Ocean Blue Danes
Ocean Blue Puppies & Policies
Forever Homes
It is my goal to find permanent and happy homes for all of my puppies. Please do your research on Great Danes and make sure that you can provide the home that they will require. I do prefer that puppies go to homes with fenced yards and that your puppy will be an inside dog and live as a member of your family. I am very committed to finding permanent homes for my precious puppies. In the event that a buyer can no longer keep their Ocean Blue Danes puppy, the puppy/dog MUST be returned to me so that I can ensure they find a suitable home.
AKC Registration
All puppies are sold with limited registration to approved homes as pets/companions with a spay/neuter contract in place. Limited registration allows for competition in agility, obedience, rally, lure coursing, barn hunt, scent work etc but does not allow you to show your puppy in conformation shows. The reason for this is because the sole purpose of conformation shows is to judge a dog's adherence to the breed standard to determine worthiness for breeding. This is also why spayed/neutered dogs cannot compete in conformation shows - there would be no point. Also any puppies produced from a limited registration would not be eligible for registration with the AKC. Exception to my Limited Registration Policy may be made for a select number of puppies should several qualifications be met by both the puppy and the buyer. The puppy would have to meet specific AKC breed standard characteristics and exhibit potential for a successful show career. The potential buyer(s) would need to be actively involved in showing/breeding and have some level of experience in the breed in order to be approved for a show-quality puppy.
Included with Your Puppy
All puppies will go to their Forever Homes with complete AKC registration paperwork, puppy contract, Genetic Health Warranty per Puppy Contract, micro-chipped, Florida health certificate, collar and leash, toys, blanket that smells like mommy, an initial supply of food, and complete medical record showing all dewormings and necessary vaccinations (see below for more info). Dewclaws are not removed.
Age of Spay/Neuter
Females are not to be spayed before 12 months of age and males are not to be neutered before 18 months of age. Gastropexies are not to be performed prior to 12 months of age and it is recommended to do this procedure at the time of spay/neuter.
Puppy Class
All puppies must complete a 6-8 week puppy class prior to the age of 6 months. Please locate the training facility and instructor before your puppy comes home so that you can book the class to begin by the age of 4 months in order to be completed by 6 months. If you need help finding a class, let me know.
Diet
Your puppy will be weaned onto a mixture of Raw and Fromm Gold Large Breed Adult (green bag). If you are planning to feed kibble, you will need to continue this food for the first year. If you are planning to feed Raw, please let me know so that we can go over your Raw diet plan.
Puppy Transportation
I prefer buyers come to my home to pick up their puppy. You may drive or fly to collect your puppy and if flying, you can fly the puppy back with you as your carry-on. If this does not work for you, you may need to hire a pet transport company to assist you with getting your puppy home. Puppies cannot leave me prior to 8 weeks of age and expected to be picked up within 3-4 days of turning 8 weeks otherwise other arrangements will need to be made.
Ear Cropping
It is up to the puppy buyer as to whether or not to crop the ears and is at the expense of the buyer. Some prefer natural while others prefer cropped and I do not mandate either one or the other. However, should you decide that you would like to have your puppy's ears cropped I strongly recommend that you do adequate research into the care required prior to making your decision. Ear cropping requires daily taping and dressing of the ears and depending on the particular dog, this process can take up to a year to result in erect ears. There is no guarantee regarding the results of ear cropping because so much of it depends on you doing the taping and dressing correctly and adequately. There are absolutely no refunds if you change your mind after the puppy is cropped.
Vaccinations
There is an increasing level of concern regarding unnecessary vaccinations and I strongly encourage you to research the topic BEFORE vaccinating your puppy. The idea of vaccination is innocent enough: introduce a young dog's body to a disease in a controlled way in order to initiate immunity to that particular disease without the dog actually ever contracting the disease. However, popular vaccination protocols involve bombarding a young puppy's immune system with numerous antigens to many different diseases simultaneously and very frequently (often 3 or four times before the age of 4 months!). Contrary to popular belief, over-vaccinating can be extremely dangerous and is not necessarily effective against the disease(s) they aim to immunize against. Repetitive booster shots are almost always unnecessary as a lot of research has shown initial vaccines to be effective for a minimum of 7 years, if not for life. But despite the risks, it is sometimes necessary to vaccinate against particular diseases depending on your specific situation. Here are some recommended guidelines regarding vaccinations:
1) Never vaccinate against multiple diseases simultaneously (ie 5-way or 7-way combos).
2) Do not vaccinate prior to 8 weeks of age. Antibodies passed from the mother will almost always protect the puppy and may actually inhibit the puppy's own immune system from developing immunity if vaccinated too early.
3) Determine which vaccines are absolutely necessary. Prevalence of different diseases (and hence your puppy's risk) vary significantly depending on location, climate, and social factors. Talk to your local vet about any particular disease outbreaks in your area to help gauge your puppy's risk.
4) Once you determine which diseases you feel that you absolutely MUST vaccinate against - plan out your vaccination schedule to allow adequate time for your puppy's immune system to recover between vaccinations. We recommend 3 or 4 weeks between vaccinations.
5) NEVER vaccinate a sick or unhealthy puppy. Be sure that your puppy is in full health prior to administering any vaccine.
Ocean Blue Danes' puppies will be vaccinated for Parvo and Distemper at 8 weeks of age, prior to going to their Forever Home. Boosters should be given at 12 and 16 weeks. At 1 year, I recommend doing a titer (simple blood test) to check for immunity to the initial vaccinations. If immunity is high, there is no need to vaccinate again. If it is low, a repeated vaccination may be necessary.
In Palm Beach County the law requires breeders to vaccinate all puppies for parvo, para-influenza, hepatitis, bordetella, distemper, and leptospirosis prior to sale. Typically, Forever Homes want to receive their puppy as soon as possible which is 8 weeks old in the state of Florida. To vaccinate against all of these diseases by 8 weeks of age can be detrimental to the health of a puppy and has resulted in death in some cases (not in my experience). For this reason I leave this decision up to you, the Buyer. Because it is the law, if you do prefer that your puppy receive all of these vaccinations then I will accommodate you, provided you notify me in writing to do so prior to release of the puppy. Please be aware that this will void your Genetic Health Guarantee.
Rabies vaccination is required by law in Palm Beach County by the age of 4 months, though I recommend waiting as long as the law in your area allows.
My puppies are also supplemented with Vitamin C and Omega oil. Also, your puppy will be periodically dewormed (typically every 2 weeks) and will be verified to be parasite-free via fecal tests at health certification.
Returns
If for any reason whatsoever you cannot keep your puppy/dog for the duration of its life - you are required by contract to return him/her to me at your expense. Selling or re-homing your Ocean Blue Danes Great Dane without my written authorization is a direct breach of contract. In the event that you find you must rehome your puppy and you happen to have a friend or family member that you would like to place him/her with - please contact me, as this may be arranged pending approval of new home and transfer of contract.
