I'm Kristine M., the breeder behind Rust Belt Farms located in Williamston, MI. We put many hours into the selection of our animals so that we can produce animals of excellent attributes and qualities, of course, all animals have their strengths and weaknesses which is the art and science of breeding complementary pairings for the best possible offspring.
Q. & A. with Kristine
Why did you start breeding?
I started breeding about five years ago with a close friend and a DVM, this provided me with a huge resource for understanding the importance of good breeding, health, and ethics.
What makes your program special?
My breeding program is about the whole dog and the dog it will grow to become. I work to bring in drive to play/work and conformation and have a dog who makes an excellent and social pet too. I aim to have a balanced dog that is the best possible representation of their breed and the breeders who work with me.
What are the different breed coat colors in your program?
Our Miniature American Shepherd puppies include black, red merle, blue merle, and red. Australian Shepherd puppies include black and blue merle. 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.
Bowie
Went home
Male
Shirley
Went home
Female
Orion - Black Tri
Went home
Male
Perseus - Black Tri NBT
Went home
Male
Emu
Went home
Male
Kangaroo
Went home
Male
Dasha
Went home
Female
Getting a puppy from Kristine
Kristine 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 $300 non-refundable deposit and between $1,700 - $3,200 final payment, before taxes & fees.
“The price includes AKC registration, DNA test results (unless the parents are both clear), worming, first vet check-up and vaccines and lifetime support and guidance in raising your puppy. All of our puppies are the same price no matter the color or sex. Full registration will need to be discussed and agreed upon at the discretion of Rust Belt Farms; we are selective.”
Contract & health guarantee
Kristine 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 Kristine 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 Kristine directly.
Rust Belt Farms 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
Entropy, mom
Miniature American Shepherd
About Entropy
Entropy is from our Ambrosia & Newton litter, she is a beautiful red merle with a brilliant mind - she loves to swim, competes in disc, and has taken multiple herding lessons. She is an easy to live with dog that enjoys chewing on bones, car rides, and loves our kids.
Good health testing
Hip Dysplasia Finals (OFA, PennHIP, BVA, SV, FCI).
Parent health testing
Australian Shepherd
Miniature American Shepherd
Breeder-Reported Testing
Excellent level
Rust Belt Farms 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 Australian Shepherds.
Hip Dysplasia
Hip testing reduces the chance of passing down hip dysplasia, which is primarily found in large breed dogs and can cause hip pain and the eventual loss of the function of the hip joint.
Elbow Dysplasia Finals (OFA, BVA, SV, FCI)
Elbow testing reduces the chance of passing down elbow dysplasia, which is primarily found in large breed dogs and can cause arthritis in the elbow joint and front leg lameness.
Eye Certification (CAER, registered with OFA)
Eye testing reduces the chance of passing down a wide range of hereditary eye illnesses including retinal dysplasia, lens luxation, and glaucoma, which can cause impared vision or blindness.
Cardiac Evaluation (registered with OFA)
Heart testing reduces the chance of passing down congenital heart disease, which can cause a range of symptoms ranging from trouble exercising to heart failure.
Patellar Luxation
Knee testing reduces the chance of passing down Patellar Luxation, which results in the kneecap becoming displaced or dislocated and can cause mild to severe joint pain.
Brucellosis
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.
Animal Genetics 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).
Health testing is one key piece of responsible breeding and is performed on breeding dogs to prevent the presence of heritable conditions in their puppies.