If
you are interested in buying a puppy from us you undoubtedly have some
questions in your mind about our American Water Spaniel (AWS) puppies and our breeding program. We hope
that the following information will help you to decide if our kennel is one
from which you wish to purchase a puppy.
As conscientious breeders of AWS we make every effort to assure that our
breeding stock is clear of potential health disorders. We screen our stock
for thyroid disorders,
hip dysplasia, eye
abnormalities,
heart problems, and other
potential health concerns. Certification numbers from the
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
(OFA) and Canine Eye Registration
Foundation are available by request or through the OFA website. We back the health of our puppies
with a written health guarantee that covers debilitating genetic health
defects.
Temperament is of special concern to us and we do our best to assure that we
use only temperamentally sound stock. In addition, because we are now
working with third and fourth generation dogs from our foundation stock we
have a good idea of what to expect from the puppies that we produce. Staying
in touch with puppy buyers and helping to train many of the pups that have
been bought from us allows us to stay well informed about our ‘Little
Brownies’ family.
Through
constant observation, our knowledge of canine behavior, and years of
experience, we identify the various personalities of our puppies and use
that identification to help us to match each pup to the individual puppy
buyer. In addition, we go to great lengths to provide socialization for the
pups while raising each litter. This includes exposure to a variety of
people, sights, smells, and sounds. Those looking for a hunting dog might be
interested in knowing that all the pups are introduced to birds and bird
scent beginning at the age of 6 weeks. Weather permitting, we will even take
the litter down to our pond for a dip in the water before they leave for
their new homes.
For those females that come into season more than once a year, we do not
breed every heat cycle. In fact, we often skip a couple of heat cycles
between litters. This helps to maintain the health of our breeding females.
Most of our females will only have three or four litters during their
breeding life.
Puppies
are not allowed to go to their new homes until they reach the age of eight
weeks. When they do head off with the new family the pups have had their
first set of vaccines, been micro-chipped, and wormed. The buyers receive our
health warranty, a copy of
the puppy’s pedigree, the puppy’s AKC registration papers , and a list of
suggested reading material.
Boy or Girl, which is best?
It seems that most people inquire
about getting a female puppy with the common misconception that the females have
better temperaments, are easier to train, or will not be aggressive. We often get the question:
What is the difference in
temperament between a male and female American Water Spaniel?
We don't feel that there is much of a difference in the temperament
of the two sexes. As
breeders we tend to keep more females than males, but of the males we have they
have just as nice a temperament as the females and are sometimes
even more loving. In fact most visitors to our
home like our males better than the females. The males tend to be very outgoing
and love to have fun! We have owned, hunted over and trained many AWS and
neither sex has been consistently better in the field than the
other. If you are looking for a companion and not a breeding
prospect you may want to consider a male too.
While we have tried to give you a good overview of our breeding
philosophy you undoubtedly have more questions. Please feel free to call or
write with your questions and we will do our best to address them in a
timely manner. If we agree to sell you a puppy you will need to place a
deposit with us as a means of securing your spot on "the list."
Checks must be made out to Paul or Lynn Morrison for the agreed upon
amount.
Health Tested Parents