Frequently Asked Questions

If you are ready to move forward with a puppy, please go to that puppy’s page and put a deposit down on him or her. This prevents anyone else from snatching up the puppy you had your heart set on. Even though deposits are non-refundable, they can transfer to a future litter or even a different breed we offer if you need to postpone your puppy purchase.

Yes! We welcome visitors to come meet any puppies they are considering. Prior arrangements MUST be made and approved by Gladys. Because we run our kennel on a regimented schedule to ensure our dogs are being appropriately cared for in accordance to both USDA and state regulation, we ask that you keep your visits to a maximum of 45 minutes.

We know how important it is so make sure all your furry friends get along, but unfortunately we cannot host adult dogs on our property for a plethora of liability reasons. If you are wanting to chat with Kimberly, a puppy trainer and behaviorist we work with who conducts our temperament tests, her insight on each one of our puppies will help guide you to the right furry friend to transition into your existing pack.

Puppies can go home after they turn 8 weeks of age. Both state and federal regulation prohibit puppies going home any earlier than 8 weeks old. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do to change this without risking our kennel’s licensing or reputation. We know you want your new bundle of joy in your arms ASAP but we will not accommodate requests to ship your puppy or allow you to pick up your puppy before the appropriate date.

For large breed dogs such as Goberians or English Cream Golden Retrievers, we use Nutrisource Large Breed Puppy Food|

For small breed puppies such as our designer mini mix breeds, we use Nutrisource Small Breed Puppy Food

If you would like to read more about transitioning your food to something different once your puppy comes home, please read through our Food and Watering Guide.

Yes, puppies are microchipped near the neck. Please be aware that your microchip is NOT registered. You will need to register your microchip online or with your vet with your name and address. We suggest asking your vet or local animal control which pet recovery microchip systems they check the most frequently and register your puppy’s chip with that database. If your city, state, or county requires your dog to be licensed, there will usually be a place to register the microchip online with your registration. All puppies are scanned before they leave the kennel to ensure their microchip number matches all of their paperwork.

We have 5 different ways you can get safely get your puppy:

1)    Pick up in person. We welcome visitors but a pickup appointment must be made and approved prior to coming to the kennel. If arriving by car, please see our puppy road trip guide here. If you prefer to fly we recommend flying into either Cleveland, Columbus, or Pittsburg airports. We are about equal distance from all 3 airports. Private aircraft are able to fly into the Holmes County Airport which is about 15min from our property. Please check with age and size restrictions with your airline prior to travel.

2)    Public Puppy Transport. If you live far away and still hat the thought of your puppy flying in cargo, we do have a puppy transportation option that works much like a school bus. Many puppies travel the same route in a sprinter van, and are dropped off at their forever homes or agreed upon meet up points. Puppies will be dropped off in the order in which is the quickest delivery route, and drop off times cannot be controlled or scheduled.

3)    Air-Cargo.  We use a wonderful broker who knows all the details and regulations that are involved in safely flying your new fur baby to its forever home. If you have detailed questions about all that is involved in flying a puppy in cargo, please read all about it HERE.

4)    Private Transport. We have a few private drivers we work with who can personally pick up your puppy from our kennel and bring it to your home. This is a great option for families living within a 10 hour radius of Ohio.

5)    Flight Nanny. If you do not have the time or the desire to fly in cabin with your puppy, we can hire a puppy flight nanny on your behalf. This is the most expensive way for your puppy to travel but comes with the added assurance that someone is watching over your new family member with the same care and concern you would if you were able to come yourself. There are weight and height restrictions to fly with a canine in cabin so please keep in mind this option might not be available to you.

We offer Economy Public Transport Delivery anywhere in the USA for $300-$500 depending on your state. Air Cargo is priced at $575. Private Transport starts at $600. We also offer a flight Nanny Service for our puppies (price dependant on location). 7% sales Tax is charged to Ohio residents.

Absolutely not! Please name your puppy whatever your family wants! We name our puppies to keep account for each and every one of them. Their name, along with their microchip number and collar color are just a few ways we keep our records (and brains) organized!

We are passionate about dogs and know how much they can impact people’s lives for the good! We turned our passion into a thriving family business. We do not do this for a hobby like most breeders in the area- we know there is a true science to safe and legal breeding practices which is why we do this full time! A puppy mill is a place where dogs are kept in horrible inhumane conditions for the sole purpose of gaining a profit. We invest a lot of money and a lot of time into each and every puppy and adult dog in our care to give them the best lives possible- even if we only get to see their sweet faces for 8 weeks! Stewardship of God’s creatures great and small is at the core of our code of ethics. For more information about puppy mills, please read this fantastic blog post written by our Puppy Trainer friend Kimberly who has seen all sorts of breeding conditions in her quest to find her clients the perfect puppy.

Parents are regularly vet checked and up to date on their vaccinations. They receive a 7-way vaccine that has Canine Distemper, Hepatitis, Corona Viral Enteritis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus and Leptospirosis as well as their rabies shot annually. All parents are also genetically tested to clear puppies of being positive for genetic diseases. Mothers are tested prior to impregnation to make sure they are healthy and the uterus is viable to carry a litter to full term.

We love dogs and we want people to have the best ones out there! Just like human females, our females can start cycling at the same time from living under the same roof! It can be a crazy busy birthing season at different times in the year! We have regular litters to keep up with the demand of families looking for puppies, but also have a healthy client base who come back to us looking for a second or even third dog to add to their family. Many of our first-time puppy buyers are referrals from friends or family who have purchased their puppy through Woodlot.

Puppies can be socialized in many different ways. We personally handle each puppy regularly, stimulate brain activity and growth through E.N.S., and  of course let our kids play with the pups. What we do with the puppies is just the basics to get them started out. Each forever family should continuing to socialize their puppy once they are fully vaccinated at dog parks, walk them around the neighborhood, and have them meet strangers and friends alike! This is SO important to keep developing your pup’s confidence and social versatility.

We take deposits on future litters for each breed though we cannot guarantee when you will get your puppy. We do have a breeding schedule to know when due dates for expectant mothers, however we never know how many will be in the litter, how many of each sex, or can guarantee their coloring. Deposits get first dibs on the litter in the order in which they were received. Temperament tests are conducted at 6 weeks, along with a vet check, and photo shoot. Gladys will keep you updated on dates of testing and the deposit order. If desired, you will get a call on the day of the temperament test from Kimberly the puppy trainer to go over temperaments of the entire litter with you.

Final payment needs to be made at the time of pickup or before the puppy leaves. If you are opting for private transportation, public puppy transport, or picking up in person, you have the option of paying cash upon delivery.

Sibling rivalry is real and there is no exception in puppies! Since the pups are used to eating as they please from mom as they are hungry, we also let them eat and drink as they please when they are weening to help make the transition to mom’s milk over to solid foods easier. Since our puppies go to forever families all over the United States with different lifestyles and schedules this grazing style of eating is also the most neutral schedule we can provide them and their new owners to get in the rhythm of life. You do not need to keep your puppy on a grazing schedule! Please put your puppy on a regular feeding and drinking schedule when it comes home that makes sense for your family. Please read through our food and watering guide for more detailed info.

We believe that each puppy is unique and has it’s own distinct personality. Since the majority of our buyers are unable to come to the kennel to pick out their puppy, Woodlot Companions pays for each puppy to be temperament tested so that our buyers can make an educated decision about which dog from the litter is right for their family. Temperament tests help determine pack pecking order, natural social ability, confidence, stubbornness, energy levels, affection, and so forth. Although these tests are not 100% accurate, we have been working with Kimberly (our preferred puppy trainer) for over a year and get rave reviews from clients who believe in her intuitive work and behavioral observations of each dog truly helped them find their perfect match! Kimberly gets to see what you would see if you were able to come to the kennel but observes each puppy with a trainer’s mindset and rationality that drives her testing rather than the emotions and getting distracted by the looks of each dog. We are not trainers or animal behaviorists- we focus on the detailed science of breeding. However we saw the need for our buyers to know more about each puppy’s personality to ensure we are matching the right forever family with the right puppy.

Yes! Please read or download the guarantee HERE.

Yes! Here is our downloadable PDF that you can print off on your own to help you through those first 48 hours. We will also happily connect you with our preffered puppy trainer, Kimberly.

There are many viewpoints on this. Your vet will be the best person to discuss when it’s the right time for you and your puppy. Most vets agree that 6 months of age is the youngest ideal age for a spay or neuter, however many vets will also advocate that a female dog has at least 1 heat cycle before she is spayed. This cycle as well as ideal times to neuter males based upon their growth plates and hormones will vary from breed to breed. Please talk to your vet on the best course of action.

We are professional breeders. Training is a different area of expertise that we leave to folks who are passionate about dog behavior and education. However, we do have our kennel set up in a way where the puppies are able to use a doggie door to go outside to potty. They start understanding the concept of going to the bathroom outside at an early age.

As everyone has a different style of training we leave that up to the forever family to decide on what is best for them. If you would like to be connected to our preferred puppy trainer for help on training your puppy, please contact Kimberly here.

Start training your puppy as soon as possible! We sometimes have puppies leave our kennel at 8 weeks and immediately go into a 30-day training bootcamp. Others prefer to wait, and some advanced programs or trainers require the puppies to be at a certain age. Think of training as you would for sending your child to school. There are different training programs and techniques for all stages of development. The sooner you begin, the better!

We love sending our puppies out smelling like they have been living a posh life here at Woodlot. Please refer to our grooming guide blog post for details on all of the products we love!