Please read here before contacting me
(Last revised January 12th, 2010)
If you are looking for a puppy to add to your family really soon, you may not have found it!
The Danish/Swedish Farmdog is an extremely rare breed in The USA (less than 150 of these dogs in the entire USA), and also still very limited in numbers in it's home countries.
Most of the US residing dogs are too closely related to be bred to one another, and the majority of them are family dogs, not intended to be bred period.
If you have read about the breed's history on our web-site, you will know, that it has not been a kennel bred breed for more than only 20 years. The breed is much older, but was almost distinct, and not until in the late 1980's a recovery and rescue work began in Denmark and Sweden with a very limited number of foundation dogs.
These dogs do go back for centuries, but were almost lost, and was not a Kennel Club recognized dog breed until recently.
The breed was even more recently (July, 2008) recognized by FCI ( Fédération Cynologique Internationale) as a provisionally accepted breed. This means the breed is recognized internationally, more specifically by FCI's member countries, yet still with certain limitations. Until then, the USA was the only country outside of Scandinavia, where this breed could be registered.
The development of this breed is still very much walking it's "baby steps", which means that any and all breeding must be conducted very carefully and slowly. If breeding too many of the same dogs too quick, the breed will be destined to severe in-breeding. We are very conscientious about this fact both in The USA and in the breed's native countries, Denmark and Sweden. There are limitations in our breeding guidelines as far as how many puppies a female and a male dog may have in a life-time.
Every individual puppy might count, in developing a dog breed. This breed is enjoying extreme interest and popularity, both here and abroad, due to it's obvious qualities, "everybody" wants one. This interest is dangerous to the breed over-all, if demand is allowed to control availability, hence the above.
Before you contact me, I expect your full understanding of, that getting a Farmdog puppy is not like getting any puppy, and that it may not happen soon. Only people with understanding of the breed and the logistics of breeding the breed will have a chance of some day bringing a Farmdog puppy home.
The people who have adopted puppies from me previously, have waited for those for
up to 2 years. It is possible that you won't have to wait for that long, because some of our second generation females have reached breeding age, and more and more single dog owners decide to breed a litter. I do refer people to those, to help make the wait shorter, if someone else has puppies available before I do. But I recommend to expect that there can be a wait, to save yourself from disappointment.
I ask for understanding of several things. First of all, I expect that someone wishing to pursue a dog of a rare breed has an expressed desire to meet a dog of that breed in person. Since the breed is so rare, there is very little chance, that you can ask someone such as a neighbor, dog trainer or vet, who is able to tell you anything about these dogs, because they've never met one either. This breed is not like i.e. a Golden Retriever, which every child knows about. Looking at mine and others' web-sites gives you a written description and a lot of pictures. I am of the opinion, that that is not enough for anyone to determine, if this is the dog breed, they will thrive with for the next 10-12 years or longer.
I therefore require, that you meet with a "live" Danish/Swedish Farmdog and it's family, prior to deciding if this is the right breed for you. The US Farmdog families are in close touch, and most of those across the country make themselves available for me to refer people with interest in meeting their Farmdog. To some this may include some traveling, as the individual dogs are scattered across the country. I do expect you to be willing to travel to meet a Farmdog, if there is not one close to you.
I am also available myself, for people to come and visit us in WY and meet our dogs.
It is not enough for me, that you feel the breed is a good match for you and your family. This breed could in a sense be a good match for every American family, so that does not get me excited by any means. Please understand, that
I need to feel, that you are a good match for this breed and
it's specific needs, and not the other way around.
I also ask for your understanding of, that even after getting to know each other, and both you and me feeling, that this breed could be a good match for you, I will not commit to having a puppy for you at any specific time. I have only happy puppy families, not angry or disappointed, and I have that for this very reason. It is my experience, that "puppy fever" is the most dangerous disease in the world. People anticipating getting a puppy at a particular time become very disappointed if it doesn't happen, at times even pushy and demanding. The instant I have committed something specific to someone, I will become worried and sleepless about the possibility, that perhaps I can't full-fill my promise. I breed our dogs first of all as my personal hobby, and that means it is for fun. If I become sleepless, it is no longer fun for me.
I will try to explain some of the many reasons for a puppy perhaps not to be available, even if planned well.
I am breeding our own beloved little family dogs. They live with us in our home and sleep in our bed. I do not wish for our dogs to have puppies, if I at the time feel, that they are not ready for that. Further, breeding a litter of Farmdog puppies is an extremely costly event, I am of the opinion that breeding dogs for money is the very wrong object. Butch and I breed our dogs as an expensive hobby, because we do not play golf or collect stamps. We breed for the dedication to the breed and for a wish to help it in getting established as a breed in a responsible manner.
Add, that I am off from work and home 24/7 during the entire time a litter of puppies grows up in our home, and you will understand, that I can only breed at my own convenience. In many cases I must even travel to Denmark, to find compatible males to mate our female to.
There are also other considerations to add. I may have the best of intensions to breed a litter of puppies, but dealing with dogs is dealing with nature. Dogs don't always do, what we want them to do, a female may be brought to a male, but she can decide she does not want to mate to him, or vise versa. She may also mate, and go "empty", or have one puppy only. She can also have a litter, and for some reason the puppies might not be able to sustain. Very young puppies are very vulnerable, and we have experienced to loose 1/2 litter in it's first week. It is horrible, but it happens. As much as dog breeding seems under human control, please understand, that it is not.
No-body picks their own puppy from a litter. I reserve the right to decide who goes where. I assess our puppies no sooner than when they are 7 weeks old. At that time, both exterior and mental potential begins to show, and at that time I match each puppy to each family. I already know the puppies better than anybody, from observing them during their development, and reactions to exposure to a lot of different experiences, which I give them. At that time, I need to know you and your family on good and bad, to make the very best choice for you, and for the puppy. My system works well, at the time of writing this, I have according to 21 of 21 families succeeded in selecting the very right puppy for them, which is why I intend to continue doing things this way.
I ask for the trust, that I can do this better than anybody.
Our puppies are being educated while they are with us. At the time they leave us, they have a lot of experience under their belts, and I expect their education into becoming good family dogs, to continue the way it was started. I work by a concept of raising a puppy, which is described best in 2 books, and those I expect you and your family to read. Both books are by Ian Dunbar: "Before and after getting your puppy" and "Dog behavior". Through reading these 2 books, you will learn the terminology I use, when I update people about our puppies' status and you will know exactly where your puppy is in meeting the developmental deadlines, before you even have it home.
I require by contract, that people agree to stay in touch with me for the life of their dog, and at least 2 times a year provides me updates and pictures. The time and effort we put into every breeding and every puppy, makes us feel they are our children, and we are not willing to let them go out there and disappear. Further from a breeder's aspect, it is important to me, that I know how our puppies develop, so I may learn, and make adjustments as I go, if I find reason to do so.
It is my experience this far, that my puppy families remain in touch with me much more frequent, than what is required by their contract, and it is my general feeling, that this is happening, not because they have to, but because they want to.
I have great appreciation of this fact, and I am always availabe to help in any question or matter, pertaining to a Farmdog bred by me.
I purchase "first right of refusal" to every puppy I breed. By a price deduction up front at time of sale, I thereby buy all my puppies back in advance. This literally means, that if someone at any time for any reason can't have or keep their Farmdog, it will be returned to me, at no cost to me. A Farmdog from Kennel Little Denmark can in that manner never become a "hand down" dog, sold to third party, or end in a shelter, as I through contract maintain full control over placement of our puppies for their entire lives.
I also require by contract, that our puppies complete BOTH puppy classes and basic obedience classes, prior to turning 1 year of age. This makes it necessary for someone (an adult!) in a family to have the time, interest and devotion to work with their dog, and learn just how rewarding that is. I consider this requirement to be a minimum of the basics needed to continue on with special interests and "jobs" for the dog later on, it puts in the foundation to be able to continue with more specific training into the different dog sports or other activities planned for the dog.
It may sound like I am very demanding, and I am! But in return, I also promise a lot.
Please see under each of our previous litters, how our puppies grow up, it is described in great detail week by week in many pages and hundreds of pictures.
A Kennel Little Denmark puppy is generally ready to leave us at age 9 weeks. At that time, it has understood the concept of potty training, even though it physically can't "hold it", it has a conscience and will with simple and easy help become fully housebroken very quickly. It has been driving by car many times, and it has been visiting many strange and odd places, accompanied by it's Mother and sibblings. It has met a large number of different people, men, women and children. It has started to work on "bite inhibition", and even though a 9 week old puppy still is very "mouthy", it's bite has already been softened substantially, and it will with proper supervision advance very fast in this part of it's education. A Kennel Little Denmark puppy has tried to have a bath, and in many cases also walked briefly on a leash. It is used to being a part of a normal household's activities, and is familiar with it's sounds, such as razor, blow dryer, washing and dishwashing mashine, vacuum cleaner, coffeee grinder etc. and it has also experienced outside distant and up closes noises such as lawn mowers and air planes. It is used to traveling by car with it's litter mates in a kennel, and is already very comfortable with a kennel as an open "den", so kennel training will be a breeze. It has also had "long term confinement" as described by Ian Dunbar, with proper chew toys and a proper "toilet" available. It has had access to a great variety of only "good chews" and will with continued emphazis on Ian Dunbar's system never become a destructive puppy.
Every puppy of mine has also at age 9 weeks started to "work" by motivation only, and each of them knows basic commands such as "sit" and "down" by combination of voice and hand signal. As a group, a litter also has a good concept of "come". All together they have a good concept of, and strong desire to, work with a human, and they crave learning.
This is what it takes to set a future family dog up for success. If you decide not to pursue a Danish/Swedish Farmdog, please be critical, when you select a breeder of any other breed. Good breeders care!.
All my puppies are micro chipped, and ARBA registered and come with an ARBA pedigree. They also have 1 set of puppy shots, and a current (less than 10 days old) health certificate. Further they are accompanied by a "Kennel Little Denmark puppy binder", which includes specific information about the puppy's family tree along with pictures, for as far back in the generations as I know it. The binder also contains a lot of breed related information, as well as my tips and experiences of what works and does not work for this breed, in regards to toys, food etc.
They also come with a nation wide family, as the Farmdog owners across the country are closely attached to each of them already. I encourage and offer to all our puppy families, that they are put in touch with the other US Farmdog families, for the quite active exchange of training tips, experiences, pictures and "brags". Many friendships have been built through ownership of a Danish/Swedish Farmdog, and many of us make a point of getting together with our dogs, whenever we can.
Please know, that I do not ship puppies. You must be willing to travel to WY to pick up a puppy, I provide my experience and advise in traveling with a puppy both by plane and by car.
Some puppies might come with a contract that has special breeding inclusions/considerations. Puppies developing faults excluding them from breeding, are by contract required to be spayed/neutered.
All puppies are sold as "pet quality", as a breeding quality dog in reality can't be identified, until it is grown up.
There is basically no entirely "new blood" to be found in Denmark for breeding purposes. Pretty much all the lines known abroad are already represented in The US.
"Downsides" about the breed:
These dogs do not thrive if home alone for long hours. 2 full time away of home working adults should seek another breed.
These dogs come with strong instincts to quickly "bolt" at anything that moves, a leaf in the wind can be a perfect "target" in lack of squirrels, birds etc.
For this reason, it is NOT an off leash breed, unless far away from any kinds of hazards such as traffic. Training cannot ever be expected to over-ride genetic instincts.
I will not sell a puppy to someone having or considering installing an invisible electrical fence. They are illegal to manufacture and sell in Scandinavia, deemed in-humane, and I also consider those in-humane, and prohibit them in my contracts.
Are you still interested in a puppy of this breed?
To adopt a US born Danish/Swedish Farmdog puppy, please contact me by email at: Helene
(at)farmdogs.net (I have removed the link to my email address, and chose to write it like this, in an attempt to eliminate huge amounts of computer generated junk mail), and include everything you would want to know up front, about someone who wishes to adopt a child of yours. Also please include your comments and thoughts about my requirements, so I may know, how you feel about those, and your thoughts about full-filling them.
All I ask is honesty, and that I guarantee in return.
Be patient on my respond time, especially when I am traveling, I may not respond promptly, but I do respond, when I can.
I am looking forward to hear from you, and to get to know you.
Sincerely,
Helene R. Pedersen
