Thanks for your interest in Glenfraser Scottish Terriers. We share with you a love of the breed and also understand that as with most top quality pure-bred dogs, finding the right one can be a long and sometimes frustrating experience.Our experience has shown that those owners willing to take the time (and yes, it sometimes takes a while) to build a relationship with breeders usually have a more successful time of it. That way you can get to know people, perhaps attend some shows or visit kennels in person, and finally settle on a Scottie puppy and bring it home. Starting with a brief email exchange or phone call won't cover everything and is only the very first step.
In order for you to start that process and get to know our situation and terms a little better, we've prepared some preliminary information that you should read. We hope this will provide you with a better understanding of our policies. Given the numerous enquiries we receive for puppies via the Internet, we suggest you read the following information before you contact us, including the FAQ on this website and our kennel page, if you haven't done so already.
Although we are open to negotiation, we have fairly strong policies on the following:
- companion animals ("pets") will be sold and registered on a Non-Breeding basis (i.e. a spay/neuter contract) with the Canadian Kennel Club
- we will not sell a puppy as a "surprise" for someone in your family - we need to deal with the person directly who will have primary care responsibilities for the life of the dog (think 10-15 years)
- we will not sell a puppy as a Christmas present - it's the worst situation for bringing a dog into your life - wait till you have a stable situation and time to train the puppy properly
- we prefer not to sell a dog to anyone with a swimming pool - too many Scotties have drowned in them
- puppies cannot be left alone for 8 hours a day while you're at work; arrange to take the dog to work or organize a time when you can supervise the puppy yourself at home
- we don't normally ship puppies beyond a distance that would involve a flight of more than an hour; taking them in the cabin in a specially designed carry-on bag (the "sherpa"), however, seems to work well; otherwise, we'd be pleased to refer you to breeders in your area who are members of the American or Canadian Scottish Terrier Clubs
- Scottie pups that are well socialized as ours are do well in families; however, we do not recommend them for families with toddlers and infants as these young children are usually, justifiably, afraid of such an active dog with big teeth that tends to play rough
- Scotties have a beautiful, functional coat but it requires specialized grooming; we prefer to sell puppies to people who won't be clippering the dog (which removes its hard coat and generally makes it look like a "convict"), so please consider this if you "just want a pet". We can provide alternative suggestions regarding grooming
An ungroomed "pet" Scottie
The same puppy after being groomed
- we are most sympathetic to those who've recently lost their Scottie (yes, the only solution is to get another one) and we'll try to find a replacement; however, keep in mind that if this has happened to you, you've become used to a relatively sedentary adult dog and may have forgotten how much energy a Scottie pup has, and how much attention it needs. Think about whether this is what you can cope with - an older dog might be more appropriate in some situations
- although an initial email contact is fine, we will need to talk with you directly if it goes beyond the preliminaries, so expect to rack up a few long distance charges; we also will expect you to pick up the dog in person
Prices and availability:
Barry Truax & Guenther Krueger Glenfraser Scotties
- if you've done any searching for a Scottie puppy, you'll realize that there are normally not that many litters available at any given time; litters tend to be in the range of 4-5 pups, and frequently not all of them survive the first few weeks, so as a result a lot of time and expense goes into raising just a few pups, and most breeders have just one litter per year (just for the record on finances, after 20 years of breeding, we have yet to break even - it's obviously a "labour of love" with the intention of improving the breed and producing puppies with excellent health, temperament and intelligence); increasingly it seems that few breeders have the resources to spend 4 months raising a litter and take a financial risk of a few thousand dollars in what might end up as a "singleton" litter, or worse, none at all!
- our girls don't usually follow a regular pattern of six-month seasons, so most of the time when you call or email us, we'll say "we're waiting for her to come into season"; this unpredictability combined with our own professional commitments means that most of the time we don't know when we're going to have another litter. Given the hundred or more enquiries we get per year, we don't keep a "waiting list" - in the past, we've found that when we went back to a few of those who'd contacted us, they had already got a dog or decided on another breed
- the reality of our situation is that we get at least dozens of enquiries per year and, in a good year, produce 3-6 puppies (this is why we don't advertise any more - more than enough people find us through the Internet or referrals from other breeders); of these puppies typically only one or two will go as pets to people we don't already know (i.e. those who have had one of our dogs previously); after that, priority goes to people who will groom and train the puppy properly, or else work with us to do that for them
- adult dogs are occasionally available, either as "rescues" or placements by breeders; availability is quite unpredictable, but enquire anyway
- with the increases in breeding and vet costs, we have had to raise our puppy prices; as a reference, the last litter in 2021 was sold for Can$2850. each
- we're never sure when we'll have more puppies; however, we'd still like to hear from you if you're serious about getting a quality dog; we'll also be pleased to refer you to another reputable breeder
- our email is: truax@sfu.ca
