Winnie (Diva x Lord)
Winnie at 10 Weeks

SUREFIRE SHEPHERDS

surefireshepherds@earthlink.net

We use the Volhard Puppy Temperament Test to assist in placement of our puppies.

Dottie at 10 weeks

Reserving a SureFire Puppy...

To reserve a puppy that is available in one of our litters, please email with information about your experience with dogs and in particular with raising a puppy. Tell us all about your expectations and what you have planned for the life of one of our puppies.  We are very particular as to where are puppies go and it is crucial that our puppies are matched only with families that will appreciate them and give them the kind of loving home we want for them. By telling us as much as possible about yourselves in an email, you can help us to know what questions to ask when we talk by phone. You may also call us, but it may be a week or more before we can respond to phone messages as we stay very busy with the dogs during normal hours of the day. E-mail is checked daily, late evening and early morning. 

We require a deposit of $500 to hold a puppy   Deposits can be a check or a money order, made out to SureFire Shepherds and mailed to our home address: c/o Rhonda Francisco, 984 Byham Rd., Winlock, WA 98596.  If you live close enough, we highly encourage you to make a visit to our home to see our dogs and you may leave your deposit at that time.  Please understand that puppies can only be reserved when a deposit is received as we have received too many "serious" inquiries that ask us to reserve a puppy by phone and say the check is in the mail - and it never comes...then when a call is made to see if the deposit was overlooked, the anxious puppy buyer explains that they found another puppy and forgot to tell us!   This is unfair to the families who have sent deposits in before litters have even been born.  It is also unfair to us, as we now have to search for a home for a puppy that was supposedly reserved for many weeks.  Many wonderful, prospective puppy buyers may have been turned away because there was no puppy available because all were marked as reserved when they contacted us.  So, you must be very serious when you finally make a decision to purchase one of our puppies.  Only send a deposit when you are sure that you are ready to add a SureFire puppy to your home.  Your deposit will not be refunded if you back out!  If a puppy is not available in the litter you sent a deposit in for, you may use that deposit towards a future litter.  We will make every effort to keep you updated on the birth of expected litters and to send pictures or update the website with pictures.  If you do not hear from us in a timely manner, please call or email, we have probably just gotten busy, but your email will remind us to contact you.

We recommend all puppy buyers to purchase and read the two books by the Monks of New Skete.  "The Art of Raising a Puppy" and "How to be your Dog's Best Friend".  Purchase these books BEFORE getting your puppy, they will be very helpful with the rearing of your new puppy.

Please read our Contract and Guarantee.  You are REQUIRED to take your SureFire puppy through an obedience class by 6 months of age.  The preferred age to begin is 4 months.  There is a window with a shepherd pup in which his learning is at peak, after this window closes, his ability to accept new experiences will be greatly diminished - this window starts to close at about 6 months of age!  The window will open back up, but teaching your pup obedience/socialization skills after this age is more difficult.  Socialization of your puppy should begin immediately upon bringing him into your home and should continue through the 4 month age (BEFORE you start obedience class, this will make obedience class less stressful for him).  It is tough to take your puppy places before this age because of the fear of diseases he may come in contact with (as his immune system is not fully developed), but you must be creative and find places to take him.  There are safe homes, homes of people you know and trust, to take him.  Plus - plenty of car rides!!!  Do not make the mistake of not allowing your puppy to explore his environment (new people, other animals and new places) outside his own home - you can end up with a puppy who is fine at home but shy or fearful/ aggressive when taken out in public if you do not socialize your puppy early.  This can be overcome in an older un-socialized pup, but it is difficult and very stressful on the pup (and much more work for you!).   The importance of the obedience training is two fold - you end up with a well behaved puppy AND it builds confidence in the puppy and strengthens the bond between you and your puppy.   Think about how you will arrange the obedience classes in your schedule BEFORE you purchase a puppy from us.  You should already have an obedience trainer picked out BEFORE you bring your puppy home.

We encourage puppy buyers to find an activity they can become involved in with their new puppy.  Agility, Search and Rescue, Obedience, Conformation showing, Flyball and Weight Pulling are just a few.  White Shepherds are active dogs that are highly intelligent.  They need mental stimulation to be in overall good health.  Find something that you enjoy and that your dog has an aptitude for and GET INVOLVED!