I'm Sara S., the breeder behind Hawthorne Terriers located in Iowa Falls, IA. We acquired our first female, Seegmiller's Pippin, in 2016. We fell in love with the Seegmiller breeding program from the moment we made contact. We selected a female from our first litter, Carmen, for our daughter. Carmen has been an exceptional all-around dog for our family and breeding program.
Q. & A. with Sara
Why did you start breeding?
We acquired our first female, Seegmiller's Pippin, in 2016. We purchased her for our son for rabbit hunting. We have owned and bred a variety of other working dogs, but this was our first Rat Terrier. We bred Pip and kept back our female Carmen from this litter. Carmen has been an exceptional all-around dog for our family and breeding program.
What makes your program special?
We raise our puppies in our home as part of our family. They are exposed to other dogs and animals, kids, and lots of play. We start litter training at 4 weeks and crate training at 6 weeks. We learn their temperaments and are very selective about where we place pups. We require a questionnaire and family interview to reserve a puppy. All puppies have the option for limited AKC registration.
What are the different breed coat colors in your program?
Our puppies are black white and tan. Colors will vary depending on the parent dogs.
Where do your breeding dogs live?
They live in my home.
Matched dogs
These dogs are already reserved or have gone home.
Nyx
Went home
Male
Sirius
Went home
Male
Onyx
Went home
Male
Bear
Went home
Male
Jack
Went home
Male
Getting a puppy from Sara
Sara has been certified by Good Dog’s screening team for responsible and trusted breeding practices. When you’re ready to reach out, feel free to ask any questions about the breed, their program, or specific puppies.
Together, you’ll choose the puppy that’s right for you, stay in touch with regular updates, and plan how to bring your new puppy home.
Price
Puppy prices include a $500 non-refundable deposit and $950 final payment, before taxes & fees.
“Includes vaccine and deworming records, nail trim, bath, option for limited AKC registration. We require a questionnaire and family interview to reserve a puppy. Our deposit is non-refundable unless there are extenuating circumstances. We will match you with a puppy based on your questionnaire, not a specific color or sex.”
Contract & health guarantee
Sara may provide a written contract or
health guarantee when you purchase a puppy. This helps
protect both you and your breeder, ensuring that you
both have a clear understanding of the terms of your
puppy purchase. If Sara offers a contract
or guarantee, the details will be personalized by them.
If you have any questions or want to know more,
don’t hesitate to reach out to Sara directly.
Hawthorne Terriers meets or exceeds our community standards in these areas:
Responsible breeding practices
Health of breeding dogs and puppies
Puppy environment and enrichment
Buyer education and policies
Parent dogs
Carmen, mom
Rat Terrier
About Carmen
Carmen has been an exceptional all-around dog for our family. She is forward, athletic, equally at home on the farm, in the show ring, traveling, or in the house (yes, the bed is hers!).
Parent health testing
Breeder-Reported Testing
Good level
Hawthorne Terriers reports to performing the health tests below on their breeding dogs. Ask your breeder about the tests performed on the parents of your litter. Learn more about health testing for Rat Terriers.
Vet Wellness Exam
A breeder may perform additional tests on their dogs that do not fall into these general categories. These tests may be more uncommon or very specific to a particular breed.
Full Embark Panel
Genetic testing reduces the chance of passing down a wide variety of hereditary diseases of differing prevalence and severity such as Progressive Retinal Atrophy (an eye disease) and Von Willebrand's Disease (a blood disease).
Verified owner stories
Hear what other owners say about working with Sara to bring home their puppies.
Steven J.
Verified owner · Oct. 2025
Sirius has been a pretty good puppy. Although we don't expect him to tell us when he needs out he's not had accidents in the house. The challenge is to get him to be friends with our other dog. They play a little with a fence between them but they need more time before they can be trusted together.
Nicole B.
Verified owner · Oct. 2025
+4
Sara was amazing to work with - responsive, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about her program. She set us up to succeed with our new family member - already well socialized and on a potty routine! My vet even commented on how well-bred Fred is - would recommend Sara to anyone looking for a rat terrier!