Thank you for your interest in a puppy from Mikatura!  We are dedicated Aussie lovers who participate in various dog related events and we breed occasionally to produce what we believe to be a quality Aussie that conform to the breed standard, are intelligent and able to do what the Aussie was meant to do - work and be your best friend! We focus on doing all we can to produce physically and mentally sound dogs.

Through our membership in both local and international Aussie clubs we are exposed to other points of view and educational programs, and we keep up on the rules and regulations governing these clubs. We firmly believe in the ASCA Code of Ethics and abide by the ASCA Rules and Regulations as well as those of the Canadian Kennel Club. Through our constant contact with other Aussie breeders all over the world we have the opportunity to share information and ideas concerning Aussies.

When we have puppies available we ensure that our puppies are only sold to loving committed homes and we do our best, though this questionnaire and other means, to ensure a good match between the personality of prospective owners and our puppies, that is why we ask you to fill in this questionnaire, to help us get to know you a little and to understand what you are looking for in a puppy.

We are very protective of our puppies...they are all raised in our home and are well cared for and socialized during their time with us. Each and every puppy receives a lot of love, play time and attention.  Even with all the attention, puppies going to a new home are not a trained, well-mannered finished product…they are puppies! They will have accidents and they will get in to mischief, all part of being a puppy. We expect new owners to finish the job we have started and help their puppy become a mature, well-mannered Aussie by being responsible for the further development of the puppy's personality through structured discipline, training, guidance and most of all, love.  Also we keep in close contact with our puppy buyers, they become part of our extended family!  We're always available to help you with questions or just about anything else!

This questionnaire serves the purpose of helping us become better acquainted with the people inquiring about our Aussies. It serves to present us with a more complete picture of what you are looking for in a dog and to help us match you, as a potential buyer, with a dog that will ultimately turn out to be what you are looking for. This questionnaire in no way constitutes a contract on our part that there will be an Australian Shepherd available for you, nor do your responses serve as the sole determinant of whether or not a Australian Shepherd will be offered.  Also there are no right or wrong answers!

Although we will always keep in mind the colour preference of our puppy buyers we DO NOT place our pups in homes based solely on colour choice.  We evaluate the pups from day 1 and puppies are placed based on a wide variety of things including temperament, natural instinct, and suitability.  If you are interested in a puppy from an upcoming litter we recommend you complete our questionnaire and speak with us (via phone, e-mail or in person) after that.  When we have a litter planned we will notify you and we will request a deposit from people interested in a pup.  A deposit ensures ONLY that you will be considered as a prospective home and we reserve the right to choose not to place a puppy in a prospective home at any time or for any reason.  Our first consideration is the safety and well-being of our puppies, from the day they are conceived until the day (hopefully long in the future) when they pass on.

Because of the over abundance of Aussies in rescue, our puppies are sold on a Limited Registration, requiring the dog to be spayed or neutered at or around six months of age.  This means that if the dog is bred, the resulting offspring will not be recognized or registerable with the ASCA, CKC, or AKC.  We will, under very special circumstances and with outstanding puppies, agree in writing to lift this Limited Registration allowing the puppies to be bred once certain criteria are met.  We will discuss this with you if you are interested in a breeding prospect pup.

Prior to taking the puppy home you will be given an copy of our "Puppy Info Pak", a wide variety of information on training and care of your puppy, a list of proper equipment and supplies to obtain prior to bringing your puppy home, a copy of the pedigree and you will be asked to sign a puppy purchase contract.  You will be given a copy of all applicable registration applications for papers, our health records and any other information we feel you may need.  Please note, we, as the breeders, must send the transfer of ownership for your puppy to the CKC and the papers will be sent to you as soon as we receive them from the CKC; ASCA registration application papers will be given to you to complete and send in if you wish to do so…the cost to register your puppy with ASCA is $20.00 or less.

As much as possible we evaluate each puppy's temperament and personality by observing them during their development. We attempt to match the puppy to the buyer to produce the best fit of puppy and family. The order in which you will be allowed to pick your puppy is determined by the order in which your name appears on our waiting list along with a deposit being received by Mikatura. Therefore, if having a number of puppies to choose from is of importance to you, it is in your best interest to complete and return this questionnaire in a timely fashion.

Written by:
Jeni Gallichan
Mikatura Australian Shepherds
Copyright© 1999

Questionnaire in Microsoft word format

Questionnaire in PDF format