Chris Hillman 208-339-0977  ringohillman@yahoo.com

Congratulations to Tex! He now has his first major, earned in Palm Springs, California! Thank you to Trudy Haines for handling him the day he won his major!

(Ch. Whimsy's Abracadabra at Fantasia - Abby)

At this time I have 2 male puppies available, born 5/2/12, please call/email me for more information. (Phone calls are preferred!) Please call if you would like to get pre-screened to be put on my 2012 litter waiting list.  I am planning my second and last litter for the year to be whelped in September. I also have 1 adult female available, she will be spayed before leaving. Please feel free contact me for more information.

Welcome to Fantasia Norwich Terriers! If you are looking for a spry, spirited, intelligent and affectionate companion that won't take up much room and shed all over your house, you've found it! Norwich Terriers are the smallest in the terrier group, weighing between 10-12 pounds and standing 9-10" to the shoulder. Norwich terriers are every bit a terrier, they always have their nose to the ground, unless they are looking at you for treats. If you've ever met a Norwich in person, you'll know what it is to be captivated by their gaze and entertained by their antics.

"Fantasia's Magically Delicious" with her second puppy group placement!

Norwich are very intelligent (they are after all, terriers!) and get along very well with other pets, excluding gerbils, mice things of that nature. Norwich have distinct personalities, some are happy and outgoing and ready for the next adventure, others are quiet and prefer to sit in the chair with you watching tv. A sense of humor is a MUST to own a Norwich, they are part clown,  part comedian, a one dog comedy show! Norwich are not yappy when they have been taught manners and are not bored. They do dig, in search of mice, moles, groundquirrels, things like that. You may have heard that Norwich should not be trusted off leash. I believe that a dog that has recall training, and is in a safe place (no aggressive dogs, cars, etc.) can be safely offleash. I take mine for long walks, no leash, quite often. They love to explore and should be encouraged to do so providing it's a safe environment. Norwich do well with children, provided they have been socialized with kids, and the KIDS have been taught how to handle a small dog. Norwich are not bossy or aggressive with other dogs. A Norwich puppy is mentally immature when compared to other breeds. A Norwich at 8 weeks can be compared to another breed at 10 weeks, which is part of the reason why they can be difficult to house train. House training IS possible, but the success of your puppy depends SOLEY on YOU and your dedication to getting it done. Just like a small child, they need to be housetrained in order to be a good compainion and family member. You wouldn't want your 3 year old wetting on the floor, and you certainly don't want your Norwich doing that! There is NO excuse for not having a house trained house dog. A good breeder should at least start house training and have the puppy crate trained before they leave their home. NO puppy, of any breed, should ever leave the breeders home or facility before 8 weeks of age, with Norwich its better to keep them until 10-12 weeks of age. When kept in a proper stripped coat, a Norwich will not shed enough to notice. You can roll the coat, which requires weekly work, or have it stripped twice a year. When a Norwich is in a wire coat, they are naturally dirt/water resistant, and require very little grooming other than stripping and brushing and bathing/conditioning their furnishings. They do not have an odor as the water and dirt doesn't get to their skin. Clippering is another option, but clippered pets do not look like Norwich should.

PLEASE NOTE: When a breeder says their Norwich (or any dog for that matter) has been "DNA tested" or "DNA on profile" with AKC, that simply means AKC has their DNA profile in their data base. This is NO WAY assures that your dog is a purebred, it means they have the DNA of that particular dog, in case later on there is questions as to the parentage of the pups that dog has produced, or if there is questions on the parentage of that particular dog. Any sire having sired 7 or more litters in a lifetime, or 3 in a year, has to have their DNA put on profile, as well as any imported dogs.  The Mars Wisdom Panel is fairly inexpensive, and it WILL tell you whether your dog is purebred or not. If you are shopping with APRI breeders, breeders that have multiple breeds (especially Westies, Cairns, Yorkies etc.) or breeders that don't show their dogs in the AKC conformation, you should certainly insist that a Wisdom panel test is done, to make sure you are indeed buying a purebred dog, BEFORE money is given. These breeders will give you a long line of excuses why this test is not accurate, however, this test has been done on purebred dogs from Europe and the U.S., and everything that is purebred, comes back as purebred. Everything that is crossed with something else, even 3 generations back, comes back as a mixed breed.

Why are Norwich so expensive?
Norwich Terriers are not easy to breed or to whelp, which is why it is extremely difficult to find one that is well bred and from healthy lines (show breeders may keep an entire litter for several months to watch them grow). Very few whelp naturally, so c-section is how most are brought into the world. Norwich only cycle every 9 months or so (this is part of the reason why puppymillers have crossed them with Cairn and other breeds) and they have to be artificially inseminated. There are many breeders out there that have docked the tails of Cairn Terriers or crossed them with other small dogs to produce something that as a puppy may look like a Norwich puppy, but is not. These breeders often sell these pups for $1000+, but, when you consider that a well bred Norwich Terrier puppy is upwards of $2,500, it is easy to see why some people would think they are getting a bargain! Number one rule of finding a new compainion, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A BARGAIN. It takes exactly the same amount of time, effort and money to raise a pet puppy as it does a show potential puppy. A reputable breeder will not "make you a good deal", their prices are usually set, there is not usually a discount unless you take more than one or you are a returning customer. A reputable breeder will keep a pup/dog as long as they need to, in order to make sure they are going to a good home. It costs between $1000-$2000 just to get a litter bred and born, that's not including the purchase price of the parents, the cost of showing, puppy supplies, vet costs after the pups are born, vaccinations, wormer, puppy food, crates, toys, etc. Norwich usually have 1-3 pups in a litter, out of those of course the best will be kept back to be evaluated for show.

 In 2008, there were only around 800 (new) Norwich Terriers registered with the AKC, compared to the 10's of thousands of other dogs and puppies. Norwich are an undiscovered treasure, which is why there are not alot around.

Norwich Terriers from breeders that show or are active in agility or earthdog events, have a tendancy to be healthier than the dogs from the pet breeders (breeders who do not have goals with their breedings, other than to breed to reproduce and make money), simply because breeders who put the money, time and commitment into showing or performance sports, care where their pups go, and if there is a problem with the line, test breeding may be done, or a problem dog will be taken out of the breeding program. You don't find this from a pet breeder, back yard breeders, in commercial breeders or puppy mills, because the breeders don't keep track of their pups, don't do follow-ups with their customers, and if there is a problem with a particular dog, he/she may still be breeding, because the money is more important than the health of the breed. Many breeders out there are advertising their dogs as "Champion Line" or "show quality", and even selling them for breeding. What they are not telling their customers is that when the champions are 3-5 or more generations back, and the dogs have been bred to who knows what in those 3-5 generations, the dogs tend to lose their conformation, looks, breed character and could have health problems. This is why you will see dogs that may be bigger than the standard, longer backs, strange hair, long noses,  terrible ears etc. They may also be over or under AKC standard for height. APRI, UKC, CKC (Continental Kennel Club) registries are not as reputable as AKC. APRI will register anything and allow them to be bred, and register the litters. CKC takes litters and will register them on the "honor system," you can take a norwich / cairn litter,  have your neighbor John who owns the cairn that sired the litter, have him sign a paper that says yes, his cairn is a purebred Norwich, and BOOM, you have CKC registered Norwich pups with cairn coloring and marks and CKC registeration. There is also a ridiculous new registration service, the DDKC ("Designer Dog Kennel Club"), for all of those people that are too lazy, stupid and cheap to have good purebred dogs, so they are mixing the breeds.  This club is 3 times the amount of money to register a dog and the offspring, but where else do you go to register a litter of mutts? If your thinking of buying an APRI, DDKC or CKC registered Norwich, save yourself some money and headache and rescue a dog. Your getting the same thing, a  mixed breed dog that needs a home. Designer and mixed breeds may not be "the best of both breeds". Along with the good characteristics of both breeds, they may also get genetic / character / temperment issues from both sides. If your looking for a "designer" breed, please visit your local animal rescue, I will guarantee they already have something "different", and they are usually already altered, and a heck of alot cheaper! Each purebred breed has their own set of genetic or aquired disorders a pup may be pre-disposed to. Norwich can get epilepsy, collapsing trachea, elongated palate, luxating patella, heart problems, allergies. Obesity can also be a problem (which WILL lead to other problems) but given a proper diet and plenty of excercise this won't be an issue. This doesn't mean YOUR puppy will have all or even any of these things, it just means these are the health issues that can be present in the breed. This list is nothing compared to alot of other breeds!! When I am looking for something new for my breeding/showing program, I start out by asking alot of questions about what's behind the dog I'm looking at, genetic issues, size, temperment everything, because a dog that has a parent or grandparent with health or temperment issues will certainly pass that on to their offspring. I have no problem with altering a show or breeding dog and finding them a pet home if they have something undesireable that may pass on to their pups, or they are not producing the quality I think they should.

I do not sell full registration for breeding or show purposes, and can direct you to other responsible breeders if you are looking for something to show. If this is your intent, please know that it can cost upwards of $10,000 by the time you spend $3,500-$5,000 on a show prospect, and $6,000-$15,000 in handling expenses. This isn't a "cheap" hobby! I put alot of time and money and energy into my pups, and I am happiest when they are in a loving pet home.

          Happy tails and thanks for visiting!

 

 

   
       
   
   
       
   

Puppies for Sale,             Dog Breeds,               Dog Names,               Chihuahua Puppies,               Yorkshire Terrier Puppies,               Dog Supplies,               Beagle Puppies,               German Shepherd Puppies,               Golden Retriever Puppies