Our Program
Raised with purpose. Matched with heart.
From Early Neurological Stimulation and Early Scent Introduction to temperament-based placement, every BFF Aussies Australian Shepherd puppy is raised with intention, gentle handling, and lifelong family fit in mind.
Purpose-Bred
We raise Australian Shepherds with thoughtful pairings, strong health foundations, and long-term family suitability in mind.
Home-Raised
Puppies are raised underfoot in our home with early handling, children, everyday sounds, and real-life exposure.
Temperament-Tested
Puppies are evaluated as they grow so we can better understand confidence, drive, sensitivity, and family fit.
Perfectly Matched
We consider your lifestyle, goals, preferences, and each puppy’s individual temperament before placement.
Where We Are Headed
A Program in Transition
BFF Aussies is in a thoughtful season of growth. We are keeping our focus on health and temperament — especially for service, therapy, and family homes — while placing greater emphasis on structure and movement according to AKC and ASCA breed standards.
We will be showing our dogs and finishing titles to prove our breeding stock in the ring, with the goal of bettering the Australian Shepherd for generations to come. The heart of the program does not change: sound minds, sound bodies, and dogs who can thrive as partners.
Health & Temperament
Service, therapy, and companion homes still start here — with tested health, stable temperaments, and thoughtful matching.
Structure & Movement
We are evaluating and breeding with closer attention to structure and movement as described in AKC and ASCA breed standards.
Showing & Finishing
We are beginning to show all of our dogs and finish them, proving what we produce and working to better the breed.
Placement Process
The BFF Aussies Placement Journey
A thoughtful process designed to help each puppy land where they will thrive.
Before bringing home a puppy, families should reflect honestly on daily life, training goals, and the kind of partnership they want with their dog.
Your responses help us understand your family and ideal companion—setting everyone up for long-term success.
This does not reserve a specific puppy. It allows us to begin preparation, communication, and the matching process together.
Families on the active list can begin getting to know the litter in a calm, supported way before evaluations are complete.
Professional evaluations help us understand confidence, sensitivity, drive, and the environments where each puppy may flourish.
If there is not a good fit in that litter, your family can remain on the waitlist for a future litter that may be a better match.
Go-home day is a celebration—we send you off prepared with guidance, supplies, and ongoing breeder support.
BFF Aussies remains a resource for questions, milestones, and the lifelong bond between your family and your dog.
ENS & ESI
Early Development Matters
ENS, ESI, and gentle handling are part of our early puppy curriculum from the very beginning.
At BFF Aussies, early development is more than a checklist. During the first weeks of life, we use gentle, age-appropriate exercises to support confidence, adaptability, body awareness, scent awareness, and trust. ENS and ESI are just one part of a larger curriculum that also includes daily handling, socialization, environmental exposure, and temperament-informed placement.
Early Neurological Stimulation
Short, gentle exercises used during the early developmental window.
Early Neurological Stimulation, often called ENS, is a short daily handling routine introduced during the early days of life. These brief exercises gently expose puppies to mild, controlled stimulation while they are still in a rapid developmental stage.
At BFF Aussies, ENS is performed carefully, briefly, and only when puppies are healthy, stable, and thriving. It is never a replacement for warmth, nursing, rest, or normal bonding with their mother.
Days 3–16
Brief sessions
Gentle handling
Confidence foundation
Stress tolerance support
Puppy-first approach
ENS should always be gentle, brief, and appropriate for the puppy’s age and condition.
Early Scent Introduction
Introducing safe scents to encourage curiosity and scent awareness.
Early Scent Introduction, or ESI, introduces puppies to one safe scent at a time during the early developmental window. Because newborn puppies rely strongly on scent before their eyes and ears are fully open, ESI gives them a gentle opportunity to engage with new smells in a controlled way.
We observe each puppy’s reaction as positive, neutral, or avoidant, and we keep the experience short and low-pressure. The goal is not to force interaction, but to encourage curiosity and early scent awareness.
Days 3–16
One scent at a time
Safe natural items
Short sessions
Scent awareness
Curiosity building
Puppy Handling Exercises
As puppies grow, we also introduce gentle handling exercises that help them become comfortable with touch, grooming-style handling, body awareness, and everyday care. These exercises are always done calmly and positively, with the puppy’s comfort as the priority.
Ears
Eyes
Mouth and teeth
Belly and chest
Back and coat
Tail
Paws
Nails
Collar pressure
Nose
If a puppy shows discomfort or resistance, we pause and try again later when the puppy is calm.
Age-Appropriate Handling by Week
Weeks 1–2
Minimal handling only, weights, ribbon changes, quick checks, and gentle scent/comfort exposure while staying close to the dam.
Week 3
Gentle introduction to ears, eyes, mouth, belly, back, tail, paws, nails, collar area, and nose.
Week 4
Continue the same exercises with slightly more pressure as puppies mature.
Week 5
Add gentle tugging, twisting, back-and-forth handling, paw pad pressure, collar touch, and continued nose/mouth exposure.
Week 6
Increase maturity-appropriate handling, including back pressure, tail movement, paw pads, nails, collar handling, and body awareness.
Week 7 and Beyond
Continue handling foundations to prepare puppies for grooming, vet care, collars, family life, and future training.
From Newborn to Best Friend
A glimpse of how we nurture puppies from day one through go-home.
Days 1–2
Rest, bonding, nursing, and close monitoring
Days 3–16
ENS & ESI begins
Weeks 2–3
Eyes and ears begin opening; early awareness grows
Weeks 3–4
Gentle handling, early sounds, first exploration
Week 5
Families may begin meeting the litter
Weeks 6–7
Temperament evaluations and growing confidence
Week 8+
Go-home preparation, final fit conversations, and welcome-home bags
Why We Match by Temperament
Color and markings are easy to fall in love with, but temperament is what shapes daily life with your dog. We consider each puppy’s confidence, sensitivity, energy, drive, people-focus, and adaptability, then match those traits with the needs of each family.
What we look at
Confidence
Energy level
Recovery from new experiences
People focus
Toy/food motivation
Sensitivity
Independence
Cuddle factor
Service/therapy potential
Family fit
Preferences matter, but the right match matters more.
Going Home Prepared
Every BFF Aussies puppy leaves with care, information, and connection.
Welcome-home goody bag
Age-appropriate vaccines
Routine deworming
Microchip
Veterinary care
Early socialization foundation
Feeding information
Lifetime breeder support
Puppy-owner Facebook group invitation
Support That Does Not End at Go-Home
Once your puppy is home, we are still here. We love receiving updates, answering questions, and watching each BFF Aussies puppy grow into the companion they were meant to be.
AKC Events
Earn Titles From Home — Or Practice With Us
AKC offers virtual programs so families can train, film, and submit performances without traveling to large trials. Local families are also welcome to practice at our Placerville home.
Whether you are brand new to dog sports or looking for a low-pressure way to stay engaged, these AKC virtual events let you and your Australian Shepherd work as a team from your own space — backyard, living room, or a quiet practice area — then submit video for official review.
AKC Rally® Virtual
Navigate a course of signs with your dog as a happy, communicating team. Courses can be set up at home, in the backyard, or at a local park.
AKC Rally Virtual →
AKC Virtual Obedience
Evaluate teamwork and foundation skills through Virtual Beginner Novice and Virtual Novice — judged from video you film at home.
AKC Virtual Obedience →
AKC Virtual Scent Work
Use your dog’s natural nose to find everyday search items at home. A gentle, confidence-building start in AKC Scent Work.
Virtual Scent Work Test →
AKC ACT Agility (Virtual)
Entry-level Agility Course Testing from home or a training site — ideal for dogs just getting started on agility equipment.
ACT Virtual Program →
Practice at the BFF Aussies Home
Local families near Placerville are welcome to reach out about practicing on our property and getting help filming and submitting videos for AKC virtual events. Space is limited and scheduled by arrangement — we are happy to help you get started.
Please contact us to check availability. Sessions are for local families by appointment.
FAQ