Getting a Puppy!
Before you make any decision about bringing a puppy into your home, we'd like you to understand our philosophy about breeding. Rysan Welsh Springers is a hobby for us, not a business, and we certainly do not breed dogs for profit. We breed sparingly, and rarely have produced more than one litter during a calendar year. All the Welsh Springers used in our breeding program are AKC Champions, and they all have been certified free of canine hip dysplasia (CHD) by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). More recently, we are also requiring Thyroid Testing, also certified by OFA. These clearances are very important to us, and they figure prominently in our decision-making when we select dogs to contribute to our breeding program. They should also be a consideration for you, regardless of whether you are looking for a family pet or a show puppy, since your dog's health can represent a significant financial impact for the lifetime of the dog. In addition, we want you to know that we do not sell puppies to people who we don't personally meet. That means that you are expected to make several trips to our home to see us and our dogs and the environment they are raised in before we agree to provide you with a puppy. Not only is this our requirement, but it is mandated under new USDA rules going into effect regarding dog breeders.
When people request a puppy from us, we want to be sure that the dog will spend its lifetime as an integral member of your family. That means we prefer homes with a fenced in area for the dog to have safe running room and exercise, and we want the dog to be a good family member. We encourage you to enroll your dog in a group obedience class for socialization and training. For dogs sold to be companions, it is a plus if you are interested in participating in Hunting, Agility, Rally or Obedience competitions. With their willingness to please and high energy level, Welshies do well in these venues with proper positive training methods. If you are interested in the hobby of dog showing, we will be happy to mentor you and get you started with a show quality puppy.
Quality
We consider our Welshies to be above average in quality - we buy or breed dogs that are high quality and have earned the AKC Championship. This means that not only have they been found to be better than other dogs competing as part of the dog show process, but they have also received training on how to perform in the show ring. They have been examined by strangers, had the opportunity to mingle with visitors who inquire about the breed, worked in places they've never been before and seen strange objects or occurrences outside of their normal experience. This is a form of socialization, and dogs who are comfortable in these surroundings are better socialized than dogs who do not participate in the breed ring. In addition, we search for mates that complement our dogs' strengths and minimize their faults-often using dogs outside of our geographical area. Even so, every litter we breed includes a mix of pet and show quality puppies. Sometimes, the difference may only be apparent to us, but we strive to produce puppies representative of the AKC Breed Standard.
Our Contracts
Contracts outline your relationship to us, as buyers, and our relationship to you, as breeders. Our goal is to protect our puppies, assure they are loved, socialized, trained, and provided veterinary care, and we also need to obtain information about their health. We feel there is no value in breeding Welshies if we cannot obtain health information about them. Agreeing to acquire one of our puppies means you are agreeing to the health testing we have requested, and fulfilling requirements for training and veterinary care. All of these items are discussed in detail with you so you are clear about your responsibilities and the financial and time commitment you are being asked to make for your puppy. We believe that every Welshie does not deserve to be bred just because it has a champion background. So, we need to know what your plans are for your Welsh Springer Spaniel. If you want to show your dog, complete all the required health testing and POSSIBLY breed the puppy at a later date, then you will be offered a show-potential puppy and a show contract requiring a co-ownership with us. If you are not interested in showing the puppy, you will be required to complete health testing, but you will not be allowed to breed the dog and you'll be offered a pet-quality puppy and our pet contract will be used.
Selecting Puppies
Our puppies will be ready for their new homes when they are about 10 weeks old. At that time, we'll determine the right puppy for you and your family. We will either select the puppy for you or offer you a choice of several of equivalent quality and temperament, but you will not pick your own puppy from the entire litter. We begin conformation evaluations at about 7 weeks, and continue to observe the puppies until they are ready to go to their new homes. We can tell you a lot about the puppies temperament and behavior from observing them in a variety of situations, and we are happy to share our impressions with you. It is important to remember that the environment the puppy is raised in and the training it receives after it leaves our home plays a very large factor in the puppy's overall development of personality and behavior. For that reason, we will provide you with resources offering training advice and encourage you to enroll the puppy in group training as soon as possible. We will have a puppy party to acquaint you with the puppies, and encourage you and your family to come and be part of the pups socialization.
Deposit and Puppy Costs
A deposit of $500 will reserve a puppy in your name, but we won't accept deposits until the litter is on the ground. You will be notified when we have confirmed pregnancy and we will request a deposit at the time the litter is born. If we are unable to supply you with a puppy, you have the option of waiting for another litter, or we can refer you another reputable breeder. If you acquire a puppy from us, the balance of $1300 will be due on the day the puppy goes to your home.
Puppy Questionnaire
To assure we match you with the right puppy, please complete the Puppy Questionnaire and submit it to us as soon as possible. All our puppy sales are contingent upon at least one personal interview with you and your family. We feel it is important that you meet us and our dogs, so please arrange for a convenient weekend to visit. You will have the opportunity to interact with our adults Welshies, ask questions, and learn about grooming and care. Our Welshies are always available for your review and examination and we are happy to use them to demonstrate proper training and grooming techniques.
Pedigree
For future litters where the sire has been selected, we will post a copy of the pedigree (family tree) for the breeding we hope to do on the Breeding Plans page. If the pedigree has no dogs in common between the sire (father) and dam (mother) of the prospective litter, then we are doing an 'outcross' breeding. This type of breeding is often done when both the sire and the dam have a significant number of common ancestors within their own pedigrees (called line-breeding) and we are hoping that the best of the characteristics that have been bred in each side of the pedigree will come through in the puppies. If there are common ancestors on both sides of the pedigree, then we are doing a 'line breeding' in an attempt to capture and hold onto the best characteristics of the common ancestors.
Show Contracts
Our show contract provides for a replacement of a dog who develops hip dysplasia or epilepsy prior to 5 years of age, dependent upon our breeding plans. If your show-potential puppy develops either condition within the time frame outlined, you would be entitled to a puppy from a future litter. We offer this because the intent of obtaining a show-quality puppy is to show it and ultimately possibly breed the dog. If the dog develops conditions which eliminate the possibility of breeding the dog, we would replace the dog. We hope that the novice owners of a show-potential puppy would want our advice and support during the dog's show career. We will provide mentoring, and help you learn to be a successful owner-handler and dog trainer. If you prefer, we will show the dog for you. In exchange for our help, we ask you to:
Pet Contracts
The pet contract, on the other hand, has no provisions for breedings and the dog is registered with a Limited Registration. We will keep the AKC papers on all pet puppies, and co-own the dog with you until the OFA x-ray and thyroid testing is performed when the dog is 2 years old. Once the spay/neuter report, the x-ray report and thyroid results are sent to us, we'll transfer the registration papers to your name.
In the event your pet develops either canine hip dysplasia or epilepsy so severe that the dog needs to be put to sleep before it is 5 years old, you would be offered a replacement puppy. But, if your Welshie has hip dysplasia or treatable epilepsy and is still able to function adequately (as most dogs are), you would not be entitled to a refund. It is important that we are advised that your dog has developed hip dysplasia or epilepsy, and we require that you notify us of these or other health disorders that the puppy may develop. This information is vital to our future breeding decisions.
Next Steps
Complete and send in the Puppy Questionnaire, and contact us to set up a weekend visit. Of course, you're always welcome to contact us for more information by phone or email. We will begin sending you information regarding puppy 'stuff' to have ready when your pick up your new puppy. If you have not already selected a veterinarian, please get recommendations from your dog-owning friends and neighbors, meet the staff at the clinic and advise them that you will become a new client. Also, get recommendations for dog obedience training schools or clubs with puppy training classes. The best type of training is in a group, so your dog can be socialized with other dogs. By the time the puppy is 3 months old it should be ready to start class for basic socialization, and then it can graduate into a Beginner-level class. Who knows, you may decide you like obedience and go on for a Canine Good Citizen title or even earn a Novice Rally or Novice Obedience title.
Before you make any decision about bringing a puppy into your home, we'd like you to understand our philosophy about breeding. Rysan Welsh Springers is a hobby for us, not a business, and we certainly do not breed dogs for profit. We breed sparingly, and rarely have produced more than one litter during a calendar year. All the Welsh Springers used in our breeding program are AKC Champions, and they all have been certified free of canine hip dysplasia (CHD) by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). More recently, we are also requiring Thyroid Testing, also certified by OFA. These clearances are very important to us, and they figure prominently in our decision-making when we select dogs to contribute to our breeding program. They should also be a consideration for you, regardless of whether you are looking for a family pet or a show puppy, since your dog's health can represent a significant financial impact for the lifetime of the dog. In addition, we want you to know that we do not sell puppies to people who we don't personally meet. That means that you are expected to make several trips to our home to see us and our dogs and the environment they are raised in before we agree to provide you with a puppy. Not only is this our requirement, but it is mandated under new USDA rules going into effect regarding dog breeders.
When people request a puppy from us, we want to be sure that the dog will spend its lifetime as an integral member of your family. That means we prefer homes with a fenced in area for the dog to have safe running room and exercise, and we want the dog to be a good family member. We encourage you to enroll your dog in a group obedience class for socialization and training. For dogs sold to be companions, it is a plus if you are interested in participating in Hunting, Agility, Rally or Obedience competitions. With their willingness to please and high energy level, Welshies do well in these venues with proper positive training methods. If you are interested in the hobby of dog showing, we will be happy to mentor you and get you started with a show quality puppy.
Quality
We consider our Welshies to be above average in quality - we buy or breed dogs that are high quality and have earned the AKC Championship. This means that not only have they been found to be better than other dogs competing as part of the dog show process, but they have also received training on how to perform in the show ring. They have been examined by strangers, had the opportunity to mingle with visitors who inquire about the breed, worked in places they've never been before and seen strange objects or occurrences outside of their normal experience. This is a form of socialization, and dogs who are comfortable in these surroundings are better socialized than dogs who do not participate in the breed ring. In addition, we search for mates that complement our dogs' strengths and minimize their faults-often using dogs outside of our geographical area. Even so, every litter we breed includes a mix of pet and show quality puppies. Sometimes, the difference may only be apparent to us, but we strive to produce puppies representative of the AKC Breed Standard.
Our Contracts
Contracts outline your relationship to us, as buyers, and our relationship to you, as breeders. Our goal is to protect our puppies, assure they are loved, socialized, trained, and provided veterinary care, and we also need to obtain information about their health. We feel there is no value in breeding Welshies if we cannot obtain health information about them. Agreeing to acquire one of our puppies means you are agreeing to the health testing we have requested, and fulfilling requirements for training and veterinary care. All of these items are discussed in detail with you so you are clear about your responsibilities and the financial and time commitment you are being asked to make for your puppy. We believe that every Welshie does not deserve to be bred just because it has a champion background. So, we need to know what your plans are for your Welsh Springer Spaniel. If you want to show your dog, complete all the required health testing and POSSIBLY breed the puppy at a later date, then you will be offered a show-potential puppy and a show contract requiring a co-ownership with us. If you are not interested in showing the puppy, you will be required to complete health testing, but you will not be allowed to breed the dog and you'll be offered a pet-quality puppy and our pet contract will be used.
Selecting Puppies
Our puppies will be ready for their new homes when they are about 10 weeks old. At that time, we'll determine the right puppy for you and your family. We will either select the puppy for you or offer you a choice of several of equivalent quality and temperament, but you will not pick your own puppy from the entire litter. We begin conformation evaluations at about 7 weeks, and continue to observe the puppies until they are ready to go to their new homes. We can tell you a lot about the puppies temperament and behavior from observing them in a variety of situations, and we are happy to share our impressions with you. It is important to remember that the environment the puppy is raised in and the training it receives after it leaves our home plays a very large factor in the puppy's overall development of personality and behavior. For that reason, we will provide you with resources offering training advice and encourage you to enroll the puppy in group training as soon as possible. We will have a puppy party to acquaint you with the puppies, and encourage you and your family to come and be part of the pups socialization.
Deposit and Puppy Costs
A deposit of $500 will reserve a puppy in your name, but we won't accept deposits until the litter is on the ground. You will be notified when we have confirmed pregnancy and we will request a deposit at the time the litter is born. If we are unable to supply you with a puppy, you have the option of waiting for another litter, or we can refer you another reputable breeder. If you acquire a puppy from us, the balance of $1300 will be due on the day the puppy goes to your home.
Puppy Questionnaire
To assure we match you with the right puppy, please complete the Puppy Questionnaire and submit it to us as soon as possible. All our puppy sales are contingent upon at least one personal interview with you and your family. We feel it is important that you meet us and our dogs, so please arrange for a convenient weekend to visit. You will have the opportunity to interact with our adults Welshies, ask questions, and learn about grooming and care. Our Welshies are always available for your review and examination and we are happy to use them to demonstrate proper training and grooming techniques.
Pedigree
For future litters where the sire has been selected, we will post a copy of the pedigree (family tree) for the breeding we hope to do on the Breeding Plans page. If the pedigree has no dogs in common between the sire (father) and dam (mother) of the prospective litter, then we are doing an 'outcross' breeding. This type of breeding is often done when both the sire and the dam have a significant number of common ancestors within their own pedigrees (called line-breeding) and we are hoping that the best of the characteristics that have been bred in each side of the pedigree will come through in the puppies. If there are common ancestors on both sides of the pedigree, then we are doing a 'line breeding' in an attempt to capture and hold onto the best characteristics of the common ancestors.
Show Contracts
Our show contract provides for a replacement of a dog who develops hip dysplasia or epilepsy prior to 5 years of age, dependent upon our breeding plans. If your show-potential puppy develops either condition within the time frame outlined, you would be entitled to a puppy from a future litter. We offer this because the intent of obtaining a show-quality puppy is to show it and ultimately possibly breed the dog. If the dog develops conditions which eliminate the possibility of breeding the dog, we would replace the dog. We hope that the novice owners of a show-potential puppy would want our advice and support during the dog's show career. We will provide mentoring, and help you learn to be a successful owner-handler and dog trainer. If you prefer, we will show the dog for you. In exchange for our help, we ask you to:
- keep us posted on the pup's progress with photos and phone calls and emails
- train and show the dog to its championship
- obtain an OFA x-ray at 2 years old and notify us of the OFA results
- obtain Thyroid Studies at 2 years old to document absence of auto-immune thyroiditis or hypothyroidism
- obtain an ACVO eye clearance at 2 years old and yearly thereafter
Pet Contracts
The pet contract, on the other hand, has no provisions for breedings and the dog is registered with a Limited Registration. We will keep the AKC papers on all pet puppies, and co-own the dog with you until the OFA x-ray and thyroid testing is performed when the dog is 2 years old. Once the spay/neuter report, the x-ray report and thyroid results are sent to us, we'll transfer the registration papers to your name.
In the event your pet develops either canine hip dysplasia or epilepsy so severe that the dog needs to be put to sleep before it is 5 years old, you would be offered a replacement puppy. But, if your Welshie has hip dysplasia or treatable epilepsy and is still able to function adequately (as most dogs are), you would not be entitled to a refund. It is important that we are advised that your dog has developed hip dysplasia or epilepsy, and we require that you notify us of these or other health disorders that the puppy may develop. This information is vital to our future breeding decisions.
Next Steps
Complete and send in the Puppy Questionnaire, and contact us to set up a weekend visit. Of course, you're always welcome to contact us for more information by phone or email. We will begin sending you information regarding puppy 'stuff' to have ready when your pick up your new puppy. If you have not already selected a veterinarian, please get recommendations from your dog-owning friends and neighbors, meet the staff at the clinic and advise them that you will become a new client. Also, get recommendations for dog obedience training schools or clubs with puppy training classes. The best type of training is in a group, so your dog can be socialized with other dogs. By the time the puppy is 3 months old it should be ready to start class for basic socialization, and then it can graduate into a Beginner-level class. Who knows, you may decide you like obedience and go on for a Canine Good Citizen title or even earn a Novice Rally or Novice Obedience title.