PUPPY FAQ
​PRICING, REFUND and DEPOSIT POLICY

Frequently Asked Questions:
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


What is a "naturally reared" puppy?

Natural rearing is defined as raising puppies while dedicated to the principles of rearing our dogs and cats as close to nature as possible. Only incorporating natural remedies and only as needed. We promote a healthy lifestyle to support the complete dog (mind, body and spirit) while promoting an awareness for our changing world. We follow the Code of Ethics published by the Natural Rearing Breeders Association. As of this writing, the Code of Ethics states as follows:

I am committed to feeding/rearing my dogs on a completely RAW (BARF, SARF) diet, and do not feed cooked foods, processed kibble or canned foods even as a treat or supplement.

I do not vaccinate at all (except and only where required by state laws).

I do not use chemical products in, on or around my dogs such as commercial flea preventatives, floor cleaners, air freshners, lawn & garden pesticides, etc.

I have been feeding a raw SARF or BARF diet to my dogs and weaning puppies on to raw for at least three years.

I breed my dogs with care and attention for the preservation and improvement of my chosen breed.

I research health, temperament, and conformation (correct structure) for each litter I breed.

I either already know the genetic health background of my dogs or I perform genetic testing on breeding dogs for the health issues said to be prevalent in my breed and provide copies of all appropriate health and genetic clearances to puppy buyers when asked.

I test my breeding program in an objective venue such as work, tests and /or trials, conformation showing, etc.

I ensure that my dogs that are offered for stud and my bitches that are accepted for stud service are in good health and free from genetic diseases as well as sound structurally.

I rear puppies with maximum socialization, enrichment* and stimulation. Although not required by the Code of Ethics, I use BioSensor and Puppy Culture techniques while the puppies are with me.

I provide health and temperament information on my breed in general as well as on my specific dogs or puppies to all prospective puppy buyers.

I personally and carefully screen each prospective puppy buyer to ensure that the home is appropriate for the breed and the individual puppy and I make every effort to place puppies in homes where they will continue to rear them “Naturally” (raw diet/no vaccines/toxic chemical free environment).

I remain available to my puppy buyers for the life of the puppy; to mentor if need be and provide education in natural rearing.

I take back puppies at any time during their life, ensuring that each dog I breed has a home for its lifetime.

All puppy placements are done by me, the breeder, never by third parties such as brokers, dealers, or wholesalers, nor through auctions, or as prizes.

I will sell no puppy or dog to a commercial facility, puppy broker, pet shop, puppy mill or their agent.

I refuse to sell any puppy or adult dog to a buyer who cannot or will not provide evidence of ability to properly care for the animal.

I hold myself responsible for the welfare of every dog I breed and/or sell.

I will conduct myself at all times in such a manner as to reflect credit on the sport of purebred dog trials, showing and natural rearing of my specific breed.
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I am a member in good standing of at least one: breed – related, show – related, canine education – related, working dog – related, or breed rescue – related club or organization.
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​Credit: Natural Rearing Breeders Association

Will puppies be brindle or fawn?
Fawn is a recessive color. Brindle is dominant. Fawn to fawn breedings produce only fawn offspring. Brindle to fawn breedings can produce both colors, provided the brindle parent carries a fawn gene (or "allele"). If the brindle parent has 2 alleles for the brindle color, all puppies will be brindle.

Do you take deposits?  What is your refund policy on deposits and payments?
I have decided to take deposits against future litters on approved applications.  Deposits are non refundable. The only time we will consider refunding a deposit is if we do not have a litter within the next 18 months after receipt of your deposit.  A deposit of $1,500 or more (depending on final price) against the current pricing will hold your puppy or adult dog.  Deposits and payments against adult dogs are never refundable, as these dogs are already set in their ways and take time to adjust to new situations. If you are considering bringing a more mature dog into your home from Gentry, please be very mindful that you should spend time with them before making decisions about purchasing them.  If you cannot do that, you need to know your own situation regarding your dogs or cats' personalities, your fencing situation, and any family members' abilities to work with an older animal.  Older dogs often need a lot of transition time, especially if there are other animals or children in the home. Make these decisions with care.  We do not place mature dogs lightly, and we want them to be successful in any new situation.  We will give you all information that we can to help you make decisions, but it is ultimately up to you to make these situations successful.

​The challenges of a young puppy - Young puppies straight out of the nursery can be very challenging.  They have just left their siblings and everything they have known since birth.  Remember that they are BABIES, and they need lots of TLC and understanding.  They often cry at night, don't want to be crated, and need a lot of nighttime attention for settling and pottying.  

Please read this article about the amount of time that puppies can be left alone at various ages, and adhere to this.  No exceptions:

How Long Can a Puppy Be Left Alone? Tips for Separation Anxiety (akc.org)

Returning a dog - We will take any dog back during its lifetime if we have space and ability to do so, but payments made are never refundable.  When you make the important decision to bring a new dog into your family, it is your responsibility to properly prepare for their arrival.  Do your research.  Read our Gentry Care Guide cover to cover.  They take lots of love, patience, work and responsible training.  Your yard must be escape proof.  We do our best to ask all the questions to insure that our buyers are committed to doing what it takes to make those dogs part of their families.  If, for any reason, that is not possible, your payments made to us cover what happened to make that puppy happen, research pedigrees and health situations of potential mates, health screen our dogs to the highest degree, travel great distances for the right breeding, pay the appropriate stud fees, spend all the sleepless nights making sure your dog doesn't just survive, but thrives.  We do Puppy Culture, feed the human grade raw meat diet, build that dog's microbiome, etc, Any payments made are water under the bridge.  Do not expect us to buy your dog back or refund payments made, as we have made that dog just for you and nobody else.  If you can't keep them or decide that they aren't right for you, we will happily bring them back into our family if we can.  Getting them back to us is your responsibility, and we will work with you on appropriate arrangements. 

​Choosing your puppy - We do not hold specific puppies; but rather will assist you in being matched with the best personality and temperament for your situation.  Many of our puppies go into performance, confirmation, and service homes. We evaluate them for each situation to help serve each client individually.  Do not get stuck on color, as the best match for your home may be a color you didn't originally consider.  I like to say "it's not the paint job, but what's inside the car that matters".

When do puppies go to their new homes?
Puppies are released within a few days of their 8 week birthday.  This is the best time for them to transition to a new home.  They are also typically small enough at that point to fit into a large Sherpa and travel under an airline seat.  Pickups are made by appointment only and never overlap with someone else.  We can help you arrange for a professional transport nanny to bring your dog to you, but are not responsible for their fees.  Your arrangements are made directly with the transport nanny.  We currently recommend Heike Transport for most situations, as they have done excellent work at reasonable prices for many of our clients to date.

Is there a boarding fee for puppies who don't leave when scheduled for pickup?
Yes there is a boarding fee of $90/day for puppies who are not picked up when agreed.  There are many reasons for this, including that they begin to be able to get out of our professional RoverPet system.  Our puppies are raised in our home, and we do not have kennels.  We have to break down the RoverPet and set up a temporary 4' system to contain puppies who can climb out, which typically starts to occur just after 8 weeks of age.  We also continue to do training, Puppy Culture, and feed a high quality immune supporting raw prey model diet.  This fee is in line with boarding kennels who accept naturally reared dogs, and they do not do what we do.  Boarding fees must be paid in full in cash or Zelle before the puppy is released.  Puppies kept here for ear cropping also incur a boarding fee of $125/day, as we do ear maintenance as well.

Can you arrange for show ear cropping?
On rare occasions, we can arrange to have your puppy's ears cropped.  However, it is much better for you to find a suitable and experienced ear crop surgeon in your area, as the costs can be prohibitive to ask us to handle the cropping.  Currently, our only choices are a day's drive away and involve a hotel stay.  All costs are covered by the buyer, as well as our time and travel expenses, plus boarding and surgeon's fees.  Appointments with appropriate surgeons must be made well in advance, as excellent ear crop surgeons are usually booked for weeks to months ahead of time.  Do not use just any old vet to do ear crops.  They must be a veterinarian who has proven that they can do a proper boxer show crop.  Please discuss ear cropping options with me well in advance if you think you want to have a cropped dog.

​Do you vaccinate?
Naturally reared puppies are typically not vaccinated using injections. We use homeopathic nosodes (which are not an alternative to vaccines, but are energy supports against specific pathogens), extreme immune supports, and wean our babies to high quality raw prey model diet with supplements designed to increase immunity. This does not create blood serum antibodies to puppy diseases; however, it does make it much more likely that a puppy that encounters a pathogen will have a mild reaction to it. Vaccinations contain heavy metals, foreign animal proteins, and a number of toxic ingredients. We provide education and a handbook to help you raise your puppy's antibodies naturally. We also suggest that you read Natural Rearing by Dr. Jeannie Thomason and Natural Immunity by Pat McKay. These books are required reading for all families who take home Gentry puppies. We want your puppies to be safe from toxins and pathogens as well.

Am I required to show my Gentry puppy?
Although we do not require your dog to be shown, you may find dog sports to be a lot of fun. There are many sports that boxers are qualified for, including conformation, agility, obedience, dock diving, frisbee, trick dog, barn hunt, lure coursing, fast cat, and even canine freestyle dancing. We encourage you to try some different sports and see what you and your dog like to do. Many of our puppies have been titled with conformation championships and advanced performance titles. Some are therapy dogs too. Since they are working dogs, they like to work with a purpose. You will have your best experience if you help your dog to find that purpose. You may also get hooked like we did and want to get titles and trophies for your dog!  Typically our litters are nominated for the American Boxer Club Futurity and Maturity shows or appropriate Boston Terrier Futurity, so if you want to show in them, you may do so.  The individual puppies must be confirmed for nomination prior to their four month birthday.  This is the responsibility of the owner/buyer, but I will do my best to remind you to do so before the deadline.

Am I required to breed my Gentry dog once mature?
No, breeding is never required. 

​At the time of this writing, there are very few, if any, other natural rearing boxer breeders in the world who are 100% committed as we are. We are trying to make a difference by doing "preservation breeding", improving epigenetic health with each generation. As such, it's rough to lose these puppies through spay or neuter. These operations damage the endocrine system as well, and will void your health warranty. They can trigger a wide variety of chronic health issues. Most of our puppies go to lovely pet homes and are never bred.  However, we can give you the option to co-own the puppies with you on the AKC registration, evaluate the dog once mature, and look at all the health screen results before deciding if they are worthy to be bred. You are responsible for all health screens and veterinary expenses unless otherwise arranged. Certain females may be candidates to be bred once with a puppy given back into my breeding program. This helps to keep healthy generations moving forward. We will help you every step of the way and will either raise the puppies here for a higher fee or help you to raise them at your home. We make financial arrangements that are fair to all involved and those are decided on an individual basis.  We want you to be happy if you are on either side of any contract with us.  All Gentry males who are considered for breeding must be fully health screened and evaluated prior to being offered at stud. If you have a Gentry boy, we do not take your stud fees unless otherwise arranged.  We do not require anyone to breed or show.  This is simply an option open for discussion.  

Credit for most of this text goes to Cheryl Cates at Encore Boxers. Thank you, Cheryl, for being such a great mentor to so many.

What is your pricing?
Lots of folks want pricing before submitting a puppy application. Natural rearing is a very expensive proposition for any breeder. After all the "normal" costs incurred with a high end breeding program, we have had to calculate in the cost of high quality raw diet, lots of supplements, extensive health screening, natural cleaners, homeopathics, medical grade essential oils, antioxidants, down time from work to dedicate to their care and training, Puppy Culture, and early development work. I wish I could give these guys to deserving homes, but to stay solvent, we have to charge enough to continue with this mission. We were surprised to find that our last litter consumed around $10,000 worth of raw meat and supplements alone.

Boxers are $5000 and up.
​Bostons are $3000 and up.

​There may be some leeway in pricing based on the individual puppy and situation. So don't be afraid to send in a puppy application solely based on ability to pay for a quality, health screened puppy from a 5+ decade breeding program. Older puppies are more expensive, as they may have had a show ear crop and will have had continued training. If they stay longer than the usual 8 weeks, our puppies do not linger in kennels or crates. They are active members of our household and go to puppy classes until their final placement is determined.

​Payment plans are available if you wish to have your puppy paid for by the time you pick him/her up. Puppies come with a month of free health insurance through the Breeder of Merit program that Gentry is qualified for in AKC.

You will find our puppies to be true to the standard, and gorgeous to look at. We often get feedback from clients that they are stopped on the street with questions about where did they get that amazing looking dog!?

Gentry Boxers has been a legitimate Sole Proprietorship business for over 5 decades, and is recently formed as an LLC. All income is reported, including cash payments. We collect sales tax as required by Texas law. We can give you our opinions if you wish to show in conformation or a performance sport in the future, but there is no difference in price amongst those who might be more suited for championship competition and others who might be better suited as pets or performance candidates. A few selected females are sold on a co-own with a puppy back contract so that we can keep the program going.  Some promising males are sold with rights to breed them back to any bitch that we own or co-own without charge.  However, we do not force anyone to breed who does not want to.

We don't do this to get rich. We do it to contribute to longevity and vitality of the breed and have lasting relationships with those who take Gentry puppies home. We will be there for you as long as we draw breath.

CLICK TO READ OUR REFUND POLICY

Please contact us if you are interested in a puppy.  Due to the number of inquiries, I cannot respond unless a completed Puppy Application is submitted.

PLEASE SEE THE SECTIONS BELOW FOR THE ANSWERS TO MANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS:
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HOW GENTRY PUPPIES ARE RAISED

PUPPY FAQ AND DEPOSIT INFORMATION

PRICING AND PUPPY APPLICATION

​WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN WE'RE EXPECTING

HEALTH GUARANTEE INFORMATION​