Before you startThere are very few things more exciting than bringing a new puppy home but with emotions running high and cute puppy photos to swoon over, it can be really hard to make decisions about your new family member with your head instead your heart.
Gone are the days of just looking in the local paper or going to the pet shop and picking up a puppy - today, many pet parents want to make sure that they are choosing a breed that's suitable for their situation, buying from an ethical breeder and making sure that they are as prepared as they possibly can be for the first few months with their new best friend. Smart decisions made before your puppy comes home can make all the difference between those first few months being smooth sailing or a stressful nightmare! We hope this page gives you some things to consider and helps set you and your future puppy up for success. |
Dogs who are pets firstBreeders should not have a lot of dogs at home so they have a good amount of one on one time with each dog. We want to see dogs who are kept inside the house, not in kennels and whose lives are enriched through training.
|
Carefully researched pairingsEthical breeding takes time. Breeders should carefully consider and research the lines they're using. They should be looking at the structure, temperament, health and type of the lines they're using so they produce puppies who are typical of the breed.
|
Actively raising litters themselves |
First right of refusal |
Continuously learning |
What is a "registered breeder?"As a puppy buyer, one of the first questions you should ask is "Are you a registered breeder and which organisation are you registered with?" Some breeders may only be registered with their local council and want to look like they have higher credentials than they do, but some may be registered with one of the newer registries like the Master Dog Breeders and Associates (MDBA) or the American Bully Kennel Club (ABKC). If you are after a pedigree dog though, Dogs Australia is the official, internationally recognised registry so as a bare minimum, all pedigree dog breeders should be registered with them.
Dogs Australia, which up until recently was known as the Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC), holds their breeders to a higher set of welfare standards than is required by law, however as those minimum standards are still quite minimal, it's important to do your own research and find a breeder that shares your ethics. As Dogs Australia operates on a state by state basis you may find that breeders refer to themselves as a Dogs NSW, Dogs Victoria, Dogs West etc breeder instead. If you would like to check to see if your breeder is registered, you can check this information on the Dogs Australia website (scroll down to Registered Breeder Check) using either their member number or their prefix. Our member number is 2100088743 and our prefix is Pawformance. |
Our preference is always that breeders have small numbers of dogs at home so they can spend lots of one-on-one time with them, can easily keep track of their individual health and welfare and have them live in the house as much-loved pets, rather than in kennels. Studies into dogs kept in kennel environments show that they have a higher level of stress hormone and long term exposure to this can weaken their immune system, leaving them more prone to disease and can even change the way that genes express themselves in their brain! Kennel dogs often display very different behaviours to what they would if they lived in a home environment, which unfortunately can be passed onto their puppies even if the litter is not being raised in the kennels, as their mother is a huge influencing factor in their early development. Having a breeder who lives with their dogs also means that they are likely to have first hand, recent experience of the kinds of issues that you'll experience with your puppy, and will know what worked (and what didn't) to solve them.
|
The number of litters a breeder has is a controversial topic amongst While it is true, some breeders can have more litters than others without their very high standard of care dropping, it's our belief that a breeder should be there every step of the way and often the way a breeder handles having large numbers of litters (which we consider to be anything over 3 litters per year), is by having employees. |
In Australia, there are several different registries that breeders could be talking about when they say that they are a "Registered Breeder" but the internationally recognised registry for pedigree dogs is Dogs Australia (formerly known as the Australian National Kennel Council or ANKC). Dogs Australia operates on a state by state basis, so you may find that a breeder will refer to themselves as a Dogs NSW, Dogs Victoria or Dogs West etc breeder, rather than a Dogs Australia breeder. Breeders who are registered with Dogs Australia are held to a higher set of welfare standards than is required under law (in NSW this is both the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Companion Animals Acts) but not all breeders have the same ethical stance so finding one that shares yours is still important. All Finnish Lapphund breeders in Australia should be registered with Dogs Australia - if you would like to check to see if your breeder is registered, you can request their member number (they will sometimes display this on their website) and contact your state body to make sure that they are registered. Our membership number is 2100088743 and as we are in NSW, we are registered with Dogs NSW.
|
In Australia, there are several different registries that breeders could be talking about when they say that they are a "Registered Breeder" but the internationally recognised registry for pedigree dogs is Dogs Australia (formerly known as the Australian National Kennel Council or ANKC). Dogs Australia operates on a state by state basis, so you may find that a breeder will refer to themselves as a Dogs NSW, Dogs Victoria or Dogs West etc breeder, rather than a Dogs Australia breeder. Breeders who are registered with Dogs Australia are held to a higher set of welfare standards than is required under law (in NSW this is both the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Companion Animals Acts) but not all breeders have the same ethical stance so finding one that shares yours is still important. All Finnish Lapphund breeders in Australia should be registered with Dogs Australia - if you would like to check to see if your breeder is registered, you can request their member number (they will sometimes display this on their website) and contact your state body to make sure that they are registered. Our membership number is 2100088743 and as we are in NSW, we are registered with Dogs NSW.
|
FINNISH LAPPHUND
Lappies or "Suomenlapinkoira" are strong, hardy working dogs from the harsh northern region of Finland, known as Lapland. |
AUSTRALIAN KELPIE
An iconic Australian breed, Kelpies are the ultimate farm dog, well known for their endurance and intelligence |
SIBERIAN HUSKY
Originally bred by the Chukchi people from North-Eastern Siberia, Sibes are an agile breed with a mind of their own. |
NSW Breeder Identification Number: B000685661 | Victoria Source Number: EE102260
Dogs NSW Member Number: 2100088743 |
© Pawformance 2023
|