Waitlist Deposit

We charge a $1,000 non-refundable deposit. We run an ethical program here at Sleeping Bear Kennels. We aren’t producing puppies to then sell to turn a profit. Families who share our ideals and goals of utilizing every tool and resource to produce well-tempered, healthy puppies who will be forever family members find us. If we don’t have at least 4 waiting families per litter, we don’t have a litter. That ensures every puppy has a family before coming into this world.

Full Cost For A Puppy

The full cost for a Sleeping Bear Kennels Puppy:

1. $1,000 nonrefundable deposit

2. $3,000 remaining balance due at Puppy Pick Up

3. $240 Michigan Sales Tax

Total Cost: $4,240

Please also consider the following costs:

Regular vet visits $200-$400 a visit

Pet Insurance $20-$45 a month

Flea, Tick and Heartworm Medications: $35-$75 a month

Food: $80 a month

Emergency Vet Visits: $4000+ (Maggie’s broken leg recently cost us nearly $10,000 including 12 weeks of weekly follow up – but we maintain Pet Insurance through Trupanion so the actual cost to us was about $3,000)

Health testing is super important.

For ANY Breeder look for:

Full Genetic Testing (not just 1 or 2 tests) through companies like Embark Vet

OFA Certifications for all parent dogs

Those are the absolute, basic minimum testing that should be done, and you should always ask for a copy. 

The biggest reason is health. We can’t test for everything, so genetic testing is used to understand risk factors of some diseases, and use smart breeding to lessen the chances of disease in puppies we produce. This is never a guarantee. Like in people, conditions and diseases happen.

Health clearances are done on parent dogs, mostly after the age of 2, to check the health of certain organs, joints, and tissues.  For example, a hip clearance means the dog has good hips and is not prone to hip dysplasia. For Cavapoos – this means hip, elbow, patella, cardiac, and eye clearances, most performed by veterinary specialists.

Health Checked is not the same and can mean that the breeder themselves looked the dog over, or a vet could have.  While that is great, that does not clear the dog of genetic diseases or health issues that can only be seen by blood work, specialist examination, x-ray and other means.

AKC and USDA Certifications

The AKC is simply a purebred registry. Since Cavapoos are a mix of 2 breeds – they don’t have this (our purebred moms do!) This does not in any way speak to the breeders ethics or health testing. It’s just a $35 fee to essentially confirm pedigree.

USDA Certifications: This means they are a wholesale breeder selling puppies sight unseen – or in other terms: Puppy Mill.

A Note on Sites Like “Greenfield Puppies”

Puppy Mills have gone digital, and often include puppy brokers! Be wary of breeders who have lots of different breeds, lots of litters, puppies with paypal links to their names, and generic mentions of “family farm” with no specific location. Not every breeder likes to share their family life and photos, and that’s okay, but you should still be able to get a sense that they are real people – social media is great for that. If ever in doubt, trust that you may be dealing with a scam, puppy broker, or puppy mill.

Without this, a puppy may grow up into an adult dog who is scared of men in hats, or Halloween costumes, or in extreme cases, may harm a baby or toddler because they assume they are playthings, or small animals to be chased. This socialization also applies to exposure to sights, sounds, noises, smells, and environments. Ever met a dog scared of thunderstorms? This is common, and use of early socialization and noise desensitization hope to lessen or avoid these types of fears. Exposures and socialization starts in the first weeks, and is important to continue once home, especially between weeks 8-14. It’s equivalent to “early education” or preschool for kids, and is shown to be vitally important to development.