We know what a huge deal it is to welcome a new family member into your home! That being said, we are honored to be considered for such an important role in your life, and we want to make sure that you're educated in your decision making process. Please take time to read the following before proceeding to commit to the life of one of our beloved Australian Shepherd puppies. We want to ensure that our pups are going to their forever homes! We are always available for questions or to talk through your choices. ​ IS AN AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD RIGHT FOR YOU? Read about the Aussie temperament here & why we love them but they are not the right fit for every home. ☺️ CLICK HERE FOR USASA AUSSIE FAQ It's important to go into pet ownership with realistic expectations. Puppies are a lot of work and require lots of time and patience! ​ There may be sleepless nights early on from the puppy adjusting to its new life! There will be accidents on the carpet. You will need to puppy proof your home to protect your puppy & your favorite belongings. You will have to be home to let the puppy out to potty and exercise. You are going to get out of your pup what you put into them! Training, walking, socialization, play and consistency are key. These are all responsibilities you must prepare to make time for when you decide to adopt a puppy. We recommend you hire a trainer to build a firm foundation and avoid frustration and bad habits from being formed early on! ​ At Silverside, our pups are bred to have loving, friendly, intelligent personalities and even temperaments. 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. If you are unsure if you are ready for a dog, or do not have the time to devote to a dog, please do not apply. We want the very best for our pups and we want to set you up for success. We recognize the importance of training, and want to help you get started in the right direction. We have partnered with BAXTER & Bella & provide a 25% discount on their LIFETIME TRAINING SCHOOL ONLINE. This includes all the training resources you will ever need, leading to better animal ownership and the very best in canine companionship! Just use the code SILVERSIDE during checkout. BREEDER RESPONSIBILITY: A POCKET GUIDE YOU’VE DIED YOUR HOUSE BURNED DOWN YOU’VE MOVED INTO ASSISTED LIVING YOU/FAMILY MEMBER FACE CRITICAL ILLNESS REQUIRING TRAVEL In the above circumstances, aka emergencies, we are either en route already or will work tirelessly to find room elsewhere for your dog, depending on the level of emergency & whether it’s possible to bring the dog here, or whether it needs to be rehomed from a foster location, its home, or be evaluated by a Vet. If you have a potential placement in mind, we would love to consider them too. If your dog can be resold (which all depends on age, training, vet, genetic, & x-ray status, potential for work, temperament, etc) then we will refund any proceeds from any sale, less any Vet, medical, or boarding fees. Under no circumstances may you sell, transfer, abandon, dump, surrender, or otherwise rehome your Dog without expressed, written approval from Silverside Aussies according to the legally binding contract that we signed together during sale. DOG IS BIGGER/SMALLER/LIGHTER/DARKER THAN EXPECTED DOG REQUIRES TRAINING DOG REQUIRES MENTAL STIMULATION DOG REQUIRES VETERINARY CARE DOG SHEDS OR REQUIRED GROOMING DOG COST MONEY YOU CHOOSE TO MOVE SOMEWHERE YOUR DOG IS NOT ALLOWED YOUR DOG DOESN'T GET ALONG WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND'S DOG YOU MARRIED “JUST NOT AN ANIMAL PERSON” YOUR DOG PREFERS YOUR SPOUSE YOUR SPOUSE PREFERS THE OTHER DOG YOU’VE STARTED A FAMILY YOU DEEM DOG "A POOR FIT” YOU DECIDE DOGS ARE TOO MUCH WORK YOU HAVE A JOB & ARE TOO BUSY YOU WOULD RATHER NOT BE BUSY OR PREFER LOUNGING DOG WAS UNSUPERVISED & GOT INTO TROUBLE YOU CANNOT MULTI-TASK TO SAVE YOUR LIFE YOUR HANDLING SKILLS/LEVEL OF ALERTNESS ARE NON-EXISTENT YOU CONSCIOUSLY BOUGHT A DOG WITH GENERALLY HIGH DRIVE & RESERVED WITH STRANGERS, DIDN’T SOCIALIZE & NOW DOG ISN’T FRIENDLY, BARKS TOO MUCH, OR “CAN’T BE TRAINED” OR ADULTING IS JUST HARD In the above circumstances, aka non-emergencies, you & I will work together to determine the best course of action for your dog. Your life choices are none of our concern, you did that all by yourself. If the dog is better off staying with you until we find him/her a better home, then that's where they will stay, because, again, these are not emergency circumstances outside of your control. To be clear, items listed in red are handling failures, i.e. your fault. Hard to hear, & words hurt, I know. But, luckily for you, we won't let your dog pay the price for human failure if we can help it. If the dog is not better off staying with you while we search for better placement, then we will personally take the dog in as soon as reasonably possible, & in the interim you will respect that we are not a high-capacity boarding facility & cannot guarantee what essentially amounts to immediate abandonment in the event that you're tired or stressed out. Even shelters don't necessarily accommodate an owner surrender at the drop of the hat & without surrender fees. Dog must be surrendered to Silverside Aussies at the expense of the Owner & all funds paid will be forfeited, including Deposit. In either set of circumstances, emergency or not, we expect upon relinquishment that the dog be healthy unless otherwise disclosed previously, as well as up to date on DHHPv + Lepto & legally required rabies vaccinations, & have a current negative HW, TBD, & Parasite testing, as this is the bare minimum of care for any Dog. IE, don't drop what you claim is Cujo on us with an expired rabies certificate unless you’re ok with being invoiced for whatever it takes to get him/her legally ready to adopt, including medical & boarding fees. While we ALWAYS want to do what's best for the dog & do feel responsible for them for life, this does not mean that you, the owner, bear zero responsibility for said dog in the time you own it. I prefer to think we are each 100% responsible. We are here as back-up for when life is unpredictable or if you need support along the way, we are always just a phone call or text message away; however we are not here to absolve you of any & all personal responsibility for the dog you committed to. If you believe otherwise, please seek lessons in accountability, not another pet. If you’re still here, we’re excited to begin the journey towards your new best furiend! Get started today, visit the AVAILABLE PUPS or JOIN THE WAITLIST today!

What is ENS? Let's start with Early Neurological Stimulation, or ENS. It was developed by the US military and known as the "Bio Sensor Program," and later referred to by the public as the "Super Dog Program." ENS is believed by some experts to enhance the natural abilities of dogs and give them a superior advantage. It involves subjecting pups aged 3-16 days to 5 forms of stimulation that lead to “stress.” It is said to benefit puppy development in 5 ways: ​ Improved heart rate Stronger heartbeats Stronger adrenal glands Better tolerance to stress Greater resistance to disease ​ If you are wondering what type of exercises are used, it is quite simple: ​ Tactical stimulation-stimulate the bottom of the paw pads with a cotton swab Hold puppy's head up for 3-5 seconds Hold puppy's head gently down for 3-5 seconds Hold puppy on his back for 3-5 seconds Put puppy's belly down on a cool towel for 3-5 seconds ​ If you would like to learn more about ENS there is a great article written by Dr. Carmen L Battaglia, who holds a Ph.D. and Masters Degree from Florida State University. WATCH A BRIEF EXPLANATION & DEMO VIDEO HERE (we are working on a custom one 😉) What is ESI? Early Scent Introduction (ESI) is done in conjunction with the ENS training. ESI is designed to enhance a puppy's ability to identify and react to specific scents. Fun Fact, the area in a dog's brain that processes data picked up by the nose is 40 times larger than in a human brain. So, we could say that a dog’s ability to smell is a function of their intellect. ​ How ESI is done: ​Simple! We introduce a new scent each day starting at Day 3 & ending Day 16 of the puppy's life. We use items such as grass, bark, dirt, pine cones, fruit, herbs, leather, wood, tennis balls, essential oils, but no treats or dog food items. We watch to see if pup engages and for how long. That's it! If something this simple can improve their abilities as service or therapy dogs, we are all in!! You can read more about ESI or watch a short video at Avidog's website.

All Silverside pups are sold with LIMITED registration as PETS ONLY as an obedience/agility prospect or as a show/confirmation prospects for select NBT pups. Each puppy is eligible for American Kennel Club (AKC) & American Stock Dog Registry (ASDR) LIMITED registration, meaning Puppy is eligible to compete in performance events/classes such as Puppy Confirmation (under 6 months of age), Puppy STAR, CGC, Obedience, Rally, Agility, Trick Dog, Flyball, Lure Coursing, CAT, FastCat, Herding, Tracking, Field Trials, Hunting Tests, Barn Hunt, Scentwork, or Junior Showmanship, but is NOT eligible for breeding or exhibition in most Conformation. Breeder offers $25-50 reimbursement for each AKC Title earned to encourage Puppy’s registration & participation in AKC sponsored events. Buyer agrees to register Puppy using the prefix “SILVERSIDE” AS PUPPY’S FIRST NAME on all paperwork & will never remove kennel prefix or register Puppy with any other Registry. AKC & ASDR are different registries. ASDR is the oldest registry for Aussies but AKC is the biggest. Depending on if you planned to show your pup, you may want to choose one registry over the other for the amount of shows or the network size. Both registries track the lineage of your puppy & can provide a pedigree which is a Certificate which can even be framed. AKC also tracks Titles & Championships, OFA results, & DNA verification for ancestors as well. We have registered all of our dogs on https://www.pedigreedatabase.com/ where you can even see pictures of ancestors which were uploaded by their owners over the years. AKC limits the genetic pool because they will only register dogs who have parents that belong to AKC registry, where ASDR will register dogs from a list of different registries. ASDR has a program called hardship, where dogs with no papers can be registered as long as they appear purebred by a vet and witnesses and with pictures, which is a point of contention for the registry because they could be allowing mixed genetics. However with the use of genetic testing for dogs, you can verify your dog is purebred Aussies (which ours are). The test results for each of our dogs can be found at silversideaussies.com/aussies CONVERSION TO FULL REGISTRATION WITH CO-OWNERSHIP is required for Puppy’s exhibition in Confirmation events (only for eligible NBT/docked pups starting at 6 months of age per AKC rules) & for authorized breeding. Conversion is considered case-by-case, NEVER guaranteed, & requires a dedicated Buyer who is open to mentorship & a minimum of Puppy’s good structure & disposition with confirmation to breed standard, balanced proportions, & sound movement. Before authorized breeding occurs, both parties must approve Puppy’s mate(s) & all Dogs involved must be between 2-8 years of age with AKC registration, have earned 1+ AKC conformation, performance or companion event title, & completed full genetic, health, breed, & trait testing with acceptable results, including CHIC, OFA and/or PennHIP certifications after 2 years of age. Once testing is approved, the cost of full registration with co-ownership & breeding rights is equal to Puppy’s purchase price & must be paid to Breeder before authorized breeding occurs We were originally granting full (breeding) rights up front but we had a few people who bred the pups when they were only 11 months old (too young) without genetic testing and that is not the legacy we want for our pups. We’ve finally worked through the logistics of opening conditional breeding rights within our program. The process is different than how rights are typically offered. It was built with intention; to protect the integrity of our lines while also protecting the investment made into a potential breeding prospect. Dogs will continue to be considered companions first, monetarily, and placed under our conditional breeding rights contract. From there, breeding rights are something that may be earned over time, which means, no risk will be assumed by our clients before knowing if that dog is a prospect for long term evaluation. Each dog is expected to meet a defined set of criteria as they mature, including health testing, structure, temperament, and overall alignment with the direction of our program. Once those benchmarks are met, the dog is formally reviewed within our program's standards with consideration to how that individual would fit into the client's program. At that point, eligibility for breeding rights is determined and, if appropriate, rights are extended. Rights will have a set fee at time of initial placement, and those fees can be discussed privately. Not every dog should be bred. And truthfully, not every dog that could be bred should carry a program forward. We’ve seen that firsthand over the years, largely because we hold onto so many of our own dogs long-term and watch how they truly mature. That experience has been a major factor in shifting how we approach breeding rights- allowing us to make more informed, responsible decisions without asking someone to take on the full weight of that risk upfront. This model significantly reduces the upfront risk of bringing in a prospect. Rather than committing to breeding rights and hoping a dog meets all necessary clearances later, each dog is evaluated as an individual, through its own health testing and development, not solely on parental clearances. It gives the client a clear path to confirm that a dog truly meets the standard before any breeding decisions are made. This concept isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. But for those who understand the long game, it creates a more balanced path forward for both the program and the people behind the dogs. If this approach aligns with your process, procedures, program, and your ability to see a dog through each stage of evaluation, feel free to reach out for further discussion.

There is no wrong choice - either a Male or a Female will make a great pet. Through our experience with Aussies, we have not had concerns with introducing males or females to our pack. We practice calm, assertive leadership in our pack & we strongly believe that if you are committed to raising a balanced puppy, you can introduce a pup of either gender into your home. However, if you do have a dog currently that may have gender issues, the general consensus is that if you currently have a female dog in your home, a male is suggested as having two females can sometimes cause issues, especially if they both have alpha tendencies or are not spayed. If you currently have a male dog, either gender should be alright for you. As males are generally more laid back, especially, after they’ve been neutered. We do ask that our males/ females that leave us are spayed and neutered after their growth plates have closed (typically around 2 years for male & up to 3 years for females) to ensures they are mentally & physically mature, as well as 99% done growing, but the science is still behind so of course opinions vary. Here is ours, but we would love to talk it over with you for more insight anytime! 📍MALE VS FEMALE PERSONALITIES📍 The following characteristics often (not always, as breeding and bloodlines and temperament do play a role) apply to FEMALE dogs: 1. Independent - females tend to want to be in control of the entire situation. They may come to their owner when they are seeking affection but will often move away when they have had enough. 2. Stubborn - In many packs, a female is typically the Alpha dog. Female dogs crave more control of situations and are quick to respond to perceived challenges with fierceness. 3. Territorial - Female dogs mark in the same way male dogs do. A spayed female may continue to mark for her entire lifetime regardless of when she is spayed while most males will cease marking behaviors shortly after they are neutered and the testosterone levels subside. 4. Reserved - females are generally less affectionate and friendly than male dogs. This characteristic is noticeable in puppies and becomes more pronounced with age. 5. Changes in Mood or Behavior - It is also important to note that until spayed, your female will come into heat at approximately one year of age and approximately every six months thereafter. During this time, there will be some bleeding as well as changes in mood or behavior. Keep this in mind when you adopt a female puppy. Spaying lessens the chance your female will get pyometra. Intact females can become very aggressive toward one another upon their heat cycles, or if pregnant/have newly whelped puppies. However, FEMALES CAN AND WILL MARK AS WELL! "Humping" is always associated with a male, but is actually more often a display of dominance rather than a sexual drive, with both males AND females asserting themselves in this manner. This is typically a temperament trait more than it is a gender trait. The following characteristics often apply to MALE dogs: 1. Affectionate - Male dogs are typically more affectionate than females. They tend to crave attention from their owners more than females and as a result, display more affectionate behaviors. 2. Exuberant - A male dog is also more likely to be fun-loving and outgoing throughout his lifetime than a female. While a female tends to become more reserved as she ages, a male dog maintains a more puppy-like exuberance throughout his lifetime. 3. Food-Motivated - Males are often very motivated by food. This food motivation can make training extremely easy as treats can be used to lure and reward a dog to display desired behaviors. 4. Attentive - While females tend to be more independent, males tend to be more focused on their human companions. They want to always be close to the human and are very eager to please. 5. Aggressive Behaviors - It is also important to note that intact males may display aggressive dog behaviors toward other males or exhibit marking behaviors. Additionally, intact males should be kept away from females in heat at all times as though their is only a brief window to actually conceive, heat cycles are 21 days on average, but this can vary greatly for each female, every heat cycle. Though not always the case - as there are always exceptions to the "rule"- this is a primarily fair summation of male and female traits and personality dynamics in the home, as it pertains to this breed.

In general, these intelligent dogs make excellent companions to adults, children, and other pets. They respond beautifully to training. They are good-natured and even-tempered; may initially be reserved with strangers yet make a very loyal companion. The Aussie is an active dog with a happy and even disposition, good-natured, seldom quarrelsome, and responds with enthusiasm to the challenge and responsibility of having a job to perform. Some Aussies are very shy, apprehensive dogs. Because of this, it is important to socialize your Aussie as a puppy and to expose them to as many people and situations as possible. Once your puppy has completed their puppy vaccines, we strongly recommend AKC Puppy STAR classes, doggy day care, and taking your dog to safe dog-friendly places where they are regularly exposed to different people, dogs, and situations. All puppies need to be trained with consistency and love. Aussies love to be involved in family activities and do best with families that provide obedience training, socialization and exercise. Aussies are naturally reserved around strangers and need to be properly socialized early in their lives. They are also extremely loyal dogs; wanting to be by their masters' side more than anything else on the planet! Aussies are extremely smart and want nothing more than to please their owner. They can very easily be trained to do anything! One of the most common questions we receive from pet families is regarding our training recommendations and where to find ongoing training help. Considering everyone wants a calm, well-mannered and better-behaved canine companion, we actively research what is changing in the world of dog training and who does it best! We want you and your pup to be set up for success from day 1 so in a sincere effort to provide our families with a great training option, we are thrilled to have officially teamed up with Baxter & Bella's Online Puppy School, which is an online dog training school that provides a lifetime membership to amazing training resources, and also includes unlimited professional support from a team of incredibly talented dog trainers! In short, our partnership with BAXTER and Bella provides our Silverside Aussie Owners an instant 25% savings to their LIFETIME TRAINING program, which is the largest they offer! Our unique discount code to use during checkout is is: SILVERSIDE As a lifetime member not only will you have access to more than 25 individual CLASSES and over 35 weeks of training COURSES, but you can work through their signature STEP-BY-STEP PROGRAMS, which function like a recipe for integrating your dog into your life, family and home! What's more, there are GAMES to play, ACTIVITIES for socialization, support forums, social groups, printable charts and checklists, in addition to LIVE video calls with trainers! Group Discussions multiple times a week, and PRIVATE ONE-ON-ONE Coaching help, and so much more as you and your dog work toward achieving better animal ownership and experiencing the very best in canine companionship! ​ LEARN MORE about BAXTER & Bella HERE: https://www.baxterandbella.com/learn-more Just think, lifetime access to amazing dog training resources, unlimited support from a team of incredibly talented dog trainers, and the convenience of it all being done online so no need to load up your dog after a long day at work, no need to deal with traffic when your tired, no need to find a parking space downtown, it's an online dog training school that is available to when, where and how you want!

Yes, Australian Shepherds do shed. They have a moderately thick double coat. The undercoat is shed twice yearly, and shedding is moderate between these periods, although the degree will vary for each dog. Regular brushing once or twice a week will help minimize shedding and keep their skin and coat healthy. Australian Shepherds are NOT hypoallergenic.

​PUPPY DEPOSITS ARE $400.00 should​ you wish to JOIN THE WAITLIST or RESERVE AVAILABLE PUP. Deposits are deducted from the Total Price of the puppy you choose & becomes non-refundable at the time. Silverside Aussies prices pups very fairly for our area & especially well considering the level of health testing we complete & time we devote to each litter. Our tri-colored pups are priced starting from $1600.00 & our Merle pups are starting at $2200.00. FINAL PAYMENTs are due on "Gotcha" Day. PREPAYING IMMEDIATELY HOLDS THE NEXT SPOT ON THE WAITLIST while we review your application & give you access to our Owners-Only SILVERSIDE WOOF PACK on Facebook. (see "WAITLIST"). IF YOUR APPLICAITON IS DENIED, you will be refunded immediately. The date you pay the deposit determines your position in line. Everyone joins the END OF THE WAITLIST, no exceptions. Your position will advance as other's choose pups. If the puppy you chose is UNAVAILABLE, you will immediately be added to the end of the WAITLIST for another available or future pup, but you may request a Refund.

As far as our Silverside Aussies puppies, we have been very fortunate to not have pups available beyond 12 weeks due to our consistently long WAITLIST. HOWEVER, from time to time we have retired dogs that become available. We do not start breeding our females until they have reached maturity both physically and mentally, and have been examined by our wonderful licensed Veterinarian. We work closely with our Vet to help determine when it's time for retirement. Some of our Aussies will stay here forever, but some will need a loving home someday. Our dogs are our children; We LOVE them with all our hearts; We are VERY particular as to who our dogs go to, so much in fact you must be within driving distance of me in case it doesn’t work out we will jump in my car in a moment's notice to pick up our dog. If you are interested in a retired dog please know that we will require you to personally come to our home to spend a few hours with us and the dog (or potentially vice versa). If we feel it’s not a good fit we will issue a Refund of Principle & Deposit payments IMMEDIATELY. Our dogs are VERY special and deserve to go to loving homes where they will be spoiled and shown affection daily because they already have that here, but we want them to have more individual love than we can provide with our program. If we feel you and the dog would be a good fit please know that we WILL be emotional and we ask that you truly understand that we love my dogs and hope that you will stay in contact with us from time to time. Just because we are rehoming does not mean for one second that we will stop loving or thinking about them. If you are interested in adopting one of my retirees, please feel free to apply. & let us know you are considering an adult & we will reach out when we are considering one to rehome so you can come meet them (even several times) & make sure its a good match. We try to post our adults in advance (typically 6 months or so) so we can have a long time to evaluate potential placements to give everyone time to consider. We do charge an adoption fee based on the individual dog, and do require you to sign a legal document that you will give the dog back to us should it not work out. Sometimes we offer discounts on Adult dogs to prior Silverside Aussies owners & even deeper discounts to Owners who own a puppy from that dog 😉 All adults come up to date on vaccines, groomed, spayed/neutered, and microchipped.

Silverside Aussies is very fortunate to keep a consistently long WAITLIST (silversideaussies.com/waitlist). We have one WAITLIST for all upcoming litters & average 9 pups per litter with every color & blue eyes expected each litter & typically 6-8 litters per year. In most cases, you can expect to wait 2-6 months for a puppy from us, unless we have puppies available. Expect to wait on the longer side for a Merle (2-6 months) and the shorter side for a Tri (0-3 months). Visit silversideaussies.com/waitlist to see the next Available Pick#, submit an application, & pay a $400 REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT to reserve your spot at the end of the waitlist until you choose your puppy, at which time your deposit is applied to the puppy's price, becoming non-refundable with the balance due on pickup, usually when pups are 8-9 weeks of age. By placing your deposit now, you secure the earliest possible date and spot in line for whenever you're actually ready to pick and bring your adorable puppy home. You ALWAYS have control to change your choices AT ANY TIME. Everyone on the WAITLIST joins & picks their puppy based on when they placed their deposit, so families often join the WAITLIST as soon as they are committed to wanting a puppy from our program, no matter how far off in the future that may be. As other people choose their puppies, you will rise to the top of the pick order for when you are ready. We completely understand that waiting can be the toughest part of this journey, and we want you to know that our pups are absolutely worth it! As we navigate the natural rhythms of Mother Nature, there are certain things we simply can't control, like heat cycles, pregnancies, the number of adorable pups born, or the unique coat and eye colors they may have. These factors play a big role in which families are drawn to each litter. There are 2 types of Waitlisters: 😍SEEKERS are ready now & just waiting for their "perfect" pup to come along, usually from the next available litter. They agree to participate in each Pick/Pass until choosing their puppy or change to a Dreamer. 🤔DREAMERS join to start their rise to the top of the waitlist for a better picking order & are just hanging out until they're ready, whenever that may be. They are auto-passed each litter until changing to a Seeker. We notify all Waitlisters every pregnancy confirmation & again once the pups are born, so Dreamers have plenty of time to become Seekers if they are ready.  SILVERSIDE AUSSIES WILL EMAIL EACH MEMBER ON THE WAITLIST FOR EACH & EVERY PREGNANCY CONFIRMATION & EMAIL AGAIN WHEN EACH LITTER IS BORN! but now the hardest part of the whole process.... THE WAIT, but we promise our pups are worth it! We often get asked, “How long is the wait?” Because we are at Mother Nature’s mercy, we cannot control things like heat cycles, pregnancies, numbers of pups born, coat & eye colors. These factors all play a part in which families will be interested in any given litter. Keep in mind that each family has an idea of what they’re looking for in their future companion, just as you do. For that reason, our waitlist is ever changing. We offer each family the flexibility to remain on the waitlist for as long as they need to find their perfect puppy. Nobody is locked into a specific litter or their application puppy preferences. Families that are ahead of you on the Waitlist may pass on a current litter to wait for a future litter. Let us know if you need to update your puppy preferences or CLICK FOR WAITLIST SURVEY ONCE EACH LITTER IS BORN (ON DAY 1 OR 2), each 😍SEEKER on the WAITLIST will be invited to see the puppies & to submit their 🐶PICK/PASS✖️ to let us know which Puppies they would accept, in the order of their preference, or if they're going to wait for a future litter. They'll receive access to each litter's medical records so you can track their growth, ENS & ESI progress, pup-dates, vet visits, & photo albums too! We'll post puppy profiles & photo albums to our website as well! We hope to send updated videos on DAY 7 & again on DAY 13. 🐶PICK/PASS✖️ ENDS ONCE EACH LITTER IS 2 WEEKS OLD (DAY 14). We will start at the top of the WAITLIST & work our way down IN ORDER OF DEPOSIT DATE to see who submitted their choices by deadline & what Puppies they would accept. THEY WILL GET THEIR 1ST CHOICE, that Puppy will be RESERVED, & they will be removed from the WAITLIST, sign a CONTRACT (silversideaussies.com/contract), & schedule their GOTCHA DAY!! (silversideaussies.com/gotchaday) Then, we look for the next Seeker on the waitlist who sent their choices. If their 1st Puppy Pick is still available, they will get their First Pick too or if not, they would be matched to their 2nd Pick or could even choose to PASS instead. If PICK#1 makes their selection early, we will remove that Pup's availability & notify the new PICK#1 ASAP!! We understand how exciting it is to welcome a new puppy into your life, and we want to assure you that if you don’t get matched with any of the pup(s) you were hoping for from this litter, or if we didn’t receive your choices by the deadline, you will remain on our WAITLIST for future litters. We truly appreciate your patience and enthusiasm! Typically, you can expect a wait of about 2-6 months for a puppy from us. However, if you have your heart set on a Merle, please know that the wait might be a bit longer, around 3-6 months. On the other hand, if a Tri is what you’re looking for, you could be welcoming your new furry friend in as little as 0-3 months. ​ HAVE QUESTIONS? Just about any question you can think of can found on our FAQ page. If you still have questions, the CHAT button is the fastest way to reach us, email silversideaussies@gmail.com, or text 434.414.1144, & we usually respond within a few hours. Feel free to give us a call too!! If I don't answer immediately, we will call back ASAP!

Getting a new puppy is a big commitment - financially and emotionally. It is not something you should do on the fly, and you should not commit to a puppy until you have done all your research. We are serious breeders, and I only want to work with serious buyers who can make the commitment to us, our program, and one of our future puppies. Deposits from people who are just "shopping" from different breeders or who are not entirely committed to adopting a puppy from us can significantly increase the number of people on our reservation list. This can give a false estimate for serious buyers about when they can expect to take a puppy, and this can prevent truly committed families from reserving one of our puppies. Like yours, our time is valuable to us. So, we ask that you please only apply and place a deposit if you are committed to a puppy, and specifically a puppy from our program. In the rare chance that we have "AVAILABLE" PUPS that are ready to go to their new homes immediately, you are more than welcome to COME MEET THE PUPS & take home your pick as long as you have an APPROVED APPLICATION. During your visit, we would complete a PUPPY CONTRACT & the Payment in FULL. We have a very generous Refund Policy & lots & lots of reviews from people who would be glad to chat with you about us. We want you to be comfortable & confident in your decision to purchase a SILVERSIDE AUSSIES.

In the state of Virginia, where our puppies are raised, puppies must be over 8 weeks old before they are allowed to be transported for sale without their Dam. Puppies need to stay with their littermates & their Moms until they are fully weaned and eating on their own & have good social skills which are developed primarily with their mom & littermates from 6-8 weeks of age. If you're picking your pup up in person or using a transport service, your pup can leave starting at 8 weeks old, as long as we feel they're ready. We can hold your puppy until 9 weeks of age for no additional fees. We can hold puppies until 10 weeks of age. However, you will be assessed a boarding fee of $20 per day starting at 9 weeks of age, as we will begin crate, house, & basic obedience training with your puppy & keep your pup up-to-date on shots & dewormer. All puppies must be picked up by 10 weeks of age, if you cannot plan to pickup by then, please pass on the litter. If we still have pups available when you are ready for pickup, you can reserve that puppy immediately & we will allow 7 days for pickup then.

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!

We currently do not offer any transportation options. We do very rarely travel near pickup dates and if so, we try to meet families along the way, but this does not happen often as we always have dogs to care for & usually younger puppies too so we can't leave home for more than a few hours typically. If you're unable to pick up your puppy in person, you're more than welcome to arrange 3rd party transportation. We have used citizenshipper.com a few times because they offer a guarantee on each shipment which helps set our mind at ease. Buyer is responsible for all transportation costs & medical expenses related to travel & the Total Price of your puppy must be paid in full before being released from the care of Silverside Aussies. Some transportation companies require a Health Certification (CVI) from a licensed veterinarian which requires an additional vet visit. This cost of the CVI is currently around $300 (price subject to change).

DEPOSITS. We offer a variety of digital payment methods for you to choose from. Taxes & Credit Card processing fees apply. Some payment methods will deduct the charges automatically, but others like GoodDog or PayPal, charge fees to us after payment, & these charges will be added to your invoice & due on before Transfer. FINAL PAYMENT. is due during "Gotcha" day & your balance must be PAID IN FULL before ownership will be Transferred. You may make payments towards your balance any time you'd like. (see "Refund Policy") We prefer CASH DURING PICKUP to avoid CC fees, but we accept CARDS also. WE DO NOT ACCEPT CHECKS, MONEY ORDERS, or any alternate forms of payment. Receipts will be provided via email.​

Absolutely! Many folks choose to do this. You can make as many payments as you'd like in any amount to build up a credit for use towards a future pup. Once you choose your puppy, your payments will be credited to the total price of that pup. If you end up having more credit than what the puppy is being sold for, the difference will be refunded. If you end up not picking a pup and want a refund, your deposit and all payments are refundable too so long as you have not already picked a Puppy.

We know life can be unpredictable, so we try to be fair and have shaped our refund policy accordingly. **Application Denied:** Immediate refund of principal and deposit paid minus credit card service fees. **On Waitlist:** Refund of principal and deposit paid within 10 days of buyer's written request. **Matched with Puppy & Contract Signed:** If the buyer cancels the sale for any reason before transfer, a refund of the principal paid, minus deposit and fees, will be issued within 10 days of the buyer's written request. The deposit is non-refundable except under the terms of the puppy contract. The puppy will be placed for sale to another home. If the puppy is resold and only after ownership is transferred, and solely at the breeder's discretion, we may issue a refund of the deposit in whole or part depending on discounts for adjustments made to the sales price based on the difficulty to resell due to the age of the puppy, and a $20/day boarding fee for each day the puppy remains in the care of Silverside Aussies past the original expected transfer date. **Puppy Deemed “Unfit for Sale” Before Transfer:** The buyer will be added to the end of the waitlist with principal and deposit paid credited towards the buyer’s chosen replacement puppy either available immediately or from a future litter, or an immediate refund of principal and deposit paid with the buyer's written request. **After Transfer of Ownership:** See your signed "Puppy Contract" for the specific guarantee for your puppy. 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 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 Silverside Wellness Warranty, Silverside Aussies may reimburse you for any necessary medical care or training programs or you could still choose to return the puppy for a replacement. **Exceptions to Refund Policy:** Any refunds paid will never exceed the total funds paid to Silverside Aussies for the total purchase price of the buyer's chosen puppy. We do not refund for taxes, transportation fees, medical fees, boarding fees, payment processing fees, etc. If the puppy is not transferred within 7 days of being made "ready," the buyer will be charged a $20/day boarding fee. If the puppy is not transferred within 7 additional days, the owner will be issued a refund of the principal, minus deposit and fees. Refund to the buyer within 10 days, deposit is forfeit, and the puppy will be re-sold. If the breeder learns that the buyer is not suitable for ownership of a Silverside Aussie, including but not limited to if the buyer is found to be an animal abuser, animal broker, violent person, pet store or pharmaceutical laboratory representative, etc., a principal refund to the buyer will be issued within 30 days, deposit is forfeit, and the puppy will be re-sold.

At this time we do not offer discounts. Very rarely do we have puppies left after 12 weeks of age & we may decrease the price at that time, but this does not happen often.