FAQ And General Information

Yes! We offer a one-year genetic health guarantee on all of our puppies, starting from the day of delivery, and we offer a fertility guarantee on our dogs which go as breeding prospects. 

This means we will offer you a second puppy if your dog becomes ill with a severe or debilitating health issue which is genetic, congenital, or inherited. For breeders, we will also offer a second breeding prospect puppy if their puppy ends up being infertile between 2-4 years of age.

Our health guarantee will always require the return of your first puppy back to us and all of their paperwork, and we will have to see their vet records which confirm their health issue is severe and genetic. Our health guarantee does not cover pes varus in pet dogs or IVDD. Environment plays a huge role in causing or preventing both of these conditions, so they cannot be guaranteed to be genetic. And unfortunately, IVDD is a part of the dachshund breed-- getting a dachshund puppy means you are prepared to deal with that. We do aim to create capable, healthy puppies to prevent these issues as best as we can.

Our contract also states that puppies are healthy before they go home. Puppies are always dewormed, current on vaccinations, and have a vet check soon before they go home-- but puppies are living beings, not objects, so of course we cannot always guarantee everything. Always take your puppy into the vet the first week they're home and reach out to us if you have any concerns.

Yes, we can deliver in a few different ways. If you are local to us (near Joplin, MO), we can drive about an hour away at no cost to you. We can also meet in Tulsa, OK, or in Kansas City.

If you are further away, we can fly the puppy to you. We can fly to many places within the U.S. that have a major airport nearby. It is $300 to fly a puppy by themselves, and you will have to go pick up your puppy from said airport. We also offer flight nanny services which will be able to fly almost anywhere in the U.S.-- but the price for a flight nanny varies greatly and may be as much as $2200 additional cost, which you will have to cover.

Lastly, we do offer ground transport for $500. Our ground transporter is fantastic at making the trip safe, quick, and easy for the puppies. However, ground transport does mean your puppy may be around other puppies, and so we will hold your puppy until they are finished with their core vaccinations to keep them safe during the drive. The ground transporter may also arrive at any time, sometimes even in the middle of the night, so you will need to be prepared to be up very late or very early. 

Yes! Before your puppy goes home, we will register them ourselves with the AKC. This helps ensure all of our puppies are registered, and this will ensure they get registered with their correct colours, owner name, and date of transfer. This also means you do not have to pay to get your puppy AKC registered-- we cover the cost for you.

You will still get to choose your puppy's name, and you are more than welcome to change your puppy's registered name through the AKC's process later on. Pre-registration is not about the puppy's name; it's just about making sure all of our paperwork is correct with the AKC. 

There are special cases in which we will not send a dog's AKC papers with them, but we will tell you if this is the case with your puppy in advance. 

No. Our deposits are non-refundable. 

There are special exemptions to this made on a case-by-case basis. This includes if your puppy is injured, harmed, stolen or lost during transportation to you that we arranged, or if your puppy is injured, harmed, stolen, or lost during their time living with us. Rest assured we will always do our best to keep your puppy safe and sound until they can go home. 

We will also refund a deposit if we decide to no longer work with you, or if we are for any reason unable to deliver the puppy to you.

Yes! The health testing varies by individual and age, but health is an absolute priority in our program. We typically complete a full genetic panel and basic OFA's. Some of our dogs even get additional OFA's, like hips and elbows. All of our puppies have their patellas and cardiac checked by our vet before they go home. Ask about any specific dog and we will send their health testing results-- our OFA's are also all available publicly on the OFA website.

All of our puppies come current on their vaccinations, microchipped, registered, and current on dewormings. All of our puppies see the vet before they go home. They will also come with a goodie bag if possible, and all of their parent's paperwork, including their health testing, pedigrees, and show titles.

Yes! We love working with other dachshund breeders to either improve their program or our own program. We are always seeking to improve in temperament, health, and conformation, and we are happy to give the same opportunity of improvement to other breeders.

Yes. While we try our best to find permanent homes for our little ones, we understand life can get in the way and sometimes you may need to return your puppy/dog to us. We are always happy to take back any puppies at any point in their lives if it is needed. We never want any of our dogs going to a rescue or shelter, as outlined in our contract, so we will always do what is necessary to prevent that from happening. 

Yes! If you are struggling to find a home for a dachshund or dachshund-mix, even if that dog did not come from us, reach out to us-- we will post your pup on our page and help align you with the resources to find them a great home. We try to keep ALL dogs out of shelters and rescues if possible, and we have rescued many many dogs over the years. We will also take in small-breed dogs from our local community if it's needed, and we always share and look out for any lost dogs. 

If you're specifically looking to buy a rescue dog, send us a message. We can help you find a dachshund rescue in your area that is reputable. 

Our typical contract is a fairly simple one. We do have other contracts for different cases and for breeders. Here is a copy of our basic contract:

Puppy/Dog Contract 

This contract is effective on the date of deposit and is valid without a signature. 

Seller Agreements

1. This puppy/dog is ( ) registrable ( ) registered with the ( ) AKC, ( ) UKC, or ( ) APRI.

2. This puppy’s registration has ( ) Full Rights ( ) limited rights.

3. This puppy will ONLY be replaced with a puppy of equal quality if the seller is provided all corresponding paperwork to the puppy AND is provided a veterinary certificate that indicates the puppy suffers from an inherited or congenital debilitating and incurable chronic condition within one year after delivery to the buyer. This does NOT include IVDD or Pes Varus, nor any conditions that are known to the buyer before purchasing, which may be listed below:

Known Conditions: _______________

4. Seller will not reimburse veterinary or transport costs under any conditions.

5. This puppy is healthy at time of delivery, has had standard immunizations for their age, and has seen a vet within 72 hours before delivery. All corresponding paperwork, vaccination records, and health certificate will be provided upon puppy delivery. The seller does not guarantee the quality, size, colour, breeding ability, show ability, or otherwise ability of this puppy.

6. If at any time the buyer is unable to keep or care for this puppy, then they and all corresponding paperwork MUST be returned to the seller at the buyer’s expense. This puppy may not be rehomed, sold, or given away without the seller’s permission beforehand.

7. This puppy may NEVER be intentionally put in a position in which they may end up in an animal shelter, animal rescue, or with an animal rights or advocacy group. If this puppy is put in such a position, then the puppy is to be returned to the seller at the buyer’s expense, without compensation, and the seller will never sell a puppy to the buyer again.

Buyer Agreements

1. The buyer agrees that if at any time and for any reason they are unable to keep or properly care for this puppy, then it shall be returned to the seller at the buyer’s expense. All corresponding paperwork must also be returned to the seller.

2. The buyer agrees to never intentionally place this puppy in a situation in which it is possible for them to end up in an animal shelter, animal rescue, or with an animal rights or advocacy group.

3. The buyer agrees to maintain this puppy’s health by providing annual veterinary care and basic necessities such as feeding, watering, grooming, and exercising.

4. The buyer agrees to not sterilize, spay, or neuter this puppy before the age of 12 months unless deemed medically necessary by a vet.

5. The buyer agrees to prevent any unregistrable, mix-bred, and accidental litters from being born to this puppy.

6. Should this puppy become ill or unsound while under the care of the buyer, then all costs of treatment will be the full responsibility of the buyer.

Buyer Name and Signature:

Seller Name and Signature: Rhiannon Davis

Date of delivery:

I grew up with dogs. My family has raised them for about 25 years and I have raised dachshunds since 2020. We have experience in rescue, grooming, showing, breeding, and basic veterinary care thanks to the education from our wonderful vet. 

But we are always looking to improve and constantly educating ourselves. There is always more to learn. This is why, every year, we attend seminars, club meetings, and dog shows where we can continue our education. 

Every year, we attend St. Puppy's day, an educational seminar for dog breeders where various professionals come to speak and answer questions. We also attend the annual Missouri Pet Breeders Association seminar, and various other meetings and seminars throughout the year. One year, we were able to partner with Pinnacle Pet and do a tour of several breeding facilities. Another year, we were invited to a special veterinary seminar where we learned more about dogs and their genetics. I am also a member of the HPBA, Heartland Pet Breeders Association, where we meet once a month to discuss current events pertaining to dogs. We do participate in some of the online courses available to us through Good Dog, and we are an official Preferred Good Dog Breeder and an official AKC Bred With Heart Breeder.

I, Rhiannon Davis, am the breeder behind A Walk In The Park. However, we do have a sister program-- literally! My sister began raising dachshunds not long after me, and now has her own wonderful breeding program. She lives close by and so her dogs and my dogs spend a lot of time together and attend dog shows together. Feel free to reach out at any time if you're interested in knowing more about my sister's program. 

Aside from this, my sister-in-law helps out tremendously. She helps us manage our flight schedule whenever we have puppies going home, and she babysits my dogs for me whenever I am away at shows. 

Both my sister and my sister-in-law attend a lot of dog shows and educational seminars with me as well, so rest assured our pets (including your puppy) are in great hands whenever I am away from home!

And I of course can't forget my little nieces and nephews who help us play with puppies whenever we have them. 

Our puppies are raised here in our nursery! From day 1, our puppies begin their journey of socialisation. While here, they are introduced to car rides, other dogs, cats, little kids and older kids, basic grooming, and introduced to crate training. They also experience various sounds and textures starting from a young age, including vehicle sounds, animal sounds, radio music, and other various noises that come from the household, as well as grass, linoleum, hardwood, concrete, and carpeted floors. These small experiences prepare your puppy to become confident in a household and family that is different than ours.

No, we do not allow any visitors or strangers to meet the puppies before pick-up. You may meet the parents if you happen to catch us at a dog show with them, but not in our home. 

Unfortunately, we have had some very bad experiences regarding a visitation policy, which ended up putting mine and my family's lives in danger. For the safety of my family and my pets, we no longer allow strangers to visit our home. However, we will always send pictures of the puppy's parents, and you are more than welcome to facetime us to meet your puppy. We will also send videos of the puppies or parents upon request-- but you can usually find videos of their parents (and our other dachshunds) on our Facebook and Instagram.