No matter how much a breeder tests, screens and takes care for health in breeding decisions, there is always the unfortunate possibility that a puppy doesn’t develop normally and ends up not being as healthy as we would like (though this has always been rare with us). In light of that, we are very close to the puppies from the moment they are born. We consistently discuss each puppy and are vigilant to see how they develop. We take the puppies to the vet to get a professional health check when they are 7 weeks old and then a few days before the puppies go home, we take another close internal look. If we ever notice something negative in our assessments, we will not release a puppy. In the case where the puppy has already been chosen by an adoptive family, we will communicate to that family the situation as soon as we are able. We endeavor to take these rare situations on a case by case basis and work closely in communication with adopting families to make decisions that are best for everyone. If a family has chosen a puppy, there may be times where we may offer the following options:
- The family may choose to adopt the puppy (situation dependent)
- The family may pass on the puppy and therefore will move up the waiting list for higher priority choosing on the next litter
- The family may be offered our Breeder’s Choice (BC) puppy if one is available
- The family may receive a full refund of any funds they have paid Echt K9
If you have any question on this process at any time, please feel free to reach out to us and ask. Since we are committed to providing healthy puppies, we reserve the right to make any changes to our process as needed to get families healthy puppies. This can include but is not limited to offering our Breeder's Choice puppy to a family that has already chosen a puppy that turns out to have a health concern.