— Can I visit you and meet the breed?

You are welcome to meet me and our Miniature Schnauzers if we arrange a visit in advance.

We can meet at the handling hall in Kyiv where our dogs train, or take a walk in the city.

I do not offer tours of our kennel. Ours is a family kennel without special runs. This is our home, where our family lives with our Miniature Schnauzers.

Our dogs are unlikely to enjoy meeting strangers on their own territory, and a visit would naturally cause some discomfort for the whole family.

— I do not plan to breed or show my Miniature Schnauzer. Can I still buy a puppy from you?

Your decision about taking part in dog shows does not affect whether I choose you as a future owner.

Of course, you can buy a puppy from our kennel simply as a family companion and pet.

I do not insist on showing. It is much like a sport, with an element of performance.

Show preparation includes special training and conditioning (fitness and handling), as well as show grooming.

I understand that most future owners are not ready to spend their weekends and free time on this activity.

— How do you choose a breeding pair?

Every mating at our kennel is carefully planned and has a specific breeding purpose. We have two, sometimes three, litters a year because each puppy needs at least four months of our lives: attentive, nearly round-the-clock care that takes a great deal of time.

When choosing a pair, we focus first on the future parents’ health. Our breeding dogs and outside studs have the required genetic tests and are healthy at the time of mating.

Another key principle is temperament: all adult dogs have excellent characters and the temperament typical of the breed. These traits, like appearance, are passed on to the puppies.

For many years, I have not chosen breeding pairs simply by looking at the parents’ show wins, because titles are not inherited genetically.

Instead, I study the bloodlines in each pedigree and consider which physical traits we hope to improve or preserve in a particular combination.

Every combination has an idea behind it. I always hope that the next generation born at Eldzh Hope will be even better than the last.

— Why do puppies at your kennel have different prices?

Puppy prices may vary depending on the parents’ pedigrees and the value of the mating. Girls usually cost more than boys.

If you want a puppy with a show prospect, a realistic assessment can be made once the puppy has grown to six to eight months old. Older puppies with an assessed show prospect usually cost more than puppies aged three to four months.

In other cases, I can recommend the puppy who looks the most promising at two to three months old.

— Which should I choose: a male or a female?

This is not an easy question to answer briefly. We will publish a separate article about it, but your circumstances, your family, and your expectations of a future dog all matter.

If you have children under ten or little experience raising dogs, I would recommend a male Miniature Schnauzer. Males tend to be more open, sociable, and easy to guide, and they get along well with children. Females are often more cunning and may try to boss children around.

Both can be devoted and affectionate. Obedience does not depend on a dog’s sex; it depends on the time you devote to training and the bond you build. Males tend to accept a boundary sooner, while females may test it a few times.

You should also consider female dogs’ physiology, including heat cycles twice a year and possible false pregnancies.

If you have little or no experience living with Schnauzers, talk through the choice of a boy or a girl with the breeder before deciding.

— How does reserving and buying a puppy work?

All our matings are planned in advance, so prospective owners can learn about our plans and decide whether they are interested in a puppy from a particular pair.

We first create a waiting list of prospective owners.

You can reserve a puppy before birth at no cost. To do so, complete the Future Owner Questionnaire. We will reply to the email address you provide.

We will discuss any questions you have about potentially buying a puppy from us.

After the puppies are born, I contact everyone on the waiting list. Then we wait until the puppies have grown a little and become stronger.

A puppy is finally reserved only after it reaches one month of age and the future owner pays a deposit of 25% of the total price.

The deposit is accompanied by a preliminary agreement describing the puppy. The puppy is then reserved for you. The deposit is non-refundable if the purchase is cancelled for any reason.

The remaining balance is paid only after the puppy reaches two and a half months of age, when the puppies have been checked by the kennel club and received official documents confirming breed-standard compliance and pedigree. Full payment is also accompanied by an agreement transferring the specific Miniature Schnauzer to its new owner.

— How are the puppies raised?

Ours is a family kennel, which is important for the wellbeing of our Miniature Schnauzers, who need to live with their family. That is why the puppies grow and develop in our family home too.

This gives them early socialization and supports healthy development from their first days.

From 15 days of age, we follow a deworming protocol against different parasites.

At three weeks, we may introduce the puppies’ first food.

The first vaccination is given at eight weeks.

At twelve weeks, the puppies receive a booster vaccination.

By three months, the puppies already know how to play with children because my son spends a lot of time with them. Our cat likes to sleep with the puppies, and when the weather allows, they play in a special area in the garden.

If a puppy stays with us for a while after completing its vaccinations, we begin early training and socialization and take walks beyond our garden.

We also take the puppies into the city so they can adapt to urban life with as little stress as possible.

— How do you choose a puppy?

My greatest responsibility is to ensure a good life for every puppy, which means choosing the right family. I look for future owners who take a thoughtful approach to choosing a Miniature Schnauzer as a lifelong companion, understand a dog’s needs throughout its life, are interested in training and raising a dog, and, of course, love dogs unconditionally.

I am happy to help and support you whenever needed. That is why it is important to match each family with the right puppy, considering the puppy’s character and whether it fits the family’s expectations.

After we meet, we will discuss the character and temperament you hope for, your plans for life together, and any plans to take part in dog sports.

We will use this information to choose your puppy. Since the puppies grow up in our home, I see every day how they develop: some are more active and trainable, while others are more dominant or calm.

I can then recommend a puppy who best matches your interests. It is very important to me that the owner-and-dog puzzle fits.

That is how we choose a future companion and family member who will be with you for many years.

— What documents come with the puppy?

Our kennel has been officially registered with the Kennel Union of Ukraine (KSU), a partner of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), since 2001.

Every puppy from our kennel receives KSU pedigree documents, a microchip, a veterinary passport with deworming and vaccination records, and a puppy purchase agreement.

The FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) is an international canine federation whose members include national kennel organizations from 98 countries.

Around 350 dog breeds are recognized and registered in the FCI system. Ukraine is represented in the FCI by the Kennel Union of Ukraine (KSU).

A KSU pedigree is recognized in every country in the FCI community and by the AKC (American Kennel Club).

— At what age can I bring my puppy home?

Whichever kennel you choose, always pay attention to the age at which the breeder offers to let the puppy go home.

A responsible breeder will never let a puppy leave before two months of age, before its first vaccination.

Our puppies can go home no earlier than twelve weeks (three months), after two vaccinations.

At this age, puppies have socialized with their brothers and sisters. Early development within the litter is as important for healthy development as socialization in the city. The quarantine period is over, so you can go for walks from the first day.

If you have a busy work schedule and cannot feed a young puppy four times a day or take it outside often, consider a puppy older than five months.

Puppies aged three to eight months are still puppies and readily adapt to a new family and home, recognizing their new person as their owner rather than the breeder.

— Can a puppy be delivered to another city or abroad?

Graduates of our kennel live in more than twenty countries, including Iceland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We have experience arranging puppy deliveries to different countries.

If future owners are interested in working with us, delivery is possible.

If you live in Ukraine, we will discuss delivery together.

Most often, owners visit us and take their puppy home. I would be happy to meet you, explain how to care for your puppy, and introduce you to our adult Miniature Schnauzers.

If you cannot visit, we will arrange a safe way to deliver the puppy.

We mean individual delivery. We never send a puppy by train or public transport because the puppy’s comfort and safety come first.

If you live abroad, we will agree on delivery terms individually.

Delivery is possible only if all official import requirements for the destination country are met.

We work with licensed managers who help prepare all required accompanying documents.

— Do you advise owners after they buy a puppy from you?

Of course, we stay in touch.

Owners can ask us about feeding, training, and caring for their dog. If needed, we can also recommend which specialists to contact in an emergency.

If you still have questions, please send us a private message on Eldzh Hope’s social media pages.

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Notes on life with Schnauzers — follow our social media blog

Getting in touch is easy — send us a message on Telegram

COOPERATION DETAILS

Notes on life with Schnauzers — follow our social media blog

Getting in touch is easy — send us a message on Telegram

COOPERATION
DETAILS