Do I have to fill out the questionnaire? Can't I just call and talk?

Yes, please. I realize a lot of people want to pick up the phone at the exact moment they have a question and talk about it. I am not one of those people. Additionally, I am unavailable to answer calls a significant portion of every day. Not to mention there are not enough hours in the day to talk on the phone with all the people who call to ask if we have puppies. Rest assured we will speak with each other if the decision to proceed with a puppy/dog is made. 

What do you do with the questionnaires?

If we place a puppy with you, it is placed in the puppy's file. If we do not place a puppy at the time it is archived on a thumbdrive.

What does the questionnaire ask?

It requests basic information about you, your dog history, your desires for a new companion, and the home the puppy would have. It is the start of a conversation about whether we are the right breeder for you, and whether we have anything that will fit your needs.  We also make an initial decision about compatibility by reviewing your answers.

How do I get on the waiting list?

I no longer keep a waiting list. If you express a firm desire for one of our dogs I will let you know future plans and timing, and ask that you contact me if you are still searching at that time. 

I just want to send a text to ask availability and price. Why do I have to fill out the questionnaire? It is a waste of time if you don't have any puppies.

We are proud preservation breeders of quality purebred, show quality Maltese dogs. If your first concern is "how much for a girl, and do you have one" we are not the breeder for you. These types of communications are deleted without a response.

We update our website at the time we know we will have a dog or puppy available soon. Rest assured, if the information on that page is not recent, we do not have any dogs available now or in the next few months. We have had an average of less than 1 litter a year since the pandemic began. This resulted in exactly 2 puppies being available to place in more than 24 months. Althought we expect that we may be breeding more next year and going forward, a typical litter of Maltese puppies is 2-3 puppies. 4 is a very large litter, 5 is a rare exception, and many litters are just one single puppy.  This is a vast difference from a beautiful 60 pound doberman who can average 8-10 puppies in a litter.

Also, even if we do not have anything available we may be able to point you to another reputable, preservation breeder who does have a puppy available. Having the basic information from the questionnaire can be shared with the recommended breeder to keep the flow of information as efficient as possible. 

Your patience and understanding is greatly appreciated.   

How about if I just send you an email with a brief summary of what I want?

If you call, text, PM or email before filling out a questionnaire we will ask you to fill it out before we do anything else. We feel the responsibillity of placing our puppies in the best homes and we want to know with whom we are discussing our precious dogs. We work full-time jobs and unfortunately cannot answer every call. Our initial discussions will be written. In addition, conversations will not be conducted by text message, PM, FB message or Twitter post. If you have any questions mid-process, please send an email.

We are excited to hear from you and want to explore the possibilities with you. However, please consider that we have many people interested in the very few puppies/dogs we have available every year, and there are only so many hours in a day.  As we move through the process we wil have many conversations so we are both comfortable with our decisions. 

Do I have to pay a deposit?

Yes. We require a $1000 deposit on a puppy to "hold" that puppy. The deposit on a retiree is $500. Any deposit you pay to hold a dog/puppy is NON-REFUNDABLE unless something happens and we cannot provide you with the dog/puppy we discussed. 

How do I pay the deposit?

Checks and money orders are fine so long as the funds clear and are reflected in my bank prior to you taking possession of the dog/puppy.  Zelle is acceptable. We are sorry, but due to the number of fraud alert and other issues, Paypal, Venmo or any other method of online payment is not accepted. We are not a retail store so we do not take credit/debit cards.

How long do I have to change my mind after I pay the deposit to get the deposit back? Isn't there a "72 hour" rule? 

Many people are under the impression that they have a 3-day right to cancel any and all consumer purchases. However, this is not true. The right to cancel applies only to very specific situations.

Texas laws that govern the right to cancel certain consumer contracts.

Federal Regulations

Below are some of the federal laws that govern common consumer purchases.

Deposits are NON-REFUNDABLE at any time. Please be certain of your decision. 

Does the Texas "Lemon Law" apply to puppy/dog sales?

No. The Texas Lemon Law is a state law administered by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles that helps consumers who buy or lease new motor vehicles and have repeated problems getting their vehicles properly repaired under the manufacturer’s original warranty.  

While some states have laws specific to puppy sales, called "Puppy Lemon Laws", Texas does not.

Do you have payment plans?

We are happy to accomodate who we can to provide a loving, safe, and life-long home to a puppy as long as the entire balance due is paid prior to the time the puppy/dog is available to leave our home.  We are not a retail establishment and do not enter into retail installment agreements. However, we will consider this on a case by case basis if requested.

Can I pay the balance due when I pick up the puppy or does it have to be paid in advance?

Neither Paypal nor Venmo are accepted at any time. Zelle can be used at the time of pickup if the funds actually transfer to our account prior to you leaving with the puppy.  Check with your bank on transfer times because we do not make exceptions for delays in funds transfers, regardless of the reason. If you wish to pay the balance due at pick-up to ensure you actually leave with your puppy, absent a completed Zelle transfer, you must have cash or the puppy/dog will not leave my home.

If your puppy/dog is being transported by a flight nanny, the entire balance due must be in our account 24 hours before the day the nanny is scheduled to pick-up and fly out with the puppy. For example, the puppy is scheduled to be delivered to the nanny at 9am on Wednesday morning. We must have the entire balance due in our account no later than 9am on Tuesday. If the funds have not been received by that time the flight nanny will be cancelled, you will be responsible for any cancellation fees, the transaction for the puppy will be cancelled, and any funds already paid are NON-REFUNDABLE. There are no exceptions to this 24 hour time limit.

Why can't I get my puppy on the day s/he turns 12 weeks old?

We breed for show dogs to keep. We are not always able to make a decision on a puppy by 12 weeks of age. Sometimes a final decision cannot be made until adult teeth are mostly in at 6 months of age. In addition, unless you already have a dog from us, we do not let puppies or dogs leave our possession unless s/he has been spayed or neutered.  So if a decision on a puppy is not made until 16 weeks, the puppy must then be scheduled for surgery, the surgery completed and a recovery time at home long enough to ensure it is safe to travel to a new home must be accomodated. 

If we have determined at an age prior to 12 weeks that we will not be keeping a pet, our vet requires puppies to be at least 16 weeks old to be spayed/neutered. In this instance surgery will be scheduled far in advance for the days after the puppy turns 16 weeks old. The usual recovery time is 3 days before a puppy is well enough to travel to a new home. 

We try to make decisions on puppies to keep as soon as we are confident how they will turn out. However, because some puppies develop more slowly than others, the time frame could result in the puppy being almost 6 months old before s/he is ready to leave. If you are not willing to accept a puppy at this age please make us aware early in the process. 

What do I have to pay for a puppy?

The non-refundable deposit is applied toward the purchase price.  The cost of spay/neuter surgery and the $30 AKC registration fee are additional. Sales tax may be due in some instances. This way you pay for the alteration surgery up front, as opposed to down the road with a typical spay/neuter contract.  

Do you have a contract?

Yes. We will discuss it's terms.

Do you have a health guarantee?

Yes. It is contained in the contract and will also be discussed. I no longer publish my documents on the internet.

What if I have more "logistical" questions you haven't answered here?

Please send me an email. I will get an answer to you as soon as possible.