About us
A small program that keeps litters in the middle of family life, publishes its paperwork before anyone asks, and would rather lose a sale than place a puppy in a house it does not suit.
The litter, outdoors on an ordinary afternoon
Our story
We did not set out to run a breeding program. We set out to get one Miniature Schnauzer, fell completely for the breed, and learned the rest the slow way — by living with them.
What we found is that almost everything that matters about a dog is decided before anyone buys it. Not the pedigree and not the paperwork, but the ordinary business of being handled, startled, comforted and included, every day, by people who are paying attention. A puppy raised in the middle of a household arrives at yours already knowing what a household is.
So we kept the program small on purpose. Small enough that every puppy is handled by name rather than counted, that we can tell you exactly how each one has been getting on, and that we can afford to keep them until ten weeks rather than eight. It costs us two extra weeks of feeding and cleaning per litter. It is the best money we spend.
Everything else follows from that: one published price with nothing hidden behind it, both documents on the site before anyone is asked for a deposit, and a standing invitation to ask us anything at all.
Our philosophy
A puppy leaving at 10 weeks has had two more weeks of littermate correction, routine and handling. It costs us feed, cleaning and time, and it is the single cheapest improvement anyone can make to how a puppy handles its first week away.
Litters live where the household noise is. Kennel-raised puppies can be perfectly healthy and still find a normal kitchen overwhelming, because nothing in their first ten weeks resembled one.
The purchase agreement and health guarantee are published, complete, before anyone is asked for a reservation. If a term does not work for you, we would rather discuss it than discover the disagreement afterwards.
Some households are not right for a terrier that barks at the postman for fourteen years. Saying so before you pay is not bad salesmanship — it is the only version of this job worth doing.
Our home
Every photograph on this site was taken in the environment described here — the same rooms, the same garden, the same afternoon light.
Daily life
Toileting first, because a puppy taken out before it is fed learns the sequence faster. Feeding is measured and on a schedule you will be given in writing so your household can continue it unchanged.
Paws, ears, mouth, tail, being lifted and set down. Brief and frequent beats long and occasional. By ten weeks a veterinary examination should be boring, not frightening.
Puppies at this age sleep an enormous amount and are ruined by being kept awake for visitors. Rest is scheduled and protected as deliberately as play is.
New surfaces, new sounds, a different room, a cardboard box that was not there yesterday. Small, controlled surprises with a safe recovery, repeated until surprises stop meaning very much.
The busiest, loudest part of the day, which is exactly why the litter is in the middle of it. Television, cooking, conversation, doors.
Crate exposure is introduced gradually and positively so the crate is a place to sleep rather than a punishment. This is the routine most worth continuing in your first fortnight.
Our commitment
Expect to hear from us. The first night is nearly always the hardest one, and most of what goes wrong in week one has a simple answer if you ask early.
Ask at six months, ask at six years. We answer enquiries within 30 minutes during business hours, and that does not stop applying once a puppy has gone home.
The return and rehoming policy exists so that a puppy never ends up somewhere unplanned. Come back to us first, at any point in the dog's life.
Visits, video calls and extra photographs are all normal requests. Ask for whatever you need in order to be sure.