Hammerhead Kennels Mission Statement:
Hammerhead Kennels offers dual-registered Amstaff/APBTs that are family-raised in Sonoma County, California for quality, conformation and temperament.
So, what's Hammerhead Kennels all about?
Eric and Shelly Larson started Hammerhead Kennels in 1998. Eric had been a long-time afficionado of the Amstaff/APBT breed while all Shelly had wanted was a puppy, after her buddy Mason died in 1997. After much research and determined to find the best darn dogs out there, a trip to Pam Carter/Gaff's Kennels resulted in our first dog, Rodeo. From there we acquired Sierra, then Tsumo and Hallie, and through one of our litters with Rodeo and Sierra, bred McKinley. Our latest addition, Tipsy, is a wonderful youngster and a daughter of McKinley and outcross CH Bear Mountain's Griffon; and a granddaughter to Rodeo and Sierra.
Along the way, we've learned a whole lot about dogs in general and although we are strictly a hobby breeder, we think we can offer some valuable insight to anyone looking for information about Amstaff/APBTs. We also made some terrific friends in the Northern California show circuit and would recommend the "show bug" to anyone with the time and energy to learn.
What we think is our biggest attribute is that while Hammerhead Kennels is a hobby, the whole family (including kids Brandon and Ashley, now all grown up) is involved. From poop pickup and vaccinations to exercising and goofing around, Hammerhead Kennels is truly a family affair. We believe a well-socialized dog starts from the day it's born, by being handled by humans all genders, shapes, sizes and ages and getting used to other dogs, pups and other situations as they mature. Socialization needs daily reinforcement and is a key factor in this wonderful breed that is sometimes overlooked.
We also believe in a well-exercised Amstaff/APBT. No overweight dogs here, besides actually going out running with Shelly all of our dogs have the run of our almost-2 acres in the country. All of our dogs are in great shape, well-muscled/ripped and in terrific health. A healthy dog is a happy dog.
Our thinking is that it all boils down to improving this fabulous breed through selective breeding, always striving to produce pups that are better than the parents. Pups that are more true to conformational standards, even better temperament and finer quality than the generation before.
Tell me all about Hammerhead Kennels puppies:
We selectively breed only about once a year. If you're interested in puppies, take a look at our home page first as we'll generally place a news item there with our forecast for the future. History can provide information with what we've produced, so take a look at our puppy pages for glimpses of puppies past and what they've achieved. Always feel free to contact us by email or sign up for our mailing list and you'll get the news as it happens with regard to puppies and the rare "more-mature-dog" placement that occasionally comes our way. Generally our pet-quality pups are $750-$850 and show-quality pups are $1000-$1200, depending on the litter. How we determine show-quality is zero defects between 9-10 weeks of age (when we generally release them to new owners). Any "defect," no matter how minor (crooked tooth, not-fully pigmented nose, high-set tail, etc.) is determined to be a pet-quality or companion pup. We follow a very aggressive vaccination and health schedule that we use exactly the same for every litter and is always available on our puppy page.
What else can you tell me about Hammerhead Kennels:
We're always available to "talk dogs." Give us a call or email anytime if you have any questions or concerns about a current pup/dog or a future prospect. If we don't have the answer, we'll find it out for you, the greatest thing about dogs is how much you can learn from them, about them and for them. We welcome any input you may have or questions you may have of us. |
