Choosing Your Puppy

Visits and scheduling

Can I come see the puppies in person before pick-up day?

No. Young puppies have not completed their vaccine series and are extremely susceptible to parvovirus and other illnesses that adults can carry in on shoes, clothing, and hands without any symptoms of their own. Our nursery stays closed to outside visitors for that reason. Your first in-person visit is pick-up day.

How often are photos taken?

Three times: newborn to two weeks, four to six weeks, and eight weeks. Those are the sets we do — we are not able to take photos on request outside of them.

Where do I see the photos?

On our website. Each puppy has their own individual page where their photos are posted — that is where you will go to make your selection. At eight weeks you will also receive updated photos and video of your puppy along with your video call.

Will you email me weekly updates?

No — photos come in the three sets above rather than weekly, and they live on the website rather than in your inbox, so you can look at them any time. We reach out by text at the two points that matter: when it is your turn to choose, and at eight weeks for your video call and updated photos.

How will I know when it is my turn to choose?

We text you. You will get a message letting you know the puppy pages are live and it is your turn to select.

Can I do a video call earlier than eight weeks?

Our scheduled video calls happen at eight weeks, when personalities are developed enough to actually tell you something useful.

Can you hold my puppy past ten weeks if I need more time?

Usually yes — if you need us to keep your puppy a bit longer for travel or scheduling, talk to us and we will work with you. One honest note: an extended stay does not come with additional photos or video. We are caring for a full nursery, and custom photo sessions for one puppy are not something we can sustain. Your puppy will be well cared for, exercised, and socialized the whole time.

Can my whole family come to pick-up?

Yes, and we encourage it. Meeting your puppy together is part of what makes pick-up day special. Please just let us know roughly how many people to expect.

Choosing and changing your mind

What exactly does my deposit reserve?

Your place in the choosing order — not a specific puppy or a specific litter. Families are contacted in the order their deposits were received, and when your turn arrives you choose from whatever is available at that moment. The earlier your deposit came in, the more puppies you will have to pick from.

What if I do not like my puppy's personality at eight weeks?

Tell us on the call. We will introduce you to the other available puppies and move your deposit to whichever one feels right. This is a normal, expected part of the process — it is precisely why the eight-week call exists.

What if none of the puppies available on my turn feel right?

You are never obligated to choose. If nothing available speaks to you, you keep your place and we bring you into the next selection round instead.

Can I reserve two puppies while I decide between them?

No — one puppy per family at a time. Holding two puppies takes an option away from another waiting family. You will get your chance to compare all available puppies during your eight-week video call.

Can I get back the puppy I passed on?

Only if that puppy is still available. Once you pass at five weeks, that puppy is released to the general public and can be claimed by anyone.

Is my deposit refundable?

Deposits are transferable but not refundable. That distinction works in your favor at every checkpoint: if a puppy is not the right fit, your deposit moves to another available puppy at no cost to you. What it does not do is come back as cash.

When is the balance due?

If you are picking up locally, your balance is due on pick-up day. If your puppy is traveling to you by flight or ground transport, the balance is due 72 hours before travel so that arrangements can be finalized.

Growth and development

One of my puppy's ears is standing up and the other is still down. Is something wrong?

Not at all — this is one of the most common questions we get. Frenchie ears come up on their own schedule, usually somewhere between five and fifteen weeks, and it is completely normal for one to stand weeks before the other. Ear cartilage strengthens as the puppy grows, and it rarely strengthens symmetrically. Roughly 99 percent of our puppies end up with both ears fully erect.

Can an ear that is already up fall back down?

Yes, temporarily. During teething — generally around four to six months — the body is pulling calcium toward the incoming adult teeth, and a standing ear can soften or flop for a few weeks. It almost always comes back up on its own once teething is finished.

My puppy has blue eyes. Will they stay blue?

It depends on whether your puppy is merle. Most puppies are born with blue or blue-gray eyes that shift toward their adult color between roughly eight and twelve weeks, and that change can continue a little past that — so for a non-merle puppy, expect the blue to fade.

Merle is the exception. Merle puppies can carry true blue eye color into adulthood, and it shows up in a few different ways: no effect at all, partial blue in one or both eyes, one fully blue eye, or two fully blue eyes. When it holds, it is a distinct crystal blue and it generally stays that way for life. We cannot predict at five weeks exactly how it will settle, so if permanent blue eyes matter to you, let us know and we will tell you what we are seeing as your puppy develops.

Will my puppy's coat color or markings change?

Slightly, yes. Coats often lighten or deepen as the puppy matures, brindle patterning can become more or less pronounced, and white markings sometimes shift a little as the puppy grows into their frame. The overall color you select at five weeks is what you will have, but expect some subtle change.

How big will my puppy get?

We can give you a good estimate based on the parents and our history with these lines, but it is an estimate, not a guarantee. Puppies from the same litter can finish at noticeably different sizes.

My puppy looks smaller than their littermates in the photos. Should I be concerned?

Usually not. Puppies grow in bursts rather than at a steady rate, and the smallest puppy at five weeks is frequently not the smallest at twelve. We monitor weight and condition daily and will always tell you directly if there is a health concern with your puppy.

Why does my puppy look different in every photo?

Puppies change fast at this age — a week is a long time in Frenchie development. Head shape, ear set, body proportion, and coat all shift noticeably from week to week. This is another reason the eight-week video call is so valuable: you see your puppy as they actually are, in motion, right before coming home.

Bringing your puppy home

What comes home with my puppy?

Your wellness exit video, a sample of Carna4 kibble, a deworming transition regimen, a probiotic sample, your health guarantee, the shot and deworming record, AKC papers, a puppy exit counseling sheet, and a free month of pet insurance.

What is the wellness exit video?

On pick-up day we record a head-to-tail wellness walkthrough of your puppy before they leave us — a documented record of their condition on the day they go home. You keep it, and it is a useful thing to have on hand for your first vet visit.

What vaccines will my puppy have had?

Our vaccine schedule is eight, twelve, and sixteen weeks. Since pick-up is at ten weeks, your puppy will have received their eight-week vaccine here, and the twelve- and sixteen-week boosters will be given by your own veterinarian. You will receive the complete shot record at pick-up so your vet knows exactly what has been given and when.

Has my puppy been dewormed?

Yes. Puppies are dewormed every two weeks from birth until the day they leave us, and that schedule is documented on the record you take home.

When does my puppy need to see my own vet?

Within four days of pick-up — this one is a requirement, not a suggestion. Every puppy is examined and cleared as healthy by our veterinarian before leaving us, and your own vet visit within four days confirms that your puppy arrived healthy. That visit is required for your health guarantee to remain valid, and it is also when your vet will set up the schedule for the remaining vaccines.

Bring your shot record and your wellness exit video to that appointment. Until the vaccine series is finished at sixteen weeks, keep your puppy away from dog parks, pet stores, and other high-traffic dog areas.

Do I have to complete the Prep for Your Frenchie course?

Yes. The course must be completed before we release the pick-up address and next steps. It is not busywork — it covers setup, feeding, the first 72 hours at home, and the early decisions that shape your dog's long-term health. Puppies whose families arrive prepared settle in dramatically better. Please start it well ahead of pick-up rather than the night before.