My puppy price is $2500, this may range lower or higher by $500 depending on circumstances. This depends on a number of factors including cost of the breeding and whelping itself. Price will be set more firmly on a per litter basis once it is closer to the time of whelping. This price is designed to help off-set the price of health testing the parents as well as any costs associated with both breeding and raising the litter. It is also helps cover the cost of the Embark tests (that are part of the puppy purchase price) that each puppy will have done.

I ask that interested people fill out my puppy questionnaire. Once I have that background information, I will reach out to you and we can chat about any questions you might have. There are typically lots of things to talk about regarding Azawakh. From there, I place you on my interest list and keep in touch. When it’s getting closer to when I intend to breed a litter, I will reach out to you and when pregnancy is confirmed we can start talking further details. Once puppies are on the ground and I’m getting a sense of personalities, I will contact you about whether I have a good fit for you in that specific litter. At 8 weeks I will do temperament evaluations through a third party and then I will talk with you about the correct fit for your circumstances. At twelve weeks, you can pick your puppy up and pay in full for the pup. I can help arrange both ground transport and walk you through how to arrange for air transport if you need to fly to come get your puppy. Throughout all of this don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions, concerns, or even if you’d like to be removed from the interest list. You can always reach me via my facebook page In Stride Azawakh & Training or email instrideazawakh@gmail.com. Once we’ve talked for a bit, I’m also happy to hand out my phone number as well.

My next litter timing can be found here: https://www.instrideazawakh.com/upcominglitters My firm plans are currently: Summer 2023- Tabiri/Yahya x Amidi (dual sired litter, dual registered UKC/FCI (Yahya) and AKC (Tabiri) Winter 2023- Anubi x Amalu Fall 2024 - Amastan x Amalu Spring 2025 - Imboran x Biride

I do keep an interest list of anyone who contacts me and fills out a puppy questionnaire. The interest list is divided by litter. In the case of Amalu’s first litter, that list is largely already full. However, as I said, I keep everyone’s name. There are always people who have to back out last second and I try to keep in touch as best I can.

When I brought home my first well bred puppy, I was just a little shocked. What did the breeder mean, I didn’t get to pick my own puppy? I gave her my desires: ideally male, steady, stable, a dog I could bring anywhere. She matched me with the top two choices and I agreed that her top pick for me sounded great. I cannot imagine having brought home any other dog than Anubi. He was the perfect fit for what I wanted and his breeder knew her puppies well enough to match us perfectly. It’s my belief that story is an example of puppy matching at its absolute best. I don’t allow potential puppy families to pick their own puppies. I want to hear about your criteria, what will make a good companion about you personally. I want to hear your sex and color preferences, though I can never make guarantees. Once I have that information, then I can make a match that fits the best with your needs. The puppy that comes flinging themselves up to you, who loves chasing a toy and has a great grip on it might seem like they chose you, but that puppy chooses everyone because they’re the most outgoing. A puppy with endless energy, no caution, and prone to mouthing toys and people alike isn’t going to be a good fit for a family with young children who wants to walk their dog, play in the yard, and take occasional walks. However, that same puppy could be a perfect sports prospect potentially. That’s why I want to take the time to get to know people, so I can make the choices that are right for everyone.When I brought home my first well bred puppy, I was just a little shocked. What did the breeder mean, I didn’t get to pick my own puppy? I gave her my desires: ideally male, steady, stable, a dog I could bring anywhere. She matched me with the top two choices and I agreed that her top pick for me sounded great. I cannot imagine having brought home any other dog than Anubi. He was the perfect fit for what I wanted and his breeder knew her puppies well enough to match us perfectly. It’s my belief that story is an example of puppy matching at its absolute best. I don’t allow potential puppy families to pick their own puppies. I want to hear about your criteria, what will make a good companion about you personally. I want to hear your sex and color preferences, though I can never make guarantees. Once I have that information, then I can make a match that fits the best with your needs. The puppy that comes flinging themselves up to you, who loves chasing a toy and has a great grip on it might seem like they chose you, but that puppy chooses everyone because they’re the most outgoing. A puppy with endless energy, no caution, and prone to mouthing toys and people alike isn’t going to be a good fit for a family with young children who wants to walk their dog, play in the yard, and take occasional walks. However, that same puppy could be a perfect sports prospect potentially. That’s why I want to take the time to get to know people, so I can make the choices that are right for everyone.

In a rare breed this unfortunately happens relatively frequently. Most Azawakh breeders are breeding approximately one every year or two. This means that there is often demand when there isn’t yet supply. I maintain contact with most of the Azawakh breeders in the United States and refer to other breeders regularly. I might refer out because I think another breeder has a litter that will be a better match for you or they might be closer in distance or the timing just might work out better. When I don’t have a litter upcoming soon, I refer people to other breeders more frequently than I add them to my own interest list.

There are a ton of great articles out there on this topic. This is one of my favorites: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DOsb2KnmmDMM8o5IbO-jF1-CZ54qrqzt1cCWOJ93b-8/mobilebasic It’s easy to think of show dogs from breeders who show or trial with their dogs as fancy and unobtainable. However, look at my website or Facebook page. You’ll see pictures of my dogs showing and trialing, yes, but you’ll also see pictures of them curled up on the couch or playing outside. Being a show or performance dog doesn’t preclude being a really fantastic pet. In fact, because of the socialization and exposure the dogs get to the world in a wide array of situations, those dogs tend to be incredibly stable, which is much of what makes a great pet. I show in order to get other people’s feedback about my dog’s structure, feedback from judges, other exhibitors, and other breeders. I don’t want my dog’s body to break down at 6, I want them to be able to keep accompanying you on adventures for more than a decade. Structure is part of what allows that. I do dog sports with my dogs to show that they’re versatile, to exhibit the breed and showcase what Azawakh are truly achieve. I also do dog sports to test that my dogs still have the instincts to do what the breed originated to do. I want them to be able to course or be safe around livestock, because that is what they live for in Africa. I do dog sports because it is an incredible outlet for my dogs. It gives them a mental challenge and fulfills them. There’s a reason my dogs aren’t destructive or bored around the house. Lastly, I do dog sports because I’ve never found anything that develops your bond with your dog quite so deeply. Do I expect every puppy buyer to do what I do with my dogs? No, definitely not. I want to provide good breed ambassadors for the general public. However, if you are interested in showing or performance sports, I will give that desire priority, because that is one of the goals of my breeding program.

I’ve filled out puppy applications and rescue organization applications before. I know how nerve-wrecking it can be; how you need to make sure you say just the right thing. However, I will say I don’t have any eliminating requirements such as: you must feed X food, you must have a fenced yard, you must only use X equipment. I firmly believe that most dogs can thrive in different environments with the correct exercise and mental stimulation. When I first brought home my saluki I still lived in an apartment and we were out a fenced fields almost every day. There are of course factors that will eliminate you: a history of dog abuse is the big one, but there are other factors too. I want to talk to you. I want to form a rapport with you because I will be there for you for your puppy’s entire life. Think of me as 24 hour tech support for your dog.

I routinely see new puppy owners struggling with the eight, nine, ten week puppies. At that age, puppies aren’t even particularly awake to the world in some ways. Additionally, puppies tend to go through a fear phase where traumatic experiences are particularly impactful. As such, I keep my puppies until twelve weeks. There are cases (mostly regarding fitting the puppy on a flight under a seat), where I will let puppies go home at ten weeks. If you are an experienced trainer, breeder, or exhibitor, I may let a puppy go home at eight weeks. However, I have helped raise hundreds of puppies and am fully equipped to give the puppies a great start in life as well as setting your new puppy up to have less conflict with you once you bring them home. The extra few weeks gives me more time to work with the pups on skills like leash walking, cooperative care such as nail trimming, and more.

Registration – puppies will be registered with AKC (American Kennel Club) before going to their new homes. In the case of some litters, they might also be dual registered with UKC (United Kennel Club) Vaccinations (timing determined by Nomograph) – the puppies will go home with their first vaccinations, provided the Nomograph, which tells me the age when vaccines will first be effective, indicates that the puppies can be effectively vaccinated. You will also be sent home with information telling you precisely when your puppies should be vaccinated, which you can pass on to your vet. If the puppies are still protected by their mother’s immunity when they leave, they will not be vaccinated yet, because vaccines cannot provide protection if the mother’s instill immunity is still in effect. Blanket with litter mate’s scent for comfort when the puppy goes home Microchipped – Puppies will be microchipped and registered in a database before they are sent home. Dewormed – they will be dewormed every other week while they reside with me. Puppy chew Puppy packet – this comprehensive packet gives you information about the breed, what to expect from your puppy, how to handle crate training, leash walking, and more. Contract – you will be sent home with a copy of my contract. In Stride Dog Training’s Basic Foundation Series of five lesson designed to give you a jumpstart on raising your puppy to be a good citizen. The lessons include Learning How to Learn: Focus While Stationary, Focus in Motion, Cooperative Care and House Manners, Socialization, and Advancing the Basics. This is not provided in lieu of a good group puppy class, nothing can replace that socialization experience, but will help you train your puppy at home. Embark panel – Embark is an increasingly popular DNA test for dog owners. It tells you a dog’s breed (in this case Azawakh) but also test your dogs for over 150 genetic conditions (many of which the dogs aren’t prone to), as well as telling you how related your dog is to their siblings and other dogs of the same breed that have been tested, and it gives you fun genetic information about color, coat, and more.

I do a Nomograph on all my expecting mothers. A Nomograph is a test that tells you exactly when protective maternal antibodies are expected to lapse in the puppies and thus when exactly it will be effective to vaccinate. Here is more on Nomographs: https://www.avidog.com/canine-nomographs-ebook/ The puppies will go home with their first vaccinations, provided the Nomograph, which tells me the age when vaccines will first be effective, indicates that the puppies can be effectively vaccinated. You will also be sent home with information telling you precisely when your puppies should be vaccinated, which you can pass on to your vet. If the puppies are still protected by their mother’s immunity when they leave, they will not be vaccinated yet, because vaccines cannot provide protection if the mother’s instill immunity is still in effect.

When looking at puppies, you will run into the phrase “vet checked”. This simply means the puppies have been looked over by a vet and that they were healthy at the time they were seen. However, that phrase doesn’t refer to the genetics or assessment of the parent’s structure, all of which can be inherited. Health testing generally refers to a series of tests run on the parents that indicate whether their underlying condition, ones that can’t be assessed by a simple vet exam, is in good shape. With my dogs I check their heart, thyroid, eyes, test for a number of genetic diseases through Embark, and check their hips. Anubi, my male, does have a history of cardiac disease in his lines. By checking his heart, I can make sure he isn’t developing problems. I know of numerous thyroid issues in the breed, and so I do a full thyroid panel on my dogs. Eye issues are less common, but it is an easy exam and is good peace of mind. At this time, there aren’t hip problems in the breed. However, since I play high impact sports with my dog, I want to make sure their hips are in good condition before playing those sports for years on end. Here's more on why I health test: https://www.instrideazawakh.com/post/why-i-health-test

I like to keep my contract simple. At this time I am not asking for a deposit, just that payment be made in full by pickup. I don’t put food or training restrictions on my dogs. I do require you attend at least one puppy class with your new puppy to help with socialization and I will give money back for each dog that I produce that goes on to get their Canine Good Citizen or an entry level title. All my contracts are posted on my website.