Where do perfect pups come from?

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Perfect pups come from ethical dog breeders who truly care about building permanent, fulfilling relationships between their puppies and their new families. This helps families obtain the most from owning dogs.

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What do ethical dog breeders do?

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Ethical dog breeders seek permanent, happy homes for healthy puppies of appropriate breeds. They educate new owners how to socialise and train their dogs and are selective regarding which families their puppies join. They breed for health, not colour, coat length or trends. Great dog breeders love their dogs and their breed!  They will be continually striving to improve the way they do things, as well as keeping their minds open to current information and research. They will value feedback from their buyers.

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How do ethical breeders keep dogs out of shelters?

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Some people believe there should be no dog breeding, as there are already too many dogs in shelters. Ethical dog breeding is the way to stop this problem. Ethical breeders breed puppies that are very unlikely to end up in shelters.

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The welfare of both puppies and their new owners will be the prime motivation for ethical breeders. So ...... look for a breeder who is:

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• polite and considerate

• will let you see parents and puppies

• keeping their dogs in a pleasant environment

• helpful, honest and knowledgeable

• offering a reasonable health guarantee

• a fresh/raw feeder

• able to keep their dogs fit

• aware of current canine research (ie: is not caught up in tradition).

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How does genetic diversity promote healthy companion dogs?

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If a breeder's dogs all have the same "look" it can be a sign of  loss of genetic diversity (ie. too much inbreeding). Inbreeding (often referred to as line breeding) has a very limited place in some breeding programs  aimed at "type" development for the showring, but has no place in the breeding of healthy puppies as companion dogs. It is best for there to be no common ancestors for at least four generations. The closer the common ancestors are to a pup in a pedigree, the greater the risk of inheriting genetic problems.

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Is temperament of parents important?

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The most reliable information on behavioural potential for traits can be seen from the behaviour of parents. Aggression, fearfulness, shyness, friendliness, sociability and ability to cooperate with humans are all inherited characteristics. These features can be very difficult to change through learning and training. Both parents contribute equally to temperament.

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What about "Family Reared" puppies?

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"Back yard breeder" is an undefinable term propagated by the Animal Rights Movement  that has  created division among, and distrust of, breeders. Since there is no way to accurately define the term, one's own personal criteria becomes the means of potentially demeaning those who do "less" or even "differently" than one desires.

 

Small, non-commercial breeders are often sadly labelled as "Backyard Breeders". They usually own both parent dogs as family pets and the environments they raise puppies in consistently produces emotionally well balanced puppies, fit to be part of normal families.

 

Registration of puppies is no guarantee of good physical type, temperament or genetic health. Ethical breeders can be registered with a variety of different organisations or not registered at all. It is the selection of appropriate, healthy parents and how puppies are raised that is important.

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Should colour be a deciding factor in choosing a perfect pup?

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Colour should be the least important factor when choosing a puppy as a companion. Sound conformation, biddable temperament and good genetic health should be priorities. Sadly, in Australia, the incidence of Discoid Lupus, predominantly in coloured dogs, is increasing rapidly. Discoid Lupus has no genetic testing and does not exhibit until eighteen months to two years of age. Diagnosis is then via biopsies under anaesthetic only. It is an insidious and painful disease that reduces quality of life significantly.

 

What should be expected from a breeder?

 

A breeder should have good verbal and written communication, expressing breed knowledge and buyer understanding. All questions should be answered clearly. Honesty should be apparent. All breeds have their faults. An ethical breeder will be honest about these and will not hide behind genetic testing. A breeder's professionalism should include having policies and procedures that are followed. Responsible breeders will provide buyer support from first contact for the entirety of the dog's life. Puppies will join their new families with a "User's Manual" of sorts.
 

Do ethical breeders de-sex their puppies?

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Breeders who de-sex puppies prior to sale do not have their puppies' best interest at heart. There are many studies that have shown that early de-sexing almost guarantees urinary incontinence in mature dogs (bitches in particular), greatly increases the risk cruciate ligament rupture and the development of many common cancers.

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Is the way puppies are raised important?

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Great breeders will go to considerable lengths to produce puppies that will have long and healthy lives as fantastic companions for their families. The breeder will try to reduce the risk of inherited diseases by not inbreeding and through health testing.  They will do everything within their power to facilitate optimal physical and mental health, whilst the puppy is in their care, and will educate their puppy families to do the same thing ....... particularly during weeks eight to twelve  (critical socialisation period). Great breeders incorporate programs such as "Puppy Culture" into their puppy raising protocols. They also commence toilet and crate training. Puppies destined to spend the rest of their lives with humans need to be exposed to kind and caring human hands and voices everyday.

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