Cardigan Welsh Corgwn
Cardigan Welsh Corgwn
In the interest of bettering the breed and to help other breeders improve the quality of their own dogs, there is a standing policy of full disclosure of all known traits and health concerns that have occured in dogs owned or bred here at Wyntr. This includes any veterinary, scientific, photographic and other documentation available to accurately back up the information.
We feel that it is far better to be honest and avoided than to cause lasting harm to both the breed and personal reputation through secrecy and denial. Annotated genetic pedigrees (pedigrees which show not only ancestors, but also all known siblings) of the dogs in the Wyntr line are available on request.
Conformation is only the beginning element in making an outstanding show dog and the best is not only one that can win 'Best In Show', but is also a healthy dog that can do the sort of work it's heritage once required and still make a great household companion.
Here at Wyntr, our dogs are all family companions as well as show dogs selected to excell in both conformation and performance. Litters are only produced infrequently to continue the Wyntr line and referrals to other breeders are made at all other times.
Our ultimate goal is to always produce the best possible quality, not quantity of cardigans. Cardigan Welsh Corgis are great dogs, but they are not a breed for everyone.
Breeding:
Due to personal time involved, the interest in quality and strong desire to not add to dog overpopulation problems, no more than one litter at a time is ever produced 'in house' at Wyntr. Often only at one or two year intervals at soonest or longer. Bitches are not bred before at least their third heat cycle and/or before they are at least two years old. No more than three litters are ever bred from any one bitch and more often a bitch may only be bred once. No bitch requiring a C-section is ever bred again and every effort is made to ensure a bitch will be able to free-whelp a litter. All bitches have their Hips, Elbows and Patellas OFA and/or PennHip evaluated, come from PRA clear lines, are CERF'd clear and are tested for VonWillibrand's, Brucelosis, Mycoplasma and anything else under the sun and moon that might help ensure the best possible health. All bitches must meet the breed standard and have proven themselves in the show ring by having a championship or at least have points won against quality competition and/or a performance title. Overall quality and making the best match possible is the main concern and show wins are only one small part of the equation.
Wyntr's stud dogs must pass all the same tests and requirements as bitches and are only offered at stud when they are at least two years old to approved bitches.
'Approved Bitches' Qualification:
We expect no less of others than we do of ourselves. All outside bitches should be at least age two, be OFA and/or PennHip evaluated for at least hips (elbows and patellar evaluation strongly recommended and BTW - patellar evaluation can be done by a qualified veterinarian during any normal exam as it does not require anesthesia). Additionally, the bitch should be thyroid evaluated as normal at least past age two, Von Willibrand's tested as normal, PRA tested clear and/or line cleared of PRA and CERF'd clear past at least age two (PRA carriers will be considered individually and owner(s) must be willing to test the entire litter and place all carriers produced in pet only homes). In the case of a natural breeding, all outside bitches must be proven clear of brucelosis and mycoplasma and should have all current vaccines including bordatella. It additionally helps if the bitch is cycling in her heats normally and has been progesterone evaluated during previous heats and current heat to determine best days for breeding in cycle.
All buyers of puppies from Wyntr must agree in contract that they are not involved in puppy brokering or puppy milling (this includes any practice involving dogs being bred or sold for profit) and will never re-sell or put a puppy or dog obtained from Wyntr in an animal shelter for any reason. This contract will be enforced legally.
Prospective owners should have a safely fenced yard, a regular veterinarian, be willing to attend basic obedience classes and have enough free time to properly raise a young dog as a household companion. All family members should be in agreement about adopting a puppy and be present when coming to see the litter before adopting to ensure the puppy will be compatible with the family. Families with small children (8 and under) should carefully consider the time they will have to adopt a new family member and be willing to monitor both puppy and children at all times to make sure both learn to interact correctly. It is essential that dogs and young children should never be left alone together.
Puppies at Wyntr are raised in a household environment with gentle handling and modern socialization methods from birth until they are placed with their new owners. They are temperament tested and evaluated for every aspect of health and conformation. All puppies are matched to prospective owners according to family lifestyle and individual puppy's personality. No puppy is placed before the age of at least seven or eight weeks and are only placed in approved homes as indoor, household pets regardless of show or pet status. See the Puppy Buyer's Guide to learn more on this.
All puppies come with AKC and UKC registration papers and pedigree, a health record, information about known health problems of the breed in general and the Wyntr line in particular and a puppy packet filled with useful information. All puppies have been checked and cleared of internal and external parasites, have recieved their first vaccines according to veterinary recommendation, have been given a preliminary health exam and are Home Again or Avid microchipped for permanent identification.
Advance deposits are required shortly after a litter is whelped to hold a puppy for a future owner. In the event a suitable puppy is not available, the deposit will be refunded in full.
Showing vs Pet:
A dog show only lasts for a few hours on any given weekend. The rest of the time a showdog should be a family companion, not a kennel dog. This is why Wyntr places a priority on all it's puppies being family companions, shows or no shows.
All puppies that are placed as pets only are sold with an AKC and UKC Limited Registry and a spay/neuter contract. A limited registry means that the puppy is guaranteed to be purebred and can be shown in performance competitions (obedience, agility, herding, etc.), but cannot be used for breeding and cannot be shown in conformation events.
Puppies sold with Full AKC & UKC Registration as showdogs with breeding potential are usually placed in approved homes on a co-ownership with Wyntr and/or with a contract outlining breeding policies and CoE. This is mainly intended to prevent a dog from Wyntr ending up in a 'puppy mill' or other inhumane breeding situation. All contracts are very reasonable and negotiable. Breeding is a very serious endeaver, filled with risks and disappointments and is almost never profitable. A Champion title doesn't always mean the dog must be breeding quality, it just means the dog won enough points for a championship at the shows. Showing can be an enjoyable hobby without the need to breed. Many people enjoy taking their cardigans to shows and competing not only in conformation, but in every sort of dog sport including obedience, agility, herding, tracking and flyball. Some cardigans are even being used in Search and Rescue and as Therapy dogs.
Additionally: Puppies sold as potential show prospects cannot be guaranteed to remain show quality if placed before the age of 10 months due to the fact that some physical traits particular to cardigans cannot be predicted before the dog reaches adolescence or adulthood. Every effort is made to evaluate a potential show quality puppy in hopes that it remains so and all that is known from this will be shared with the new owner.
Return Policy:
Although every effort is made to match the best home to the best dog, it is always possible that life will create changes that require a dog be returned to it's breeder. All puppies placed by Wyntr may be returned for any reason at any time in their lives. They will be re-evaluated and re-homed according to their individual situation. Puppies returned past the age of 5 months will be taken back without refund unless the dog is found to have a serious non-environmental medical problem documented by a licensed veterinarian or a serious non-environmental behavioral problem documented by an approved trainer/behaviorist. Partial refunds will be given for puppies returned before the age of 5 months unless the puppy is found to have medical or behavioral problems as in puppies returned after the age of 5 months.
So far, no puppies or dogs have ever been returned to Wyntr.
Visitors Are Welcome anytime at Wyntr. However, it is strongly recommened that visitors arrange a time in advance and call ahead the same day before arrival. The current home of the Wyntr gang often has a very busy schedule! Future puppy owners may arrange to see a litter anytime, but the puppies usually aren't very interesting before the age of 4 weeks.
Kathleen Carter, Wyntr Cardigans
Other breeders are welcome to link to this page or use it's contents for developing their own breeding policies.
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