Katwala's
Frequently Asked Questions:

Hey Grandpa, I have a QUESTION!
*Do you have puppies available RIGHT NOW?
It is not often that I have pups available RIGHT NOW ready to go on demand (as it were). In rare circumstances I will have a pup from a litter where a buyer backed out or a young pup that I decided myself not to keep from a litter. Sometimes I have young dogs available that washed out as a show prospect but that would make a great companion. I keep a list of names of prospective owners based on a basic questionnaire submitted to me and I go to that list when I do have something available. If you want to be placed on my "contact list" please fill out my questionnaire or query form and I will know what you're looking for!

*When is your next litter due?

My whelping box page is generally up-to-date on my current plans. I am a bit superstitious, so litters are always labeled as "tentative" until the pups are on the ground and screaming for milk!

*If I fill out your questionnaire or query form, how many people will be ahead of me on your waiting list?

I keep a database of people looking for pups (and older dogs and
rescues) that is based on the questionnaires submitted to me via email and snail-mail. When I am formally planning a litter I go through that file and contact as many people as I can get ahold of to see if they are still looking for an ACD. There are times when I go through a handful of people that have have filled out my questionnaire before hitting upon someone that is still looking. There are also times that mother nature is nice to some on the list and not so nice to others.....as a fellow breeder once told me "you can't order a cattle dog like you order a pizza". In other words, if you are SPECIFICALLY looking for a double masked blue male you may have to wait to find exactly what you want. I also can't predict or manipulate what colors and/or sexes that we'll have in a litter. My point is that I do place pups by using a list, but sometimes you can be second in line and I won't have what you are looking for and other times you can be tenth in line and I'll be able to match you up with the perfect puppy!

*How much are your puppies?

My puppy prices vary based on what you are looking for (pet versus show dog, etc.). My pet pups, for example, are sold on a spay/neuter contract that refunds part of your purchase price after you send me proof of alteration. I also give refunds for health testing and titles earned! I always refer people to my contracts when they ask about price...that way they not only see the dollar figure but they also see my guarantees.

*Why do your pups cost so much more than those "down the road"?

By the time our pups are 8 weeks of age they have been vaccinated multiple times (~ $30 per pup), they have been dewormed on a bi-weekly basis (~ $10 per pup), they have been microchipped ($20 per pup) and they have been BAER tested ($100.00 per pup) and prcd tested if needed ($200 per pup). We don't actually account for the food a pup eats as he/she is growing but I would estimate that an 8 week old puppy has gone through multiple bags of premium puppy kibble ($45 per bag). Our puppy packet contains a folder full of information, toys, food, books and other goodies. While I never completely track all the costs of xeroxing, etc. for our puppy packet, the approximate worth is $50 in just materials (the lifetime of support is invaluable, however).

None of the above accounts for the care we take in testing the hips, elbows, ears and eyes of any prospective breeding dogs (the sire and dam of the litter) to insure that we are producing the most healthy pups possible (x-ray of hips and elbows is approximately $300/dog, prcd testing is approximately $200/dog, rcd4 testing is approximately $150/dog, PLL testing is approximately $150/dog, CERF testing is $75/dog and BAER testing is $100/dog). We also cannot even begin to account for the countless hours that we spend socializing and training a litter for the 8+ weeks that they are in our home.

Breeding dogs is a hobby for us, like other hobbies it is not a money making venture. In the long run we lose money but Australian Cattle Dogs are a passion not a profession. In this area you can purchase a blue or red heeler pup for about $150 from the Thrifty Nickle. What you will get in that dog is one that has been raised outdoors or in a barn and has received little to no socialization. The pup may have had one or two vaccinations and may possibly have been dewormed once (if you are lucky). Said pup most certainly will not come with a full heath guarantee. A "hundred dollar heeler" will not be out of tested parents and most certainly will not have been tested for anything themselves (prcd and hearing can be tested in pups before 8 weeks of age). Surgery to correct hip and/or elbow dysplasia can cost thousands and there is no money in the world to "cure" a dog that goes blind from either form of PRA or PLL.

*Can we come for a visit?

I always welcome people to come visit my dogs... they are my pride and joy and they always love to show off! Colby will beg you to toss the ball for him over and over and over and over again and you may even be treated to Indie's gleeful summersaulting in the back yard! Please drop me an email or give me a call to ask about visits. Keep in mind that my dogs health and safety is my primary concern. I do not allow visitors when pups are VERY young or at other times when the added stress of household turmoil might be a detriment to any of my dogs wellbeing.

*Other Questions?

Please browse about my website here a bit for the answers or drop me an email....my dogs are my favorite subject!

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