I believe Tollers & Chesapeakes are breeds 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 or Chesapeake 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 the appropriate health clearances on all dogs used for breeding.

We take great pride in producing high quality puppies. We attend seminars/workshops on the art & science of breeding dogs, including ones by canine reproductive experts Myra Savant Harris, and Robert Hutchison. 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.

We have a separate room in the house for the “Puppy Nursery”, this room gives the new mom some privacy away from the other dogs, has separate climate control to keep it at the ideal temperature, lighting on a dimmer to gradually increase the light level as the puppies eyes open, air filtration, a whelping box with a special heated whelping nest insert designed to keep the newborn puppies precisely at the ideal 95 degree temperature, a “puppy intensive care unit” used to temporarily house unwell or injured young puppies, and to hold them while undergoing nail trims, clean-up and other short procedures. We also have an oxygen tank with regulator & tubing, for assistance in reviving puppies at birth when needed, or to also help give a tired whelping mom a bit of a boost.

By 4 weeks of age the pups spend part of every day in our very large kitchen/dining area, socializing and playing with other dogs, new people, and generally being underfoot getting exposed to the sights, sounds and smells of a normal home environment.

The puppies are usually ready to go to their new homes at 8-12 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 a Raw Food Diet....we started feeding some raw foods in 1995 and went to 100% Raw in 1997. We will never go back to kibble again! All our puppies are weaned onto the Raw 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 these breeds, 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 breeder who agrees with the way you wish to raise your puppy. 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 these breeds 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 these breeds 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 $100 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 8-12 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 companion puppy or performance prospect Toller puppy from Tollwest Kennels is $1500. Prices for show quality puppies vary depending on the age of the puppy, the bloodlines etc but generally start at $1500 on a co-ownership, and higher for full ownership. 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, there will be additional fees 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. Our dogs live in the house as family companions – our “kennel” isn’t a kennel building at all! Many of our breeding dogs live in "foster homes", in order to make sure each dog gets the maximum personal attention, training and exercise!