TAKING RESERVATIONS FOR 2026

We are now taking reservations for 2026. Our puppies are great companions for active homes that enjoy scent detection work, hunt, run, or play dogsports. The first step is to email your application to Carla at [email protected]. 

Note that all of our puppies have intact tails and dewclaws.

Questions? Email us to schedule a time to chat. 

HEALTHY, RELIABLE

Hunter's Heart offers unsurpassed health testing, including OFA health testing. Follow the links below to verify our dogs' health certifications. 

When you purchase one of our Brittanys, you have a very good idea of what to expect. We raise puppies using the protocols based on the latest research in Working Dog and Service Dog training. when you visit, you can usually meet several generations, including veterans enjoying their retirement. We'll set you up for success, whatever adventures you enjoy. 

OUR BREEDING PROGRAM

Most dogs we breed become treasured pets, and many families are repeat customers. We strive for health, temperament and biddability. Hunter's Heart Brittanys are from field lines, with strong instincts to find things using their noses, point birds and retrieve. Our dogs usually love water and have taught many other dogs to swim. 

Many of our dogs are professional detection dogs. Bear (in the photo) and Andre certified wildlife conservation detection dogs who find bats and birds on wind farms to help reduce the environmental impact of wind energy. We've inspected pipelines in northern Canada to detect small leaks and help limit environmental impact, and found many elusive bedbug infestations.

Our working dogs are our partners. They live inside our home. When they retire, they continue to live with us as part of our family.  

HOW WE RAISE PUPPIES

Our puppies are born and raised inside our home. We apply the latest research to socialize and prepare them to be part of your family, wherever your adventures take you. 

We provide a solid foundation, including early introduction to obedience, loud noises (including gunfire and traffic), retrieving, agility, playing with toys, and motivational games. We use motivational, force-free, rewards-based training. 

In this video, Lula is playing hide and seek for the first time. She's learning to find her human, which is crucial for safety. Once trained to come when called, our Brittanys eagerly work off leash while hunting, hiking, agility, nosework, etc.  

COST AND DETAILS

An 8-week-old puppy costs $2500 Cdn + tax. This is split into 3 payments: a $200 non-refundable deposit and signed contract are required to reserve a puppy, $500 is due when the pups reach 2 weeks of age, and the remainder is due when the pups reach 8 weeks of age. The price includes deworming, first vaccination and health check by a vet, microchip, CKC registration papers and our written guarantee. The earliest that puppies can safely go to their new homes is 8 weeks of age.

We encourage families to pick up their puppy if at all possible. Canadians may be able to fly home with your puppy in a soft sherpa crate under your seat, if your puppy is small enough. Many puppies have traveled large distances and they generally do very well (with rare cases of car sickness).

Hunter's Heart is renowned for extensive socialization. Litters are whelped in the bedroom and grow up in the living room. Even before the puppies ears are open, we fire a capgun before food and going for a run. This classical conditioning means that by the time that puppies go to their new homes, loud noises are either ignored, or a reason to come running in anticipation of something rewarding. Provided that owners transition to louder guns in the field, slowly and at decreasing distances, the puppies are off to a good start in accepting gunfire.

Every litter is exposed to birds and scent. As early as 5 weeks of age, puppies start their scent detection training. We also work on retrieving, agility and balance.

Carla matches puppies with families based on evaluation completed at 8 weeks of age. Please note that we cannot accommodate preferences for color, size or markings. Matches based on a cute appearance are far less likely to succeed in the long term. If you want a hunting dog, we'll match you with a puppy that's keenly interested in birds, searching using their nose, and/or retrieving. If you have young infants at home, we'll match you with a less active pup who is less boisterous and enjoys spending time with children.

As an all-breed Canine Good Neighbour Evaluator for the Canadian Kennel Club, and former Behavior Assessor at the Calgary Humane Society, Carla offers extensive experience evaluating  dog temperaments. Our puppies' temperaments are guaranteed in writing, as long as you complete an 8-week puppy socialization class (in your hometown).

We give our puppies the very best start we can, but when you bring your puppy home you need to continue socializing and training to ensure that they are a joy to live with rather than a problem adult.

A puppy is a lifetime commitment, for both families and the breeder. All puppy owners must sign a purchase contract, non breeding agreement, and paperwork from the Canadian Kennel Club. (CKC registration papers are included in the price.) Hunter's Heart will take back any dog we bred, at any age, for any reason.

INTACT TAILS AND DEWCLAWS

Hunter's Heart was the first reputable breeder in Canada to stop removing puppies' tails and dewclaws. These functional parts of the body help a dog to run at top speed, turn, climb out of icy waters, and balance, for maximum performance and longevity. 

Kessler summarized: “The tail is not a limb but is an appendage… the muscular structure and activity are in integral part of the normal bodily shape and function, especially the perineal region… The tail is known to be a counter-balance for dogs in action, especially when moving at high speeds, turning sharply, balancing, jumping or climbing, and, according to traditional water-dog breeds, a rudder in the water'”.

Tail docking was banned by veterinarians in Alberta in 2019.

We support the CVMA Position Statement on Cosmetic Procedures. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association Canine Tail Docking FAQ, justification of carrying out preventive tail amputation on working dogs “lack substantial scientific support”.

The Canadian Kennel Club allowed Brittanys to be shown with intact tails and dewclaws without any penalty (in January 2023). More dog owners worldwide are joining us and leaving tails and dewclaws intact. We hope that someday Canada's breed standard for Brittany Spaniels will be updated. 

BRITTANYS AREN'T FOR EVERYONE

Brittanys are usually good with kids, but their high energy doesn't fit for families who are too busy for daily exercise and simply want a quiet, calm, no-maintenance pet around the home. If that's what you're looking for, a cat may be a better option.

Brittanys need at least 30 minutes of exercise with you every day. They do not require hours of physical exercise and they do not need to hunt birds, but they are not couch potatoes either! They love searching, hunting, running, camping, and dog sports like agility, nosework, tracking and mantrailing.

Unlike some other breeds, Brittanys do have an off switch. After exercise, our Brittanys settle down and sleep at your feet. But if you fail to meet their basic need for exercise, they  can misbehave, bark, get destructive, and end up in shelters and rescues. 

BRITTANYS ARE A POOR CHOICE IF YOU WANT A DOG THAT:

• Calmly lies on the couch all day, every day
• Won't follow you around looking to please you
• Doesn't sniff the ground
• Won't jump into water puddles
• Doesn't need 30 minutes of daily exercise
• Doesn't behave like an athletic Brittany.

Select a breed that matches your current lifestyle and energy level so you and your dog will be happy!

ABOUT THE BREEDER, CARLA SIMON

From narcotics to nosework, Carla is a professional detection trainer who has trained thousands of students worldwide since 1999.