Answers to commonly asked questions
Contacting Green Valley Aussies
Texting and Email is our preferred method of contact and helps us keep track of our many conversations. While we wish we had the time to speak individually on the phone to everyone who sends in an inquiry, we are unable to at this time.
We are happy to chat over the phone with our clients, if thats what you prefer, however, it typically must be a scheduled call since we have a young family, children, school, jobs and dogs to plan around.
If you cannot find the answer to your questions on this page and do not feel comfortable texting or emailing, we are willing to arrange a phone call.
Our Email, social media accounts and phone numbers are listed on the “Contact Us” page.
Aside from our website, you can find more pictures, videos and information about our family and program on our social media platforms.
What are the steps in purchasing a puppy?
1. Application
If you are interested in a GVAussie, please fill out the application on our website and we will contact you. If you are approved for a GVAussie puppy, the next step would be placing a deposit for a future puppy.
2. Deposit
The deposit is $300. It goes towards the final price of the puppy.
We prefer deposits and final balances on puppies to be paid by a secure Quickbooks invoice link. Cash or Check are possible if agreed upon by GVA.
Quickbooks has a bank transfer option or a credit card option (however the card method does charge a service fee).
We do not post direct links to payment methods, because we want to have personal contact with each client before any transaction is made.
No, the deposit is not refundable.
In certain cases, the deposit can be transferable (if there is a timing conflict with planned litter/the desired temperament, color, gender puppy does not arrive as planned). However, if you place a deposit on a specific older puppy (after you know gender, color, temperament testing result and go home date) then decide to back out at any point, the deposit will not be transferred due to us likley having to sell the puppy at a discounted price due to short notice. At this time, the deposit for a SPOT on the list (without a specific litter/puppy in mind) is transferable for up to TWO YEARS.
3. Choosing Your Puppy
Wait completely depends on what you’re looking for. Temperament and personality matching are most important to us. If you’re looking for a specific gender or color the wait could be longer. We also take into consideration energy level, service/therapy/ESA prospects, etc.
You would need to contact us directly to get a potential time frame.
We dock tails on ALL GVAUSSIE PUPPIES! Please do not contact us asking for the tail to be left on a puppy. We dock for multiple reasons. 1. The Australian Shepherd Breed Standard does call for a docked tail. 2. Some of our puppies are born with Natural Bobbed Tails. 3. Occasionally our puppies do go to ranch/working homes where a tail can be a hazard for the dog. And 4. We dock tails at 3-5 days old. If we were to not dock a tail on a specific puppy for you, you would have to pick the puppy at 2 days of age. This means you would be picking strictly off gender and color and we feel we must wait until we can temperament test the puppies before they are chosen by a specific family. Personality of the puppy far outweighs the gender and color since all dogs are different… we can not know at that young of an age.
We wait until the puppies start showing more of their personalities before we allow families to start picking. Of course, our client’s start picking “favorites” as soon as the litter is born, but we usually wait approximately 5 weeks before making a final decision. We have waited even longer to do temperament testing on potential service dogs.
Often we do repeat crosses, you could wait until the next time we have a litter from the same parents OR choose from a different litter in our program!
No, Sorry! ALL of our dogs are priced the same and we require them to all go with Registration papers, even if they are just pets.
We try not to keep puppies too long after they are ready to go. We feel that after all their littermates have left, they become more attached to us and our family, which makes the transition to their new homes more difficult. We love having puppies around but also feel it’s easier for them to transition around the 8-week mark.
If you can not pick the puppy up within 1 week of the go home date, we will have to get you a puppy from a different litter in the future.
At this time, we are only placing puppies in homes as pet/companions, with strict Spay and Neuter Contracts. “FULL REGISTRATION” is not an option.
4. Final Payment and Costs
Our preferred method of payment is sending you a Quickbooks invoice to your email that is paid via bank transfer. We feel quickbooks is a secure, safe and reliable way to send money and it also helps us significantly in our record keeping.
We do not post direct links to payment methods, because we want to have personal contact with each client before any transaction is made.
We require payment in full at 6-weeks of age. After their health check by the vet, at 6 weeks, we finalize the purchase of a puppy by the signing of contracts and the receiving of final payment. We do this to ensure everything is complete prior to the puppy’s departure at 8-weeks of age.
Our puppies are priced at $4,000. All of our puppies are priced the same, regardless of gender, color or cross. We understand we have a higher price point than many breeders, however we feel strongly that the services and puppy/dog you receive are worth it! Between the quality of health, temperament, socilaization, contact with us along the way, and our puppy choosing/evaluating process. You join a LIFE LONG family and have us as a support for the entire life of your dog. We also have a unique and in depth approach to how we raise our GVAussies, we feel it adds to the experience of getting a dog from us and sets us apart! ALL of our puppies are sold on STRICT spay and neuter contracts. Please do not reach out and ask of you can “pay more” for breeding rights. We rarely will offer puppies at a discounted rate as we have a very lengthy waiting and deposit list.
At the start of 2025, we received a letter from the Utah State Tax Commission which stated: “The Business Taxes and Discover Division of the Utah State Tax Commission is conducting an education project for those who sell animals in Utah… All animals – dogs, cats… etc. – are considered tangible personal property, and their sale is subject to the Utah sales tax.”
As per the notice we have received, we will have to begin to collect sales tax on any animal purchased and PICKED UP in Utah. (If the animal is delivered out of the state of Utah, we do NOT have to collect Sales Tax). Sales Tax is currently 7.25% of the Purchase Price.
Option 1: Puppy Picked Up in Utah
- Green Valley Aussies must collect Sales Tax for the Total Purchase price of the puppy. (Approximately $290.00)
Option 2: Puppy Delivered to You (Out of Utah)
- Green Valley Aussies or courier can deliver the puppy to you. This way, we do not have to charge you the Utah Sales Tax, which would save you $290, which can go towards Delivery Fees (Approximately $450 Delivery Fee, Plus Flight cost & $95 Pet Carry-On Fee).
5. Picking Up and Receiving Your GVAussie
We DO NOT let puppies leave our home before 8 weeks of age. They must be a minimum of 8 weeks old before leaving with their new forever family.
All GVAussies come with: Contract, Tail Docked, Dew Claws removed, First Set of Shots, Proof of vaccinations from a licensed veterinarian, Letter stating excellent health from a licensed veterinarian, Deworming at 2, 4, 6 & 8 weeks of age, Leash, Collar, Lots of Toy, Collapsible water bowl, Food, Wipes, Paper towels, Potty bags, Puppy Pads, Brush and more!
A Majority of our clients choose our “Puppy nanny” service. We can deliver the puppy directly to your closest airport. The pricing for this service includes Flight cost ($? – varies depending on location), carry on pet fee ($95 – charged by airline to any passenger carrying on a pet) and a $450 delivery fee. If you are interested in this option, please inform us right away so that we can get cheaper flights and make sure we schedule the time to deliver!
A lot of of our clients request that we meet them at the Salt Lake City International Airport. We are happy to bring the puppy to the airport so you can catch a quick return flight to get back to your home destination. By GVAussies meeting you at the airport, this makes traveling more convenient and less of a hassle, it eliminates the renting of a car and traveling to our home.
We are also willing to have our clients come to our home to pick up their puppy. However we are careful to not introduce outside germs into our home, to keep our puppies safe, we will meet in the front yard.
You’re also welcome to drive! We just advise that you are careful traveling to not have your new puppy pick up sicknesses along the way!
You choose whichever you prefer. We try to plan pick-up in advance to ensure we set aside ample time to go over everything. We have paperwork, supplies and goodies all packed up and ready for your puppy to be on his/her way quickly.
No, Green Valley Aussies does not ship our puppies. We feel it is too hard on them emotionally and physically to be sent via cargo. We require all our clients to pick up their puppies in person and carry them on the plane with them, going to their new home. If you plan in advance, a two-way flight from most US locations to SLC is often cheaper than shipping via cargo. It just requires a day of your time for travel. We enjoy meeting our clients in person and having a face-to-face transaction. We also cannot control what the puppies come in contact with when they are out of our care. If picked-up in person, the breeder and new owner can be aware of the puppy’s needs and can be cautious of outside diseases.
GVAussies does offer hand-delivery of your puppy directly to you if GVAussies travels expenses are paid by the new owner as well as a $450 delivery fee. We understand that making the trip to Utah can be difficult for some families. If Buyer decides to back out of Puppy, once they have Paid for Delivery Fees, the Delivery Fees (Flight Cost, Airline Pet Carry-On Fee & Delivery Fee) WILL NOT BE REFUNDED under any circumstances.
Our “facility” is our home. All of our puppies are born, raised and cared for by our entire family. We aren’t a pet store with business hours open to the public.
We currently are only allowing visits from those on our deposit list or clients who are coming on scheduled visitation days to pick out, visit or pick up their new puppy. We cannot allow outside strangers into our home, for the safety of our family and dogs. Also, there have been too many parvo cases in Utah, and we wouldn’t want your puppy, or anyone else’s, to fall victim. With all due respect, we hope you understand.
Traveling with a puppy is pretty simple. All that is needed is a soft, carry-on crate. The puppy can ride with you on the plane under the seat in front of you. Most of our puppies sleep the entire flight and cause no trouble whatsoever. In all of our years of breeding, we have never had a client experience issues with carrying their puppy on the plane with them. We will give you tips and tricks for traveling at pick up!
Taking your puppy home & future caring of your GVAussie
This section includes:
- vet appointments
- socializing
- feeding
- potty training
- crate training
- gluing ears
- grooming
- shedding
- spaying/neutering
As stated in our contract, we encourage our clients to take their new puppy to a veterinarian within 3-days of pick up. Our vet checks all the puppies before departure, but we feel, for peace of mind for the client, it is best to have your vet check the puppies as well.
Socialization is very important. Familiarizing your puppy with various sights, sounds, people, experiences and other dogs/animals at a young age is paramount in your puppy adjusting to the surrounding world. That being said, until your puppy has had all of his/her vaccinations, taking them out and about in public places can be dangerous.
We recommend waiting until after 16 weeks to take out your puppy. From 8 weeks – 16 weeks you can get them used to sights, sounds, smells and experiences in your own home. You can also introduce them to people in your home or dogs you know are healthy and vaccinated. We cannot stress enough how important it is to socialize your puppy; socialization creates an amazing dog.
For our adult dogs we love and recommend Purina Pro Plan, Sport, All Life Stages, 30-20 formula. Over the years we have tried many different brands of food and we feel this has been the best fit for our dogs. Our puppies go home on Purina Pro Plan, Chicken and Rice, Puppy.
We feed our adult dogs 2 times a day. From our experience, our dogs that have taken advantage of the “free feeding” method put on too much weight, therefore, our puppies are fed morning and night with a snack midday.
If you stick with feeding your dog Purina Pro Plan, we recommend you feed the puppy food (which your puppy has been on for its life with us) for a couple of months, then switching them to the “all life stages” food around 4-6 months. Other dog food brands recommend switching earlier or later than that. We just advise not to feed puppy food for too long, because it is much higher in calories and can push your puppy to grow too fast and cause joint and growth issues.
We start all our puppies on location training, crate training and potty training while they are in our care. However, this is a lengthy process and requires work by the new owners. We do not guarantee mastery from our puppies on the training skills listed above, however they do have a basic knowledge of those skills.
We recommend crate training (see “the crate training” FAQ for more info). Diligence and repetition are most important. Keep them in their crate when you cannot have your eye constantly on them. Once you get your new puppy to your home, designate a “potty” spot in your yard. Always take your puppy to this spot to relieve themselves. Before you get your puppy home, he/she will already be used to pottying outside. When your puppy goes potty in their designated spot, PRAISE them. The key to training is high praise and high reward for the first few weeks. Aussies are always wanting to please, so if they know they did something to make you happy they will want to do it again. Make sure they know this is a good thing. If you puppy does have an accident in the house, do not get mad at them or make a big deal about it. Just talk in a lower voice, say “no” and take them outside to their designated spot. Always make outside pottying a positive experience. If your puppy has an accident inside, make sure you thoroughly clean it up, because the smell of their waste will urge them to potty again. We highly recommend NOT using puppy pads. This just teaches puppies they can go inside. Your puppy will learn to hold his/her bladder longer with age. Don’t get discouraged if they cannot hold it very long at first. Puppies will always defecate right after eating so make sure you take them outside promptly after eating. Many of our clients have been successful at bell training as well, if this is something you are interested in, there are lots of great articles on the internet for training.
We think crate training is very important for all dogs. Even if you are not planning to crate your dog long-term. Crating is very helpful in transportation and emergency situations. We have also found it is a huge asset in potty training. Crate training is not always easy and takes effort and hard work! We strive to start training your puppy here at GVAussies, however they will regress and still struggle in a new environment (when you get them to their new home). Puppies will always protest, cry, whine and bark when you start crate training. Be prepared for that. If you give in easily and get them out when they start to protest, they will catch on quickly and will continue to “complain” for longer lengths of time. If you patiently push through the process, then they will learn a crate is not a bad thing and relax. All puppies have different schedules and can hold their potty for different amounts of times. We recommend starting with 1-hour at a time in their crate. They do not have to ALWAYS be in the crate. They can be let out of the crate if you have your eyes on them (see “potty training” in FAQ). Setting a timer is always helpful to make sure you take them out often. We do recommend you do not push your puppy too long in a crate because if they use the restroom in their crate it may become a habit that is difficult to train out of them. We also advise to NOT have blankets, towels and bedding in their crates to begin with. The fabric will absorb the urine making it difficult to tell if they had an accident. Turning on background noise (radio, tv, music, etc.) can help soothe your puppy so they do not feel as lonely. Covering the crate with a blanket or towel can also be an advantage so the puppy cannot see you or surrounding activities. Also, to make a positive experience we recommend feeding them in the crate. However, please note, they do potty RIGHT after eating, so make sure not to leave them in the crate after they have finished eating. We promise, if you stick with it and push through the crate training, it will be totally worth it in the end!
We highly recommend gluing ears on your puppy. When teething, Aussies ears tend to get a little crazy. Gluing the ears down helps hold them in place while cartilage grows along the top of the ear. “Button” ears which fall forward against the face are the typical ear set for Aussies and what all our GVAussie breeding dogs have. “Rose” ears hang off to the sides, roll back and are lifted from the face. “Prick” ears are considered a severe fault in Aussies and stand straight up over their head. Gluing ears is strictly for cosmetic purposes. Gluing does not hurt the dog and the glue is not permanent. The glue goes away and the ears become detached quickly. Some puppies may need multiple gluing sessions depending on how long the glue lasts.
We bathe and blow dry the puppies multiple times when they are in our home. We enjoy the puppies staying clean and fluffy and also feel it is an advantage for the new owner to have their puppy used to this experience.
Aussies require weekly brushing (more to avoid excess shedding) and we typically bath bi-monthly. Using a high velocity blower on your dog is a huge asset to grooming. It blows out the coat, dirt, smell, etc.
YES! Very much so. Please do your research on how much Aussies shed before you decide to add one to your family! The shedding is completely manageable, but it does require grooming and work.
We groom our dogs on a very regular basis. If you keep up on bathing and brushing your Aussie, shedding is manageable. Another huge asset to our grooming is a HIGH VELOCITY BLOWER. We have them linked in our recommended products section of the website. Blowers loosen up the hair and blow away the dead undercoat. They are a huge help. In our home we own multiple vacuums and keep a Roomba running a majority of the time.
Never EVER shave your Aussie! PLEASE! Contrary to popular belief, shaving your Aussie actually makes them HOTTER! Aussies are a dual coated breed and that dual coat actually acts as an insulator, keeping them cool. If you shave their coat, it messes up their insulation system and causes them to be warmer. Never let a groomer advise you differently. If they have ”matts”, cut them out, do not shave the area.
ALL of our puppies are sold on strict SPAY AND NEUTER CONTRACTS. As for WHEN to spay and neuter, that is partially up to you. This is a very controversial subject, and everyone has their own opinions. We recommend doing your research and do what YOU feel is best for your dog. We also recommend you seek your veterinarian’s advice in this process. We do encourage waiting at least until the dog is 9-months-old before altering. If you are capable of keeping the dog away from other intact dogs, waiting until later is ideal, but if you risk an accidental breeding it is safer for your dog to be spayed/neutered at an early age. Our contract requires to spay/neuter 1 year after pick up (so around 14 months old) we are willing to extend it until 18 months, in special circumstances. Feel free to ask for more info on this.
Here in Utah, Fleas and Ticks are not very common. However, we know many places they are a big issue. When we travel or go camping (primarily in the summer time) we use and recommend “REVOLUTION”. It is safe for Aussies and their sensitivities to different medications, safe for young dog, breeding dogs, and is an easy to use month to month dose! Ask your vet to order… it is not over the counter.
Questions about adult dogs
Occasionally we do have retired breeding dogs available to pet/companion homes. This is not a common occurrence and we do not have a waiting/deposit list for these dogs. Please contact us directly if you are interested in an adult dog. We do not let our retired dogs go just anywhere. We are EXTREMELY careful and specific in where we let them retire. Be prepared for lots of questions, references and talking if you would like to be considered.
YES! No matter what happens, we will assist as much as we can to help you find your GVAussie the best possible home. In fact,
we require first right-of-refusal in our contract. So no matter what happens, we ask that we are notified. If for any reason a client cannot keep their
GVAussie, we will happily help in rehoming or bringing them back here! Our temperament testing and matching process has proved so successful, that rehoming/giving up one of our dogs is not a common occurrence at all. However, we understand that personal emergencies and significant life changes do happen. Sometimes us brining the dog back to GVAussies isn’t that best option (just because of traveling, another adjustment, etc) BUT, we are happy to help find them a new home. We have such a wide following that it can be easier to place them “closer to home”, so traveling is avoided. No matter what, please reach out if you need our help!
These dogs are a huge part of our life and we do not want to lose track of where they are or have any of them end up
in shelters or rescues. We will always help in finding them the best homes!
YES! We do. Please visit this link for more info! greenvalleyaussies.com/guardian-home-program
This program is only for local, Utah families, since traveling to GVAussies will be required. We occasionally offer dogs (Adults and Puppies) to Guardian Homes. A guardian home is a unique opportunity to get a puppy from GVAussies, the best our program has to offer (Adults would be completely obedience trained, house trained, and fully health tested. Puppies would be health tested at our expense and we are happy to assist in training the puppy), for a fraction of the price. He/she would live with you and be YOUR dog, however we would retain breeding rights to the dogs and he/she would come back to us a couple of times for breeding/to raise a litter. Terms and conditions would be decided upon by both parties before the dog or puppy is placed in a guardian home. Once the terms have been completed, the dog would be spayed/neutered and be turned over to complete ownership of the buyer. Again, if you’re interested in this program, please feel free to message us for more info!
About our Aussies and the breed
Our Aussies range from 45 – 65lbs and are 19.5 – 22.5 inches at the shoulder.
Our dogs are part FISH! Our Aussies love to play in the water. We cannot keep them out of the sprinklers, pools or lake. They love to get wet!
We have never had an issue with heal nipping in all our years of breeding. Our dogs do not have a high prey/herding drive. They do not have the desire to chase, organize nor herd. Of course, if they ever showed that tendency, we would train them not to, but so far it has never been an issue.
Aussies are a high energy breed. However, we try to breed medium to low drive dogs. Aussies with an “off switch” is what I like to say. Creating this type of Aussie requires training and teaching the dog where and when is the right time to play/get out their energy. Puppies always have lots of spunk and energy, but they typically grow up and mellow out a lot. Our dogs have a huge backyard, farm and ranch where they play. Although they have space to play, they don’t need hours of running to calm down. They know when they come into our house they have to “place” on their beds and they need to be calm.
Contrary to the popular belief that Aussies need lots of room and exercise, our Aussies have been fine in apartments. We have had puppies go to high rise apartments in the middle of the city. Of course, ALL puppies are energetic and like to run and play, but with daily exercise/walks they mellow out and do fine in small living spaces. Also, with age they will also become calmer. We try to breed Aussies with an “off switch”.
YES! We could not have a dog in our program if they did not like our children. Our family and our dogs all live together. I trust our dogs with our kids. All our dogs are soft, sweet and loving to them. Of course, the dogs have to be socialized and trained around kids, but they are all capable.
About us and our breeding program
We are located in South Jordan, Utah. About 20 minutes south of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Breeding is not ever easy. There are many hard aspects to be a reputable breeder. Our dogs are our lives. We spend hours grooming, training, and working with our dogs. Whelping and raising puppies is not for the faint of heart. It requires days of no sleep and constant work to keep them thriving. One of the most difficult aspects of our breeding program is we become attached to all our puppies. It is hard to see the puppies go to their new homes; this really is a bittersweet experience. Our consolation is knowing they are going to be happy with their new amazing forever families
YES! All of our breeding dogs go through a variety of Genetic Tests before we ever consider using them in our program. We do all the recommended health testing for the Aussie Breed. Our dogs have Pennhip/OFA Hip testing, OFA Eye Cerfing, and the entire Australian Shepherd Genetic Pannel through Paw Print Genetics.
Yes and No… The amount of time and effort we put in is equivalent to a full-time job, FOR SURE. However, Jeff has a full-time job and is also a student. Emily is a mom and works a part-time job at home.
We do not plan to stop breeding anytime soon. We love our Aussies and raising babies. As our children get older, we will allow them to raise some puppies and our program may slow down due to family demands, but we never plan to stop completely.
There are many aspects that go into helping us decide which dogs/puppies to have in our program. First and foremost, is Temperament and Personality. This is extremely important to us. In addition, their health testing (hips, elbows, patellas, eyes, genetic panel etc.), improving the breed, pedigree, structure and physical characteristics, energy level, trainability and MUCH more are considered in our breeding decisions.
We own about 9-10 dogs at a time. Not all of those dogs live with us. Some are in Guardian homes or live up at The Ranch. We try to keep our numbers lower so the dogs can all have individual time, love and attention!
NO! We have not and will not ever have a hybrid litter. We strive to produce Aussies that emulate the breed standard. We have such a high demand for our Aussies, we don’t need to cross our dogs to make hybrids. 🙂
We primarily only raise Australian Shepherds. The breed standard does not call for a size variation. Technically there is only “full size” Aussies. We do have 1-2 litters on Miniature American Shepherds (typically referred to as “mini aussies”) a year. However since there is so much interest in our Mini American program, we don’t openly advertise or breeding/puppies/availability. You can email us about Mini Plans!
No. We do not. We will never sell a dog “Out Right” or with just “Full breeding rights”. Show/Breeding prospects will be only be sold on co owned, individual contracts. Please do not contact us strictly for a breeding dog.