Frequently asked questions

How does the reservation and selection process work?

Reservations are based on a first come, first served basis, per sex. That means that when you make a reservation you a reserving a place in the selection process (I.E. 2nd Female Reservation, 4th Male Reservation, etc…). We’ve found this to work well and to be a fair method. Please be aware that this does mean that we don’t know what pups are going to be available at any given time until after the selection process occurs. The puppy’s listing on the Current Puppies page will indicate the date selection will occur or if that date is past, will indicate the initials of the individual who has selected that pup or indicate that that pup is available.

Selection occurs at or around 6-7 weeks of age for the pups. We do this for a few of reasons, first being that it allows the pups to grow and develop to a point that their individual personalities, traits, and hunting abilities are starting to show. This allows you as the one selecting a puppy to make a more informed decision as well find a bond with a specific pup. Secondly, we wait until 6-7 weeks so that we can vaccinate the pups with their first vaccination, which helps to protect them from any nasty bugs you may innocently bring with you (please see our question below regarding visiting for more details). We then allow you to take your pup home at 8 weeks of age.

What is required to make a reservation?

There are 3 things required to make a reservation, a completed Puppy Application (which you obtain from Steady to Wing after initially expressing interest in reserving a pup), a deposit payment that is received by Steady to Wing, and the approval of Steady to Wing Shorthairs. Please contact us if you'd like to start the process.

I really want a pup, but I don’t want the last picks of the litter, what should I do?

I have watched incredible pups get passed over. You would be amazed how people base their puppy selection decisions. Rather than the proper matching of the pups personality to it’s future duties and lifestyle, other deciding factors come into play ie. he licked me a lot when I picked him up, she charged right over too me, she is sooo cuddly, etc. Everyone picks a specific pup based on their personal complex reasons (don’t get me wrong, that’s OK too). But to think that the “best” pup is gone because others were selected first is not necessarily the case. If pick 1 equals an excellent dog, that does not mean pick 10 is a bad dog, I’ll explain:

I frequently wonder if the “Best” or “Pick of the Litter” sentiment hearkens back to the old days of heavy line breeding, when there would be one or two viable pups (and usually very very good) from a litter and the remainder had some serious deformities or faults due to the closeness of the Sire’s and Dam’s genetics. Fortunately today, there are a significant number of GSP’s in North America providing an abundance of genetic diversity, allowing breeders a large selection of excellent breeding stock. That means regardless of when you pick your dog, the likelihood of getting one that is a very good dog is extremely high.

Here at Steady to Wing, we are very thoughtful and methodical about which dogs are bred, they must be healthy, good companions, and have proven themselves thoroughly in the field before they are considered for breeding. We then consider each dog’s strengths and weaknesses versus the paired dog, which allows us to forecast which attributes we can emphasize and which we can try to remove or dilute. We believe by doing this we are helping to produce excellent dogs throughout each litter, Pick 1 through 10+.

Another option is to put a deposit down for an early pick in a future litter, however this may require you to wait for a while depending on our breeding plans. Feel free to contact us to discuss.

What if you don’t have the color of pup I want?

I understand everyone has certain preferences in colors and German Shorthaired Pointers come with a wonderful array of markings and colors. I caution anyone that puts too much emphasis on color when selecting a pup. I recommend looking for Hunting and personality attributes before color. Picking a pup is a very exciting and special time that also has very long-term impacts, so I'd hate to see someone pick a pup because he has that certain spot on his leg, just to turn out not happy with the pup down the road.

Which is the best pup?

This question comes up occasionally, but is too subjective to consider answering. These are questions you need to consider to reach a helpful answer. What do you want to do with the dog and how much of it? How active are you? What is your training experience? What is your training/disciplining style? What dog traits do you love/prefer? What dog traits do you dislike? Starting with this additional information will help narrow the puppy selection and identify good potential candidates. Contact us with your list to discuss, we're happy to shed light on what is possible, but we will purposely remain neutral when you're making your pick unless we're asked our opinion.

I also really like to answer the question, somewhat rhetorically, with "Your pup is the best pup!" We believe we've given all of our dogs the genetic pre-disposition to be fantastic dogs, but so much occurs after the pups leave our care and is up to you. So we say, mindfully select your pup, love your pup, train you pup, and make it the best pup it can be.

Why can’t I come see the puppy’s yet?

I don’t allow any visitors to see the puppies before they reach six weeks of age. There are a number of reasons for this, but they all center around the litters well-being.

These are the primary reasons:
-It stresses the mother to have strangers approach and handle her puppies.
-It does not help in selecting a specific pup (yet). Their coloring and personalities are developing rapidly at this time.
-Most importantly, it increases the chance of exposing the pups to life-threatening diseases, specifically but not limited to Canine Parvovirus. Some of these diseases are easily transmitted and could arrive innocently on your shoes.