/no response on will be your answers to these questions. This is the first step to opening what may be a lifelong communication.
We think an hour or so of your time is a wise investment when viewed against fifteen years or so of a dog's life. Talk to us.
To submit your application simply cut and paste the text below into an email, with your answers in between. The email address is on the Contact page.
Finally, just a reminder that we live in the SCOTTISH BORDERS, not too far from Edinburgh. This can come as a surprise to those folk who haven't
read the front page before jumping to the application page. If distance is an issue there's no judgement in that, but you'll need to find a breeder closer to you.
About You: (All required, please)
1. Your name
2. Full address, including postcode
3. Contact phone number
About Us:
4. How did you hear about Kilnhurst? (Word of mouth, personal recommendation, internet search, Facebook etc)5. Why are you specifically interested in one of OUR puppies?
Your Lifestyle and Household:
6. Describe your current household (people and animals, ages, gender, etc.)7. Do you own or rent your home? If you rent, has your Landlord approved your plans to get a puppy?
8. Is your garden secure and fenced - how high is the fence?
9. Describe your typical day (including your work schedule) and lifestyle. How will your puppy's needs be met within your daily schedule? (Work, school, hobbies, hours at home etc.)
Your Previous and Current Dogs:
10. What dogs have you owned previously? If you have owned dogs before, why not go back to that breeder for a puppy?11. If you have dogs currently, tell us a little about each of them such as their breed, age, temperament, neuter status, health and any working achievements.
12. Do you vaccinate or plan to vaccinate your dogs?
Miniature American Shepherds:
13. What attracts you to this breed in particular?14. Have you met a MAS (or a mini Aussie, or an Australian Shepherd) for real? Do you have any experience with these breeds?
15. MAS typically have two profuse moults a year. Have you previously had a double-coated dog that sheds? Does anybody in your household have fur or dander allergies?
Raising your puppy:
16. Where will your puppy spend the day-time and the night-time?17. How many hours on average will your puppy/dog spend alone?
18. What do you plan on feeding your puppy? Please explain your choice. Are you willing to follow our recommendations on diet?
19. How do you plan on house-training and exercising your puppy? Are you familiar with crate-training and what are your views on this practice?
Training:
20. What kind of activities do you hope to do with your dog?- Agility
- Heelwork to Music / Freestyle
- Herding
- Competitive Obedience / Rally-O
- Scentwork / Mantrailing / Tracking
- Therapy or Assistance Dog
- Working Trials
- Other
21. Who do you currently train with (or plan to train with) and in what discipline? What are your training goals?
22. Which trainers do you admire? Are you familiar with clicker training?
23. What would happen if this puppy developed physical or behavioural problems that prevented them from meeting your goals?
24. Are you interested in conformation (breed) showing? (Currently not possible in the UK, you would have to travel abroad.)
Requirements:
25. All our puppies are sold with their registration papers - in all registries - endorsed against breeding. You will be expected to spay or neuter your pup at maturity (i.e. a bitch after her first season or a dog after his first birthday, but NOT before.) Would this requirement, or the timing of it, be an issue to you?26. Do you have a preference for gender and/or coat colour?
A note to the wise: everybody wants a blue merle girl. Everybody. In reality they are few and far between. Please ... think outside the box a little!
27. Describe the size, temperament and energy level you are looking for in your MAS e.g. high drive, energetic, laid back etc.
28. We offer guidance as to the best puppy for each family, since we know our pups better than anyone else. If two equally suitable puppies are available, then we allow the puppies and you to choose each other. How do you feel about this? (Note: even if approved, if we do not have a puppy who matches your needs, we will not sell you a puppy from that litter. This is for the benefit of both you and the puppy. Getting the wrong puppy will make no-one happy.)
This does not mean you have no say in the matter, we work together. The more you communicate with us, the better this process becomes. Whilst of course we accommodate your preferences where possible, are you willing to consider our advice on the most suitable puppy for your household and lifestyle, even if that conflicts with your ideal?
Expectations:
29. What do you expect from us as your puppy's breeder? Are you willing to stay in close contact, openly discuss any training or health issues that may arise, share with us the results of all health tests and agree absolutely to give us right of first refusal should you ever be unable/unwilling to keep the dog?30. If we ask for references from your veterinarian, trainer, and/or two personal friends, will you be willing to provide them?
31. We have a rigorous sales contract - for the protection of you, us, and above all, the dog. The key points include your guarantee to keep the dog in good condition, to train it and to treat it fairly. You sign to declare that you understand that the dog will not be bred from, and that you offer us the unconditional right of first refusal if you are unable to keep the dog at any point in it's life. We have thought the terms and conditions through very carefully and are prepared to stick by what it says. Will complying with any of these conditions be a problem to you?
32. Are you currently on, or do you plan to apply to be on, any other breeder's waiting lists?
Additional Information:
33. Are there any comments or questions you would like to add?Thank you for your interest in a Kilnhurst puppy and for taking the time and the trouble to complete the Questionnaire. We will get back to you as quickly as we can.
