Black Horse Farms
Miniature Schnauzers
Welcome to Black Horse Farms Miniature Schnauzer Pages. We'd like to tell you a little about us, who we are, how we got started and what we believe in regards to our dogs.
Go to the Puppy Pen for our available puppies.
How long have we been doing this?
I was raised with Mini Schnauzers from the time I was born, and my mother still has 2, so there have been Minis in the family for over 30 years. We had one litter when I was about 6, but that was all until I became an adult and mother myself. I have been breeding Mini's for going on 3 years. I love these little dogs as a breed and while I wasn't necessarily planning to breed, the more I researched it and had people ask about getting a pup from Jasmine, I decided to get started in it. I have learned a lot over the last several years and will continue to learn more each day...when you quit learning you may as well die...and I'm not ready for that yet sooo...
AKC or CKC?
Some people have wanted to know why some of my dogs are registered AKC and why some are CKC and there are several reasons. First of all, one of the reasons is that the AKC seems to be all about fees and money. They charge 3 different fees
to register each pup, first the breeder pays a "litter fee" to qualify the litter for registration, then the breeder also pays a "per puppy fee" for each pup in the litter to be registered - these two fees are regardless of
whether the new owner will ever choose to register their dog, many of which don't. Finally the new pup owner has to pay between $15 and $65 to register their pup.
In contrast the CKC charges a one time fee of $10 for each pup to be registered which is paid only if the new owner chooses to do so and there are no late fees incurred if they wait. So unless the dog came with AKC papers, we usually register them CKC instead, that is why some are double registered.
Another reason I choose to go thru the CKC is that contrary to some misconceptions, AKC registration does not guarantee that a dog is purebred, the integrity of the breeder does. I got a dog from a gal who had bought him from someone else and when I picked him up I was astonished to find that he was only 8" tall at 2 1/2 yrs old and had the high-domed forehead, wide-set eyes and short, pointy nose of the Chihuahua he most certainly was! When I asked the gal about him and tried to verify his parentage even tho he had AKC papers, she just said that she always thought "he looked sort of Chihuahua-ish, but never questioned it"...well, WHY NOT??? She was trying to breed this dog (he also had only 1 testicle!!) even knowing in her gut he was not purebred just because he had AKC papers. To me this is not right. I re-homed this little guy where the new owners were told that there was no doubt in my mind that he was not purebred, despite what his papers said and he was neutered and is now a wonderful companion dog and pet. This situation just proved to me my own position that there can be dogs claimed to be purebred which are not and you really have to trust the breeder's integrity even more so than the papers.
Some have also said that since the CKC will "hardship register" purebred dogs whose parents are not registered or whose registration information is not immediately available (perhaps were lost) that it makes these dogs either less purebred or just plain less desirable. I do not feel that this is the case, partly for the reason sited above but also because in the horse world, which is where I got my start in breeding and such, there are several horse registries which either have at one time or still have what are called "hardship registries". These are cases where the parentage may not be known or perhaps is known but are not registered with that particular registry but with photographic information showing that the horse fit in with specific breed standards they are able to be registered. This usually has to do with specific color registries with the horses but with the CKC, in addition to photos of three different views, there is also required that two affidavits provided that say that this dog is purebred and fits the breed standard. Some say that this situation opens the door for dogs to be stolen and re-registered and while I can see how that could happen, if the breeder has integrity (which you want them to have in all areas) then they can probably provide you with pictures of the dog growing up, or with proof of legitimate purchase or other acquisition.
There will always be controversy about this issue I am sure but the main point of this is that when you are looking for a wonderful little purebred pet, and not a show dog then you can explore the integrity of the breeder, look at their dogs and past puppies and perhaps even ask for references if it would make you feel more comfortable and have confidence that you are getting what you are paying for. A fine, healthy, purebred little companion.
How can you judge the integrity of the breeder?
Ask lots of questions! Anyone who is evasive, refuses to answer questions or just doesn't know the answers to some of the basic questions is probably not someone you want to buy a pup from.
Ask if you can come to see the pups, the parents, the environmment where the pups were raised... while there are some valid reaons for not wanting visitors for the pups at too young an age, by the time they are old enough to be picked up there should be no problem.
You don't HAVE to go there but find out their answer if you did want to.
But please note, just because a breeder offers to meet you part way for your own convenience does not mean that they are trying to hide something, should you ask to come to their home, they should welcome you or provide some plausible reason why this is not possible.
Listen to the way they talk about their dogs, are they family members, do they know their personalities, do they know them as individuals..or are they just dogs, baby-makers, money makers? The best pups come from homes where they are socialized and loved, where the parents are part of the family, NOT just brought into the house to have their pups and living in a kennel the rest of the time.
Ask for references, people who have gotten pups from them, people who are other breeders (even if not the same breed) who know them, etc... If they are just getting started, ask about anyone who can give a personal reference...it may not ALWAYS be possible, but it should often be.
Do they offer a contract or guarantee? Breeders with integrity will stand behind their pups. Different breeders offer different guarantees covering different things for different periods of time, find one you are comfortable with and ask questions about anything you don't understand.
Above all else, listen to your gut instinct, if you don't feel comfortable about the situation and all of your efforts to determine the integrity of the breeder fall short, then go with it...this decision you are making is an important one financially and emotionally. There are lots of pups out there, you'll find the right one from the right place for you.
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