Thank you for your interest in the Pyrenean Mountain Dogs of La Plaine d’Astrée. Taking in a Patou commits a family for many years: before any reservation, we therefore take the time to understand your home life, your expectations and your knowledge of the breed.

1. First contact and a visit to the kennel

Please introduce yourself in your very first message: a few lines about your family, your home, your animals and your plans allow us to give you a useful answer. A simple request for availability or photographs is not enough for us to consider an adoption.

We usually answer within 48 hours. The work with the dogs comes first; telephone calls are easier in the evening, or at a time we agree together. Visits take place by appointment only, so as to protect the rhythm of the dams, the puppies and the pack.

2. Adoption questionnaire

You are welcome to answer the following questions in your message:

Which region do you live in, and from when would you like to welcome a puppy?
What is your family situation and your way of life? Do you live in a house or a flat, are you an owner or a tenant, and do you have secure land?
Have you lived with dogs before? Do you know the Pyrenean Mountain Dog, and have you read the information on this website?
What other animals live with you?
What character are you looking for, and what activities do you have in mind with your future dog?
Do you have a preference as to sex, size, temperament or colour?
Will the dog have access to the inside of the house? Will he have to stay on his own, for how long and in what conditions?
Have you approached other kennels, and how did you hear about La Plaine d’Astrée?
Are you considering LOF confirmation, breeding, or attending a dog club?

These answers are not an examination: they help us guide each family towards a puppy whose temperament will genuinely suit them.

3. Reservation and whelping

The reservation rests on a contract setting out the details of both parties, the planned litter and the family’s expectations. A first deposit is asked for on the terms laid down in the contract. It is only banked after the whelping, once the puppies are at least fifteen days old and once a puppy has been confirmed as available for your project.

A litter is a living thing: the number of puppies, their sex and the way they develop can never be guaranteed in advance. If no puppy matches the project, the reservation can be carried over to a later litter after discussion with the family.

4. Choosing the puppy

Between eight and ten weeks we watch each puppy in a range of situations: sociability, relationship with people, reaction to novelty, independence, sensitivity to constraint, working aptitude and interest in the sheep. The veterinary check and the way each puppy is developing physically complete these observations.

The final choice is made at around ten weeks. It takes the order of the reservations into account, but above all the fit between the puppy’s temperament and the family’s way of life. The kennel may also keep a puppy back to carry on its bloodline. We respect the connection a family feels, while keeping responsibility for the advice we give and for the final decision.

5. Price and payment terms

The price and the details of what it covers are given clearly before the contract is signed. The kennel accepts payment in two instalments at most, on the schedule laid down in the contract. This is a commercial arrangement particular to La Plaine d’Astrée; any other financing has to be arranged by the adopter with their own bank.

We accept cash within the legal limits, card payment and bank transfer credited no later than the day of purchase.

6. Certificate of commitment and the legal waiting period

Before the transfer, the future owner signs the certificate of commitment and knowledge relating to the needs of the dog (certificat d’engagement et de connaissance). The transfer cannot take place until at least seven days after that signature. This waiting period has to be built into the timing of the reservation and of the handover.

7. The puppy goes home, and the documents handed over

Puppies leave the kennel from ten weeks. They are identified by microchip, given veterinary follow-up and wormed regularly. The compulsory documents are handed over at the transfer, in particular the transfer certificate (attestation de cession), the I-CAD identification papers, the veterinary certificate and, where they apply, the papers relating to LOF registration.

A document setting out the specific needs of the breed, together with our advice on feeding, training and health, also goes home with the puppy. The support of La Plaine d’Astrée continues after the puppy arrives in its family.

Adoption terms