*** Accepting Applications for 2024 ***
If you would like to be considered as a family for one of our Naturally Reared English Shepherd Puppies, please Contact Us to request a Puppy Application.
Our Breeding Philosophy and Puppy Placement Policies are a bit different than most. We ask that you please read them, as well as our Natural Rearing Program.
Have questions? We’re happy to answer them! Call us at (509) 775-0204
See photos of our Past Little Ones… all grown up!
Raising Pups Highland Glenn Style!
As Natural Rearing Breeders our goal is to produce healthy Puppies with all the unique English Shepherd traits that make them stand out in a crowd. Naturally Reared puppies, in general, are an elite group – given the very best possible start on all levels – and Naturally Reared English Shepherd puppies are rare.
Our wee Pups are raised on a natural diet from their very first meal, not exposed to harmful chemicals, vaccine-free, and have an enriched play environment for neurological development. Plus, they’re raised on our Ranch where they get to meet visiting children and friends, chickens, dairy goats, sheep, and pigs while accompanying us on daily chores. What more could an English Shepherd Puppy wish for?
NUTRITION: Nutrition for healthy puppies begins long before conception. Our dogs are fed a species-appropriate raw diet, vaccine-free (except as compulsory by law), nor are they exposed to harmful chemicals in, on, or around them. They fairly glow with good health!
Our Puppies are weaned naturally- by their Dam on her schedule, without intervention. She and the Pups tell us when they’re ready for more food! This is usually 4 weeks of age. They are introduced to raw meat, organs, and bones providing optimum nutrition for health, proper dentition, and overall development. What do Highland Glenn’s Puppies eat? Free-range eggs, raw milk, home-raised lamb, grass-fed beef, chicken, wild game, various organs, etc. Yes, they eat quite well!
LIFE LESSONS: Our Puppies stay in our pack for 9-12 weeks (depending on the individual) while the adults teach them what they know and the little disciplinary lessons of life. This is the natural way puppies learn canine/pack social skills and is extremely important in the formation of stable temperament and learning of good canine communication.
Studies show that Puppies removed from their mommy and littermates much before 10 weeks often have not learned how to be submissive or cautious. Puppies require this time to learn the skills of getting along with strangers, both human and animal.
Many breeders feel a Puppy must go to its new home at 8 weeks (around day 49) in order to bond with its new owner. However, the longer a Pup can stay with its littermates and the rest of its canine family (within reason), the better socialized the Puppy will be and all the more adaptable with other animals and people, without any diminished ability to build a strong bond with its new family.
SOCIALIZATION: Socialization is provided by all the adults in their lives, four-legged and two. Raised in the heart of our home, Puppies receive lots of loving human interaction. They are familiar with everyday household sights, sounds, scents, and activities. Of course, English Shepherd Puppies benefit greatly from our Ranch lifestyle also being exposed to a variety of animal species and meeting visitors of all ages. You may expect a well-socialized, happy, confident Puppy ready for adventure!
Much planning and time go into each litter, and it is all rewarded with Puppy sweetness, a beautiful dog full of health and vitality, and the ear-to-ear smiles of each new owner. Of course, as with any puppy, it will be up to the owner to continue proper socialization and training.
EARLY TRAINING: We expose our little ones to a variety of situations and people, this helps them be adaptable to new experiences and develop the confidence to perform whatever tasks are required of them as they mature. Puppies are raised using the Puppy Culture enrichment program.
As they grow, the Puppies enjoy the sunshine and clean mountain air. Their Play Yard is designed to build confidence, coordination, and strength in growing Pups, all in a safe environment under our observation. They navigate puppy-sized obstacles for development and great playtime fun. They also accompany us while doing chores around the ranch.
Puppies learn basic commands as we feed their meals and take walks along with their parents. They begin napping in a crate, coming to view it as a secure haven and yet another fun place to play. This eases stress while the Pup settles into its new home, lays a solid foundation for ease of house training, and reduces separation anxiety when working owners must leave their new little one.
HEALTH: Puppies leave our home without having been vaccinated. From 4 weeks of age to the time they leave us we take steps to boost their immune system the way nature intended – through gentle exposure to germs while they still have antibodies from their Dam to protect them. This is the way nature works, without interference. This mild exposure helps them develop their own true immunity.
Our Puppies do not have ‘dewclaws’ removed. On the front, these are actually fully functioning digits used on a daily basis. On the rear, x-rays show they can indeed be attached down to the bone.
The Puppies are not routinely dewormed. A Pup reared on appropriate raw food generally does not usually have an imbalance of worms. While most pups may have a few worms from birth, a strong, healthy system can deal with them – it naturally teaches a pup’s system how to heal. However, because parasites are part of life on a ranch we do periodic fecal checks. If needed, homeopathy is used.
Chemically deworming young pups on the schedule most breeders use can cause undue stress. In fact, most pups that contract Parvo at a very young age have a slimmer chance of surviving if they have been on the typical heavy worming schedule (their chance decreases again dramatically if they have also been vaccinated).