RESERVATION, PLACEMENT & PICK-UP PROCESS
Shore Acres Chesapeakes welcomes interested families to submit a Puppy Application to be considered for upcoming and future litters. If selected, you’ll be contacted for an interview call to review your application and answer any questions. Upon approval, your puppy will be secured with a signed Puppy Contract and a $500 deposit. Deposits are non-refundable, except in cases where the requested gender is unavailable.
🔒Reservation Policy
We accept a limited number of reservations before the birth of each litter. Once full, families may join our waitlist with a $500 holding deposit. If additional spots open once the puppies are born, we’ll reach out to offer a reservation. If no spots become available, the family can (1) transfer the holding deposit to the following litter with Rollover Priority, or (2) request a refund of their holding deposit.
Rollover Priority: Priority is always given to families who may roll over their reservation from a previous litter. Since Mother Nature determines both litter size and gender availability, we won’t know whether rollover families will move to the next litter until after the puppies are born.
🧭 Breeder-Guided Puppy Placement
Puppies are thoughtfully matched with families based on temperament, drive, personality, and alignment with your puppy application goals. This heart-centered process allows us to honor each pup’s individuality while helping ensure lifelong compatibility between pup and family.
Over the course of their first 8 weeks, we carefully observe each pup’s natural tendencies—confidence, curiosity, sensitivity, social style, birdiness, handler engagement, and more. By combining these insights with your family’s preferences and lifestyle, we’re able to make meaningful placements that support long-term success, whether the pup is destined for the duck blind, therapy work, or a life of loyal companionship.
🗓️ Puppy Pick-Up Weekend (8–9 Weeks)
All of our puppies must be picked up from our home in central Michigan by their families between 8 and 9 weeks of age. We use a scheduling app for your pickup time (approx. 45 minutes). At pick-up, we will review your puppy contract, AKC paperwork, microchip information, vet and breeder records, etc. We will also discuss feeding and sleep schedules, clicker information, exercise guidelines, and answer any questions families have before leaving with their puppy.
Buyers must be available to pick up their puppy by the final day of Puppy Pick-Up Weekend, when the puppies are between 8 and 9 weeks old. Shore Acres does not offer extended boarding beyond this timeframe. Due to the structure of our program and the importance of timely transitions, families who are unable to attend their assigned pickup window will automatically forfeit their reservation and deposit.