Puppy Process

 When we decided to become breeders of Smooth Fox Terriers, we wanted to ensure we were making every effort to ensure both the best for each generation in our program – but also the incredible families that support us and take in our Smooth Fox Terriers with every litter. We don't want to be just another breeder with puppies for sale, we want to create a safe, support community for the lifetime of each dog! We do our best to continue to educate ourselves and constantly improve what we do with our puppies as well as the dogs we choose to breed.

Our Puppy rearing process is deeply rooted in Avidog protocols, we still reflect on Puppy Culture and use much of what we learned still to this day. Both because we know it works and because Avidog shares much of the same ideas and more. Our puppies are whelped in well-designed, safe whelping boxes, on thick, fleece whelping pads designed to keep them safe, clean and warm while providing lots of traction for neonatal puppies. They are weighed daily and as they grow, we do both Early Neurological Stimulation and Early Scent Introduction to help develop those growing brains! Puppy nails are trimmed at three days old, and every three days later.

As the puppies enter the transitional period, we offer new things ands sounds frequently to help develop their senses. In addition, we begin litter training right at 14 days old. We handle them daily and begin allowing visitors to see them. It is always a goal for our puppies to meet 100 people before they go home! We have not succeeded in this yet, but we hope one day we will exceed it.

When the puppies are eight weeks old, they go through their most demanding week of their lives to date. They travel more than five hours to receive structural evaluations both from a trusted third party and a chiropractor (adjustments included). Followed by Avidog’s APET (Avidog Puppy Evaluation Test) Evaluation. This helps us determine a puppy’s base temperament characteristics and is incredibly valuable when selecting a new home for our puppy. They are then off to the vet for their first vaccines and initial exams with our trusted team of veterinarians and staff at Weirs Veterinary Services.

Avidog does not just better how we raise our puppies but also how we raise and keep our adults. Avidog gives us the tools and knowledge to manage our breedings better, ensure the best nutrition & peak fitness for our dogs as well as providing constant new information so that we can keep up with the ever-changing world of breeding. Topics from basic genetics to creating our contracts and warranties.