About Aldervale
A kennel built on the long game
Aldervale was founded in 2007 by Janet and David Mercer with a single ambition -- to breed Samoyeds that are as correct as they are liveable. Nearly two decades later, that hasn't changed. We're a small kennel, we breed selectively, and we stand behind every dog we produce for life.
Our philosophy
We show because the ring keeps us honest
Conformation showing is how we measure ourselves against the breed standard and against other serious breeders. It's not about ribbons -- it's about accountability. A dog that can't win in the ring against good competition isn't breeding quality, regardless of how nice it looks at home. Every Aldervale dog is shown before entering the program.
Health testing
The breed deserves better than guesswork
Every Aldervale breeding dog carries full OFA hip, elbow, cardiac and CAER eye clearances, plus DNA testing for PRA-X and DM. We don't cut corners and we don't make exceptions. Health testing isn't a selling point -- it's the minimum standard we hold ourselves to.
What we test
Our health testing protocol
- Hips — OFA evaluated at 24 months minimum
- Elbows — OFA evaluated at 24 months minimum
- Eyes — CAER examined annually
- Cardiac — OFA evaluated by a board-certified cardiologist
- PRA-X — DNA tested (Embark)
- DM — DNA tested (Embark)
Our dogs
Small in number. Serious in purpose.
We keep a small number of dogs at any one time -- enough to run a meaningful breeding program, few enough to know each one as an individual. Our dogs live in the house, travel with us, and are part of daily life. Temperament matters as much as structure, and you can't assess temperament in a kennel run.
What our families say
Every puppy we breed goes to a home we've taken the time to get to know. We ask a lot of questions, we're honest about the breed, and we don't place puppies in a hurry. These are a few of the families who have trusted us with an Aldervale dog -- we're proud of every one of them.
We've had dogs our whole lives but never a Samoyed. Janet walked us through everything -- the grooming commitment, the exercise needs, the personality quirks -- and made sure we were genuinely the right fit before we were ever on the list. Our boy Hudson is now two and we couldn't imagine life without him. The support hasn't stopped since the day he came home.
We purchased Freya as a show prospect and she finished her championship at 20 months. The structure and movement were exactly what Janet described, and the pedigree depth is something you rarely see from a small kennel. Aldervale are serious breeders who genuinely care about where their dogs end up. We're already on the list for the next litter.
I had been looking for the right Samoyed breeder for almost two years before I found Aldervale. The health testing, the show record, the transparency about the breeding program -- everything gave me confidence. Our girl Birch is eight months old, structurally stunning, and has the most wonderful temperament. Worth every bit of the wait.
Interested in an Aldervale puppy?
We place one or two litters every few years. Get in touch early -- we're happy to answer questions and talk through what we're planning.