THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW AT BIRTH AND JUST AFTER

When puppies are born it is a very busy time here.  I have no time for phone calls, or updates.  I try to update social media instagram account and our available page to say the puppies have arrived.  We understand your enthusiasm and we appreciate you want to message us.  But this is what you need to know. 

• I will update this website on AVAILABLE PAGE as soon as puppies have arrived.  You do not need to keep checking in with me.  You will see updates the moment they happen on here. This is what the website is for, up to date information.  This helps limit my time letting people know as I get very tired. 
• I will also put a photo on Instagram to announce arrival. @silvestre.showdogs 
• I will send you photos and video by whats app as soon as I can. But this may take a week after birth.  I share only the odd photo on social media.  I send more by whats app to my owners. 
• Some of you may of already paid our holding deposit of £100, we require a further £400 to make deposit to £500. This will be requested a week after birth. 
• Some of you may have to pay the full £500 and this is requested soon as we can. 
• After full deposit £500 is paid you will 100 percent know the puppy is yours.  
• Sadly we sometimes have to let a few owners down if they have paid £100 and say puppies were born sleeping. We move you up to first positions on the next waiting list.  Ive only had to return deposits like this year because we lost five puppies born sleeping.  This does not happen very often. In fact the last time it happened was 8 years ago.  These are usually because a genuine emergency happens. 
• You are given a password to our OWNERS ACCESS PAGE This unlocks files written by me to help you raise your puppy. 
• We send photos of milestones on no set day.  But I try to do it around milestones of weekly instalments. I cant be forced into sending photos any sooner as your bored. 
• I sometimes do video messages which I forward to everyone.  I also send by whats app links to vets talking on U Tube that I think you will find interesting. 
• Please note if you have hotmail sometimes my attachments do not come through. I do not know why this is. But I can whats app some if files are small. 
• The priority is our puppies and then our adult dogs.  Adult dogs still need exercise and enrichment. They still need welfare visits to vets. During this navigating the delicate first few weeks of life.  The first two weeks is vital for development, and puppies may need constant supervision day and night.  You must remember walking dogs takes many hours in a day, and no time for contact.  
• I get extremely tired looking after puppies, as I may not be sleeping.  I have fibromyalgia and suffer from migraines when I loose sleep.  So I have to catch up on sleep before I can correspond. 
• During this time I ask for some patience on updates as Im giving your puppy the best start in life. 
• During the time with us I often say the time between 3-5 weeks is the easiest after initial start to weaning.  But then life gets very busy as there is not a minute to live. Because they are moving about and fast.  Some breeds are harder work than others and the Vizsla for example is full on even as little puppies.   I may not be available to chat for long. 
• I make appointments for you to come and visit your puppy. Or you can do a video call and collect at the end. 
• Appointments are made for Saturdays.  I never do appointments Sundays. 
• Collections are at 8 weeks.  We do aim for weekend collections. After weekend If you wish for me to keep a puppy longer we charge £35 per day. 
• When you visit us you get to meet mum and dad if we own him.  We also show you other relatives which are related. But not all the dogs.   
• When you visit if you have a dog at home do not bring with you and let it out the car.  We are really in quarantine when you're visiting and your dog could bring a virus to us.  If you have a sick dog cancel appointment and collect only. 
• To protect our puppies our visits are done in a garden room, to minimise risk of virus in our home. 
• It is a real passion and love having puppies.  Wrongly people think huge money is made in dog breeding but the only winners are vets and food companies.  It is a labour of love.  We know their are huge sways of breeders giving up because its not what they thought it was.  Ive spent a lifetime perfecting raising puppies to the point I know Im giving the best welfare possible. 
• Thank you for your understanding, and please be patient and do not be tempted to over text me.   The biggest thing is Im only available 10.30am to 2pm and you must text me first and not call. I do not answer calls unless pre arranged by text.  I will not answer texts evenings or weekends.  This is a family home not a business and Im pretty sure you wouldn't appreciate your boss sending you text messages up to midnight and into the early hours as some of you have done to me.  My phone has had to go on silent.  Taking texts at 3am is out of order! 
• We offer 4 weeks free behavioural advice on your puppy from the day he/she leaves.  After four that I charge for behaviour advice.  I charge my owners £69 for consult by whats app video, then £25 for any other appointment.  Behavioural advice is different to just a chat about your dog.  A chat about your dog I do not charge of course! But behaviour advice is detailed information and videos sent on how to do training tips.     For local people I do home visits.  Home visits are £150.  All consults paid on booking before the consult. 

I hope this has helped some of you to understand where we are coming from, and once we have said you get a puppy then you are going to get lovely updates of your puppy, and visit, and we are there for you after puppy has left.  I always say I want you to succeed and this is why you get so much advice.  I have people ringing me all the time for a chat, sending pictures and I love it. It's what breeding is all about for me and Ive made some of the best friends I have by selling dogs to them. 

Rachel xx

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