Litter Updates
We will post on our Facebook page all litter announcements and number of male and female puppies in the litter. We will contact you regarding the litter and if you are receiving a puppy from the litter. Puppy selection is based on the order of the dates of when the reservation fees were paid. Sometimes it is necessary to have your reservation moved forward to the next litter, if the sex of the puppy you want is not present in the litter.
Special Note: We reserve the option to select a puppy from a litter after it has arrived, for “breeder’s pick” for our breeding program.
We post updates of the puppies on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/starcreekkennel as well as our website so that you can watch the puppies grow! All immunizations and de-wormings are done as per our vet’s schedule, and socialization starts early in the puppies lives. All of our puppies are born and reared inside our home. Our whelping/puppy room as well as our kennel is clean, well ventilated, heated, air conditioned and cleaned daily. Our adult dogs are very healthy, groomed and bathed regularly and have access to inside and outside space. Our puppies are raised with an advanced curriculum which includes exposure to lots of sights, sounds and textures. They are exposed to normal household noises, bathing and nail trimming so that they are familiar with everyday life.
We will schedule a puppy visit day where all of the families are able to see and interact with the puppies. This will be an opportunity to get to know the puppies but there will be no selection of puppies on this day. This is only a fun day and an opportunity to meet us and the puppies in person. We will let the families know of the scheduled visit day so that you can arrange your personal schedule to attend if you’d like. We know that not everyone is able to attend. There will not be any other day to visit the puppies until go home day.
Puppy selection is based on the order of reservation fees received. Puppy selection will occur on the go home day. This way families traveling long distances are able to visit and take home their puppy on the same day. Doing puppy selection on go home day also allows us the opportunity to do temperament testing with the puppies during the 7th week of their lives. The information from the temperament testing will be provided to the families prior to the selection day. When it is your family’s turn to choose, we will help you as much or as little as you’d like, and will be available to answer your questions. Some families are able to visit and select their puppies in person. We will schedule times for families to visit to select their puppy. After seeing the photos and videos of the puppies since birth, most families have a favorite or two… and are already in love!
Your puppy will be ready to go home to you, at 8 weeks of age. We believe it is best for your puppy to have face-to-face hand off. You are welcome to come in person and pick up your puppy. If you live a long distance, you can fly into Des Moines International Airport and we can deliver your puppy to you at the airport for you to take your puppy back home with you onboard the plane. This must be scheduled in advance, so please be sure to talk to us about this option well in advance. We can deliver some puppies by car to a designated location. An additional transportation fee may apply for this service and this must be scheduled in advance. We may be able to fly with your puppy to a major airport closest to you. This cost for this option would include our round trip ticket as well as the airline fee to fly with the puppy. This must be requested well in advance to make appropriate arrangements.
Be sure to have a checkup appointment scheduled with your vet. Remember that puppies should not go out in public until they have had their immunizations – this is a must! No public parks, dog parks or obedience training outside the home. Some people get an in-home trainer to come and work with the puppy and all the family members, then continue with obedience training classes later when the puppy has had all their immunizations.