Q&A

We don’t begin accepting deposits until our puppies are around 2 weeks old. At that time, I begin working through our list of puppy inquiries and reaching out to the next family on the list. Once we have spoken and you decide you would like to proceed, a deposit will hold a puppy of your chosen sex. When the puppies are between 6 and 7 weeks old, I match each puppy with their family. By this age, I have had time to observe each puppy’s temperament and personality, which allows me to make the best possible match for every family. Once the puppies are 8 weeks old, families are welcome to come to our home to pick up their puppy. We can also arrange for your puppy to travel with our flight nanny or by ground transport, depending on which option you choose.

Your inquiry is added to our list, and once we have a litter of puppies that has reached around 2 weeks of age and we are ready to begin accepting deposits, I start reaching out to families using the contact information provided on their puppy inquiry. From there, we discuss the next steps and go over any questions either of us may have before moving forward.

Literally everything goes into that decision for me! I speak with each family, review the answers from their puppy inquiry, and take the time to learn what their home and lifestyle are like. I consider things such as whether there are other pets in the home, whether there are children, how active the family is, and what they imagine life with a Dogue de Bordeaux looking like for them. After spending weeks watching the puppies grow and learning each puppy’s individual personality and temperament, I make the best match possible for each family. My goal is always to place every puppy in a loving, well-suited forever home.

We use Embark DNA health testing for our dogs and provide links to their results so families can review them for themselves.

We are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and can easily arrange transportation throughout the United States and Canada. We work with a trusted ground transport company and flight nanny that we have used for many years. Depending on your preference, your puppy can be brought directly to your front door or delivered to your nearest airport. Many families also choose to drive to our home to pick up their puppy. Others fly into Nashville International Airport, rent a car, and come to us since we are only about 30 minutes from BNA. They then fly home with their puppy in the cabin with them. If you choose to fly with your puppy, don’t worry! I can easily walk you through the entire process and explain exactly what to expect. It is actually much easier than most people think!

We raise our puppies right in our home. We dedicate an entire bedroom to our whelping mommas so they can stay close to their puppies at all times. We watch them very closely with a baby monitor and camera so we can step in whenever needed, whether that means helping momma as she gets in and out of the whelping box or helping a puppy that has wandered away and needs assistance finding its way back to nurse. My husband even plans his vacation days around our litters so that during the first crucial week, someone is awake with momma and the puppies 24/7. We rotate sleeping so they are never left without someone nearby to keep a close eye on them.

As you can see in the many videos we share across our social media, all under the name Bordeaux Legends, our puppies are handled frequently every day from the moment they are born. My husband and I, our three children, and even our children’s friends all spend time interacting with and socializing the puppies. Once they are old enough, the puppies also begin spending supervised time with our adult Dogues. This is incredibly important because it allows them to learn proper canine communication, boundaries, manners, and social skills from their mother and the rest of the pack. While human socialization is extremely important, adult dogs are also wonderful teachers. Our puppies grow up learning how to interact appropriately with both people and other dogs, helping prepare them to become confident and well-adjusted members of their future families.

Our puppies will receive one age-appropriate set of vaccinations, multiple deworming treatments, and antiprotozoal treatments before going home. Each puppy will also leave with a certificate of health issued by our veterinarian.

Our puppies go home with their AKC registration paperwork. In most cases, puppies are placed with limited registration, which is ideal for pet homes. We do occasionally allow a puppy to go home with full registration, but this is handled on a case-by-case basis after we have spoken in detail and determined that it is the right fit. Each puppy also goes home with a sales agreement, a 2-year health guarantee, and puppy information paperwork. This includes details about the food we feed, the supplements we use, helpful care information, and resources such as a link to a crate-training video we highly recommend.

Oh yes, absolutely! Our puppies begin potty training at around 4 weeks old using puppy pads and litter boxes. The litter boxes are filled with pine and alfalfa pellets to help them begin associating the smell of grass and the outdoors with going potty. From about 5 to 8 weeks old, the puppies also have access to a doggy door so they can begin learning to go outside when they feel the urge. They definitely go home with a great start, but consistency in your home will be very important in continuing what we have already begun. Keeping a regular schedule for feeding and potty breaks can make a huge difference, as it helps their bodies settle into a predictable routine.