About Us

Sandra N. Holmes

Occupation: Veterinary Technologist/Scientist
Education: BS Biology/Psychology, AS Veterinary Technology
Interests: Showing in conformation, Animal Behavior
Experience: Involved in dog breeding since 1998 and showing in conformation since 1980.

Gregory K. Peter

Occupation: Veterinarian
Education: MS Zoology, DVM Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, ACLAM
Interests: Wildlife Medicine, Hunting, Reading

Breeding Goals:

To produce healthy Welsh Springer Spaniels with proper temperaments, correct structure and the ability to hunt upland game birds. The following health tests are performed on all dogs used for breeding:

• OFA Hip X-rays
• OFA Elbow X-rays
• OFA Heart Exam
• OFA Thyroid testing (within one year of any breeding)
• CERF Eye testing (within one year of any breeding)

*OFA-Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
*CERF-Canine Eye Registration Foundation

Even though all breeding stock is screened for genetic disease there is no guarantee that puppies will also be free of heritable diseases.

My sales contract requires the new owner to have certain health tests (which identify heritable diseases), performed on their dog. The information gained from this will be useful for future breeding plans.

How Trystyn Puppies are Raised

• All litters are raised in the home in a clean controlled environment
• Puppies are well socialized and exposed to many different places, sounds and people of all ages.
• Special sound tapes (gunshot, fireworks, etc.) are played on a regular basis.
• Each puppy receives the individual attention required at the critical stages in development.

How Puppies are Placed

• Potential puppy owners are screened in person (when possible), on the phone, and through the use of a questionnaire. (view the puppy questionnaire)
•  As the breeder, and because I have raised the puppies from birth, I am best suited to decide which puppy goes to each person.
• All pet puppies are sold with Limited Registration papers, which means the dog is still registered with the AKC but any puppies produced by said dog will not be able to be registered. The dog will still be able to be shown in AKC performance events (obedience, hunting tests, agility etc.), but will be unable to show in conformation classes. You are required to spay/neuter your pet puppy (view my pet sales contract).
• Puppies sold as show/breeding prospects will be sold with regular AKC registration papers and you will not be required to spay/neuter the dog (view my show/breeding contract).

Health Care

• Puppies are wormed at two, four, six and eight weeks of age.  To check for internal parasites a fecal test is performed before your puppy goes home.  If needed a heart worm pill is given before he/she goes to the new home.
• At six and eight weeks of age the puppies are examined by a veterinarian.
• Puppies are micro-chipped and registered with AVID before leaving for their new homes.
• The puppies eyes are examined for the presence of heritable eye disease by a Veterinary Ophthalmologist between eight and nine weeks of age.
• All puppies go to their new homes with a complete health record and instructions for care, training and feeding.   

Training Your New Puppy

I insist that the puppy be raised as part of the family and in the home. In order to insure that both puppy and new owner get off to a good start, I highly recommend attending kindergarten puppy training classes with your puppy. I require that puppy and owner participate in and complete at least one session of obedience classes, utilizing motivational methods of training.

• To prepare for the new puppy each future puppy owner gets an Urban Puppy kit.
• A book, The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey is also provided along with a clicker training kit by Karen Pryor.