Frequently Asked Questions
* Where are you located?
Port Matilda, PA, between Altoona and State College. We are right in the center of Pennsylvania.
* What color pups do you have?
Currently we can have Black & Rust/Tan, Chocolate & Rust/Tan, Red, and Stag Red puppies. Miniature Pinscher Red is not the same as Doberman Red. The color of a 'red' Doberman is actually called Chocolate & Rust or Chocolate & Tan in the Miniature Pinscher. You can visit "Our Min Pins" page and see examples of all the Min Pin colors.
* Do you have puppies available? or When will you have puppies available?
You can check the "Puppies Available" page to see photos of available puppies, however, we RARELY have a puppy to place on the Available Puppies page because we do not breed until we have homes lined up for the puppies! We can place you on our waiting list so that you get an email when we have updated information on the progress of our expected litters, so that you don't have to keep checking back on our website. Getting on the waiting list now will ensure you a spot higher on the list. Waiting to see what we will have later will probably place you too low on the list to be able to get a puppy from an upcoming litter. You can check the "Upcoming Litters" page for details about upcoming litters! We keep our waiting list members up to date with current information on the progress of our litters when the time comes!
* How do I get on the waiting list for a puppy?
Email us to be placed on the waiting list for puppies! Tell us a bit about yourself and why you want a Miniature Pinscher. Let us know if you have other pets, if they are spayed/neutered and what they are like. Let us know about your home and family, and if you have children, what their ages are.
* Does being on the waiting list guarantee that I will get a puppy?
Min Pins are toy dogs, and they have litters ranging typically from 1 to 4 puppies. We know what colors we have a chance of getting from each mating, however, we cannot guarantee the number, sex, or color of puppies expected to be born.... We can tell you the likelihood of when we may have a puppy for you, but, there is no way that we can promise that you will get a puppy at a specific time, or from a specific litter. (That is why we do not take deposits to get on the list) Depending on the flexibility in your color/sex preferences, and the number of people on the list wanting only specific color/sex of puppy, you could very well have a chance at a puppy sooner than expected. We reserve the right to refuse the sale of a puppy to any person at any time for any reason. These are our precious little puppies, that we love dearly... and we do not lower or alter our integrity or standards for anyone.
* Do I have to send in a deposit to be on the waiting list?
NO! We do not require a deposit to be on the waiting list. Deposits are non-refundable, so we do not take deposits until we know that we have a puppy here for you. We email our waiting list members when puppies should be due, and again when the puppies are here. We start at the top of the list with those that we feel we may have a puppy available for, and work our way down the list. We usually have deposits on the puppies within the first few days to few weeks of age.
* When is the deposit due and what form of payment is accepted?
DO NOT SEND A DEPOSIT TO US WITHOUT US HAVING TOLD YOU THAT WE WILL ACCEPT A DEPOSIT FOR A PARTICULAR PUPPY FOR YOU! Deposits are non-refundable, and only accepted when we have discussed allowing you to purchase a particular puppy and OKed the deposit! A Deposit is due as soon as you have a puppy picked out, if you want us to hold a puppy for you. Puppies are not held without a deposit. The easiest and fastest way to ensure that your puppy is reserved for you is through PayPal. We have a link to use for Deposits and Payments located on our "Puppies Available"page. Payment in full is due at the time a puppy is picked up, made either in advance via PayPal, or via cash at the time the puppy is picked up. Puppies are ready to go to their new homes around 8 to 12 weeks of age.
* What is the price of the puppy?
You will have to Email us for pricing. We price our puppies after they are born, and not before. If you email us about pricing, please include the answers to the questions asked to be placed on our waiting list!
* Do Puppies come with ears and tails done?
We do not have the puppies' ears cropped. Ears are left natural because puppies are usually in their new homes at about 8 to 12 weeks of age, and are not big enough to have the ear surgery by that time. The choice to crop is up to the new owner. You can read more about dewclaws, tail docking and ear cropping on our "Puppy Care" page. Our puppies all have their dewclaws removed and tails docked at about 3 to 5 days of age.
* What if I want the puppy's tail or dewclaws left intact?
If you want the puppy's tail left intact, the puppy must be paid for in full prior to birth. This is the only instance where we will accept any payment prior to the arrival of the puppies, as this is the only way we will be able to assure that the tail will not be docked when the other puppies have their tails docked. A puppy's tail is softer and easier to dock as an infant, and the nerves are not fully developed until around 10 days of age. By docking at only a few days of age, the tail heals before the puppy is big enough to know it. As the puppy grows, the nerves develop and the cartilage turns bonier making it harder to dock the tail, and very painful for the dog. Most people want the tails docked, so if you want the tail left intact, the deposit required is increased to the full purchase price, and it is due prior to the birth of the puppies. We will not leave dewclaws intact because they are a safety hazard for the dog.
* Do you ship puppies?
We do not ship our puppies because shipping companies treat them as cargo and do not accept any liability for them. These puppies are very tiny when they go to their new homes, and we will not risk them being injured in shipping.
Sometimes we can have the puppy safely transported for a fee of $1.00 per mile. Transportation fees can fluctuate due to fuel, tolls and other related costs. Transportation service availability depends on time, location and distance of travel.
* What if something happens and I can no longer keep the puppy?
If you have to ask this question, then your situation or the timing is wrong. You should be 100% certain that you are ready and capable of giving a puppy a forever home BEFORE you go shopping for a puppy. Puppies are living breathing creatures that require time, patience and training, just like a baby does. Getting a puppy is a commitment to love and care for that dog for the rest of it's life, and I have heard of Min Pins living up to 18 or 20 years! (Our Tinker's & Andy's Great Grandmother is 17!)
We do not want any of our puppies in a shelter! We will gladly try to find the puppy a new home, or accept the puppy back at any time if you can no longer keep him. If you find the puppy a new home, we ask that you send us the new person's contact information, and give them our information. We want to know that our babies are happy and healthy and loved, and we want to know where they are at all times!
* Are the puppies AKC Registered?
All of our breeding dogs are AKC Registered with Pedigrees. Puppies are sold on a spay/neuter agreement. When we receive proof from your vet that the puppy has been spayed/neutered, we will send you your puppy's Limited AKC Registration application to be filled out and sent in by the new owner. The application offers either just the Limited Registration Certificate, or the Limited Registration Certificate and a Certified copy of the dog's Pedigree. You should fill out the application ASAP because the cost of applying increases if you wait. The AKC will then send you your Limited Registration papers.
* Why do you require a spay/neuter agreement?
We require a spay/neuter agreement on all pet puppies because they are meant to be loving pets that are not intended for breeding. Also, puppies who are spayed/neutered prior to sexual maturity are usually easier to house train, have better temperaments because they are not distracted by dogs of the opposite sex, and have a lesser chance of developing certain cancers.
* How old should a puppy be to be spayed/neutered?
Our Vet recommends that you set up the spay/neuter for the puppy's 6 month birthday. This is old enough that they should be big enough to have the anesthesia administered, and young enough that they are not quite sexually mature. Check with your Vet when the puppy has their initial exam with them. There are newer techniques that allow early spay/neuter to be safely performed. As long as the female is done before she starts her cycle, that is best. Spaying during that time is much more risky, and your Vet can explain why.
* When will the puppy need to see the Vet?
We recommend that when you put the deposit down, you contact your vet to set up the puppy's initial Vet exam with them as soon as you have your puppy! The same day, next day, or no later than Monday, if you pick up the puppy on a Saturday. The puppy needs to be examined by your Vet as part of your responsibilities outlined in the PA Dog Purchaser Protection Act's pamphlets that you will get when you pick up the puppy. DO NOT get the puppy's shots until they are due! Most Vets will only charge for the shots on a return visit, and not charge an additional office fee, and giving shots before they are due can knock out any protection that the puppy has built up already. Schedule return visits for the puppy's shots, and also the Spay/Neuter, so that everything will be done on schedule!
* What about shots?
Our puppies are given their first round of shots, and maybe their second, depending on the age of the puppy when you pick them up. We will provide you, in advance, with the due dates of the future puppy shots that you will have to schedule with your Vet. There is a lot of literature out now about the dangers of over vaccination. Studies show that Puppy shots must be done no closer than 3 weeks apart for maximum protection. Studies also show that if maximum immunity is not reached from the puppy shots, it can be reached from their 1 yr 4 moth booster. AFTER THAT 1 YEAR BOOSTER, THE PET SHOULD BE PROTECTED FOR LIFE! I can provide you with A LOT of paperwork to back this up, if you need help convincing your Vet.
Vets are concerned that they had been taught yearly boosters... and that if you don't yearly booster, you won't yearly check-up either. PLEASE have a yearly exam, and SKIP the booster! The FDA is in the process of requiring animal vaccine makers to remove the yearly dose requirements from their labels, because the studies show that yearly vaccines are NOT required, and do not add any additional protection to disease, but can cause harm! This has been known since the early '70's, and just recently, the last few years, SOME Vets are beginning a 3 year booster compromise protocol. It's a start. If your Vet will not work with you on this, FIND A NEW VET! I have heard that some will force you to allow them to vaccinate before treating a sick animal in an emergency. (Vaccine instructions ALL say NEVER EVER vaccinate a SICK animal! Doing so can cause the animal to become sicker!)
We strongly recommend that you have your Vet examine the puppy within a day or so of picking the puppy up, as stated in the PA Dog Purchaser Protection Act pamphlet you will get when you purchase a puppy. DO NOT get your puppy's shots at that time, unless they are due! (Most Vets will allow you to come back when they are do for shots only, and not charge you for another office or room visit fee.) Getting shots too soon can cause them to clash with the shots already given, and cancel out any protective immunity that the puppy has built up.
ALSO>>> DO NOT NOT NOT have the vet give a shot with LEPTO in it! Min Pins are known for having reactions to LEPTO that can be deadly. Most say that contracting Lepto is much easier on the dog than even the milder reactions to the shot!
Our Vet recommends that the puppy have 3 sets of puppy shots, with the Rabies given on a different day. (Here again, most vets will allow you to stop back another day for the Rabies and only charge for the shot itself. Do what is best for the puppy, more than one shot per trip can be hard on a puppy. If there is a reaction, you will know which shot is the culprit!) The Rabies is due by PA state law by 3 months of age, or 12 weeks, then again 1 year later, and then every 3 years. A multi-vac booster can also be given at the same schedule, but on a different day to minimize stress on the dog. Talk to your Vet about a 3 year vaccine protocol, rather than the yearly booster approach. New studies indicate that immunity built up from initial puppy shots and the first year booster last much longer than previously thought. Vet schools are teaching 3 year booster protocol, with possible titer tests prior to vaccinating to see if it is even needed at 3 years. (Rabies is the exception, due to PA state law they must be given before the 3 year expiration or you can be fined)
* Why do you limit the registration?
We limit the registration on all pet puppies because they are not intended for breeding or show purposes.
* What does Limited registration mean?
Limited Registration means that the dog is registered but no litters produced by that dog are eligible for registration. Limited Registration also prohibits the dog from breed competition in a licensed or member dog show.
* What if I want to show my puppy?
Puppies must be several months old before it can be determined that they are of show quality. Puppies are in their new homes around 8 to 12 weeks of age. A dog with Limited Registration is eligible to be entered in any other licensed or member event, such as: Obedience, Tracking, Field Trials, Hunting Tests, Herding, Lure Coursing, Agility and Earthdog.
* What comes with the puppy?
Every puppy goes home with samples of the puppy food they have been eating, a variety of items that belong to the puppy;), a few of the puppy training potty pads that we use and a health record pamphlet that lists all shots and care performed on the puppy. Puppies come with natural ears, but have had their tails docked and dewclaws removed. We also provide a copy of the Pennsylvania Dog Purchaser Protection Act's "Facts For Purchasers" pamphlet along with a Health Certificate signed by a licensed Veterinarian stating that the puppy is in good health. When you provide us proof from your vet that the dog has been spayed/neutered, you will receive your AKC limited registration applications to be sent in by the new owner
*Do the puppies come potty trained?
No puppy at 8 or 12 weeks old is old enough to be completely potty trained. We start our puppies potty training using pee pads as soon as they are old enough to waddle out of their beds. Puppies must be confined to a small area and worked with to continue this training. A puppy's bladder is not fully developed enough to potty train fully until he is 6 to 8 months old. You can read more about how to potty train on our puppy care page.
* Are Min Pins hard to potty train?
Min Pins are no harder to potty train than any other dog I have had. The most common mistake people make with toy breeds is that they pick them up to go places, and the dog never learns where to go or what to do when he needs to go potty. A Min Pin needs to be taken out on a leash to the potty spot until he learns where that spot is, even if the yard is fenced.
* Are Min Pins hard to train?
No matter the breed, individuals can be harder or easier to train, just like training human children;) Dogs are what we allow them to be. Min Pins are very intelligent and spirited. This can be a challenge to a novice dog owner, but so can any dog if you don't become your dog's pack leader. If a Min Pin is left undisciplined and un-exercised, he can soon rule the home. If he is properly trained, he can excel at obedience and be an example to others of what a Canine Good Citizen should be.
* What if I have questions after I bring my new puppy home?
Email us. We try to answer questions as promptly as possible. Don't ever worry that it bothers us to hear from you with questions! It does not EVER bother us. We don't stop loving or caring about our puppies once you take them home! I may be able to provide you with a quick answer to something that would take you a while to research!
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