Frequently Asked Questions: 1. Why do you breed dogs? 2. Do you offer pups for sale to the general public? 3. Why do you only offer pups on a limited registration and why do you require them to be neutered? 4. How much does a puppy cost? 5. Can we see the mother of the pups if we purchase one from you? 6. What about the sire (father)? 7. Why should we purchase a pup from you? 8. Do you have references we can check? 9. How can a dog help a child with Autism or other developmental disabilities? 10. What is the goal of the canine assisted therapy sessions you offer for children on the spectrum? 11. Are your pups eligible for AKC registration? 12. Why should I pay $1000 for a puppy when I get one advertised in the newspaper for $250 ore $300? 13. What should I look for in a dog trainer? 14. What qualifications do you have to be a dog trainer? 15. What training methods do you utilize? 16. Do you use E collars in your training? 1. Why do you breed dogs? Our sole purpose for breeding dogs is to donate puppies to independent organizations that use them for service or therapy work. back to top 2. Do you offer pups for sale to the general public? Yes, we offer a select number of pups for sale to qualifying pet homes. Our pups are offered on a limited registration and we require that they be neutered. back to top 3. Why do you only offer pups on a limited registration and why do you require them to be neutered? The short answer is to protect our reputation as respectable and reputable breeders but also to protect the breed we love from indiscriminate breeding. There are way too many people breeding dogs today for the wrong reasons and in the end it is the breed that suffers. There are other breeders that will sell a pup to you if your goal is to breed it. Our decision is that we will not. A limited registration means that you are the sole and outright owner of the dog but that you cannot produce a litter of pups with the dog and register them with the AKC. The money we make from the sale of puppies helps us to continue our charitable endeavor by providing the funds we need to properly care for our dogs. We require our dogs to be neutered to safeguard against an unplanned breeding and because it can have beneficial medical and behavioral benefits. back to top 4. How much does a puppy cost? The pups that we sell as family pets are priced at $1000. Traditionally, the price of a pup is equal to the amount paid for the servicing dog’s stud fee. This is the formula we adhere to in pricing our pups. back to top 5. Can we see the mother of the pups if we purchase one from you? Absolutely. In fact, we caution you from purchasing a pup from any breeder that does not allow you to see and interact with the mother. We will also show you the mother’s pedigree, her hip and elbow clearances and pictures of pups from previous litters if she has had any. back to top 6. What about the sire (father)? Technology, through artificial insemination, now provides the opportunity for breeders to choose from the best stud dogs in the country. When we breed one of our girls we search for a stud dog will best complement her unique set of physical qualities. Many times this means utilizing the services of an outside stud dog. We provide our clients with the sire’s pedigree information, pictures and contact information of the owner when requested. back to top 7. Why should we purchase a pup from you? The well being of the Labrador retriever breed and more specifically of the puppies we produce is our primary concern. All of our mothers receive health clearances before being considered as breeding dogs. We require the same for stud dogs that we utilize. All of our pups undergo early neurological stimulation (ENS), are handled daily and are exposed to a stimulating environment in order to prepare them for their life as either a therapy dog or family pet. We have received formal education in canine training, behavior, fitness and nutrition and are committed to ongoing education to ensure the well being of our dogs and in order to remain a valuable resource to those families that acquire a puppy from us. We partner with a team of veterinary and breed experts to ensure that our dogs and pups receive the best care at all times. Finally, we will be there for you not only on the day when you take your puppy home but all through his life. We love our pups and we want to ensure that they become everything that you ever wanted in a canine companion. back to top 8. Do you have references we can check? Absolutely, we have many on our website. However if these are not sufficient we are more than happy to provide you with the names and phone numbers of other families that have obtained a pup from us or the veterinarians who work with us to care for our dogs and pups. back to top 9. How can a dog help a child with Autism or other developmental disabilities? Since most of the dogs we donate and train are partnered with children on the autism spectrum let me answer this question from the benefits I have seen emerge from those relationships. The term “social lubricant” has been used when describing the benefit that a dog can provide to an atypical child. When an atypical child has a beautiful and well trained dog with him it draws children to him or her. This creates an opportunity for the child to engage with typical children that he or she probably would not otherwise have had. Teaching the child standard answers to questions they might commonly be asked gives him or her the opportunity to become the center of attention and practice verbal communication skills. The therapy dog also serves as a source of comfort when the atypical child begins to become frustrated or begins to suffer from anxiety. Research has proven that petting or stroking a dog lowers the heart rate and can also reduce stress. Finally, a therapy dog serves as a constant companion that offers unconditional love to the child. back to top 10. What is the goal of the canine assisted therapy sessions you offer for children on the spectrum? The goal of these sessions is to use the dog is a focal point in establishing activities that can promote verbal communication, increase attention span and increase coordination and refine motor skills. back to top 11. Are your pups eligible for AKC registration? Yes, our pups are eligible for AKC registration. When you take your pup home you receive an application to register it through the AKC. Unfortunately, most people equate AKC registration with quality. AKC registration tells you nothing about the quality of the pup or its parents. The four line pedigree is what you want to examine in order to make an assessment of the quality of your pup’s lineage. We provide this information to all of our potential puppy owners. back to top 12. Why should I pay $1000 for a puppy when I get one advertised in the newspaper for $250 ore $300? The simple answer is you get what you pay for. Don’t fall prey to the way of thinking that you “don’t need a show dog” and never tell any breeder this. In fact, be sure to tell them you want a show quality dog or one that is as close to show quality as possible. Then, ask them how they make that assessment of whether a pup is potentially show quality or not. The answer to that question starts with the parents and what lies in their pedigree. Be certain to look for the letters Ch. (champion) throughout the pedigree. Understand that “form” or conformation leads to “function” or movement. A pup that lacks good conformation is much more susceptible to problems like hip or elbow dysplasia, ligament or tendon injuries, etc. Hence, what you save in purchasing the $250 pup is often spent in veterinary bills over the long run. The emotional cost of owning a dog that suffers from pain or needs to be on medication all the time is something that cannot have a monetary value placed on it. The longer answer to this question is much more involved and I am glad to discuss it with anyone who wants a more thorough explanation. Suffice it to say that responsible breeders committed to the breed, their individual dogs and the reduction of unwanted dogs have far greater costs than the backyard breeder who advertises a pup for $300 or even $500. back to top 13. What should I look for in a dog trainer? This is a very important question and one that you certainly need an answer to. The first thing to understand is that anyone can call themselves a “dog trainer”. There are no federal or state competency requirements so be careful in the selection process. There are schools and organizations that offer “certified” status to members who pass a test or series of tests. The first sign that a trainer is committed to theprofession is by earning academic credentials in training and behavior through an accredited school. There are also professional associations that require a certain amount of academic work and on going educationin addition to adherence to a set of professional ethics. One of the more well known associations is the Association of Pet Dog trainers (APDT). You should look for someone who has completed academic coursework in canine training and behavioral sciences through an accredited school. While dog training is as much art as science it is imperative for a trainer to understand the cognitive or ethological basis for certain behaviors in order for him to devise techniques to remedy unwanted behaviors or elicit desirable ones. Therefore an academic background is important. Anothergood sign that a trainer is dedicated to the profession is completion of an internship program. Since dogtraining is both art and science the practical experience gained in working with dogs is important aspect in the development of a good trainer. Membership in associations is also an indication that the trainer is making a commitment to a certain level of ethical standards and even continuing education that may be required by membership in the association. back to top 14. What qualifications do you have to be a dog trainer? In addition to being a former executive for a major Fortune 500 firm, noted public speaker and grade school teacher,I am a graduate of St. Johns University in New York. I feel that the people and negotiating skills I learned as an executive really come in handy when working with both dogs and dog owners. My public speaking skills and teaching experience also help me to effectively communicate concepts, ideas and training strategies with ease to my clients. I am also a graduate of the Animal Behavior College. In addition to earning an academic diploma from the college I was also required to complete an internship with well known trainer Monique Williams, the owner of unleashed K-9. After completing my coursework at the Animal Behavior College I earned an advanced diploma with distinctionin Canine Fitness and Nutrition from the Companion Animal Sciences Institute.My practical experience in training spans more than twenty years and includes work with a variety of breeds. I continue my education in the canine sciences by regularly attending seminars, reading journals and networkingwith other credentialed professionals in the industry. I am also a full member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). My focus is working with families who want well behaved and responsive dogs that they can be proud of. Over the past two years Circle of Life has also partnered with the North Star foundation in breeding and placing dogs with special needs children. We also offer specialized services for families of children with special needs. back to top 15. What training methods do you utilize? The training methods I utilize are rooted in the science of classical and operant conditioning. Essentially through ourtraining we seek to gain stimulus control over the dog so it learns that good behavior is rewarded and reinforced while disobedience results in the removal of rewards. Unlike most trainers however I consider myself a dog owner coach (DOC) first and foremost. I can train any dog. However, that won’t help you when I am not present. My responsibility is to teach you how to get your dog to obeyyou in all situations and at all times. Remember this - The best dog trainers are skilled teachers, motivators and communicators. I have years of professional experience in each of these skills. back to top 16. Do you use E collars in your training? In the past I have been completely against the use of electronic collars. Recently I attended a seminar where a gentleman was using an electronic collar to train a retriever. As part of the process attendees were asked to hold the collar while the training impulses were emitted at increasing levels. I learned that, for certain dogs, these collars can enhance the training process. With that said however, I continue to hold to a philosophy that all dogs should be taught through positive reinforcement first. I utilize a system where behaviors are “marked” as timing is critical to the success of the training process. Marking behaviors also allows us to capitalize on “offered” behaviors in the future and easily incorporate them into our repertoire of fluent behaviors. Only in the event that our primary methods fail to produce the results we want will the use of an electronic collar be considered. Even then, the personality of the dog must carefully be evaluated as the administration of positive punishment to a timid dog can lead to serious behavioral issues. In the event that an electronic collar is incorporated into the training regiment it is combined with the practice of a high rate of e reinforcement to reward desired behaviors and only after negative punishment fails to bring about the desired training results. back to top
