Health Guarantee & DNA Testing

General Health Guarantee

If your puppy becomes ill within the first 14 days of transfer of ownership (this excludes injury and any illness caused by the new purchaser/after the time of purchase), I will reimburse any vet fees upon evidence from a vet.

18 Month Genetic Health Guarantee

If a puppy is found by a Veterinarian, to be unacceptable for health reasons as having a life threatening or disabling congenital defect within the first 18 months of age, not associated with the care or treatment while in possession of the new owner, we will offer to either:

• take back the puppy with a full refund of the purchase price
• pay for the surgery up to the purchase price of the puppy if the owner would prefer to keep and treat the puppy (at a Veterinary Clinic approved by us). It is very important that you discuss any Veterinary procedures/options with me first as there are many differing medical opinions depending on each Vet, and if you go ahead and undertake surgery without consent from myself I may not reimburse vet fees. In the past I have experienced vets undertaking unnecessary procedures and a second opinion is always needed. I will often discuss any options or issues with my local vet before a decision is to be made on the best course of action for a puppy. You are able to make your own decisions without conferring with me, however I just want to reiterate I may not reimburse any fees if I am not involved in the decision making prior to any surgery's or veterinary treatment.
• take back and replace the puppy

I do suggest that you continue with pet insurance, whether it be with Knose Pet Insurance or another company for particularly the first couple of years of your dogs' life, especially while they are growing and learning and are prone to doing silly things such a running in front of cars, eating silly things, getting stuck in the wrong places, jumping on and off things they shouldn't etc. It can be expensive, but so can unexpected surgery and our health guarantee will only cover genetic/inherited defects (for 18 months), not things such as injuries/accidents or sicknesses picked up from other dogs or from eating bad things. Make sure your pet insurance policy covers the necessary things relevant to the breed of your puppy (ie. IVDD for Mini Dachshunds, tick paralysis cover if you are on the coast, hip/joint dysplasia if you are buying a large breed puppy).

18 Month Genetic Health Guarantee - Bernese Mountain Dog

At Country Canine Co., we are committed to breeding healthy and well-tempered Bernese Mountain Dogs. However, due to the inherently high risk of joint issues due to being such a large breed (such as hip and elbow dysplasia) and cancer known within the breed, we do not cover these conditions under our health guarantee. While we take every precaution to produce structurally sound puppies through responsible breeding practices, including health testing of our breeding dogs, genetics and environmental factors can still play a significant role in the development of these conditions. As such, we cannot guarantee against joint-related issues or cancer and will not offer refunds, replacements, or financial assistance for diagnosis or treatment related to these conditions. We strongly encourage all puppy buyers to work closely with their veterinarians to maintain their dog’s joint health through proper diet, exercise, and weight management, as well as to stay informed about cancer risks in the breed. It is also highly recommended to take out pet insurance for your Bernese that will covere these things (some insurance companies don't cover joint problems for Bernese as they are such high risk, so make sure this is covered). By purchasing a puppy from us, the buyer acknowledges and accepts this exclusion from our health guarantee.

Rehoming Policy

Cooling off period: if the purchaser decides to return the puppy to the address of the kennels, within 3 days of sale, for any reason not supported by a statement from a Veterinarian, we will take the puppy back and refund 75% of the purchase price.

If the puppy at any stage is facing homelessnes, the puppy can be returned to the address of the breeder. NO refund will be offered in this instance, however, if possible, we will seek to rehome the puppy or choose to keep it with us. Our puppies will always have a home here.

DNA Testing

To ensure we are breeding healthy pets for loving families and individuals, each of our breeding dogs are DNA tested through Orivet Genetic Testing to screen for any possible diseases related to each breed. It is important to screen for genetic diseases to ensure we, as breeders, remain ethical and responsible in terms of preventing a genetic disease. It is also important to note that DNA testing for hereditary diseases can not pick up all diseases, especially congenital defects formed in utero. Most other issues are picked up at the puppies 8 week health check, and if something is missed this is because it either hasn't developed by 8 weeks of age or it is a problem that will get worse as the puppy grows. This is why I have an 18 month health guarantee in place to cover any issues that may have been missed or not yet evident in an 8 week health check.

 

 

When testing for disease, generally there are three possible results:

• Clear/negative - these dogs do not have any copies of the abnormal gene associated with the condition that has been tested for. These dogs will not develop this condition and will pass on a normal copy of the gene to their puppies. Having two clear parents ensures that the puppies are ‘genetically clear by parentage’

• Carrier - these dogs have one copy of the normal gene and one copy of the abnormal gene associated with the condition that has been tested for. These dogs will not develop this condition and may pass either one copy of the normal gene, or one copy of the abnormal gene on to their puppies. Therefore, if a puppy has a clear parent and parent who is carrier, there is a 50% chance their puppies may be a carrier, and 50% chance they will be clear. Please note, this means the puppies WILL NOT BE AFFECTED by any hereditary diseases that have been tested for, even if it is a carrier.

• Affected/positive - these dogs have two copies of the abnormal gene associated with the condition that has been tested for. These dogs will likely be affected by the disorder and will pass on one copy of the abnormal gene on to any future puppies. Therefore, if a puppy has a clear parent and parent who is positive, all puppies will be carriers. Please note, this means the puppies WILL NOT BE AFFECTED by any hereditary diseases that have been tested for, even if it is a carrier.