My Husband, Johnny Manning, and I met on my eighteenth birthday at my first “ house party” I had ever attended...
- Some of you already know I had Dogs my Whole Life, was homeschooled my whole life and at times socially awkward, haha. -
... Johnny happened to live at the house and he had a puppy. Safe to assume I chose to spend All of my time with the puppy, so Johnny and I really bonded.
Tragedy struck soon after, as a few weeks later, his neighbor’s dog broke through the fence while he was at work and killed his puppy 💔
Fast forward to 1 Year later when we decided it was time for another dog that was Ours.
My husband really wanted a Pitbull again, like his puppy he had lost, and we were actually approached by one of my parent’s neighbors who said he was a “Breeder” & had an available Pitbull puppy.
This neighbor was/is a Backyard Breeder (BYB). He did NOT do Any Genetic Testing, NO Contract, NO Health Guarantees, did Not show us where or how he kept the puppies, did Not provide any vaccines or regular dewormings, NO Vet Check record, we could not even meet the parents because they were aggressive towards strangers “BECAUSE OF THEIR PUPPIES” and the puppy was Not in the best health.
We did Not think anything about any of this Because we did Not know any better and because $400 for a supposedly Papered “Blue Nose” Pitbull seemed fair. Plus, they are my parents neighbors so why would they do anything untrustworthy to their neighbors family??...
- As a Breeder Now and Knowing all I do thanks to Research & Experience, this is NOT how Responsible Breeders behave & Dog’s Can be aggressive with strangers Because of their puppies BUT when the Puppies are away the Adults Should NOT be Aggressive! Aggression Can be Genetic! -
... Unfortunately, with our little Pitbull puppy, the aggression Was genetic & he showed signs of aggression very early on. He was always overly rough, it was clearly not play biting or play growling for him, and even with correcting & socialization he was really ... Mean.
We had him on a Puppy Plan with a Licensed Veterinarian and even the Vet commented on the puppies behavior and asked if he had been mistreated by anyone. We truly tried to work with him but it was not improving & Unprovoked he bit one of my family members who was visiting, and drew blood. As a young couple it was too much for us to handle so we found him a home who was willing to manage and correct his aggression; we hope, we didn’t know much about dog fighting or bait dogs or anything really so did not even consider investigating families 💔
Fast Forward, Again, to another Year later my husband and I were wanting a dog so we got a German Shepherd from another “Breeder” who we found online 1 town over (Modesto) and at the time our Budget was really a Priority.
That “Breeder” turned out to be Another BYB and our New German Shepherd Puppy had so many problems from Medical issues to poor Temperament and a non-ideal Drive level all do to Improper Pairings, Poor Genetics and Improper Care in the First 8 Weeks of her life.
The married couple did NOT do Any Genetic Testing, NO Contract, NO Health Guarantees, did Not show us where or how they kept the puppies, did Not provide any vaccines or regular dewormings, NO Vet Check record and AGAIN, we could not even meet the parents because they were aggressive towards strangers “BECAUSE OF THEIR PUPPIES”! At this point, we truly felt like these were the Norms for getting a puppy from a Breeder.
Our German Shepherd Puppy was put on a Puppy Plan right away & it was pointed out to us that she had a severe umbilical hernia that Had to be corrected because of its size and that the Breeder should have notified us of this issue and it would have been impossible to miss at the puppies litter exam...Ultimately, the total medical issues she had cost us a few thousand dollars but she was going to live! Now, her Temperament and her being an escape artist led to her passing away young at 3 years of age 💔
BY THIS POINT, we Feel Really Unlucky & Scared to get another dog. It felt like one trauma after another and one unhealthy, poorly bred dog after another.
THIS TIME, we picked a Breed (Miniature Australian Shepherds) that we felt would Fit with Our Family & we tried our BEST to Choose a “Reputable Breeder”!
We made sure to choose a Breeder who did: Genetic Testing for the Breed, Had a the Litter Examined by a Vet, Dewormed properly, Had a Genetic Guarantee, Let us visit their home and meet the Dad of the dog and another one of their dogs.
This Breeder did not make sure to educate us on Aussies and their Drive Levels. THIS does Not make her a BYB by any means. We just wish the Breeder would have Guided US & we would have known more about the Variety of Drive Levels with Aussies. We Wish we were Informed that the Puppy we Chose was actually HIGH Drive Before we brought him home at 8 weeks old. For those of you New to the Breed or Unsure about Drive Levels, HIGH Drive does NOT fit the lifestyle of a young Family (with kids) with a suburban backyard. 💔
So, after a Year of struggling, Seeing a Behavioral Trainer, Feeling like Failures and Lots of things destroyed by our Beloved Aussie, we Decided to find him a home that Could keep up with his Energy NEEDS. We placed him in a home that Hikes MILES a Day and was excited to have a High Drive dog to hike with & be friends with their active German Shepherd! We get updates and miss him dearly but LOVE seeing him Matched PROPERLY with his New Family ❤️
The BEGINNING of Lucky Little Aussies:
AFTER ALL of Our TERRIBLE Experiences:
-With BYB’s
- Unknowledgeable/Uncaring “Reputable” Breeders
- All of Our Heartache & Our Kids Sadness over lost & rehomed pets
A LIFE-CHANGING IDEA came to My Husband & I!
Between my husband’s Love for Dogs & his desire to have multiple dogs (a Dog Squad) and my Love of Learning/Researching & my Own Love for Dogs...
... We Decided we wanted to Give the World & Our Community the OPPORTUNITY to be able to Choose a Breeder that prides themselves on Family, Love, Health, Education, Socialization and Quality of Life for their Dogs. A Breeder who Truly Loves their Dogs & what they do & whose Main Priority is the dogs, their family and their New Puppy Families.
We Want Everyone to Have an Opportunity to get a Puppy that IS & Includes:
• Bred Properly with Drive Levels, Temperaments, Genetic Testing Results, Lineage, Size & Conformation ALL Considered & Evaluated Before Breeding!
• Properly Cared for and Stimulated their Whole 8-10 Weeks of Life BEFORE going to their New Homes. Puppies are handled Multiple Times a Day! They have a Pool & Sandbox to Play in While Supervised! We play with/rub their feet, tails, regularly check their mouths & roll them over and rub their tummies! All to get them used to being handled & checked on a regular basis 💕
• Very well Socialized (Similar to Puppy Culture) with Kids, Our other Dogs, Loud Noises, Fast Movements, Grass, Water & Sand (in my yard), Leaf Blowers, Hair Dryers, Blender, Music, Emergency Sounds, Farm Sounds, Military/Weapon Sounds, Squeaky Toys and MUCH More to help Start Socialization! 💕
• OFFICIAL ASDR Limited Registration Papers (*you can still Show just No Breeding at all with Limited Registration)
• LIFETIME Genetic Health Guarantee*
• Congenital Defect Guarantee*
• Age Appropriate Shots (Neopar Vaccine @ 6 Weeks & Nobivac Multi-way vaccine @ 8 Weeks)
• Dewormed Every 2 Weeks After Birth, Until Pick-up.
• Vet Checked & Certified Healthy
• Dew Claws & Tails are INTACT (plenty of Research to show the Dogs Need these body parts)
• Group Crate Trained!
• Sent Home with a LupinePet Collar & Leash SET (You Choose your style!)!
• Sent Home with some KONG, Nylabone &/or OTHER Puppy Toys (+ You Choose!)!
• Sent Home with 3 Days/Tablets of NuVet Vitamin Samples!
• Nails are trimmed 1-2 Times!
• Litter Box Trained (using horse bedding pellets, ask for more details on Potty Training Transitioning)
• Covered by a Contract; which provides Contractual Comfort in any instance a puppy wasn’t/isn’t how we Guarantee!
• Going to have better chances of being a High Achiever by Undergoing Early Neurological Stimulation and Having Improved Cardio Vascular Performance, Strengthened Heart Beats & Adrenal Glands, Provided More Tolerance to Stress and a Greater Resistance to Disease because of this!
• Tested using Volhard Puppy Aptitude Testing to aid in Properly Matching Puppies with their Forever Homes.
• Not Chosen Until 7 Weeks of Age, so Breeder & Prospective Owner could be Fully Aware of the Puppy’s Energy Level (Drive Level) & Personality (Temperament).
• Fed a Quality Diet & Receives Additional Support from Foster Care Formula & then from NuVet Vitamins.
• Sent Home with a Baggie of Food to Easily Transition (in case you switch foods)
• Sent Home with a Baggie of Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth (for external flea/tick repellent for beach/hiking/camping/etc. or for internal parasites or for bedding/furniture in new home)
• Puppy Packet - Canine Care Information Email: Covering Topics from - Food, Water, Treats, Vitamins, Toys, Parasites, Flea/Tick Repellent, Crate Training Tips, Potty Training Tips, Spay/Neuter Info & Advice, Socialization Bingo, a Petting Chart, WSAVA Forms/Links/Recommendations, NuVet Charts, Safe & Unsafe Foods/Plants/Essential Oils, Medications that Should Never be given to Aussies (especially MDR1 pups), a Socialization List from a Behavioral Trainer of what to expose puppies to Before 16 Weeks Old (can carry pup or have in carrier for some outdoor experiences), Recommended Apps and MORE!!
On Top of the Information Packed Email, Puppy goes home with: Parent Genetic Testing Results, Veterinarian Certification of Health, Health Record, ASDR Registration, Volhard Testing Results, Vitamin Samples, Leash & Collar Set, Toys & Lots of Socialization & LOVE.
• Supported for LIFE!! Anything, Anytime we want to be there to help out Aussie Parents and provide Education whenever we can!
Our goal is to breed Amazing, Quality, Family dogs. We breed Dogs that are Genetically & Intellectually sound. We breed with HEART; Health, Education, Accountability, Responsibility & Tradition for our Dogs and their New Families is Top Priority for L.L.A! That way you will have a smart, healthy companion that you can, also, work or show! We love our dogs & simply want to give Them & You the Best that We Can. 💕
We do Not want Anyone to go through All of the things we did. 😔
We want Everyone to be able to Avoid All of the Heartache, Financial Stress, Lack of Support, Lack of Education and being paired Improperly with a Puppy that does Not fit their Lifestyle.
We want Everyone to Feel LUCKY to get a Puppy & for US to be Able to Provide THIS to Families Near or Far is Such a BLESSING!
