Resources
Frequently Asked Questions.
Below is a list of questions that we are asked regularly by prospective puppy owners. Just click on any of the questions to see the answer.
What is the price of a puppy?
When you purchase a Rail Edge puppy, you are doing so much more than just buying a puppy, you are investing in a long-term pet that we have spent years and high costs to do health testing and bring in good genetics to improve the breed.
Rail Edge stands behind each puppy with a 3-year health guarantee, the best guarantee around. We also invest a lot in each of our puppies in their development program. We do the 9-week Puppy Culture development program etc. with all our puppies, that comes standard and included. The price for a puppy with the 9-week development program is $3,900 including HST.
We require a $200 deposit to hold the puppy you choose until he/she is at least 9 weeks old and ready to go home. The balance is due by the time of bringing your puppy home.
What age can my puppy come home?
We do the 8-week Puppy Culture development program etc. with all our puppies, that comes standard and included. The default going home date is the Saturday after the puppy turns 8 weeks.
We also offer the option to keep your puppy an extra 3 weeks for our “11-week Puppy Culture/Imprint Program. This includes more one-on-one socializing and “groundwork” training. More details in another FAQ.
Is my puppy potty trained?
We do our best and start working at it but we don’t have enough time to get done by the time they are 8 weeks old. If you take the puppy outside once an hour or so to start (especially after feeding time) he/she will catch on fast. See the question below regarding our 11 Week Puppy Imprint Program.
Can I meet my puppy’s parents?
Yes, absolutely! They are our pets and love to meet and play with new people.
What all comes with my puppy?
Your puppy will come to you with:
- Extensive puppy development programs including:
- Puppy Culture Program – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDH8hyuIxlg and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KgPxnZy_KQ
- Early Neurological Stimulation – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja6E4xa-6Hs
- Socialization program
- 3-year health guarantee, including agreement to spay or neuter dog within one year
- Vet check, 1’st vaccines, dewormed
- Certificate of registration with the Canadian Kennel Club. (this will come in a few months)
- Exercise Guidelines Booklet by Jane Messineo Lindquist / Puppy Culture
- Microchipped and microchip registered in your name
- Support and advice anytime
- Weekly pupdates with pictures and info from the time you reserve until the puppy goes home to you
- Puppy starter pack sent home with the puppy includes:
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- Puppies’ collar
- Tube (30-day supply) pre/pro biotic paste https://www.animalproproductsshop.com/companions-choice
- Small bag (one week supply) of TLC puppy food https://tlcpetfood.com/nutrition/railedge/
- Soft toy with littermate’s and mom’s scent
- Pkg of dried liver training treats
Will my puppy whimper at first?
Moving away from us and their littermates can confuse them for a bit so they might whimper a wee bit but it’s usually not too bad at all. We do our best to socialize them properly so they are much more likely to take new things in stride.
When should I spay or neuter my dog?
We recommend you work with your vet on the exact timing. As per our
Can I take my puppy out in public right away?
It’s good to protect your new puppy from places like dog parks etc until he/she is fully immunized. The puppy will come to you with only the first set of shots done. Your vet can give further advice. Having said that, it’s not good to isolate them too much through this crucial socialization period, so if you have friends with dogs that are up to date on shots or other pets it’s a great idea to let your puppy spend time with them.
What method of payment do you take?
Our preferred method of payment is e-transfer, but we also accept cash, Square debit portal, and PayPal. Please add 3% surcharge if paying via PayPal.
How often do your adult females have litters?
Great question, we like when people are concerned they are getting their puppy from an ethical breeder. First off, we are a family of 5 (3young children) plus we have 2 wonderful employees that help us. Therefore we are able to give wonderful care to enough adults to have regular litters without breeding each one too often.
First off, we wait until a female is grown up and matured enough to reproduce. For Corgis this is around 2 years of age.
Secondly, we do not breed on the heat after a litter. We always give each female a nice long break to fully recover between litters, we work with our vet and wait until they are in perfect health before breeding.
Third, we have a lot of interest in our retired adults so we have them spayed and find them amazing homes before they are very old.
How often are you currently feeding my puppy?
We recommend 3 feedings a day for the first 6 months. This helps with potty training and regulating their blood sugar as puppies’ stomachs are smaller.
Can I come visit you?
Yes, absolutely! We love when people
What about crate/kennels?
See this link for a great article on this… http://www.purebreddog.ca/why-use-a-dog-crate/
We begin positive experiences with crates right from when the puppies are born. There are crates with open doors in the nursery where the puppies can go in to sleep and get comfortable with it. Eventually we place treats inside as we close the door for short amounts of time. The key is to never associate the crate as a negative thing, our dogs grow up feeling a crate is a cozy place to snuggle up for a nap.
What should I bring along to pick up the puppy?
A good starting list to bring along is: a leash, harness, and a crate with pad. Some people choose to hold the puppy instead of using a crate, up to you! We give the puppy a bath and they run around before going home so they are often tired out and sleep nicely soon after getting on the road. It’s a good idea to stop for a short break with the puppy every hour or so.
Do you have a waiting list?
Yes, we currently do. This wait time varies, feel free to contact us for an up-to-date estimate.
The process has 4 steps
- Fill out our puppy application and agree to our contract and health guarantee terms.
- We will contact you and maybe have some further questions.
- If we approve you for a home for one of our next puppies you can place a $200 deposit to be placed on the waiting list.
- When we have puppies available and it’s your turn to pick we will let you know! If you aren’t ready for a puppy yet, or your perfect puppy isn’t one of the available ones at that point you are welcome to wait for our next litter. We want everyone perfectly happy with their puppy!
- Please note, we reserve the right to keep any puppy for showing and/or breeding.
What is DM?
There are 3 options as to a dogs DM status.
A – Clear, neither of the parents passed on the DM gene.
B – Carrier, received the gene from only one of the parents. Will not develop DM itself but could pass on the one gene if bred.
C – At Risk, received the gene from both of the parents. Has approx. 30% chance of being affected by DM later in life.
We are very concerned none of our dogs or puppies ever get DM or vWD1 , (see FAQ on vWD1 for more info) include this is why we do diligent health testing on all our dogs and only breed Clear to Clear, or Clear to Carrier.
What is vWD1?
Von Willebrand’s Disease is a blood clotting disorder due to the lack of Von Willebrand protein, which helps clot the blood to stop any bleeding. As with DM, (See FAQ on DM for more information) a dog requires the defective gene from both of the parents to be At Risk of vWD1. We only breed vWD1 Clear to
What is EIC?
Exercise-induced collapse Is a genetic disorder that causes dogs of certain breeds to collapse after a period of intense exercise. The breeds affected are primarily sporting dogs. Wikipedia
There are 3 options as to a dogs EIC status.
A – Clear, neither of the parents passed on the EIC gene.
B – Carrier, received the gene from only one of the parents. Will not develop EIC itself but could pass on the one gene if bred.
C – At Risk, received the gene from both of the parents. Has a small chance of being affected by EIC later in life.
As with DM, (See FAQ on DM for more information) a dog requires the defective gene from both of the parents to be At Risk of EIC. We only breed EIC Clear to
What other health tests do you do?
We are currently working at getting our adult’s hips, knees, eyes, and hearts OFA certified. Due to COVID-19 the labs had been shut down so this is taking longer than anticipated but we are working at it again now.
I don't live near you, will you fly a puppy to me?
We love meeting the new owners of our puppies but we realize it’s not always possible or practical for you to pick up in person. If we are confident the puppy will be going to a great home we will fly it to you using WestJet pet program. This has always worked very well. The total cost to deliver to any major airport in Canada is $450. This price includes the plane ticket, a crate and crate pad, a health certificate to fly from our vet, and partial compensation for us to drive to the airport. We are very concerned the puppy has a comfortable trip, we get them used to being in kennels before the trip so it is familiar and they can relax and enjoy the flight.
Do you deliver?
We love having people out to our place but we are also happy to meet you. We can meet you anywhere in the GTA area for $250 plus tax.