I’m curious if it was a Blue Picardy Spaniel that you were considering. I had looked into them a few years ago, but decided that I’d rather go with a GSP for my next dog.
The breeders that I’m aware of in North America (only a handful) spend a lot of time advertising their pups as family friendly, etc but there’s very little emphasis on actual hunting.
I hope this wasn’t an attempt to make some quick cash.
I will say that I have more understanding for a breeder doing such a tight line breeding if there really are only 3-4 breeders in North America. I hope they are also utilizing bloodlines from other places (e.g. Europe) but in such a rare breed it is not uncommon for breeding this close. But it has to be done really carefully and scrupulously choosing only those offspring that are the best. In which case, many breeders retain all the offspring - so, anyone selling puppies from a litter like that is really taking a big chance that they will lose their best breeding animal…and possibly the future of the breed itself. It is strange. Probably best that you are looking at another breed.
I think it’s pretty clear that the “tighten up the pedigree” is a line of hogwash if the breeder is selling all the puppies as pets on spay/neuter contracts.
Well, I’m ok with the spay/neuter contracts because in theory the breeder would only part with “pet” quality puppies. But knowing for sure which ones are “pet quality” is tough at 8 weeks.
If there are literally only 4 breeders in North America, the pedigree is probably pretty damn tight already. 
Either that, or they have a mishmash of random breedings in the pedigree. And if so, it could make sense to line breed tightly. But again - breed preservationists would not part with the puppies quickly because they can’t afford to let them go.
So…it’s concerning. Sounds like they really are not ready for the responsibility of preserving a rare breed. Typically those get retained/placed with a very select few people so you can be sure you can recall them for breeding if necessary.
Having nothing to do with anything but…
I had the pick bitch from a litter. Mom was ACK and CKC Champion (before the days of Grand Ch). Dad was also Champion (IIRC). Loved the mom, she finished her ACK Championship during the national speciality by going winning bitch twice, best of winners once and reserve winners bitch once (of the Winners, each was 5 point major). It was an outcross breeding
The pick bitch was selected by both the breeder and a well respected breeder in the same city. Boy, she was, without a doubt, one of the worst movers I’d ever seen 
Really reinforced that breeding can be so carefully planned and yet the offspring can still be so unpredictable.
And also that choosing the “pick of the litter” is an art that many respectable breeders are bad at. Some breeders are known for being able to identify the really special ones from an early age.
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