Why We Require a Non-Refundable Deposit & Why We No Longer Allow Puppy Visits

❤️

A little explanation from our family to yours

If you have been looking for a puppy, you have probably noticed that every breeder does things a little differently.

At Foglesong’s Spring Creek Puppies, many of the policies we have today came from years of raising puppies, learning from experience, listening to our families, and most importantly, doing what we believe is best for the puppies entrusted to our care.

Two questions we are asked fairly often are:

“Why is the deposit non-refundable?”

and

“Why can't we come visit the puppies?”

I completely understand these questions.

If I were getting a puppy, I would probably want to see where my puppy was raised, meet the puppies, hold them, and feel confident about my decision too.

But as a breeder, I have a different responsibility.

My responsibility isn't just to the family purchasing the puppy.

My first responsibility is to the puppies. ❤️

These little lives depend on us to make decisions that protect them, even when those decisions aren't always the easiest ones to explain.

🐾 Why We Require a Non-Refundable Deposit

When you place a deposit with us, you aren't simply “holding a puppy.”

You are making a commitment.

A puppy isn't an item that can simply be placed back on a shelf if plans change.

From the moment a family places a deposit, we begin planning around that puppy and that family.

We keep track of our waiting lists, communicate with families, plan our litters, prepare for puppy selection, answer questions, provide updates, arrange veterinary care, prepare paperwork, and spend countless hours preparing each puppy for their future home.

When a family places a deposit, we consider that puppy reserved according to our selection process.

That means we may turn away another family who would have loved to bring that puppy home.

If deposits were refundable simply because someone changed their mind, found another puppy, had a change in circumstances, or decided they weren't ready, we could potentially have puppies being held for families who were no longer committed.

That isn't fair to the puppy or to the families who are genuinely waiting.

The deposit is about commitment — not about keeping someone's money.

We want our families to have time to ask questions, learn about our process, understand our policies, and make sure a puppy from us is truly the right decision before placing a deposit.

We never want someone to feel pressured into placing a deposit.

We would much rather have a family tell us, “We're not quite ready yet,” than have someone place a deposit without being certain.

Once that commitment is made, however, the deposit is non-refundable because we have also made a commitment.

We are committing that puppy to you.

And we ask our families to honor that same commitment.

🏡 Why Our Puppies Are Raised in a Dedicated Nursery

Another question we sometimes receive is why our puppies aren't raised inside our home.

Our puppies are raised in a dedicated nursery kennel located directly outside our home.

This was a very intentional decision.

It wasn't made because we don't want puppies in our home.

It wasn't made because we don't want to spend time with them.

And it certainly wasn't made because we want them separated from our family.

Quite the opposite.

We created a dedicated nursery because we believe it allows us to provide a cleaner, safer, more controlled environment specifically designed around raising puppies.

Our nursery is located right outside our home, so we are never far away.

We can check on the puppies throughout the day and night.

We hear them.

We watch them.

We know their routines.

We know which puppy is always first to the food bowl.

We know which one loves attention.

We know which one is the little troublemaker.

We know which one would rather curl up and sleep.

We become familiar with their individual personalities long before they go home.

Being outside our home does not mean being away from us.

It means we have created a space specifically designed for their needs.

Our home is our home.

It has children, furniture, carpeting, household traffic, doors opening and closing, people coming and going, and all of the normal things that happen in a family home.

A dedicated nursery allows us to have much more control over the environment where our youngest and most vulnerable puppies spend their first weeks.

We can thoroughly clean and disinfect their areas.

We can control who enters the nursery.

We can control what comes into the nursery.

We can separate litters when necessary.

We can keep sleeping, eating, and play areas organized.

And we can maintain a much more controlled environment for puppies whose immune systems are still developing.

Our nursery isn't somewhere we put puppies and walk away.

It is their nursery.

It is where they sleep, eat, play, learn, grow, and receive the daily care and attention they need.

🧼 Why Disease Prevention Is So Important To Us

This is one of the biggest reasons behind our nursery setup and our no-visitor policy.

Young puppies are vulnerable.

Their immune systems are still developing, and illnesses that may be manageable for an adult dog can be extremely serious for a young puppy.

When you are raising puppies, disease prevention has to be taken seriously.

We have strict cleaning and sanitation routines.

We clean and disinfect their areas regularly.

We control foot traffic.

We limit unnecessary exposure.

And we try to control everything we reasonably can within the environment where our puppies are growing.

Because the truth is, someone doesn't have to be sick to potentially carry something that could make a puppy sick.

They may have recently been around another dog.

They may have visited a pet store.

They may have been at a dog park.

They may have walked through an area where other dogs have been.

They may have been around a sick dog without ever realizing it.

There is no way to look at someone and know whether they have unknowingly brought something with them.

And unfortunately, one exposure can potentially affect an entire litter.

That is a risk we simply aren't willing to take.

💔 Why We No Longer Allow Puppy Visits

This is probably one of the hardest policies for some families to understand.

And honestly, I understand why.

Who wouldn't want to walk into a nursery full of tiny puppies?

Who wouldn't want to hold them, watch them play, and fall in love?

We would love for every family to experience that.

But our responsibility is bigger than making the process convenient or exciting.

Our responsibility is protecting the puppies.

When multiple families and visitors enter a nursery where young puppies are being raised, we increase the number of people, clothing, shoes, and outside environments coming into contact with that space.

Even when everyone has the best intentions, there are things we cannot see or control.

Someone can unknowingly carry bacteria, viruses, or other contaminants without feeling sick themselves.

We cannot eliminate every risk in life.

But we can eliminate unnecessary risks.

And allowing visitors into the nursery is a risk we have decided is unnecessary.

❤️ It Isn't Because We Don't Trust You

We want to make this very clear.

Our no-visit policy is not about assuming our families are dirty or irresponsible.

It isn't about not trusting you.

It isn't about hiding our puppies.

And it isn't because we don't want you to see where your puppy comes from.

We are proud of how we raise our puppies.

We are proud of our nursery.

We are proud of the care we provide.

But we also know that puppies don't get a second chance at their first few weeks of life.

So when we have to choose between allowing a visit and protecting the health of the litter, the puppies have to come first.

Every time.

📸 So How Do You Get To Know Your Puppy?

We completely understand that waiting for your puppy can be hard.

You want to see them.

You want to watch them grow.

You want to know what they look like.

You want to start imagining their personality.

And we want you to feel connected to your puppy too.

That is why we provide pictures and videos as the puppies grow.

You get to watch them change from tiny newborns into playful little puppies.

You get to see their milestones.

You get to see them interact with their littermates.

And you get to watch their personalities begin to emerge.

Our puppy selection takes place at approximately 4–5 weeks of age, with pictures posted ahead of selection.

Selections are made in deposit order according to our selection process.

This allows families to see their puppies and make their selections without having numerous people entering the nursery during those critical early weeks.

🐶 Remember — They Are Still Babies

One thing we always want families to remember is that a 4–5 week old puppy is still very young.

Their personalities are developing.

The quiet puppy at four weeks may become the playful puppy at eight weeks.

The puppy who wants to be held today may become more independent later.

The puppy who is always running around may turn into the biggest cuddle bug.

We can tell you what we observe.

We can share what we are seeing.

We can help guide families toward puppies that appear to be a good match.

But we can't predict exactly who a puppy will become.

Just like a newborn baby, their personality continues to develop as they grow and experience the world around them.

That is why we focus on giving them a strong foundation through proper care, handling, socialization, and exposure to appropriate experiences.

💕 A Nursery Doesn't Mean Less Love

This is probably the most important thing we want families to understand.

Just because our puppies aren't raised in our living room doesn't mean they aren't loved.

They are loved tremendously.

A dedicated nursery doesn't replace human interaction.

It allows us to provide that interaction intentionally while maintaining a controlled environment.

We handle them.

We talk to them.

We play with them.

We watch them.

We care for them.

We socialize them.

We learn their individual personalities.

We watch for changes in eating, sleeping, behavior, and development.

We worry about them when something doesn't seem right.

We celebrate their milestones.

And we become attached to them.

Every single litter leaves a little piece of our hearts behind.

❤️ These Puppies Are More Than A Sale

Sometimes people only see the end result.

They see a cute puppy picture.

They see a price.

They see a deposit.

They see a pickup date.

But there is so much more behind that puppy.

There are early mornings.

Late nights.

Cleaning.

Laundry.

Feeding.

Veterinary appointments.

Planning.

Worrying.

Research.

Socialization.

Pictures.

Videos.

Messages.

And countless hours spent making sure these puppies are healthy and prepared for their next chapter.

We don't just raise puppies until they are old enough to leave.

We raise them with the hope that they will become someone's beloved companion for many, many years.

That responsibility means something to us.

🐾 We Know You Are Excited — Because We Are Too

When you are waiting for your puppy, those weeks can feel incredibly long.

We know.

You may already have their name picked out.

You may have bought their collar.

Maybe you've bought toys, a crate, a bed, food, and everything else you think they will need.

You are preparing for this little life to come home.

And while you are counting down the days, we are counting them too.

We are watching them grow every day.

We are learning who they are.

We are taking the pictures you can't wait to see.

We are making sure they are eating, growing, playing, and developing.

And eventually, the day comes when you finally get to meet them.

That first meeting is incredibly special.

Because those first weeks were spent doing what we believe is most important:

protecting them, caring for them, socializing them, and loving them.

❤️ Everything We Do Comes Back To One Question

Whenever we make a policy or change something about how we raise our puppies, we ask ourselves one simple question:

“Is this what is best for the puppies?”

Sometimes the answer isn't the most convenient answer.

Sometimes it means saying no.

Sometimes it means changing the way we've always done things.

Sometimes it means explaining policies that people may not immediately understand.

But we would rather make a decision that protects our puppies than make a decision simply because it makes the process easier.

These puppies only get one beginning.

We want that beginning to be as safe, healthy, clean, loving, and positive as we can possibly make it.

That is why we have a dedicated nursery.

That is why we limit visitors.

That is why we take disease prevention seriously.

That is why deposits are non-refundable once a family makes that commitment.

And that is why we will continue to make decisions based on what we believe is best for the puppies entrusted to our care.

🐾 At The End Of The Day, It's About The Puppies

We know that when you are waiting for your puppy, you are excited.

We know you want to see them.

We know you want to hold them.

We know you are anxious to meet the little puppy you have already started loving.

And believe me — we understand that feeling.

We feel it every single time.

We become attached to these puppies too.

We celebrate their milestones.

We worry when they're not feeling well.

We laugh at their silly personalities.

We take way too many pictures.

And when they leave our home, there is always a little piece of our heart that goes with them.

So when we say no to puppy visits or require a non-refundable deposit, please don't see those policies as us trying to make the process difficult.

See them for what they really are.

They are boundaries we have put in place because we care.

They are policies designed to protect the puppies.

They are decisions made from experience.

And they are part of the responsibility we take very seriously when we bring these little lives into the world.

We aren't just raising puppies.

We are raising someone's future best friend, companion, adventure buddy, and family member. ❤️🐾

And we will always choose what we believe gives those puppies the safest, healthiest, most loving start possible.

Thank you for trusting us with such an important part of your family's future.

Thank you for respecting our policies.

And most of all, thank you for loving your puppy before you have even brought them home.

That is something we will never take for granted. ❤️

— Foglesong’s Spring Creek Puppies