Why it’s important to buy your puppy from a Breeder who has the future of the breed in mind when planning litters.

BUT I DON’T WANT A SHOW DOG!

Why do people recommend choosing a breeder who shows their dogs to families who are just looking for a pet and have no interest in showing? Why should breeding to breed standard be important to a pet home? Does it seem excessive, or “snobby”?
It’s not, and here’s why.

Dog shows are a means of evaluating dogs against the breed standard, to evaluate soundness, movement/gait, type, and temperament.

Soundness: The state of physical and mental health when all organs and faculties are functioning properly, each in its rightful relation to each other.

Type: Breed type encompasses appearance, character, condition, bone structure, temperament, and movement; “breed type is all these things.” Breed type also includes a character specific to each breed, a combination of behaviour, temperament and carriage that demonstrate an essence of the breed.

Gait: The gait of a dog is its quality of movement. You want to see ease of movement, unimpaired by illness or poor structure.

As an example let’s look at the Golden Retreiver:

Temperament: The general attitude a dog has towards other animals and people. From the Golden Retriever Breed Standard “True Golden Retriever temperament is as much a hallmark of the breed. The ideal disposition is one of a kindly, outgoing, biddable, eager to please and non-aggressive towards man or animal. The Golden Retriever has much that appeals to people; his gentle ways, intelligence and adaptability make him an ideal dog. Aggressiveness towards humans or other animals, or any evidence of shyness in an adult should be severely penalized.”

So. That’s a very basic intro to what goes on at a show… why does this matter? You want a pet, a companion, not a show dog, right? Well, you chose a Golden Retriever for a reason. You’ve done your research, and have read that they’re great with kids and other animals, they’re gentle, not aggressive, they make excellent companions and love spending time with their people. That their good and kind nature predisposes many Golden Retrievers to be excellent therapy dogs. Good, responsible breeders seek to preserve those definitive and positive characteristics.

What about type and structure? How the dog is put together, able to move freely and comfortably? Would you rather buy from someone who has proven publicly, over time, that the dog they’re breeding can move well, free of limp, or a structural problem? Or just trust someone who has no interest in proving their dogs? It’s your puppy’s quality of life and comfort (as well as your wallet) that’s at stake.

Not every dog in a well-bred litter is going to be show quality- there will ALWAYS be pet-quality puppies. Well-bred, but maybe with a slight imperfection, and those are the puppies placed in pet homes. You don’t have to want a show-quality puppy to get a well-bred puppy!

This is not about being snobby, being elitist, thinking that one dog is “better” than another, it’s about ensuring you get a puppy that acts and looks like the breed you fell in love with. It’s about ensuring that all puppies have the best start in life, and will grow into a loving family member. It’s about loving our breed enough to want to see everything that’s good about them preserved for future generations to enjoy. If you want a healthy dog, with a properly sweet temperament, choose your breeder wisely!

Where you go to get your dog is just as important as what kind of dog you get. A good starting point when looking for breeders is contacting the breed club.

What is a Registered Breeder?

A Registered Breeder is a breeder of pure bred dogs, who is registered with the Australian National Kennel Council through their relevant state affiliate organisation. In Victoria, our state affiliate is Dogs Victoria. A registered Breeder will be a member of Dogs Victoria, and will have their PREFIX registered with Dogs Victoria.

This is NOT THE SAME THING as being registered with local council, which is a legal requirement for every companion animal in Australia. Companion Animal Registration DOES NOT constitute the registration of a dog as a pure bred dog.  Member of this organisation is bound by its Codes of Practice for the breeding and welfare of puppies, and also confirms that they are able to provide you with registration papers for your new purebred puppy. Registered breeders with ANKC operate within these very strict regulations such as limited breeding to twice every 18 months, this code also limits breeding to 5 litters or less  in the bitches lifetime, as well as the maximum age a bitch can be bred.

When you purchase from a ” Backyard breeder”  a breeder not affiliated with ANKC or similar club with a strict code of practice such as ANKC you have no security or peace of mind that the bitches are not bred every 6 months when in heat and no idea if they are bred until they cannot breed anymore- that is why buying from a registered breeder is so important. Its helps to protect dogs from living such a life-  do your research.

Why do you pay a little bit more sometimes for a dog from a ANKC registered breeder? Because to have quality dogs you need a large gene pool and you get that from importing new bloodlines into Australia, the cost of doing that can be upwards of $25,000.

More reasons to purchase from a ANKC (Australian National Kennel Council) registered breeder: