Details

My puppies are raised with Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS), Early Scent Introduction (ESI), Puppy Culture, and my own brand of enrichment and training which I have been refining over the years. Pups are well-started on potty training, crate training, leash training, clicker training, resource guarding prevention, the concept of operant conditioning and will have an established training relationship with humans. They will have been socialized to many different people and animals. Puppies come with included private lessons up to 6 months old, a health guarantee, are from health tested parents, and of course, lifetime breeder support and answers to any and all of your questions!

If you are thinking about applying for a puppy, please fill out our questionnaire/application. Completion of this application is part one of the application process for potential puppy/dog owners and may include secondary interviews and screening. Please be aware that my waitlist is not based solely on time of application, but is meant to fit the right puppies with the right homes.

This is a long application, but please fill out all sections as thoroughly and honestly as possible. There are no wrong answers and it is in everyone's best interests to be transparent. If all goes well with the application, the next step is a phone interview to go over things in more depth and answer any questions you may have.

How things work

Puppies are priced at $2,500. This price may vary based on pairing, additional training, age of dog, etc.
Puppies will be matched to homes at approximately 8 weeks old, after we do temperament testing.
Matches are made based on the temperament and background of the puppy and goals/needs of the applicant.
Matches are not made on a first-come first-served basis.
I don’t accept any deposits or payments until applicants are approved and have been screened by phone.
Visits by approved applicants are welcomed.
Puppies are not shipped via cargo and must be picked up personally from our residence in Northern Nevada. Our nearest airport is Reno-Tahoe International. Please plan for a good amount of time for pickup: to come to our home and visit a while, meet with the dogs, etc.
Wait times can vary greatly, I am in the process of streamlining my application review. If there’s a litter pending or on the ground that you are interested in, please feel free to reach out regarding updates on your application.

Planned litters

Calypso litter (BorderPaps) winter 2024/beginning 2025. Due in heat December 2024.
Vintage litter (Border Collies) spring 2025. Due in heat March 2025.
Penny litter (Border Collies or BorderPaps) summer 2025. Due in heat May 2025.
Tentative plans for later 2025 - Lapis litter (Border Whippets or sport mix), Calypso litter (BorderPaps), purebred Papillon litter.

I have several young up and coming dogs who are hopeful breeding candidates for the future, including Lucid, Whimsy, and pups from recent litters which can be found in my co-owns/guardians section.

My partner and I own and operate a private dog training business. It is our full-time work and is something we are very passionate about. Working from our home gives us ample time to raise puppies and put my full attention into puppy rearing. We try to set our puppies up for success in their future homes to the best of our ability. I expose the pups to lots of different noises, textures, surfaces, experiences, people, animals and most importantly, I give them a strong start to a training relationship and trust in their human. If your puppy has a strong relationship with you and knows to trust you as their advocate and partner, your lifetime of experiences together will be much better.

As dog trainers, we see many dogs with challenging behavioral issues and it is very rewarding to be able to remedy those issues and improve their owners' quality of life with them. But in my experience, there remains a huge gap between breeders and dog trainers which often goes untouched. Many breeders are not well versed on dog behavior or psychology and may not be well equipped to support their puppy owners in this way. On the extreme end of things, they may be unable to properly evaluate their puppy’s temperaments or their breeding stocks behavior.

Conversely, many dog trainers don't fully appreciate and understand the nuance and predisposition of herding breeds and rarer breeds. Some dogs require certain handling to be their best and don’t thrive under every training method, particularly highly intelligent Border Collies. It's easy for trainers to treat all dogs the same and eventually you'll end up with a dog who is trained, or so that seems to be what many trainers think. But I have worked with many client dogs who had already been through other training programs and were unsuccessful or worse, have come out of it with intensified issues.

Something like this happened with one of my own puppies, a dog I produced years ago. His owners brought him to a trainer who said, "Give me 15 minutes alone with the dog." They then proceeded to take this sensitive adolescent Border Collie away from his owners and essentially "shocked" him into submission with a low quality e-collar, with no proper acclimation process or prior training relationship. Towards what end, I am uncertain, but what they did do was cause pretty major behavioral issues that I worked hard to undo when his owners reached out to me and sent him to me for rehabilitation.

This is only one example of this type of situation happening. This one left a particular impact because this was a dog who I raised, who I loved and trained with effective and understandable methods for his first 10 weeks, and who had then been mistreated by another dog trainer. This type of thing happens regularly and it's unfortunate that dog owners need to watch out for this. However, “balanced” dog trainers are not the sole enemy and “R+” training can be done equally wrong.

We do advocate for properly used tools in dog training. We are big advocates for e-collars, when used the right way. To us, this looks like very careful and slow acclimation to make sure the dog never forms a negative association with the stimulation from the collar. The e-collar should not be an exclusively punitive sensation. The equipment uses medical grade blunt stimulation, like that of a TENS unit for physical therapy. E-collars can bring out the best or the worst in a dog. Although we are advocates for considering the tools at our disposal, we believe in training the dog in front of you. And not every dog needs one!

Long story short, if you’re interested in getting your puppy professionally trained, that can be great! All dogs thrive on training and building that beautiful relationship and clear communication with their handlers but having that professional touch can really help. Border Collies can be the best dog in the world or they can be very taxing and a lot of that has to do with how they are trained and how they are advocated for by their owners, along with their genetic predispositions. I do everything in my power on the breeding side of things, by choosing pairings with temperaments that are sound and trying to bring out the best of each and every one of my puppies. But that ends at 9 to 12 weeks, when my puppies leave me for their new homes.

But I want to be able to offer more.

I want to bridge that gap between breeder and behaviorist and create amazing dogs who are going to be ambassadors for not only my breeding program but also my training philosophy. I want to educate my puppy owners on all things dog. Nutrition, overall care like nail trims, teeth brushing, vaccines, spay/neuter, socialization, training, and how to properly advocate for your dog. How to be your dog's best friend and how to maintain a healthy relationship built on mutual understanding and clear communication.

I don't want you to have to go to the “internet dog gurus” or Google for your questions and concerns; I want you to feel comfortable coming to me. Your dog from me comes with 24/7 unlimited tech support and if you have a question, I will be a resource to help answer it. To help encourage this, I include unlimited online video lessons with me throughout your pup’s first 6 months. These lessons are a resource to help walk everyone through puppyhood. I am there as your support, to answer any and all questions, to help teach you and your puppy new skills, and to hold myself accountable for the success of the puppies I produce. Along with this, we offer a special preferred pricing for our other training services, like our board and trains. The training is very custom for each dog and each owner. You can view our training website here.

Our puppies are all proudly raised with Puppy Culture methods.

What is Puppy Culture?

Socialization

Socialization is key to a well-rounded dog. However, there is a common misconception on what "socialization" means. It's extremely important not to overdo it with our puppies (and dogs). I don't recommend over-socializing puppies, especially border collies, as I've seen it cause many more issues than it prevents. Often, “quantity over quality” is prioritized in socialization, as witnessed by many socialization checklists that are commonly recommended online. However, this emphasis on letting your puppies meet as many people, places and things as possible rather than how the pup is feeling during these encounters can be detrimental. When it comes to socializing with other dogs, many adult dogs simply don't like puppies, so it's very important to find dogs that are polite, neutral, calm and gentle with puppies. A sharp correction or even accidental scare or hurt from a dog has the chance to impact your puppy's confidence about dogs. The same applies with people and kids, but they are usually easier to direct than dogs who are not yours.

A bad encounter with a dog, kid, person, place or thing can shape what that puppy will think of that stimulus and create a lasting fear or even aggression towards it, which can be challenging to work through. Border Collie puppies in particular can often be very stoic and may seem unaffected by environmental stimulus and pressure, when in reality they are quickly patterning and forming negative associations which may reappear later in their life. In my opinion, the key goal of socialization is to establish your puppy’s trust in you– that you will advocate for them and that they should value you over the rest of the world.

Desensitization

Just like socialization, desensitizing is also very important and on the same spectrum. Puppies are their most impressionable point in their entire life in their first 3-4 months. As they age, their adaptability to new things becomes more of a challenge. Your puppy from Old Hemp will already have a foundation and familiarity with car rides, having his teeth checked, his ears looked at, his nails trimmed, general body handling, wearing collars, desensitization to household noises, urban sound habituation, and so on. You will need to continue these things at your puppy’s pace and always take care to notice your puppy’s state of mind to maintain the best results throughout your dog's life.

Training

Training is one of the most rewarding ways we can bond with our canine companions. Establishing the love to learn, desire to look to you for guidance, and the trust associated with a good training relationship is an unsurpassed joy you get to share with your dog. The intelligence, biddability, and trainability of Border Collies is well known and likely a factor in choosing this breed for your future companion! However, like with all other things, it’s important to emphasize quality over quantity and keep training sessions short and highly engaging until your pup has enough mental and emotional maturity to avoid displacement. Training throughout your dog’s entire life is a great way to provide mental stimulation and maintain a healthy relationship. No dog is ever too old for new tricks!

Setting boundaries with your new puppy or dog right away is also very important. Boundaries can include structured access to freedom, appropriate crate usage, how you manage greetings, whether or not you want to allow your dog on the furniture, and their interactions with other animals. It's not fair to allow things for a little while and then expect them to just stop with ease later on, or ask them to be able to make distinctions on whether or not a behavior is “ok” at certain times and not allowed at others. As a rule of thumb, dogs are not the best at generalizing! It's easier to set these boundaries and expectations right away and be consistent with them during puppyhood, rather than to try to rewire them to do brand new or contradicting things later. Some things may be cute as a little puppy but once you have a 30-50lb dog, it might not be so cute! You obviously get to set the rules in your own home but it is good to establish these rules sooner than later.

Physical health and nutrition

Physical health is another key factor in the lives of our dogs. Obesity is the most common preventable disease in dogs, and more than 50% of dogs in the US are overweight (Association for Pet Obesity Prevention). Body condition and weight should be evaluated regularly by feel and appearance. Being even moderately overweight can reduce a dog’s life expectancy by nearly two years, while also increasing the risks for many types of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, osteoarthritis and a faster degeneration of affected joints, urinary bladder stones, and even anesthesia complications. Unfortunately, it can be a challenge for people to realize their dog is overweight and even some vets can struggle with this. People are very used to seeing overweight animals, to the point where it is often accepted as normal. You may even experience more societal backlash for having a healthy weight dog from people who mistake them for being “emaciated.”

Another huge problem dogs face is overgrown nails. Long nails can turn a healthy paw into a splayed foot–reducing traction, potentially deforming their feet, and injuring the tendons over an extended period. When nails are too long, they create an unnatural angle for the foot, where the nails “push” their toes up and the “heel” of their foot comes down to balance in a “plantigrade” position, straining the muscles and ligaments in their legs. Overgrown nails also increase the risk of a dog catching their nail on something, ripping off the outer casing of the nail and exposing the quick and nerve endings. In severe cases, nails can even curl around on themselves and grow into the paw pad. Many people leave nail maintenance up to their vet or groomer, but realistically nails should be trimmed far more often. Cooperative care is something that every dog should be comfortable with receiving from their owner.

Nutrition is another very important piece of our dogs' well-being. I’ve done a lot of research on dog nutrition and different foods, and with the increase in DCM cases a couple of years back a lot of new information came out surrounding what ingredients are included in dog foods. I have always steered clear of “grain free” foods and any foods containing phytoestrogens for the benefit of my dogs reproductive health, but there have also been links with DCM. Phytoestrogens can be estrogenic (have estrogen-like effects and increase the estrogen levels in your body), or antiestrogenic (decrease natural estrogen levels by blocking the hormone’s effects). Phytoestrogen-rich foods often seen in kibble are peas, other legumes and flaxseed. I always recommend finding a diet that meets AAFCO’s nutrient profile standards and the FDA’s regulatory standards. I don’t generally recommend the “boutique” dog food brands as they may meet AAFCO profiles but may not have veterinary nutritionists on staff and or thorough feeding trial data.

I also approve of a properly balanced raw diet. However, please do lots of research on this and transition your puppy or dog appropriately, as an improperly balanced raw diet can be detrimental.

Here is a document I put together, comparing different foods we like.