When you get ready to purchase a puppy, there are some things that you might want to consider when picking your puppy. One of the best techniques for choosing your puppy is to use a Temperament test that many breeders use when picking their own pups. Also, for those of you who have other questions feel free to see the article on “Picking Your Puppy”.

Below is a brief explanation of what can be expected when you choose to purchase a Sequoyah

Shepherd puppy:

Our preference is to have you come see our dogs and facilities for yourself and so we can discuss what you are searching for in a working-bred German Shepherd. We attempt to breed only the best dogs and bloodlines specifically focusing on improving/perfecting the German Shepherd hip (and elbows). We will continue to choose only dogs with sound temperaments and good structure for our breeding program. Most of these dogs are from working-bred dogs imported from Europe, or are bred from European imports.

Some people are not aware of how much energy, drive, and intelligence these guys possess. Depending on how your puppy is raised, he can be either the best and brightest puppy your have ever owned, OR the biggest headache. Without proper attention and training, these active dogs will fine ways to “entertain” themselves — most of which are NOT constructive. For example, an untrained working Shepherd may decide while you are way, that the curtains are in the wrong room, the edge of the couch needs to be a curve instead of a corner and the leftovers in the garbage are wasteful. If all you want is an undemanding couch potato type of companion dog we would NOT recommend a working-bred German Shepherd.

On the other hand, if you want a puppy that will grow up to be a best friend, loyal companion, and protective guardian,– if you are willing to see she or he gets the training it needs, take puppy for long walks, teach puppy that the garbage is off limits, cat is a part of the family, and spend time being puppy’s best friend and pack leader…then the working German Shepherd is just the puppy for you.

Personality Testing and Matching:

With the interaction we have with our prospective puppy buyers and their answers to our application, we have gathered much information about the buyer, their family, lifestyle, what purpose they want to use their puppy for, and the type of personality they feel would compliment their family and lifestyle. Our puppy buyers have the opportunity at the orientation program to see the puppies at 5-6 weeks of age and fill out a form indicating three (3) puppies that they like. We strive, if at all possible, to match them with one of their three choices based on the personality tests. However, there is no guarantee that they will get one of their three choices if someone else is higher on the wait-list than they are.

First — Fill Out the Application:

The potential puppy buyer should fill out our Questionnaire which can be done either on-line via this web site or by asking that we send one to you via mail, e-mail, or fax. Once we have received your completed questionnaire, we will contact you and answer any further questions that you may have. Please spend some time reviewing our web site as there is a lot of information that a puppy buyer will find informative and helpful during the process of finding a companion for themselves.

Second — Meet the Dogs (if desired/able):

Meeting with you and having you visit our home, and meeting and spending time with our dogs is the next step. Our dogs are our pets and companions, as well as competitive working dogs. We feel it is important that you are given the opportunity to meet, interact and play with any or all of our dogs in order to get a sense of the type of temperament and personality our dogs have.

At the time of your tour, we will answer any additional questions you may have, let you know the pertinent information on any upcoming litter including: date of mating, names of the breeding dogs, (if the sire is not an on-site stud dog – we will show you pictures and a pedigree and answer any questions you may have about him), expected due date of any puppies, date of placement/socialization meeting, and expected date of puppy testing, and the date the puppies can be placed.

Third — The Deposit:

After the tour, if you would like to be included on our wait-list for a puppy, we require a $300 deposit to secure a position on our wait-list. We offer a written receipt. This receipt guarantees you a full refund if we cannot obtain a good personality match with you and a puppy per your preferences and description on your completed Questionnaire. The deposit is also refundable if there are not enough puppies in a litter relative to your placement on the wait-list (i.e., we have a wait-list of 9 people, but our bitch only whelps 7 puppies and you are the 9th person on the wait-list). Your deposit is NOT refundable if a puppy buyer decides not to wait for one of our puppies after being placed on the wait-list. The reason for this policy is that we only have a wait-list of 7-9 people at a time for any potential litter and therefore, will turn potential buyers away. WE ASK THAT YOU CAREFULLY CONSIDER BUYING A PUPPY BEFORE MAKING A DEPOSIT.

Fourth — Visit the Puppies Whenever You Want!:

During the socialization period for the puppies, the puppy buyers on our wait-list are allowed to come to our home for puppy socialization and to have a meeting regarding the placement of the puppy. Each time we meet, we will be glad to explain and answer any questions about our contract, our hip and elbow written guarantees, what you can expect from us, and what we expect from you. At this time, you will have as much time as you need to spend with the litter. Once you have spent time with the puppies, we ask that you tell us your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice of the puppies you are most interested in (if you would like). You will receive your puppy packet which has a tremendous amount of information to help you with your new companion. You should use the next week or so to review the puppy packet, puppy proof your home, buy toys, obtain a crate for housebreaking, or any last minute things you may need to do before bringing your puppy home.

The personality testing is usually performed within one week of the date of our placement/socialization meeting. Once we have the results of the test, we will contact you and let you know which puppy or puppies most closely matches your Questionnaire. At this time, we will schedule you for a day and time to pick up your puppy.

When our pups are sold, they are sold with:

  • AKC Registration
  • Microchip
  • Copy of our contract, our written health guarantee, and your pup’s Veterinary Record.
  • Copy of your pup’s temperament test.
  • Their first set of vaccines (or more).
  • First doses of heartworm preventative (Sentinel, Trifexis, Heartgard, or Advantage Multi)
  • Flea / tick control (Nexgard, Preventic, Advantage, Comfortis, or Frontline).
  • De-wormer — we deworm regularly and will send de-wormer with the new owner
  • If the puppy remains local, we will be glad to continue giving all of the first year’s vaccines at no additional charge. (Puppies should receive vaccines every 3 weeks until they reach 15-16 weeks of age.)
  • Puppy care kit which includes valuable information on house-breaking, crate training, parasite control, & how to prevent illnesses & poisoning.
  • We can continue to mail you your heartworm preventative and flea and tick control if desired.
  • We can also provide your puppy with advanced training for an additional fee.
  • We will send each puppy with their own bag of food so that they will not have to go through a diet change when going to their new home.