Health Guarantee
Every puppy is covered by a written 1-year guarantee against life-threatening congenital and hereditary conditions.
Our commitment
We stand behind every puppy we place. Each one leaves us having been examined by a licensed veterinarian, with a health certificate, complete vaccination and deworming records, and a written 1-year guarantee against life-threatening congenital and hereditary defects.
Every puppy also comes with a VitalStart health report. Each puppy's page lists exactly what that individual puppy comes with, since it varies slightly between litters.
What's covered
Airway & brachycephalic defects
Severe congenital airway abnormalities requiring surgical correction — the most consequential health risk in this breed, and the one we screen our breeding stock hardest for.
Hereditary conditions
Life-threatening genetic conditions diagnosed by a licensed veterinarian and confirmed, where required, by a second opinion.
Congenital defects
Conditions present from birth, including cardiac, hepatic, renal and severe spinal defects.
Veterinary certification
Every puppy leaves with a health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian confirming they were fit to travel on the day they left us.
What you need to do
The guarantee stays valid as long as you hold up your side, which is deliberately simple:
- See a vet within 72 hours. Have your puppy examined by a licensed veterinarian within three days of collection, and keep the record.
- Keep vaccinations and deworming current on the schedule your vet sets.
- Feed an appropriate diet and keep your dog at a healthy weight. Obesity worsens nearly every condition this breed is prone to.
- Tell us promptly. Contact us within 48 hours of a qualifying diagnosis, with the vet's written report.
What isn't covered
No guarantee covers everything, and we would rather be plain about the edges than bury them. Not covered:
- Parasites, coccidia, giardia and kennel cough — common, treatable, and largely environmental once a puppy leaves us.
- Injury, accident, neglect or conditions caused by the dog's environment after collection.
- Hypoglycaemia, stress-related illness and digestive upset in the first days home. These are usually the result of the transition itself; feed on schedule and keep things calm.
- Conditions caused or worsened by obesity, by exercising in heat, or by walking from a collar rather than a harness.
- Cosmetic traits — adult coat colour, ear set, adult size, or markings. Coat colour in particular changes as a puppy matures and cannot be guaranteed.
- Any condition arising after the guarantee period ends.
How a claim works
- Your veterinarian diagnoses a covered condition and puts it in writing.
- You contact us within 48 hours with that written diagnosis.
- We may ask for an independent second opinion from a veterinarian of our choosing, at our cost.
- If the claim is upheld, we offer a replacement puppy of comparable value from a current or upcoming litter.
Our guarantee covers replacement rather than veterinary costs. Pet insurance covers treatment costs, so the two are complementary rather than overlapping — we strongly recommend taking out a policy in the first days after your puppy comes home, while they are still young enough that nothing counts as a pre-existing condition.
We would rather you never need this. The guarantee exists as a backstop. The real work is in the pairing decisions, the veterinary oversight and the first eight weeks — which is where nearly all of our effort actually goes.
This page is a plain-English summary. The binding terms are in the written sales agreement you'll receive before purchase — see our sales agreement page.
Questions about the guarantee?
Ask us anything before you commit. We'd rather answer twenty questions now than one complaint later.