PRIMETIME
SUSSEX SPANIEL POLICIES
Some of these
policies may not apply to you, but in the interest of ‘full disclosure’ we
provide this document for your
information
:
Dogs in our breeding program are selected because of a variety of qualities. First and foremost, they should be examples of the AKC breed standard as established by the parent breed club. In addition, each dog considered for inclusion in our breeding program must have at least one truly outstanding characteristic that we desire to pass on to the next generation. Such a trait may be show potential, natural hunting ability, and/or responsiveness to training for special purposes such as performance competition or Therapy Dog work. The pedigree of each dog is taken into consideration. Since Sussex Spaniels are a fairly rare breed, the gene pool is limited, so our goal is to enhance the most desirable traits, and do our utmost to eliminate less desirable traits.
We do routine health and genetic screenings, such as eye and heart examinations by veterinary specialists. We follow generations of our dogs throughout their lives to be aware of health conditions. All Primetime pups are sold after an exam by a licensed veterinarian,who provides written health certificates. We provide the pups' first wormings and vaccinations, plus a permanent ID in the form of an implanted microchip, which will be registered to you as primary contact, and us as secondary contact.
You should have your pup examined by your vet within the first week after
you receive it. If your vet diagnoses a
pre-existing condition that will seriously inhibit the ability of the pup to
function as a family pet, we will refund your purchase price if you return the
pup immediately. We have never had such an occurrence, and do not expect one,
so please have your vet contact us and provide documentation if you suspect any
unusual condition.
As owner of a
Primetime Sussex Spaniel, you are expected to provide adequate housing,
nutrition, exercise, grooming, training, and health care for your dog. The ideal diet is a natural raw diet, or a super-premium commercial dog food such as Bil-Jac, Verus, Canidae, or Eagle Pack.
Please use only professional parasite control as prescribed by your veterinarian,
and keep your dog’s weight under control.You must provide rabies vaccinations as required by the laws in your locale, and you may choose other vaccinations or titers as recommended by your veterinarian.
It is
important to us to produce healthy, happy pups.
We expect our puppy buyers to provide a safe, affectionate environment
and to continue socialization, training, and health care for the life of your
dog. We intend to be available for
advice for the life of your dog. Please
let us know if you move or if your circumstances change so we can be accountable
to AKC for the welfare of our dogs.
Change of
circumstances return policy:
If
at any time, your circumstances prevent you from keeping your Primetime Sussex,
please notify us immediately. In
most cases, we will ask you to return your dog to us, unless you have found a
good home for your dog, in which case we want to know who will own the dog. Depending on the age of the dog and the situation, we may
refund a portion of your purchase price or pay shipping to have the dog returned
to us. We will foster the dog and
find an appropriate home for it if possible.
We will need your veterinary records in order to continue appropriate
health care for the life of the dog.
Training and
Title REBATES!
We will reimburse $25 of your first Obedience course (Puppy Kindergarten or Beginner Obedience) with proof of completion. We will also pay $25 for a copy of your certificate showing that your dog has earned his AKC Canine Good Citizen award. This award must be earned by your dog's second birthday to receive the $25 rebate. But wait...there’s more!
For those
purchasing a pup with LIMITED AKC Registration, we will reimburse $25 of your
expenses for each of your first AKC titles in Obedience (CD or RN), Agility (NA), and Field (JH) if we receive proof that your dog has been spayed/neutered by its first birthday.
A copy of the official AKC certificate must be sent to us in order to
receive this rebate.
For those
purchasing a pup with FULL AKC Registration for show/breeding purposes, we will
reimburse $50 of your expenses for each of your first AKC titles in Obedience (CD or RN), Conformation(CH), Agility (NA), and Field (JH). A copy of the official AKC certificate awarding each title must be sent to us in order to receive this rebate. Your dog must be registered with PRIMETIME in his/her AKC registered name and all entries must reflect our names as the breeders. Dogs sold on co-ownership may be subject to other requirements. In all cases, the rebate may depend on the contributions of time, money, and energy of the breeders to the earning of the titles.
Thank you for
choosing a Primetime Sussex Spaniel!
PRIMETIME
PUPPY CARE GUIDE
Socialization
and Training:
We hope that
your Primetime Sussex Spaniel becomes an important part of your family.
Please spend as much time as possible paying attention to your pup so it
learns to look to you for everything it needs, from food and water, to attention
and exercise.
Take
your pup to Puppy Kindergarten, where you can learn as much as possible about
proper puppy rearing. It is
critical to allow your Sussex pup to socialize with other dogs throughout its
life, as this will build its confidence and prevent behavior problems.
Use a crate
for housebreaking, and to allow your pup to have a ‘den’ where it can escape
the stimulation of children, other pets, and regular family life.
We even cover our metal crates with a table cloth to give our pups more
seclusion. You may feed and water
your pup in its crate, and always give it a special treat and toy as a reward
for spending time in the crate.
Feeding:
We recommend
a super-premium large-breed puppy food for the first six months of life, unless
you’re prepared to research, prepare, and feed a homemade diet, consisting
mainly of raw foods. Many books and websites offer receipes and advice for feeding
an all-natural diet. After
six months of age, feed an adult formula of large breed super premium food.
We recommend ‘super premium’ instead of grocery-store brands because
they have been especially formulated for optimum health for the life of your
dog.
We think
it’s a good idea to feed your pup three times a day until it is four months of
age, then twice a day until it is six months of age, then once a day for the
rest of its life. If your dog
‘free-feeds’ whenever it wants to eat, be sure to limit how much it eats so
it will not grow too fast or gain too much weight.
Exercise:
We strongly
recommend a solid wood or vinyl fenced area that your dog can call ‘its
own.’ We’re not talking about a
‘pen’ here - we’re talking about an area of your yard where your dog can
play, dig, scratch, and whatever dogs like to do.
Your dog should not be confined to this area for long periods of time.
It should be able to live in your home with the rest of your family, but
have a chance to be a ‘real dog’ every day as well.
We also
recommend a daily two-mile walk for your health and the health of your dog.
Ask a neighbor to join you and make it a routine.
Ask all of your dog-owning neighbors to join you and become the
‘dog-walking club!’ Use a
retractable leash so your dog can ‘quarter’ in front of you and stop to
smell the roses, or fire hydrants.
Grooming and
Health Care:
Comb your dog
daily, trim your dog’s nails weekly, and wash your dog when it gets dirty. Use
parasite prevention as prescribed by your veterinarian.
Keep your vaccinations up to date, and have your pet spayed or neutered
as soon as possible if you are not actively involved in a conformation show
campaign, leading to a breeding program. Never
hesitate to call your veterinarian if your dog exhibits any unusual behavior.
Our
commitment to you:
Our preferred
method of communication is e-mail, and we check it several times a day Contact us at primetimedogs@comcast.net.
Send us a message with questions, news, photos, etc.
You can also use the postal service and the telephone to communicate with
us. We will offer you free advice
for the life of your dog. We will
also consult by e-mail or phone with your vet when appropriate.
Your
Primetime Sussex Spaniel should live a long and healthy life if you take care of
it!