When You're Ready to Buy

Congratulations!  If you are ready to reserve a puppy, please follow these steps to make sure you have made the right decision and to help prepare for your new pet:

1. Know that you are ready for a new member of your family.  :-)  Puppies require more attention in the first 4 to 6 months than adult dogs. Beagles are very people-oriented, and love attention and also exercise. If you plan to keep your puppy outside, inspect your kennel or run or backyard fence to make sure it is puppy safe, and has shelter from sun and for cold weather. If your puppy will be inside, this is a good excuse to buy those new tennis shoes you've been wanting...so you can exercise along with your puppy on walks. Read up about potty training, too!

2. Read about our normal sales procedures and guarantees, as well as our health schedule for the puppies. If you live a long distance from us, check out our shipping options.

3. Select the puppy you want from those in our litter(s) that are for sale. Most people choose their puppy early, based upon gender and markings. We do welcome visitors, but if you wait until the puppies are of age to play before choosing, you might be too late as they might all be sold. Beagles are well-known for their uniformly people-loving dispositions.

4. Contact us to make sure the puppy is still available.  We update our web site daily, so chances are that if it is not marked as sold, it is still available.

5. If the puppy you like is available, fill out the Puppy Request Form so we can learn a little about you and have all the info on hand that we need.

6. Place a deposit ($100) on a puppy as soon as possible.
   ~If you PayPal a deposit via credit card or PayPal savings, we will immediately mark your puppy with a "sale pending" notation on the Internet, and will hold him/her for you. 
   ~If you mail a deposit (check/money order), it should be mailed immediately because we can't hold a puppy for very long without a deposit, turning other buyers away.
   ~If you pay more than the $100 deposit down, only the first $100 will be considered a deposit. The rest will be considered payment toward the puppy. Please keep in mind that the $100 deposit is generally nonrefundable if you change your mind about buying.
   ~Please don't reserve a puppy unless you are sure you are ready for a puppy.
   ~Puppies will be considered sold upon receipt of a wire transfer or PayPal deposit, or upon verbal announcement that a check is being mailed to us (we'll hold a puppy for several days awaiting the check in the mail). Please don't ask us to hold a puppy for you to think about, as we can't turn other good homes down when a puppy is not firmly sold.

7. Contact a veterinarian in your area if you don't have one already. A small percentage of puppies will develop diarrhea due to the change of environment and associated stress of leaving littermates. Some vets recommend giving the puppy medicine to prevent this for the first week a puppy is in a new home. I don't know about other parts of the country, but for us, it is about $1 per day. Click here to learn more.  This inexpensive prevention could save you tens to hundreds of dollars, depending upon how fair your vet charges are.  Also, your puppy will need to finish its vaccination schedule after leaving our home, and you will want to have a veterinarian to perform this and to advise you as your puppy grows.

8. Watch your puppy grow!  Until your puppy is ready for weaning and pick up, we will try to post new pictures of the litter or individuals every couple weeks. Be sure to check back often!  Sometimes, we even put short video clips up so you can watch the litter play.

9. Learn what to expect from your puppy by reading about the development of puppies. When can they be housetrained? When can they learn obedience? Click here for more information.

10. A couple weeks before picking up your puppy, make your plans for both the final payment and the items you need when you meet the little tyke.
    A small collar and light leash for potty stops on the way home and leash training, two short and heavy (flat-bottomed) tip-resistant bowls for food and water, and some rawhide chews are good to have.
    If you have far to travel, a pet carrier is an excellent idea (and also helps for vet visits down the road). We might be able to get one for you if you give us advance warning. We can get them for $20-$30, depending upon the size you choose.
    A high-quality puppy food is essential for the first few months.  We recommend Diamond Lamb and Rice Puppy Food. Puppy Chow, Science Diet and Eukanuba may also good, and your veterinarian might have a suggestion that he/she prefers. Millions of puppies have been raised on store-bought food, and you sure can choose that route. Watch for corn-based ingredients...corn is not very digestible and is considered a cheap filler. It should not be the first or second ingredient in dog food.
    We are currently feeding Purina Puppy Chow because surveys indicated to us that a HUGE percentage of puppy owners feed it and can easily get it. We recommend that you have a small bag of Purina Puppy Chow (the brown nuggets, and NOT the red and green ones) on hand to use for the first several days. After that, begin mixing it with the food you prefer to use until the Puppy Chow bag is gone.
    If you plan to pay via credit card, check or money order, please send it 2 weeks prior to picking up your puppy to allow for clearance time. Most people bring the final payment in cash at the time of pick up, which is probably the best method.

11. THE BIG DAY  For specific instructions to reach our home, e-mail or call us several days in advance.  Gather your puppy items (collar, leash, travel cage if needed) and come meet your new puppy!  :-)

12. If you are having your puppy shipped to you, it is a good idea to take a few items to the airport with you when you meet your puppy: