At Harmeni, we rear our litters using a combination of Puppy Culture and AviDog protocols, including Early Neurological Stimulation & Early Scent Introduction. Puppies are raised in our home with our adult Silkens and three cats, exposed to a large variety of novel sights, sounds, and textures, & introduced to general life skills such as traveling in a vehicle and crate training early on.
Puppies will be Embark tested & registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC), United Kennel Club (UKC), and the International Silken Windhound Society (ISWS). They will be up-to-date on age-appropriate vaccines, dewormed, & microchipped.
Founded in the midst of Charlotte, NC, we live in a place full of hustle & bustle, so puppies should be well adjusted to the sights & sounds of the big city. Dawson works from home as a social media entertainer, so we often have a noisy, exuberant household that has proven excellent for desensitization. As a professional dog groomer myself, litters should have prior exposure to a busy salon environment under their belt once old enough to be exposed to such environments safely.
Puppies will undergo structure and temperament evaluations prior to placement decisions. Puppy placements are determined by best fit based on the individual puppy's temperament, conformation & sport potential, and the family's needs & lifestyle - not in order of inquiry. Applications will only be opened after a litter is born & thriving - the most up-to-date information can typically be found on our Facebook page.
Prior to being considered eligible for breeding, we uphold our hounds to health testing standards including the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) CHIC recommendations and beyond. In addition to the baseline recommended tests - DNA test for MDR1 & CEA status (Embark), thyroid, CAER eye exam, & echocardiogram - Harmeni strives for our breeding dogs to also undergo a 24hr holter monitor and BAER testing.
Additionally, we believe these tests should not be considered "one and done," and instead should be repeated multiple times over the duration of the dog's life, where applicable, as it is not uncommon for health issues to remain dormant until well into maturity.