What breeds are available from Sweet Pine Puppies™?
We have several breeds that we work with. We want to ensure the puppies we match with families fit well together. Each breed is unique and brings something different to the table, which makes it possible for us to match our dogs with families that fit each other’s needs. We have a variety of breeds so that we can ensure we meet the needs of any family.
We plan our litters each year based on applications and waitlist submissions we receive. This year we will have puppies for the following breeds: Labrador Retriever, Bernese Mountain Dog, Bernotto, Golden Retriever and Goldengotto. Please contact us for more information on each of these breeds and to help determine which would fit best in your home and lifestyle.
What type of puppy training curriculum do you do?
What is Sweet Pine Puppy Preschool?
We do ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation) and ESI (Early Scent Introduction) curriculum with all of our puppies from day 3-17. Starting at day 18, we use a daily handling curriculum to ensure all puppies are well socialized and used to being handled and loved by humans. At about 4 weeks, we begin puppy recall training and a low-level basic obedience/manners training. We also begin potty training, introduce puppies to crates, carriers, leashes, collars and car rides. Before they go home we do thorough temperament evaluations to help us with matching the puppies and their forever families. For more information, here is our full Sweet Pine Puppy Preschool program. We also have a YouTube channel playlist so you can see our program in action!
Why do you use ENS and ESI?
Why is it good for the puppies?
Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) and ESI (Early Scent Introduction) are ways to help puppies if done correctly. It’s not just about exposing puppies to new things, it’s about how we do it and when we do it.
When doing our curriculum we align it to the developmental benchmarks of our puppies, we are purposeful and intentional with our handling, which helps increase touch tolerance, and we ensure that we meet their needs in order to continue having balanced and fulfilled dogs who are calm and confident as they explore new experiences as they go through life.
It’s not just a program but a method that truly makes a difference for our puppy success.
Are you a reputable breeder?
Yes, we use ethical breeding practices and are not a puppy mill. We have over 11 years of experience in breeding and finding wonderful forever homes for our animals. Our dogs are given the best in-home care and are dearly loved as family members by us and our children. We have genetically tested and OFA cleared all of our dogs, and routinely have vet visits to ensure their optimum health. Our dogs are registered with AKC and CKC, and all puppies go home with a pedigree certificate, microchip and registration papers. For more information, please visit our About Us page.
What is a Labragotto?
A Labragotto is a Labrador Retriever and a Lagotto Romagnolo cross. For more info, please see our article introducing this cross Labradoodle Reinvented – The Labragotto.
What is a Lagotto Romagnolo?
The Lagotto Romagnolo is a breed from Italy which is commonly known for their truffle hunting skills. They are one of the predecessors of the Poodle and have the same non-shedding coat. Here is more information on the Lagotto Romagnolo.
What is a Sweet Pine Bernotto™?
A Bernotto is a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Lagotto Romagnolo cross. A Sweet Pine Bernotto™ is a Bernotto™ who has been put through our Sweet Pine Puppy Preschool program and has completed their temperament assessments and evaluations. For more info, please see our article introducing this cross What is a Bernotto™?
What is a Goldengotto?
A Goldengotto is a Golden Retriever and a Lagotto Romagnolo cross. These will look like a Goldendoodle but instead of using a poodle for the non-shedding coat, we have chosen to use the Lagotto. For more info on this cross, temperament, health benefits, etc., please see our article introducing the Goldengotto.
What does a Goldengotto look and act like?
We expect them to be calm, loving and easily trainable puppies. They will be light golden or black in color, and we are expecting them to get up to about 35-50lbs. Follow us on Instagram for pictures and videos of these amazing and gorgeous dogs.
When will Goldengotto puppies be available?
We are currently accepting applications and reservations for our next Goldengotto litter. We will plan our next litter based on reservation requests. In 2024 we are expecting a litter with Becka at the end of April and are planning a litter with Charlotte in September.
Are Goldendoodles and Goldengottos the same?
This is a very common question we get. The answer is that they will look very similar, but their temperament and personalities will be different. The Lagotto has the same non-shedding coat as the Poodle, so this part will look almost the same. However, their personalities can be very different. They can also have the coat from their mother, which would be the light cream colored Golden Retriever coat.
Do you have a Guardian Home program?
Yes, we’ve recently opened up a guardian home program! We’ve explained what this is and how to qualify for it here: Guardian Home Program. If you are interested in our Guardian Home program, please fill out our Guardian Home Application so we can get in touch.
How do I keep my puppy healthy? What symptoms should I watch out for?
Feeding your puppy 3 times a day, giving them exercise time, and ensuring they have access to water are probably the best ways to keep your puppy healthy. Bringing them home for the first time, changing their food, etc creates stress for the puppy and they can begin to have loose stools or lose their appetite. Your new puppy’s health is very important and there is an article we wrote on puppy health so you know exactly what symptoms are normal and what symptoms require immediate attention.
How do I move forward with getting a puppy?
Please fill out a Puppy Application and then we will contact you to set up a visit or video call so you can meet the puppies. Additionally, we are more than happy to receive messages on FB, text messages and phone calls at our business number, messages from our Contact page, or email us at SweetPinePuppies@gmail.com for more information.
Once your application and deposit are received, your puppy is reserved!
When can we expect to pick up our puppy?
Puppies will go home after they:
- are 8 weeks old
- have been fully weaned and are doing well on solid food
- have passed a vet check, gotten their shots, and are microchipped
- have had their temperament testing and evaluation, and
- have completed the Sweet Pine Puppy Preschool program.
What can I expect when I pick up my new puppy?
When you come to pick up your puppy, we will have a go-home goodie bag for you. This is a canvas bag with about 2-3 days of food, a blanket with their mother’s scent, and a folder with helpful articles and tips on training puppies and how to handle common questions and situations with introducing puppies to their new home. It will also have their microchip registration papers, their litter registration papers (birth certificate etc), their well-puppy visit vet paperwork, a roll of doggie waste bags, some samples, and a piddle pad (for the car ride home). We will also show you the training we have started with the puppies and answer any questions.