Frequently Asked Questions! Get answers to some FAQs!
Are we allowed to choose our own puppy?
No, we pick your puppy for you. As the breeders of these puppies, we have dealt with them since their conception and birth.
This means that we know the temperaments and personalities far better than you do. If you are a family that wishes to purchase a high drive, energetic
future performance dog, we do not want to show you the whole litter and have you pick the puppy that really is the laziest in the litter, simply because he is the most
active at the time of your visit. If there is more than one puppy in the litter that could meet your needs, we would be happy to show you those puppies together.
Is the $200 deposit refundable?
There are certain circumstances in which deposits are refundable.
What happens if we put down a deposit on a puppy, and you do not have one that suits our needs?
Your deposit will be moved to the next available litter of your choosing or, if I will not have a litter that suits
your needs in a reasonable time frame, your deposit will be refunded.
Please be aware, however,
that we cannot guarantee the price of another litter will be the same as the litter you had originally picked.
The price could be lesser, equal, or more than the litter you originally put your deposit down on.
When is the deposit due?
Your deposit is due once the puppies reach two weeks of age. You will be notified at that point that the puppies are all
alive and thriving, and that you may send your deposit at any time before the puppies hit six weeks of age.
Do you ship?
Yes, we do ship within the United States of America. We currently do not export puppies to other countries (this includes
Canada).
If I purchase a puppy from you, may I breed it?
Only if it is within the terms of the contract you signed, and only under our guidance.
May we visit your kennel?
Of course! We encourage people to visit our home to meet us and our dogs! However, due to the nature of my
husband's job, and the fact that I am often gone to dog shows, we meet by appointment only.
How many litters do you breed per year?
Again, due to finances, the nature of my husband's job, and other such factors, we cannot make a definite statement.
We are a small kennel, and will likely only breed a litter or two every couple of years. We breed to keep something back for ourselves, so we
can improve upon our lines. Since we do not have a lot of space and prefer not to keep dogs outdoors, but in the house with us,
frequent breeding (a couple of litters every year) is currently not possible, and we like that just fine.
Do you health test your dogs?
Yes, we do! We believe the health of our dogs and the puppies we produce is highly important. All animals used for breeding here at
Marcato will have been officially certified clear of hip and debilitating elbow dysplasia by OFA as well as having been tested for degenerative myelopathy.
Those are our minimum health testing requirements.
Please note that sometimes we may use outside stud dogs that are not screened for DM. The test is controversial, and not all people feel it is accurate. We screen in the hopes that using the test will allow for improvements to be made, but we do not condemn those who choose not to test.
With that said, because some stud dogs are not tested, we will only breed clear bitches to them. This practice ensures that nothing worse than a carrier will be produced.
Where can we find proof of the health testing of your dogs?
We notate the joint health (in regards to hip/elbow dysplasia) under each dog's image on the Male and Female pages.
All official health testing that has been performed on our dogs can be confirmed by going to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals website.
All you need to do is type the name of the dog you're looking for in the search function. The official health certificates are available for viewing
if you come to meet us and our dogs in person.
Do you sell to homes with electric fencing?
No. If you have a yard, we require that the yard either be fenced, or that you take the time to erect a decently sized kennel run.
Electric fences seem like a good idea in principle, but they are really quite useless. A dog that is tenacious enough will happily run through the fence and endure
a momentary shock. An intelligent dog will not want to attempt to come back in. The batteries are also unreliable, and unless you are absolutely on top of things,
the collar can easily be rendered useless by a weak or dead battery. In addition to that, an e-fence may keep SOME dogs in, but it will not keep other threats out,
such as people that wish to harm your dog, stray dogs, or unsupervised children.
Do you sell to people that live in an apartment?
If the situation and home is right for the dog, yes. We believe that the life a dog lives is dependent on the person, not the size of the space it lives in.
If you live in an apartment and feel that a dog of our breeding is right for you, please contact us and we can discuss the possibility of you becoming an owner of one of our dogs.