HOW WE REAR PUPS

How your puppy will be raised ? To pick up.

It is really important how your puppy starts life, a knowledgeable breeder will make sure the puppies thrive. What happens in those early weeks can effect the dog for the rest of it’s life and certain needs must be met. Of course the biggest stage of development is 8-16 weeks when the puppy is in your home, but if your lucky your breeder will give you ideas on what needs must be met.
We truly love dogs, and our babies get cuddles, and training. Their house training starts with us, and I am at home with the babies all the time so their needs are met. They are never ever home alone.
Puppies must have access to the outside in their early weeks, and get used to textures and surfaces under foot. Some miss the most important part of development and thats good old sunshine and vitamin D. They must have a varied diet, and they must have access to lots of food, drink and toys.

Just remember I am only the start of your puppies journey, and what you do with him will determine his character for the rest of his/her life. It is a privilege to own a dog, and they are not a fur baby. They need proper training. HPR breeds in particular must go to classes. Neglect at your peril.

MATING
A planned mating is determined on age of the bitch, health tests must be completed. Checking the pedigree of dad and mum will not be too close which some call COI.
Dog breeders for generations never had calculations of the COI calculator, they just compared pedigree’s. A pedigree dog will nearly always have some common ancestors either side of mum and dads pedigree. This creates type, and consistency. More breeders today are aware of in breeding which is breeding too closely, so father to daughter, and now the KC will not register those breedings, quite rightly so.
Our girls also go to our veterinary surgeon for a health check to make sure the heart is good, and they are fit and healthy.
Once all this is done, we wait for the girl to come into season and then mate her once she has ovulated.

SCAN
You do not have to scan bitches, it is not a requirement of all bitches that have been bred. But we always scan our Vizsla to give us an indication on numbers. This is done 30 days after mating the dog to the bitch.
Photo on the right shows one of my Vizsla bitches tummy and this is the image we see. We can not tell you what sexes she will be having, and we can not totally accurate on numbers she will be having. But we are usually told you’ve got 8+ if the tummy looks full of blobs. But many times we just get 3.
Now sometimes bitches absorb puppies, and they just die and the bitch absorbs them. This is normal if the foetus is not developing properly. It is natures way of discarding defects.
At the time we scan we then make appointments for you to come and see us.

VISIT
You will only be offered an appointment if you have passed my first set of questions, and I feel confident you will make a good home for one of my babies.
When you visit you will be shown the following documents: Pedigree of mum and dad, all relevant health tests. You will meet mum and dad, and other ancestors. If we do not own the father we will give you details were he lives, and the owners email if you wish to contact them.
Always check price well before booking a puppy. I had to raise prices in 2019 just to cover new costs by new regulations. I see no more in money than I did 10 years ago.
Tell me which sex you want and I will mate a note of it. I do ask questions.

WHAT BREEDS DO YOU OWN?
We have Hungarian Vizsla the gun dog from Hungary.
We have Pugs who are toy breeds from China.
We have French Bulldogs which are in the utility group and come from France.
It has to be said we are big dog lovers, and I would have more breeds if I could do. I adore them and they are my life. Out of all the dog breeds I know, these are my top three. For different reasons, and you can read all about them in my pages:

Do I have puppies all year long? Definitely not. I have 2 litters of Hungarian Vizsla if I’m lucky. Because my girls have unpredictable seasons its difficult to gage when they will be in season again.

BIRTH
It never ceases to amaze me birth. The whole process from conception to birth is 9 weeks. They are born deaf and blind, and the only senses they have is smell, which enables them to find the mothers milk.
None of my bitches are left alone to whelp, because of the what if it goes wrong. I have so much experience now that Ive seen nearly everything from the easiest of births to the hardest of births. With all the breeds I own my Pugs are the easiest to whelp. Which you wouldn’t think to be the case.
I carefully wipe all the puppies and clear mucus from their mouths, stimulate them to help them breathe, and dry them.
The first week is not about taking photos for you, it is about making sure the mother is bonding well with her brood. Making sure she is fit and well and coping well. If any need bottle feeding it is every 1 1/2 hours so its intensive day and night and lots of sleep can be lost.
In the early two weeks puppies must not be over handled, as they must smell of the mum and not us.
Eyes and ears open at 10 days or there about.
A few days after birth I will call you, arrange your 5 weeks visit, and take the next deposit. You have 3 days to make the deposit or else I will go to the next person.
A reciept is sent by email. If you have not received it contact me as some accounts such as hotmail often seems to loose attachments. You enter into an agreement to buy a puppy once you pay a deposit.

DIET
Do not worry about diet, because when you come and visit me you will be given diet sheets. Also access to our online pages. Which has several pages on diet contained in the website.
Listen to what I tell you, the most important thing to know is you must feed exactly what I have given them. If you change diet abruptly your puppy will be ill with diarrhoea, or lethargy and sickness. You must keep the puppy on the same food for 2 weeks then gradually introduce new food into the old.
My puppies are fed raw meat and its called the “BARF” diet. Although I call it natural feeding. A diet of 80/10/10 ideally suits dogs and gives them all important nutrients. A dog must have a balanced diet to get important vitamins, minerals and amino acids. If it doesn't then although the dog will grow, it may not grow correctly and it may develop illness due to poor diet.

HOME REARED
Our puppies are reared in the home, so they are used to all noises associated with family life. They get to meet my grandson, cats, small dogs and big dogs. They are played fireworks, baby crying, and gun shot.
Puppies start either in our spare bedroom, or dining room. Moving to a focal point of the house as soon as weaning starts.
Weaning is a gradual process until the puppy doesn't need mums milk to live on.
They are given toys, treats, as well as a bath if required. We do not use newspaper for house training. We use tea bag bedding. Since using this paper we have less acne spots on pups faces and they keep much cleaner.

WILL MY PUPPY BE TRAINED?
Photo on the right is what I want to see from all of you now. A dog that has passed his puppy foundation, then you go onto the bronze good citizen scheme. If you do this your have a fabulous dog all its life.
The training I start the dogs on is house training, building up their confidence with social skills. But then the rest it up to you. You will train the dog to walk to heel, sit, lay, wait etc.
Once your puppy has had its first vaccines you can enter most training groups. I would suggest you first do the puppy foundation course which is a minimum of 4 weeks. Then you go onto the training for the Kennel club good citizen scheme, bronze, then silver then gold.
A puppy is not house trained as it can not physically hold its bladder until 6 months of age. See all my guides in hidden pages.

No names give on children on the website. But here is a lovely puppy who had just completed his puppy assessment with his owners.

GARDENS
The most important part of a dogs life is going for a walk outside as an adult dog. They enjoy it, they smell scents and it wears them out. All dogs look forward to a walk.
So it makes sense to start showing wee babies the outside so they get used to seeing and feeling grass, concrete, shingle, anything type of surface. They hear rain storms, watch rain from the doorways. Also one of the most important things is also sunshine because not only do dogs enjoy sunshine, but they get Vitamin D through the skin. This aids muscle development, and bone.
They start to learn to go outside to the toilet with us from 5 weeks of age, and I will feed puppies on the patio and stand with them, and they all go to the toilet afterwards, so its the start of their journey into adulthood.
Here is an 8 week old puppy I took down the river bank for social skills. It was an area their is no other dogs walking. I only use a harness on 8-9 week old babies as we go to collar and lead after 9 weeks.

VISITING YOUR PUPPY
You are welcome to come and visit the litter of puppies when they are old enough. Being 5 weeks of age they are stronger and less vulnerable. However if you already own a dog and it has been ill 10 days before your visit either ring for an appointment another time or wait until pickup. If you also have any virus please get in touch to rearrange visit. We have had friends loose whole litters of puppies due to someone bringing in Kennel cough.
Your most welcome to take photos and videos at your visit but please do not post on social media pictures of our room or house. It shows thieves where to go.
You will get a diet sheet relevant for this litter and also the password to access our website hidden pages. You can then see a page which tells you everything you need to buy and some website ideas on where to buy doggy stuff.

Henry and his lovely Mrs coming to view their 5 week old baby. All grown up now and loving life with her other brother a Silvestre boy.

WHY CANT I CHOOSE MY PUPPY?
Years ago I let just anyone choose a puppy. But after a few years I realised that people were choosing the wrong dog for them. The higher energy dogs like Vizsla people chose a dog which wasn't suitable. Their choices were based on oh look he's cute, or oh look he came to me. I started to study dog behaviour and learnt more and more. I realised the new owner in half an hour or hour just doesn't know what the behaviour of that puppy is. Because I live with them 24/7 I could see differences between character and who had more of a hunting ability and who really wasn't interested in hunting. You can read my reference pages as some people have written how they felt about me choosing and how it was all okay.
I listen to you, listen to what you want in a dog and I match personality's to you.
I start looking at puppies at 6 weeks. So by 6 1/2 weeks I will send photos of your puppy. If you wish to show your dog then I choose at 7 weeks because this is a better age to see construction and movement.

This is Hodd and Delilah. I think most people know who Delilah is as she's a bit of a star now. Show girl, Beating dog (Er yes you did hear right), and now doing scent work! Busy bee
Her mum is Beverly and dad is Hodd

CAN I BUY TWO TOGETHER?
If you ask me can you purchase 2 Vizsla puppies the answer is NO WAY! This breed needs one on one training other wise it will bond with is sibling, ignore you, run away with its sibling. The training is so much harder. The only plus side is they are good company for each other but the down sides are many and they are not the breed to purchase two together. If you can wait 12-18 months then purchase another is a much better option. Have one fully trained how ever long this takes first. Before you consider another.

If you ask me can I purchase 2 Pugs together, the answer is yes. So long as you have a more adult family with lots of hands on deck to help. They are a much easier breed of dog to own, the two are great company for each other. Training must be done separately to be successful. No discounts are given to two siblings.

This was Bazil and Cookie at around 9 weeks of age in 2017. My heart bursts looking at them.

VET CHECKED
Under defra rules and regulations a breeder should health test their puppy and have documentary evidence of the health check. Many breeders like to skip over this part. However its a brilliant idea. We know you are taking home a healthy puppy and their are no come backs and you know you have parted with your hard earn money and wont be at the vets later in the day with an ill dog. The plus's outweigh any negatives.
Our vet gives a thorough health check, produces us a letter with the micro chip number on, so you know you have the right puppy for the health letter. You can take up a years insurance with this health letter immediately and you wont get let down by insurance companies when you come to insure. So its a win win situation for us all. So yes we pay our vets to do a health check and do puppy letters.

Our vets 3 lovely assistants who had to come and Pug cuddle.

HEALTH TESTS ON PARENTS
I would like to think that all breeders are aware of the health tests for the parents of their dogs but Im afraid they are not.
We as breeders use the health tests as a tool which is what they are designed to be, a tool. For example if a dog carries a certain genetic health problem, we do not mate it to another carrier.
VIZSLA
The only health test required by Kennel club is Hip scoring.

We do Glaucoma, HUU, CA. Which are all extra private health tests as well as having a vet listen to the mother and fathers heart on a yearly basis. A veterinary surgeon can pick up small heart issues which can lead to extensive heart testing. So its highly important for this yearly test on all breeds.

PUGS
The only health test required by Kennel club is with the Assured breeder scheme. HV, Patellar, PDE. Optional boas testing.
We do also do PLL, PK.
FRENCH BULLDOGS
The kennel club only require HC, DM, and now an annual eye testing only if you are assured breeder.

We also do,Bronze health test, Silver health test and thyroid testing.

Remember breeders use health tests as tools to avoid health problems which can appear. The other point to remember is their are many more health problems which their is no health test for as the genetics are too complex.

Gucci Hip score sheet, just to give you an idea of what they look like.

LEAVING DATE
The most exciting time of your life! We understand this and make sure the actual leaving day is swift to get you on the road, but to also give you the weight of your puppy. In the folder is also worming chart, pedigree, kennel club registration, assured breeder scheme wallets, micro chip information and transfer details, and all important veterinary health letter. My contact details.
Leave date depending on birth date will be a Thursday morning, Friday morning and the last day of the week Saturday morning.
Times from 9.30 to 1pm leaving times.
Bring with you a towel, poop bags, collar, and lead.
I provide a blanket for puppy, special cushion sprayed with de-stress spray.

We ask for photos, and updates. I will contact you the following morning to make sure your okay.

This is Lani and Vicky. I think the whole facebook community knows Vicky as she's a regular poster. Her dogs are trained to high standard and does search and rescue in Sussex.

REFERENCES
Not many breeders could supply you with references, so we put them on our website for you to read. But also I can give you contact details of Silvestre owners who are happy to talk to you and give references to us as breeders. So don't just take our word for it, you can find out off others just what we are like. We must do a good job because people come back time and time again for dogs, and even their family and friends come to us. We sell several on just references alone from other people so THANKYOU to everyone who thinks that highly of us. It is heart warming xxxx

This is Buzz lightyear who has his own Instagram account. He is with out a doubt one spoilt dog.

BREEDING ENDORSEMENT
All our puppies what ever the breed with come with a breeding endorsement on their Kennel club certificate. It is called (R) Progeny endorsement. This means you are buying a pet dog which we do not wish to be bred from.

It does not mean to say we do not sell breeding dogs because we have done, but they are under strict terms which are the owner must show their dog, and do all the health tests we set out to be done. Plus for each breed the minimum age to be bred from.
I will only lift it if you prove your dog by its wins and good health. Their is a separate contract for you, This is for everyone I do not know. But If someone comes to me who I know who shows then I will not put a breeding endorsement on at all. So we are not anti breeding, we just want it done correctly.
So if you take a dog from us and do nothing then suddenly ask for it to be bred, the answer is NO.

I have lifted several endorsements in my time, for example the dog picture right is Evie, and her owner has showed her in Europe and she is a champion in two countries, as well as multiple tickets all over Europe. She has also won her Junior warrant in the UK and UK Stud book number.
I have also mentoured new breeders wanting to start and do not know what to do.
The first thing today you must find out of your local council if you require a license, because you will do, and this is costly and effects the whole way you keep your dogs today. You must also be self employed and do a yearly tax return on your litters. So its more complex than you think, so to those of you thinking oh I could earn some money think again.

PET INSURANCE
All family pet dogs today should have full pet insurance. Gone are the days when vets bills are a few hundred. They run into a few thousand very quickly if their is something seriously wrong. You should look to insure your dog for full amount possible around £15,000. You should activate your insurance cover on the day you pick up your puppy.
With the health letter from our veterinary surgeon you should be able to get instant cover.
I’m asked all the time who should I insure with? I can not give you that answer because polices change, and you must read terms and conditions, and you’ll find sometimes the most least likely insurance company comes up tops with giving out higher amounts than some doggy related insurance companies. Going on Go compare sites is probably the best way to find insurance.
Just have lifetime cover, have the highest you can get which is £15,000, one that will continually pay out, not stop after first claim and so on.

SOCIALISATION
Your puppy will of been on a socialisation program here. But now you need
to do the real training. From 8 weeks you should take your puppy out and
carry it and start showing it the world. Do not take an unvaccinated puppy
where sick dogs are or where their has been lots of dogs visit that area.
The more you do with the puppy the better adult it will be. A Vizsla must
learn noises of cars, buses etc and a full tick off list is in our hidden pages. Meet and greet farm animals.
You have a window which is 8-16 weeks. In this time you must get your puppy
to a training centre and start to do puppy foundation course which is approx 4 weeks min.
Then you can go onto do The Kennel club good citizen bronze. If you can do Silver as
well then that is wonderful. Neglect all this at your peril.