BIJOU STANDARD POODLES

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Contact us: brownpoodles@yahoo.com

Bijou Poodle’s Foster Program

We get asked all the time “how do you let them go”. Well it is difficult. Being a breeder means making tough choices. Of course we would LOVE to keep all the puppies we produce, but reality is that we just can’t. We only keep the number of Poodles that we can provide quality time with and that we are able to fully look after (our King size bed is getting very full). As a result or our care, our Poodles are all in top physical and mental condition (healthy and happy).

But, by keeping our numbers down, we have found that we are loosing our fabulous lines. Our girls are maturing and will soon be retiring from our breeding program, to be our full time bed warmers.

We need to find space for our new babies that we have HUGE hopes for our future program.
We have decided one way to keep our lines and keep our numbers down and to give
our pups the proper attention, that Fostering might be an option for us.

How the Foster Program Works:

We place our "pick of the litter" female or male at 8 weeks old in foster homes. The puppy will remain registered in our names as the owners. The pups stay in their Foster Homes for their entire life, provided they follow our fostering rules - which are quite reasonable.  Fostering allows people an opportunity to have one of the best pups in our breeding program, that would normally cost anyone else over $2,500.00 to purchase, at no initial cost.

When a foster puppy grows up they may be used in our breeding program if they are good enough. If at 1 year of age we find the puppy is just not good enough to be bred (doesn’t pass health tests, has a conformation flaw, etc) we will have the puppy altered at our expense, at our Veterinarian and you will be given full ownership of the Puppy at a considerably reduced, pet price of $1300.00 for brown male, $1500.00 for brown female or a red male or female. Which is a pretty good deal, considering you have the pick of the litter puppy, for a pet price.

If the puppy is good enough to be bred we will have the puppy bred at our cost, which could mean puppy leaving you for a couple weeks. If the puppy is a female she will remain with you until 1 week before she is due to have her pups. Then she comes and lives with us her grandparents, until the pups are weaned at about 6 weeks.  Then, she goes back to you!

We would also like to show your Foster Puppy if puppy proves to have potential.
What this means is that we would ask that you would let the puppy's coat grow out for 2 months
before the show date so that our groomer could do a show trim.
We would pick the puppy up 2 days before the show usually a Wednesday
then return the puppy to you on either Monday or Tuesday.
You would get any show photos and any flat ribbons puppy would win.
You would have the bragging rights that your puppy is a champion
and we would be given the opportunity to have our pups and lines evaluated by our peers and professional judges.
We would assume all costs involved in getting puppy groomed for show and show fees.
You may be as involved as you want to and may even show your own puppy
or come to the show to cheer your puppy on.

Who Qualifies for a Foster Dog?

We are very selective of who we choose to become a Foster Family. Our primary concern is that our pups go into safe, healthy homes where they will be well taken care of and not get run over by a car or allowed to escape and get lost.

We have very specific criteria we are looking for in our foster families.  Families MUST be located in the London to Hamilton area.  They must have some previous dog experience.  They must be non-smokers. They must have a driver’s license.

We expect the foster parents to raise the puppy in the house as their family pet.

We will do a home checks and ask many questions about the care our puppy is going to receive.  

If you have another dog it is still possible to foster.  If your dog is good with other dogs and has been sexually altered this is possible.  

But what if you want to keep a pup from the litter?  
If this is your poodle’s last litter and is due to be “altered”, we will consider letting you keep a female or male from the last litter as either a foster or as a pet only.

What are the Foster Family's Responsibilities?

You are not paying for the dog, but you still have to take TOP NOTCH care of it.

 This means general vet care at our Veterinarian in London, flea treatments, worming, grooming, obedience training and socializing. Your puppy will be the ambassador for our lines.

If the puppy was to die or be “lost” or “stolen”, the Foster Family would have to pay Bijou Poodles the pet price for the puppy ($1300.00-$1500.00) to reimburse Bijou Standard Poodles. Bijou Poodles would have the puppy’s registration papers, DNA and Microchip ID on file, which will enable us to identify puppy or puppy’s progeny to aid Police in recovering puppy and puppy’s progeny if applicable.  Foster Family would also be responsible for any legal costs incurred with Bijou Poodles enforcing the Fostering Contract and in regaining possession of the puppy.

Socializing. We expect that Foster Families would teach the puppy to be handled and patted by strangers and have good manners (not jump all over them). We would also appreciate the Foster Family teaching the puppy to “stand” and “smile” (show their bite). This is in case we feel that the puppy is great enough to Champion. What this means to the Foster Family is that we would champion the puppy at our expense and the Foster Family would have ribbons or awards to keep and bragging rights that your beautiful puppy is also a “Champion”. Puppy would come with us on a Thursday evening to attend a dog show and would be returned Sunday night. This would take a couple weekends to finish. We would ask that our groomer be able to groom the puppy 3 months prior to any dog show at our expense and that Foster Families do not cut the hair on the puppy’s head, tail and ears until they have Championed.

Bijou Poodles would also offer to pay show entry expenses should the Foster Families wish to do conformation, obedience, agility or retrieving. Bijou Poodles will pay the entry fees and pay for a show photographer to take a photo with the judge should puppy win breed or finish their title.  Bijou Poodles will also offer any instruction at no cost, should the Foster Family wish to get training on obedience or conformation.  

THE GOOD POINTS:

You get the best Bijou Poodles has to offer, as long as the puppy is well taken care of.  This will mean the most stable, most friendly, most even tempered dog in the litter and the one we feel is the most beautiful. You get a fully health tested puppy, and you don't have to pay for the tests yourself. Your entry fees will be paid for should you decide to compete. 24 hours 7 days a week breeder support. You may have a Champion Standard Poodle Puppy !

THE BAD POINTS:

You have to deal with “heat cycles”. Heat cycles are very similar to human females periods except they only go into heat every 6 months usually on or around her birthday and then 6 months after that.

During her “heat” you MUST keep a close watch on her to ensure she isn't bred by a dog who 'jumps the fence' - If this was to happen, we would remove this girl!

You must notify us the minute you see her “bleeding”.

Your baby girl will have to leave you for a few months, several times during her life.  Of course, your girl will be totally spoiled when here, kept as a house dog, not a kennel dog, but still, there will be an absence from your life.

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