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2025 Puppies are ready for new farm homes!
A fawn puppy showing off just how photogenic she can be!
Living out on pasture with so many livestock to guard is such hard work, some belly rubs are definitely required in payment...
Pups in 2025
Pups in 2025
We are delighted to have the first litter of puppies from Anzili and Taru, born January 28, 2025! First-time mama Anzili (purebred Anatolian Shepherd) did a great job learning the ropes and taking great care of her ELEVEN pups! There are 6 brindle pups and 5 fawn pups; 7 male, 4 female. The smallest was 1 pound at birth, and the largest weighed nearly 2 pounds. Anzili nursed them even after they began eating solid puppy kibble at 3 weeks old, and allowed them to keep nursing up until they turned 2 months old!
Wee puppies with newly opened eyes, still sleeping in their whelping box under a heat lamp every night during their first month.
Raising puppies well means lots of hands-on time working with each puppy, handling their noses, ears, toes, tails and hand-feeding them. The pups learn to run up to humans and welcome being petted, and to tolerate their vetwork without discomfort. From planning, to breeding, through pregnancy (carefully providing Anzili with organic raw meat and proper nutrients to support her growing pups) and the long hours of vigil during labor and delivery, and into their first months of life, we spend a huge amount of time working to make sure these pups get the best start we can give them.
Exploring outside their whelping box and eventually outside of their den (indoors) to the outdoors really allowed their personalities to show, with some bolder and some more cautious. We will help select the appropriate puppy for each new home, based on their temperaments and the needs of the farm where they will end up.
Barking at threats and guarding the herd is soooo tiring... Sleepy pup is sleepy.
Once the pups were big enough to play outside and the weather permitted, they moved from sleeping in their whelping box to sleeping curled up in dogloos in the pastures. Watchful mama Anzili kept a vigilant guard outside their 'dens' to make sure no nocturnal threats could approach.
On duty! The pups outside the dogloo frequently bark first to alert those inside that someone is coming.
Sunny, warm spring weather means that these fuzzballs enjoy a cool patch of shade, tucked in along the hedge berms of the pastures.
These pups are getting lots of time with the livestock to whom they will bond for their future jobs, protecting them from predators. By the end of their first month, they were spending every day outside, and as soon as the weather permitted, they were sleeping outside in dogloos as well.
They get to watch their parents and the other working livestock guardian dogs on the farm as they do their daily jobs, and the pups are also learning to respect poultry, be cautious around hooves and avoid touching electric net fences. The cats strut by and the pups also get to sniff around the rabbit hutches, learning the rules and the scents that will define their working lives.
In their daily play, they get to romp with each other and their parents. We handle them all daily and invite friends to come and help socialize them. Each pup also gets some time riding in the truck, visiting friends, to help them accept vehicle trips as well.
Weighing the pups to track growth, check dewormer dosage and to give the pups experience with vet check handling. They're also just adorable...
We do weekly weigh-ins and vet checks for the pups, who receive their regular deworming at 2 week intervals. We administer their first vaccinations (DHPP 5-way) and microchips, as well. Pups are $1,000 each, due at pickup. PayPal, Zelle and Venmo accepted, as is cash--no checks.
New owners go home with their individual pup's microchip registration, the vetwork card containing their deworming and vaccination history, and a care package containing grooming supplies for their new furry farm employee.
We have a puppy purchase contract that stipulates a return policy, should the new owner no longer be able to care for their pup. It is important to us that these dogs never end up in shelters or in neglectful conditions! We are also happy to stay in touch with the new owners and provide timely answers to training questions, vet care recommendations and other livestock guardian dog advice (like how to introduce adult sheep to the idea of a dog living with them).
A sleepy pup wiggles less during weigh-in than a playful pup, so we try to time our vetwork for right after a big romping session.
These pups all love humans and being handled, and they come from parents who consider human visitors as friends, so with continued socialization these fierce little guardians should remain accepting of human guests. This is important for agritourism and liability concerns, so we encourage all new owners to make a socialization plan to carry on the preliminary work we've put into making sure these puppies welcome human strangers.
Email us at sidehillroots@gmail.com to reserve your puppy! Let us know about your farm, what experience you have and when you'd like to come and meet the pups.
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