INFO/FAQ: choose category
WELCOME TO SILVERSIDE AUSSIES!! We’re so happy you found us! I’m Lynn & Silverside is my small family of canine enthusiasts who strive to raise standard AKC AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERDS with versatile temperaments, solid structure, balanced proportions, sound movement, normal+ OFAs, full/proper genetic testing, & much more! We’re devoted to being professional, ethical breeders of sound, quality Aussies that produce happy, healthy puppies, GUARANTEED!
💯 100% AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD
🐾 STANDARD, ~45-60lbs ~18-22"
💙❤️~EVERY COLOR/LITTER🤎🖤
🐕 LONG or NATURAL BOBTAILS!!
😍 BLUE EYES very likely (92%+)
🎫 AKC & ASDR Limited Registration
🥇 TITLED/CHAMPION PEDIGREES for most
🤑 AKC TITLE INCENTIVE Rebate Program
♾️ BREEDER'S LIFETIME SUPPORT
🥈 2-YEAR HEALTH GUARANTEE
💸 PRESCRIPTION MED Reimbursement
🆓 PUP INSURANCE x2 (+30 Days FREE)
🛡️ Parents CHIC/FULLY HEALTH TESTED
🩻 OFAs All Parents: Good-Excellent Hips
Normal Elbows, Eyes, Dentition, Patella,+
🧬 DNA/TRAIT/HEALTH x2 (Embark & AKC)
⚕️ YEARLY + PROACTIVE VET CARE
🩺 LITTER VET WELLNESS EXAMS x2
🔍 MICROCHIP by Vet, FREE for life
💉 Up-to-date VACCINES (1st by Vet)
💊 Prescription DEWORMER, biweekly
🦴 HIGH-QUALITY FOOD & supplements
🏡 RAISED IN HOME, outside playtime
⭐ AKC Bred with H.E.A.R.T.
📋 BAXTER & BELLA for US + YOU
📈 WEIGHT TRACKING +early monitoring
🫀 ENS= Early Neurological Stimulation
for +Cardio, +Coping, +...
🧠 ESI= Early Scent Introduction
for +Cognitive, +Confidence, +..
🎉 FOCUS on Socializing, Desensitizing
🧼 GROOM WEEKLY, bath/nails/blow dry
🐕🦺 INTRO to collar/leash/crate/car
📸 WEEKLY Photos, Videos, & Pupdates
💌 WAITLIST for upcoming litters
Silverside Aussies is located in South Hill, Virginia, USA – with Richmond VA & Raleigh, NC both being around a 1.5 hour drive. Our closest airports are RDU and RIC.
We are constantly working to expand our network of trusted puppy transport providers. At this time we are unable to offer personal transportation services, but we have worked with several companies & would love to recommend them to you. We also have had success with citizenshipper.com & they have great guarantees so that is another option available. REACH OUT TODAY so we can work together to bring your Silverside Aussie home! ❣️
including 100% Breed Verification & physical traits, often tested by multiple laboratories for extra assurances. Our dogs are our family!! We raise Aussies because we are passionate about them & want to ensure the preservation of the Australian Shepherd breed by doing everything possible to ensure healthy, happy, balanced puppies from each & every pairing. We select our dogs first & foremost based on temperament. If we love their personality, confirmation, & disposition, only then will we proceed with our rigorous genetic screenings.
You can buy with confidence! Genetic screening of the dam and sire for inherited diseases should be an integral part of any breeding program. Although it's extremely costly, Silverside Aussies chooses to voluntarily screen each of our dogs for inherited diseases prior to breeding because we know that screening our dogs is crucial in producing happy and healthy puppies. All of our dogs have been CHIC certified with OFAs & health tested through Embark & most double tested with AKC DNA.
All of our dogs have GENETIC TESTING for Breed Verification, Coat & Body Traits, & Health Testing. Each of our dogs are:
💯 Australian Shepherd 100%
💟 Standard Sized (40-60 lbs & 18-21" to withers)
📜 AKC & ASDR Registered (Pups have Limited Registration)
🧬 "CLEAR" or "CARRIER" only, so pups should NEVER BE "AFFECTED" by any disease for which their parents have been tested.
🎨 Red or Red-Factored, so each pairing can product pups of EVERY COLOR
🔵 Spartan has 2 BET genes, so BLUE EYES are HIGHLY LIKELY for each puppy.
🐕 Only some litters can have NBT pups (see beside each mom below)
💌 Most of our dogs have CHAMPIONSHIPs in their lineage
CLICK TO VIEW profiles for mom & dad, including genetic testing, size, registry, & details about our next litter(s). WE CHOOSE OUR DOGS SO OUR PUPPIES WILL NEVER CARRY 2 GENES OF MDR1 or ANY OTHER GENETICALLY INHERITED CONDITION which we can prescreen our dogs for. Be sure to read through each report for detailed explanations for each gene & how it is passed to your pups. I find it all fascinating & spend hours researching new tests & conditions, so rest assured, we have thoroughly screened our dogs to give your puppy the best head start in life!!
Embark also gives us access to a "Pair Predictor" which has easy-to-read results & interpretations of the parents & how it affects the puppies. VIEW EACH PLANNED LITTER TO SEE THE LITTER'S EXPECTED GENETIC RESULTS
We believe in being completely transparent with our process & our program. We have included links to all of our dog's health testing so you can read the results too. We have spent hundreds of hours reading & researching about genetic testing & we have tons & tons of knowledge we would love to share to make puppy ownership easier! We can chat as often or in-often as you'd like while your pup is on the way & we would love more than anything to keep in touch once your pup goes home too.
The health and safety of our puppies is our number one priority, and as such, we do everything we can to support your puppy and keep you informed every step of the way.
**Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS), Early Scent Introduction (ESI), & Weight Tracking** We track the puppies very closely during the first few weeks of life. We created a daily chart and checklist to help us manage it all. (See ENS & ESI faq for more info)
**Vet Check** Each puppy will also be examined by a licensed Veterinarian around 7 weeks of age. The Vet will administer their DHPPv shots and install their microchips. Some third-party transportation companies also require an additional vet appointment to obtain a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (health certificate or CVI). If required, there is an additional Vet fee which will be your responsibility (previously was $275 at our Vet). After pickup, you will need to schedule a series of appointments with your local vet for their additional rounds of vaccines.
**Vaccines & Deworming** All of our puppies will go home with a printed vet exam and medical records. We record when your puppy received dewormer and vaccinations and what products were used. The puppies are dewormed at 3, 5, and 7 weeks. Your puppy will arrive with age-appropriate vaccinations and deworming and will have a minimum of one round of DHPParvo shots during their vet check. In order to be fully vaccinated, puppies need shots administered every 3-4 weeks for a total of 4 rounds. Their first shot is administered at 7 weeks of age, so we suggest the next shots at 10, 13, and 16 weeks of age. It is not the number of shots that count, it is the age of the puppy. Per AAHA and WSAVA guidelines, for dogs under 16 weeks of age, Distemper/Parvovirus is given as a series of shots, starting as early as 6 weeks and continuing at 2 to 4 week intervals until no less than 16 weeks of age. This could mean shots at 8/12/16 weeks on one end of the spectrum or 6/8/10/12/14/16 weeks on the other end of the spectrum.
WHAT WILL MY PUP COME WITH? We know traveling with a puppy can be difficult & we want you to enjoy your first moments with your new furiend, so we pack a V.I.P.uppy Bag for each puppy which includes:
Collar & Leash, which should fit until ~20 weeks
Travel bowl & a bottle of water
Disposable waste bags & pee pad
2 Toys & Lots of Treats
Blanket that smells like mom
AKC Registration Application & AKC Insurance offer
ASDR Registration Application
Trupanion Insurance & other Partner offers
Copy of Vet Exam & Medical Papers
If you plan to switch foods, we will provide a sample of Purina Pro Plan Puppy Food. CLICK HERE to see FLAVOR.
**Insurance** Your puppy will come home with 30 days of complimentary insurance through AKC insurance with a free Vet exam voucher if you activate pup's AKC registration & TruPanion an opt-in offer which does not require any financial information unless you choose to extend your coverage past the trial period.
**Silverside Extended 2-Year Wellness Warranty** We want you to be confident that your puppy is healthy and will be with you for years to come. After researching, we found most breeders' standards and contracts don't convey the confidence we have in our program and in the puppies we produce. Once your puppy is home, you will quickly fall in love and it is unrealistic to require that you surrender the puppy to protect your investment. We will never do that. If your puppy is covered under the Extended Wellness Warranty, Silverside Aussies will reimburse you for necessary medical care or training programs or you could still choose to return the puppy for a replacement. Read Contract for details.
**Lifetime Support** We offer lifetime support for your puppy! Once you choose a Silverside puppy, you can always count on us to share our knowledge, be an ear to share your doggie concerns, and help provide training tips. We are very involved with all of our puppies and dogs. We put in a lot of time, effort, and money. We fall in love with each one, and they are all very much a part of our family. With that being said, it is our goal to make sure our pups are going to a home where they will be loved, cherished, and spoiled forever.
Silverside Aussies offers an INDUSTRY-LEADING WELLNESS WARRANTY, detailed in our Puppy Contract, which guarantees your pup is free from life-threatening congenital defects for 2 years. We do everything possible to ensure healthy pups & have recently extended our warranty since we hope to encourage owners to continue annual vet exams & waiting for spay/neuter until the pup's growth plates close, typically 18-2 year for males & up to 3 years for females, so we added some time.🩵
Even if Silverside Aussies isn't your choice, responsible buying is crucial, ONLY BUY PUPPIES FROM TRUSTED BREEDERS WITH VETTED, HEALTH TESTED DOGS & VET CHECKED PUPPIES! Unfortunately not everyone is as transparent or honest as they should be, so even if we aren't your first choice, we're happy to help you "check" other breeders in your search because healthy puppies are our passion, regardless of where they get started in life! We love finding like-minded breeders, so if you find others, please share so we can recommend them when we don't have pups planned 🙏A few tips to get you started:
Any ethical breeder (regardless of breed) should be able to READILY & EASILY provide PROOF OF BREED-RECOMMENDED OFAs & HEALTH TESTING BEFORE PURCHASE (preferably CHIC certified if they've completed all recommendations). As far as I know, we're the only Aussie breeder within a 4-5 hour radius who have complete health testing & genetic screens. You should be able to independently verify the results directly from each test company, like the links we provide for each dog at silversideaussies.com/aussies
Ask for Vet references. Verify parent dogs have yearly vet exams, heartworm/fecal testing, & vaccines at a minimum, which is actually required by law (WE DO!!). Unfortunately we know way too many "breeders" who don't even comply with that basic necessity & dogs being properly dewormed & immunized provides the puppies with Maternally-Derived Antibodies (MDAs) for disease resistance even before being vaccinated so they are naturally inoculated against disease until they're old enough for shots.
Each litter should be examined by a licensed Vet before going home & preferably vaccinated by the Vet for vaccine quality assurance. Each Silverside litter is Vet checked (usually twice) before going home!!
Always check Buyer's reviews. See all of our 5⭐ at silversideaussies.com/reviews
Are you ready to welcome a puppy into your home now? Or do you need a few months to prepare? Or are you still a way off but want to begin the rise to the top of the Waitlist so you have a better Pick# when you're ready? Or maybe just gettin started in your puppy search? Read the CONTRACT & FAQ sections to learn more about us, our Aussies & the puppies to make sure we can provide what you are looking for in your ideal Aussie before you apply. I have dedicated hours writing down everything I can think to be as transparent as we can be because we want to ensure Silverside Aussies is a good match for your lifestyle & can fit into your home as seamlessly as possible for the best match every time.
SUBSCRIBE: If you've just starting researching or not quite ready to commit, subscribe to Silverside AussiEnews for pupdates on upcoming litters & puppy availability after the Waitlist choose their pups from each litter at silversideaussies.com/subscribe. If you're having trouble deciding on a puppy because you're just not sure how these little "potatoes" turn into the stunning, fluffballs of the future, I WOULD LOVE TO SHOW YOU! We spend hours with each puppy daily & one amazing "side effect" is that I can usually identify our puppies on sight!! Just send me some pictures of puppies you love (either ours or otherwise) & I'd love to show you which puppy or upcoming litter could check that box for you!!! 🥰
WAITLIST: If you're ready to commit to Silverside Aussies but you're not ready to bring a puppy home or we don't have any available pups for you, we welcome you to apply to JOIN THE WAITLIST. Everyone joins (& ultimately picks their puppy) in order of when they place a $400 REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT, so today is always the best (& earliest) time to join! We notify you each time pregnancy is confirmed & again when each litter is born to begin the countdown for Pick/Pass, usually completed by 2 weeks of age. See the next available Pick#, read more about how the WAITLIST works, & apply to get started at silversideaussies.com/waitlist
RESERVE: If any pups are available to reserve now, they'll be listed at silversideaussies.com/available (I try my very best to instantly remove availability as people reserve their pups). Each puppy has their own profile which includes pricing, anticipated ready date, links for an individual photo album, litter album, medical records, & parent's info including albums, pedigree, OFAs, genetic testing, & prior pups too! If you see a puppy you'd like to reserve, apply directly from their profile & you may opt to place an immediate hold while your application is being reviewed by placing a $400 REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT. If denied, deposit is immediately refunded.
If your puppy choice is approved, they'll be marked reserved & your deposit will be applied to their price becoming non-refundable (unless under warranty) with the balance due during pickup. We strive to send pupdates weekly at a minimum. Puppy Pickup will take place at Silverside Aussies in South Hill, VA once your Puppy reaches 8 weeks of age & is Vet checked, microchipped, vaccinated, dewormed, & deemed Travel Ready.
We make ourselves available to buyers and potential clients at almost any time. Using the CHAT, EMAIL (silversideaussies@gmail.com) or TEXT (434.414.1144) will get you the quickest response, however feel free to call & if you miss us, leave a message!
We are so happy you found us and are considering adopting one of our adorable Aussie puppies. If you're like us, you LOVE dogs and appreciate how every puppy has its own distinctive personality and destiny. Much like people, they're affected by nature and nurture; our goal is to give each puppy the greatest opportunity at having a long, happy, and healthy life - one that is filled with adventure, love, and purpose, and of course belly rubs! It would be our pleasure to make your dream of owning an Australian Shepherd puppy come true.
OUR MISSION is to provide exceptional care, love, & support for each puppy from our home to yours... and beyond! After raising our first Aussie in 2009, what started as puppy love for “All-things-Aussies” quickly became our passion. A decade of research later, we finally took the plunge & have been raising Silverside Aussies full-time ever since. Please reach out anytime! We're here for our dogs 24/7 and dedicate our time to raising beautiful, well-rounded, structurally sound, genetically "clear" puppies. Every puppy gets hours of daily attention, training, and socialization, and yes, they're definitely spoiled, & by spoiled, I don't mean because they have all of the treats they can eat, well that too but what I really mean is we provide all of the mental & physical stimulation a pack of Aussies could need, beside sheep (work in progress 😉). All of our dogs are part of our family and live in our house, not a kennel.
We were fortunate to buy our first home in my husband's hometown in South Hill, Virginia, near friends & family, in a quaint, quiet town about 12 miles above the North Carolina border. We were a young growing family with one Miniature Aussie (this was waaaay back in 2008, before the name change to Miniature American) & as our love for Aussies grew and our space expanded, we made the jump to standard Aussie & absolutely fell in love with the versatility and go-getter attitude that came with the upsize. We originally had 2 finished stories in our home & spent our very limited free time to landscaping our 1.5 acre open yard (keeping up with the neighbors grass cutting schedules... if you know, you know 😂) but once COVID stalled the world, we finally had time to expanded & begin our dream of ethically raising healthy, structurally sound, well-bred standard Australian Shepherds with amazing backgrounds, good AKC lineages with many championship pedigrees, & with balanced family-focused personalities & calm temperaments & we jumped in fully!
We transformed our basement into a finished living area including a Puppy nursery, indoor play areas for each litter, & a full grooming salon. We then welcomed home 3 beautiful hopeful females into our home at the same time, which was a test of our dedication right out of the gate. What was once our beautifully landscaped, open yard became a fully enclosed doggie care center complete with smaller areas & a patio with 24/7 access to the main floor. Our dining room became a medical center. We set up a dog gym in our pool house with slatmills & agility equipment. We refinished the inground pool to be dog friendly for hot summer days & each unsupervised area has its own smaller swimming trough for extra playtime. We are a very active family & love to take the whole pack running, rollerblading, & camping, but even then we quickly realized we still needed more space to grow so we began the tedious search for property & found the jackpot! We were able to purchase 12 acres of beautiful, but completely raw farm land (planning a move soon) with open fields, wooded paths, & a huge pond for our dogs to swim & play & the best part.... It's only 5 minutes from our house! We are able to take the dogs running several times per week while we work to build our dream facility & continue to elevate our program & the quality of puppies for you to love.
Currently, our little ones start in cozy 4x4 whelping pens, upgrade to a double as they begin scooting around & eating mush (around 3 weeks), then move to a spacious indoor nursery where each litter has their own separate areas to eat, play, and sleep. Once ready to venture outside, they will spend a few hours off & on outside each day too. We have separate outdoor areas for each litter where the puppies love to spend hours running around, playing with enrichment toys, and jumping in and out of their kiddie pools! Each pup holds a special place in our hearts, so finding them safe and loving forever homes is crucial to us. Just because a pup goes to a new home doesn’t mean we forget about them. We think about them all the time and are so grateful whenever we hear from their new families. Each puppy's profile contains a 2-way Photo Album where buyers will often upload pictures as the puppy grows too & we have a dedicated group for our owners to connect, share stories, & even arrange playdates!
CLICK HERE to view profiles for each dog in our program.
SIZE: All of our Aussies are AKC STANDARD sized. They range from 40-60 lbs & 18-21 inches tall to their shoulders.
TAILS: SILVERSIDE PROMOTES NATURAL PUPPIES!!! We 💗natural tails & stopped docking them in 2021. We understand that people have different preferences & to accommodate that, we have several Natural Bobbed Tail (NBT) females in our program! If either of the parents carries the NBT gene, each puppy has a 50% chance of being born with a shortened tail. We list each puppy's tail length under their bios.
There are many reasons to consider a NBT/SHORT TAIL (show/confirmation/herding work) or LONG TAIL (agility, expressiveness, & of course just a preference for more fluff too). Docking was actually very popular & almost always done until very recently in the USA (we stopped in 2021). Docking was done as a standard because Aussies are herding dogs and people believed pups had a higher chance of injury with a full tail (usually degloving), so that is definitely something to consider, however many countries have already banned the docking of tails & dogs are allow to work & compete in confirmation shows, which we love. We stopped docking puppies & added NBT girls to our program in 2021; We didn't find it to be traumatic for the mom or pups, but since most of our pups don't work, we found it unnecessary. All of the Silverside Aussies are either NBT or docked and they act no differently.
DEWCLAWS: Our Vet does remove rear dew claws per their recommendations, but does not remove their front dew claws as studies show it can accelerate arthritis in the future. Dew claws are the 5th nail on the front (or back) of a dog's legs. They are higher in the legs (think of your wrist to your hand). They often use them to climb or hold things they are chewing. They are prone to injury and may have to be removed once a dog is older if an injury occurs. However our dogs who have them are all fine and we haven't had any issues at all.
COAT COLORS: ALL OF OUR LITTERS can produce RAINBOW LITTERS which have Blue & Red Merle with Tan Points, Red Tri, & Black Tri pups. Spartan is considered a MINIMAL white Aussie, so the amount of white trim on our pups can vary greatly. We will often have puppies from the same litter that have white facial markings, white legs & chest, & full white collars, then we will have a puppy with only white on the tips of their toes, nose, & belly!! It is the neatest thing to see the variation in Aussies as it is part of what makes them so special (even if it increases wait times for that pictures perfect merle pup 😉)
EYE COLORS: Eyes may be any combination of brown, amber, hazel, green, blue, or marbled. Some of these dogs have eyes that are two different colors or may be marbled or swirled. For example, one eye can be blue and the other eye can be split between blue and brown. Puppies usually open their eyes at around 2 weeks of age & color can usually be seen very clearly in photos or videos around 4-5 weeks of age. Eye color can change until 6 months or in some cases as late as 2 years old, although not likely.
With Spartan as our sire, we have a VERY, VERY high likelihood of having 2 blue eyes. We are very fortunate that Spartan carries (2) blue eye genes, so each puppy inherits at least one copy from him. CLICK HERE to see our current percentage of blue eyes & other statistics.
At this time, for the health and safety of our family (dogs, puppies, and people), we only extend visitation privileges during Gotcha Day or after the puppies are 8 weeks old & ready to go home. Puppies are available on a first come, first serve basis. If we have puppies that are still available at 8 weeks of age, you are more than welcome to come meet them & take home your pick immediately if you have an approved application to JOIN THE WAITLIST, including the $400 REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT. During your visit, if you find the puppy for you, we would complete a Puppy Contract & the purchase price must be paid in full before Transfer of Ownership. If you do not find the puppy for you, you may choose to remain on the WAITLIST or your Deposit will be Refunded IMMEDIATELY.
IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO PAY A DEPOSIT, we completely understand & actually, we appreciate your caution, but please understand we are very cautious too. We raise our puppies inside our home because we strongly believe that is both ethically the right thing to do, as well as producing the most well-adjusted puppies. The downside to this is we do not have an office or kennel outside of our home that people can visit. THEREFORE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VISIT WITHOUT A DEPOSIT, you must still have an approved application & we can schedule a time that works for you & us, but WE WILL NOT SEND OUR ADDRESS AHEAD OF TIME!! We will meet you at our local safety pickup/drop off point (Local Police Dept) & chat for a moment before we invite you back to our home.
Luckily, modern technology has a good solution for this modern problem. We ask that you 'visit' us online on our website, via email, Facebook, GoodDog, and on Google rather than in person so that you may see our dogs and watch our puppies grow. We photograph and video our puppies regularly and post the photos to their photo albums on our website, Facebook, and Instagram pages almost daily. Our website has bios for each dog & puppy which are often updated by our new puppy owners too so you can see our puppies all grown up!! We have a Facebook group where several people send pup-dates & you are free to reach out to them. We have dozens of reviews across Google, GoodDog & Facebook. You are welcome to reach out to anyone who has posted reviews or pup-dates through our media pages.
We often have potential clients say, “but I want to meet the puppy before committing to it to make sure the personality is the right fit”. We truly understand, however, we can’t accommodate the high number of requests for visitation, nor can we safely do so. We appreciate your understanding & if you are still not ok with this, then unfortunately we are not the breeders for you & we wish you the best of luck in your continued puppy search. 😊
While we understand this sentiment, the reality is that one visit is NOT realistic for a new person to really get an idea of their true personality, for a couple of reasons. First, it’s just not enough time to judge a puppy’s temperament; that would require spending time with the puppies on a regular basis to truly judge that. Secondly, there have been several long-term studies to show the temperament of an adult dog often doesn’t match that of the puppy -- their new environment heavily influences their final/adult temperament.
The health and safety of the puppies and dogs is our #1 priority. Many folks don't realize there are countless things to consider as a breeder of home raised puppies. The dangers of exposing young puppies to communicable disease are very serious and can be detrimental to a breeding program and the welfare of our dogs. Visitors can (of course unknowingly) bring diseases onto the property on their feet, hands, etc. The mothers are also being protective of their 'den' (impending litter/pups) during this sensitive time. This is not a good time to assess the mother's temperament and will cause her stress and unease with the number of visitors coming and going while she is preparing for delivery or has a litter of pups.
We select our dogs based on personality because companionship is the primary focus of our program. After completing all health testing, our goal is to raise well-rounded, adaptable Aussies so we are confident that whichever pup you choose will be able to fit with you seamlessly into your home. There is a very high demand for a Silverside Aussie because of our good reputation, dedication, and the above and beyond efforts we use to raise puppies in the most advantageous way possible.
Thank you for understanding and we look forward to meeting you on Gotcha day or when you come to select and/or bring home your puppy!
