I say this every time, and I mean it every time, I have no idea how we are ALREADY at puppy pick time. It seems like just yesterday I was rushing Luna to the vet for her emergency c-section, we were suctioning and praying simultaneously hoping for puppies to live. And now, here we are at 7 weeks old with EIGHT BEAUTIFUL, SMART, ADVENTUROUS AND AMAZING puppies getting ready to leave. This is so bittersweet. This is Luna’s last litter and it is hard to believe I won’t get to do this one more time with her.

I know for you the time has been probably dragging and you have been counting down the days like a kid at Christmas, but for me, it has flown entirely too fast. And now, here we are, already at the moment when you must make the significant decision of choosing your precious poodle puppy. From the first tentative wobbles on unsteady legs to the playful antics that have become a cherished part of our day, the time has come to embark on this exciting chapter of welcoming your newest family member into your loving home. As the clock ticks, it's time to take a deep breath, trust your instincts, and make the choice that will forever change your life for the better.

This is a VERY LONG pupdate and has tons of great information. Please take your time and read through everything carefully. There are currently two reservation spaces available, it is anticipated there will be 2 males available. Once all deposit holders have made their selections, we will update the Available Puppies page of our website.

I must brag for a moment and say that these are some truly amazing and special puppies. I KNOW they are going to go out into the world and make their mark. This litter is truly one of a kind and I am so proud of this pairing. Bringing together the work ethic of Sirius (granddad), the tenacity and cleverness of Zelda (grandma), the sweetness and silliness of Luna (mom), and the absolute biddability, eagerness to please, and therapy temperament of Magic, how could these puppies be anything less than amazing? This is the culmination of a long vision and the beginning of something new and exciting. I know everyone has seen the graphic below, but I just want to show it again to point out just HOW NICE these puppies are. Of the fourteen immediate ancestors, EIGHT are Champion or better, performance title, multi-generational health testing CATEGORY10 Genetic Diversity (it doesn’t get more diverse). Not to mention the things not seen such as Sirius’s absolute dynamite hunting personality, that boy will retrieve all day long, but is also perfectly content to just hang out on the couch with you. The puppies from the previous pairing between Magic and Luna have been achieving great heights in the show ring, in competitive obedience, as service dogs, and out in the field. I can’t wait to what these little siblings will achieve.

Alright, sorry I digress, let’s get back to business.

I have filled in the information regarding coat traits as best as I can based on phenotype (what I can see). The more important thing is that since both parents are clear for all testable genetic diseases, so too will the puppies.

All the gathered data is viewable in the spreadsheet. Push the button below to view the spreadsheet. As we move through the process, I will be highlighting and adding the family’s name to the column for each puppy, as they are chosen. After all reservation holders have made their selection, the remaining puppy(ies) will be made available to those interested.

Alright, so you probably opened that spreadsheet and went “WOAHH, what am I looking at!?”. I know I would. You’re probably wondering what the heck does all this mean? Don’t worry, I gotcha!! Keep reading.

BAB Puppy Evaluations

In the past we have done the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test (PAT). This was a great test and provides a lot of great information, however, there were a few things in that test I didn’t like and I felt that the test was not the best at honoring the puppies and building trust. One of our primary goals is to teach puppies that the world is safe, people are good, and other dogs are kind. In the Volhard PAT, there are a few steps to the test that work in direct contradiction to that goal. We’ve begun using the BAB Puppy Evaluation designed by Jeanette Forrey of 4E Kennels. This evaluation is more thorough, honors and builds trust with the puppy, and tests the puppy in a more “real” setting.

How Is The Testing Performed?

The puppies are placed into a room they’ve never been in before, on a new surface, and surrounded by new distractions. The tester sits in the middle of the floor, the puppy is placed into the testing area and is given a few moments to wander around, engage with the tester, check out the toys, or just sit and look around. If the puppy hasn’t wandered over to the tester after a few moments, the tester will begin coaxing the puppy to come greet her. After the tester and the pup have built some trust, the tester will begin the test by asking the pup to play with the toys, work on the equipment, walk on a new surface, experience wobbly surfaces, engage with startling objects, handling, and unstable situations. The test is free-flowing and there isn’t a set order for the pups to be asked to complete the activities. If a puppy becomes too stressed, the test may be stopped to allow the puppy to de-stress.

Definitions

Human Assertive - This is not aggression. Assertiveness is the dog’s willingness to invade your space. Highly assertive dogs will be dogs that will sit in your lap, try to steal your pizza, and will likely want to meet most all people.

Prey Drive - This could be something like chasing cats, but that is not the only thing that comprises Prey Drive. You can train away from chasing your kids and cats. Prey Drive could also be called intensity. Does the pup focus on his toys? Does he pick them up and shake them? Prey Drive is an indication of intensity and focus. Dogs with high prey drive will need a way to channel that safely.

Nerve Strength/Resiliency - This is an indication of comfort and ability to recover from new situations and new environments. This is an adjustable trait and can be fostered in a pup lacking this particular trait.

Tenderhearted - This is a big one. This is an indication of how this particular dog will handle big emotions (Huge Family Celebrations, PTSD, Depression, High Anxiety). Dogs that are extremely Tenderhearted will break down if put in home environments with a lot of extreme emotions. These tenderhearted dogs will feel responsible for your emotions and try to fix them.

The Recordings

Rather than uploading the videos directly to this webpage and slowing down the load time considerably, I have linked each video to the cover photo below. Please click the cover photo for each pup to be taken to Youtube where you can view the videos directly. The scores for this test are found in the sections labeled Stable Traits and Adjustable Traits on the spreadsheet.

***Best Suited For:***
*Show Home
*Performance Home
*Service Prospect
*ESA
*Hunting Prospect
***Well Suited For:***
*Active Family/Individual
*Classroom/Facility Dog
***Most Challenging:***
*Relaxed Family/Individuals
**Marvel** is the type of dog I am looking for. She is a go-go-go type of dog who needs a job/activities. She is not best suited for a relaxed lifestyle. She wants to get involved in activities and be a full member of the family. If you are looking for a girl who is gonna make you do more, then she is it!

Watch Video

***Best Suited For:***
*Performance Home
*Active Family/Individual
***Well Suited For:***
*Show Home
*Hunting Prospect
*Classroom/Facility Dog
*ESA
*Therapy Dog
***Most Challenging:***
*Service Dog
*Relaxed Family/Individuals
Inspire is a go-go=go type of boy, but he lacks a little confidence. The good thing is, that confidence can easily be built through training and getting settled into his new environment. He would make a good hunting companion with a little training and encouragement. He has great nerve strength and resiliency, which makes him an ideal candidate for learning new things, in new environments. He has a nice level of independence which is essential for hunting, agility, and nose work dogs. With some good confidence building he would easily be a nice Therapy or Classroom facility dog. He doesn’t seem to be very tenderhearted, which is ideal for handling BIG emotions.

Watch Video

***Best Suited For:***
*Relaxed/Moderately Active Family or Individual
***Well Suited For:***
*Performance Home +
*Active Family
***Most Challenging:***
*Show Home (not available to show home)
*Service Prospect (not available as Service Prospect)
*Hunting Prospect
Chance is the most laid-back puppy in the litter. He is also (currently) the littlest. This little boy is lacking in confidence, but boy he loves to snuggle and cuddle. He enjoys training and is eager to please. He is ideally suited for regular family life with a relaxed/moderately active lifestyle. I highly suggest getting him involved in activities like Nosework to build confidence. He is not an intense boy and will enjoy moderate amounts of training, interspersed with cuddle sessions and couch surfing.

Watch Video

***Best Suited For:***
*Show Home
*Performance Home
*Hunting Prospect
*Active Family/Individual
***Well Suited For:***
*Relaxed/Moderately Active Individual/Family
*Classroom/Facility Dog +
***Most Challenging:***
*Service Prospect
*ESA
Persistence is very similar to Marvel, but she is MUCH more tenderhearted. She is on the softer side and BIG emotions (both Happy and Sad) could prove difficult for her over time (if a constant). She would make an excellent Show or Performance prospect. She also shows great promise as a hunting companion. She does have a higher energy expenditure requirement, so an active individual or family would be ideal for her, although a moderately/relaxed family could work, provided stimulation is provided to let her express her energy either through training or dedicated exercise. Because she is more tenderhearted, she is not an ideal candidate for most Service work. Also, working as a therapy or classroom dog could be difficult for her, depending on the type of emotional strain she might be subject to.

Watch Video

***Best Suited For:***
*Relaxed/Moderately Active Individual/Family
*Performance Home
***Well Suited For:***
*Sport Home +
*Hunting Home
*Show Home
*Classroom/Facility Dog +
***Most Challenging:***
*Service Prospect
*ESA
*Active Family/Individual
Survivor is a softer girl who requires a little confidence building. She is very, very polite with both people and other animals. She would do wonderfully in a performance home looking to compete in nosework or barn hunt. Or a family home with a nice relaxed approach to life.

Watch Video

***Best Suited For:***
*Show Home
*Performance Home
*Service Prospect
*ESA
*Hunting Prospect
***Well Suited For:***
*Active Family/Individual
*Relaxed Family/Individuals
*Classroom/Facility Dog
***Most Challenging:***
Grace is another Marvel. If I were keeping two puppies back from this litter she would be my second choice. She is a great over-achiever puppy who will excel in any environment that puts effort into her. She does have a very small puppy heart murmur that we fully expect her to outgrow within the next couple of weeks.

Watch Video

***Best Suited For:***
**Relaxed/Moderately Active Family Home*
***Well Suited For:***
*Show Home (Altered Conformation ONLY)
*Performance Sport Home +
*Hunting Home +
***Most Challenging:***
*Service Prospect
*Active Family/Individual
*Classroom/Facility Dog +
Solace is currently not available as we wait to learn more about his heart murmur. Once he receives medical clearance, however, he is perfectly well suited for a relaxed/moderately active family home. He is a moderately active boy. I suspect he will enjoy activities like FastCat, Lure Coursing and Precision Coursing, as well as, Nosework. He could do with a little confidence building. He is definitely a great Alert! dog, which does not make him an ideal candidate for work as a facility/classroom dog.

Watch Video

Male Puppies

Female Puppies

Picks will be done in order of deposit received/commitment to the litter. As a reminder, the order is as follows.

Valaurah Farms (Female)
Nikki Clark (Female)
Martha Wagner (Male)
Laura Griffith (Female)
Kelsey McIntosh (Male)
Theresa Bailey (Female)
Georgene & Frank Siemsen (Male)
Open

Following the receipt of this e-mail I will begin reaching out to individuals to discuss and confirm their selection. This could be as simple as an e-mail stating “I want Solace, please” or a more complex phone conversation. Please plan to have an appointment within the next 36 hours. The document that tabulates all the testing details is changeable on my end. As puppies are chosen, I will begin marking them as unavailable on the master list. I will also make announcements on the Valaurah Farms Facebook and Instagram as well regarding chosen puppies.

If out of state, make sure you have made travel arrangements and communicated them to me. Keep Lookout for a Follow-Up E-mail Regarding travel requirements.

·Please send me the details you would like listed on the Microchip

Don’t forget to get your crate, toys and other goodies ready.

·Time to puppy-proof your house.

·Order your Baxter & Bella Lifetime Subscription. Use Promo Code VALAURAHFARMS to receive 25% off the subscription cost.

·Schedule your vet appointment for within 72 hours of receiving your puppy.

·Stay Tuned for More Pup-dates and Additional Communication