I believe Tollers are a breed
that should have it all....health, temperament, soundness, working ability
and breed type. Any less, and you will never have the perfect dog.
At Tollwest Kennels we've set
very high goals for our breeding program. A lot of thought, careful
planning, and intense research goes into each breeding here at Tollwest.
We do everything possible to ensure that our breedings will produce
puppies that are genetically sound.
It is our #1 goal to produce healthy, genetically & physically sound
puppies while still preserving the breed's natural hunting abilities,
instincts, trainability and temperament. We choose each pairing for a
breeding only after hours of researching pedigrees to analyze the health,
structure and temperament in the ancestors of the potential breeding
partners. So whether your Toller is to be a show, obedience, agility,
hunting or family dog, each litter is produced with the same goals in
mind. I feel very strongly about having health clearances (OFA/OVC
evaluated hips and CERF/Optigen eyes) on all dogs used for breeding.
We take great pride in producing high quality puppies. Our litters are
whelped and raised as part of the family, and each puppy is given lots of
individual care, love, and attention. Daily contact and stimulation is
important to the neurological development of young puppies, therefore,
each one is handled and socialized extensively.
Shortly after birth, the puppies undergo Early Neurological
Stimulation also known as the "Bio Sensor" or "Super Puppy" program, this is a
form of very early socialization for the pups, click here to read
about it. The puppies are usually ready to go to their
new homes at 8-10 weeks of age. Puppies are socialized with other dogs, cats
and children, and are started on basic retrieving, obedience,
crate-training and housebreaking. We perform puppy aptitude testing on all
our puppies, prior to placing them in their new homes. We also stress
proper socialization and training at an early age!
At Tollwest, all our dogs are holistically raised
and are fed on B.A.R.F. (Bones
And Raw Foods)....we started feeding some raw foods in 1995 and went
to 100% B.A.R.F. in 1997. We will never go back to kibble again! All our
puppies are weaned onto the BARF diet for for optimum health, nutrition
and development.
While we don't insist on our pups going to
raw-feeding homes, we encourage families ask us about it and to give it a
try. Families who decide to raw-feed their pups will be given priority.
We are very concerned about the potentially very
harmful effects of over-vaccination in this breed, and require our puppy
buyers to follow a very limited vaccine protocol. Vaccination is an issue
where more is not better! We will not consider sending a pup to a home
where our philosophies on limited vaccinations will not be adhered to.
Families who have been approved will need to have a veterinarian who
follows these protocols in place before the pup is sent home. We can help
you find one. If you do not agree with only limited and judicious use of
vaccines please find a Toller breeder who agrees with the way you wish to
raise your Toller. Our vaccine protocol is available on our website.
Please ask for more information.
Our dogs are available to approved homes only and
are sold with a comprehensive written sales contract/guarantee plus a
lifetime of help, advice and assistance to all our puppy buyers! Puppies
are tattooed and registered with the Canadian Kennel
Club. A puppy pack will also be included with food, toys and all the
information you will need for that nervous first night with your new
addition to the family. The sales contract must be signed no later than
when the pup is picked up. If the puppy is to be shipped, the signed
contract must be received by Tollwest Kennels before the puppy will be
shipped. Please read our standard companion pet purchase agreement
carefully as it outlines your responsibilities as well as mine. Please
contact me with any questions you may have. If you are purchasing a show
or breeding potential puppy, a different purchase agreement is required.
To help monitor the health of our bloodlines, all
buyers (including buyers of companion puppies) must commit to having hip (OFA
or OVC), eye (CERF) & thyroid (OFA) tests done on their dog at 18-30
months old. Because many of the hereditary problems affecting Tollers can
show mild or even no obvious symptoms, the only way we can truly know what
we are producing as far as health in our dogs, is to officially test as
many of the offspring as possible to find out for sure if they are
affected or not with any hereditary health concerns. We do offer a $100
rebate after the required health tests have been performed.
Due to the small gene pool in the breed as well as
our kennel's commitment to the future of the breed, our show/breeding
prospects are generally sold on co-ownerships only, unless going to
another experienced breeder or exhibitor.
All puppies not sold on a co-ownership are sold on a CKC
Non-Breeding Agreement, if you wish to breed your dog this
non-breeding agreement can be lifted later - but in order to protect the
integrity of the breed, this will only
be lifted if the puppy passes all required health clearances, obtains at least 2 titles,
meets the breed standard and has a good temperament.
You will be put on my waiting
list only after I receive your questionnaire and approve you to be added to my
list. I require a $400 down payment in order to hold a spot on the waiting
list, at that time you will be required to sign our puppy reservation
contract. Payment is due in full before taking your puppy home. Payments
may be made by cash, international money order, Western Union (online payment with your credit card is possible), PayPal
(credit card payment available), certified check (Canadian bank only) or Interac e-mail money transfer (Canada
only). Sorry I can not accept personal checks. All money orders and
certified checks must be made out to Lisa Porter, not to Tollwest Kennels.
(The kennel is a hobby, not a business, therefore it does not have its own
bank account!)
Please note that I do NOT sell
puppies as “gifts” (Birthday, Christmas etc) or “surprises” to friends,
family members etc. The entire family that will be owning the dog must be
aware of and in agreement with the purchase.
Finding the right home for each
puppy is of utmost importance to me. I always reserve the right to decide
who receives one of my puppies. You ALWAYS have the right to decide not to
take a puppy even at the last minute. I never want anyone to feel that
they must take a puppy just because they are on the waiting list or have
given me a down payment.
Although I will try my best to
get you a puppy from the litter you are interested in, being put on the
waiting list does not guarantee you will receive a puppy from that litter.
There are simply too many variables involved such as litter size, the
number of show quality puppies, sex of the puppies, etc. In some cases,
especially with small litters, there may be no pet puppies or no show
quality puppies available, or there just may not be a puppy that is quite
the right "fit" with your needs. If there is no puppy available from the
particular litter you are waiting for, you have the option of staying on
the waiting list for the next litter or I will happily refer you to other
breeders that may have a suitable puppy for you.
Show and performance prospect
puppies are ALWAYS chosen first and their placement takes priority over
the choosing of pet puppies. This is in part due to the particular
requirements for show and performance puppies. Show/performance prospect
puppies are ONLY placed in homes where the owner is committed to competing
with them. The way we look at it - all our puppies are somebody's pet, but
some have other special aptitudes as well, and need to be placed in a home
that will utilize those special aptitudes! So please don't think we only
place all our puppies in show homes and don't like selling to people
looking for just a family pet - if you are the type of family home we are
looking for, and if we have a puppy that meets your needs then yes, we are
happy to place a companion puppy with you!
Puppies will be ready to go home
at about 8-10 weeks. I choose which puppies go to which homes based on the
requirements of the buyer. After 8 weeks of observation, a puppy
temperament test, and a puppy structure evaluation, I have a good idea
which pup will work for which family. My priority is to make sure that
each pup is in the right home. For example, a duck hunter needs a dog with
natural retrieving instinct and a love of birds and water. The agility
competitor needs a dog with a high energy level, as well as structure
suited towards efficient running, jumping and twisting and turning. The
show competitor needs a dog with proper balanced structure and movement,
and a showy "look at me" attitude. And the person wanting a beloved family
companion needs a dog with a wonderful, sweet and affectionate
temperament, and typically a lower level of energy and working drive.
If none of my puppies available
are suitable for you, you may wait for the next litter or go to another breeder. I
am always happy to make referrals to other reputable breeders.
The current cost of a puppy from
Tollwest Kennels is $1400. We are
happy to run on promising puppies for sales overseas, please note however
that if Puppy is being sold to a purchaser that lives in a country with
rabies titre requirements for imports, the price will be higher to cover
the expenses for boarding, food, routine veterinary care, titre costs etc.
Please contact us for further details!
If the puppy will need to be
shipped to its new home, the purchaser is responsible for all associated
costs, including shipping kennel, airline shipping fees, International
Health Certificate (if traveling outside Canada), and airport delivery
charge.
If the puppy is returned for ANY
reason, the buyer is responsible for any costs including transportation,
crate, and health certificate. This includes show puppies that are
unacceptable to the buyer for any reason.
If you would like to meet our
dogs in person, visits to our home are welcomed, but are on an appointment
only basis.
We currently have 8 Tollers in residence, all of which live in the house
as family companions – our “kennel” isn’t a kennel building at all!
If you're still
interested in purchasing a puppy from Tollwest Kennels, please contact us
for a copy of our Puppy Reservation questionnaire.