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Heatherstone Welsh
Springer Spaniels began with the arrival of “Dixie’, also now known as
Ch. Aurora’s Song of the South in 1994. She was my first Welsh
Springer Spaniel and has been the foundation of all of my Welsh
Springer Spaniel training, showing and breeding efforts. At any given
time, there are several Welsh Springer Spaniels that make up the
Heatherstone group and you can meet them individually on their own
pages. There is also at least one non-Welsh Springer Spaniel at any
given time that shares my life and home. My rescued dogs also have
pages on the site so that you can see them as well.
In sixteen years of owning
Welsh Springer Spaniels, aka Welshies, I have produced or bred ten
champions from seven litters. Litters are carefully planned and there is
usually one born every year or two. Most puppies are placed in homes as
beloved family pets with a limited (non-breeding) AKC registration status,
a spay/neuter contract and contact is maintained with the owners for the
life of the dog. This assures anyone who purchases one of my puppies that
I am available for you and for your dog, no matter what the issue or
challenge may be. Re-homing of the dog is provided as well, should the
need arise.
There is a commitment at Heatherstone Welsh Springer Spaniels to produce
sound, happy and healthy puppies and adult dogs. All dogs involved in my
breeding program have hips that have been certified by the Orthopedic
Foundation for Animals (OFA) as being free of hip dysplasia. All breeding
dogs have eyes that have been certified by the Canine Eye Registration
Foundation (CERF) as being free of genetic eye disease. In addition, we
are checking for hypothyroidism and every Heatherstone Welsh Springer
Spaniel used in my breeding program has been tested for autoimmune
hypothyroidism. Many of my Welshies have also had their DNA sampled and
banked with the University of Missouri epilepsy research project. It is
hoped that we will soon have a DNA blood test that will permit us to
identify which dogs are carriers and, thus, eventually eradicate this
disease from the breed.
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