We recently had a post up about Jazzy, our dog whom we adopted (rescued) from a ‘breeder’. We know that there are outstanding breeders out there and think it is important to share this information that we received from Joanne Barnes. If anyone has any specific questions please post them underneath and we will ask Joanne to answer them. Education is the key, make sure you do research before buying from a breeder or before adopting any breed.
JOANNE BARNES, REGISTERED BREEDER WITH DOGS NSW – OHITEKAH
I have been around dogs and puppies for 50 years. My parents were registered dog breeders so I grew up looking after litters of puppies and understanding all that goes into breeding. I’ve been around big and little dog breeds. My dogs are a huge part of my life, I love them immensely and would be lost without them. My friends joke that they are coming back as one of my dogs because they are so spoiled!
When you are looking to adopt from a registered, research is a must. You need to get to know the breeder and what they have to offer. How they keep and look after their animals. Are they well socialized? Do they live in their homes with family? Do they offer lifetime support? I personally start toilet training my puppies as soon as possible so they know what to do when they leave my home and it’s easier on the new owner.
Be sure to understand the breed you are looking at as some dogs have different issues eg. brachycephalic dogs which require even more research.
I would like to think that all registered breeders are ethical and have high standards because we are governed by a code of ethics. You can’t just become a breeder with Dogs NSW, you have to do a course, pass a test and have your property inspected. That being said, research is the key to know who you are dealing with. People also need to be aware that Dogs NSW is not the only registry so you also need to research which registry you are dealing with as they are not all the same. For instance you can only show and breed from dogs that comply with breed standards with Dogs NSW.
People who breed X breeds are not registered breeders. Anyone can breed a X breed, they are governed by nothing. They can stick two dogs together and have puppies and are answerable to nobody. I can’t imagine there would be any health testing going on either. When you pay huge amounts of money for a X breed you are becoming part of the problem because this just encourages backyard breeders to breed for money gain. They can breed the female as many times as they like and you would have no idea how many litters each female has had. If the dog has any health issues you have no back up either. Having said that, I believe that one registry (MDBA) is registering purebred cross breeds “The Australian Cobberdog” which of course is only recognised by that registry and that registry alone.
I see puppy farming carried out by people that have a lot of dogs that have no life and are just bred and bred and then sold off when they are done breeding. Those people are just in it for the money, they have no regard for the dogs well being.
A high quality breeder will offer lifetime support for any of their dogs and this is what I offer. I’m only a phone call away if my puppy parents need my advice. I regularly check up on my puppies to see how they are going and encourage owners to send me photos, I just love seeing my puppies grow.
Backyard breeding/puppy farming has a huge impact on dogs. Unfortunately a lot of x breeds end up at the pound. You very rarely see a pure breed there, so this would have a huge impact on a dogs mental well being. Females that are being bred can have as many litters as they like because they are governed by no authority. They can also be bred at any age, that can have implications for the female too.
Breeding is a science. You can’t just put 2 dogs together to breed and hope for the best. There is a lot that goes on before I would even consider breeding a dog. There is DNA testing to ensure the dog does not carry any health traits, hip and spine x-rays, patella checks and breed conformation and standard to look at and that’s just to name a few before you even start.
Registered breeders should encourage new owners to desex their dogs. Unless you are a registered breeder desexing is the best thing and can reduce the risks of some potentially serious health problems. Males tend to get a bit rowdy as they mature and desexing calms them and can stop bad behaviour and for females you won’t have to worry about them coming into season, that in itself has issues like pyometra which is an infection of the uterus. It also ensures that there are no accidental pregnancies.
I only breed every few years to better my next line so my females are desexed and have stayed with me, I love them too much to breed and then re-home. Personally I don’t think I could do that because I become too attached to my girls
This is a fantastic informative article. Thank you.