SpikesPuppy

I haven't purchased but have sold pups from my first litter- I was very open about the fact that it was my first litter (and indeed both parents were maidens), and ensured that my buyers understood this. I also provided a truckload of info an support, including grooming and training. I will say though, I have been involved with the breed since 2004 and had my first litter in January this year, so am not so new to the breed. I am also on the clubs committee and am as active as I can be in promoting the breed at expos, Melbourne Royal and club fun days etc. I also had help and mentorship from many people, both breed experienced and general breeding experienced. Many of my buyers were actually directed to me by other reputable or well-known breeders who didn't have any pups at the time- something I take as a huge compliment. I can understand some hesitation however I believe the most important thing when purchasing a pup is not how many litters someone has bred, but how dedicated they are to their breed and their own dogs and how comfortable you feel with them. On the contrary, I reckon some long-time breeders do become complacent or kennel-blind when they breed and may actually be doing the dogs a disservice. Many first time breeders will be so careful about what they are doing and as a result will cross every T and dot every I. I said straight out to any potential buyers that I had to walk away if they felt for a second they were not comfortable with myself, my dogs or the environment they were raised in. The pups are almost 6 months old and to date every one is happy with them even have one coming for a grooming session soon.

When I first started, I wore dress jeans- technically jeans but well fitting and classy. These days I wear subtle (brown, black, grey with the odd teal or blue thrown in), or black dress pants with a coloured blazer. Oh I also have my tweed blazer which I love- bought the matching skirt but have never worn that- I really don't like skirts, they make me feel so awkward and uncomfortable. I am curious though- why only men in the bright suit question? I think it can be equally as horrid on a guy or a girl, but there are cases where it actually does compliment the dog well.

The best solution?? Fight fire with fire- ADVERTISE AND SELL pedigree animals. More breeders need to get over themselves and need to realise that they represent the entire ANKC membership whenever they deal with potential puppy purchasers. Even if they get the biggest idiot enquiring- maintain composure and a professional attitude. I constantly cringe at the behavior of fellow exhibitors at shows, 'pet' expos etc who clearly don't have the patience for dealing with the public. When I got unsuitable enquiries about my pups, I just explains that I don't feel the breed is suited to their needs and suggested they research a few other breeds etc but thank you very much for being interested and for doing the best thing by contacting a registered breeder. Many people still hold the belief that breeders of pure breed dogs are snobs and the dogs are too expensive etc. We need to work on that myth and debunk it!! You do not have to sell a pup to everyone but please think about how you are representing the pure breed fraternity when dealing with puppy enquiries and be pleased that the person has gone to the effort of contacting a reputable, registered breeder instead of heading to the 'pet' store. And keep in mind that not everyone knows how to approach a breeder 'correctly'.

Caber is a red (okay techically grizzle & tan but his grizzling is almost invisible!) Border Terrier and has a sprenger choker on a dark/hunter green paracord lead (no blind). Ziva is a grizzle & tan Border terrier (grizzle is always heavy and the tan is quite pale), she has a very fine chain with a plain black plaited leather lead which was a present when she got her title Baby Casey is a rich grizzle & tan Border, currently on a black paracord lead (the kind with the metal slider to tighten it around the neck), with purple & silver blind. I LOVE her lead, although I'm not a huge fan of bling, but now want to put her on a fine chain like her mother and use a paracord lead (same design would be nice!!).

Go Sassy And YAY Kobe on his BIS!!!!!

I have said this before but I will say it again- I see fighting puppy farms as a losing battle. At the end of the day they have the funds to fight against any proposed legislations, and they have the funds (plus lack of morals) available to just shut up shop and re build elsewhere and keep on farming. What I see needing to be done is to change the customers opinion and SELL PEDIGREE DOGS from responsible breeders so they feel they are making the decision to go down this path. Can we raise enough money for the MDBA to run a television commercial?? Or a few full page newspaper adverts??? Sourcing a pedigree puppy is still relatively difficult for those who aren't into dogs. The myth they are expensive still abounds. Dog shows here in Victoria at least are unadvertised and very confusing (when I was in Sydney I was impressed by the loud speaker announcement of each breed in General Specials etc. My aunt and uncle who were with me were impressed too. But nothing like that happens here. And the Canine Councils need to crack down on the breeders who are registered but not responsible, they need to take reports seriously and investigate every issue, ESPECIALLY the ones relating to health issues. What I'm saying is, the only way we will defeat puppy farms is by showing potential dog owners why our 'product' is better.

I know a few Border terriers living in a similar situation to what you have described they are pretty adaptable- need to be with their people when said people are home but also cope fine during the day when you are at work (mine survive!! Lol). They generally get along well with other dogs, particularly those they know well and generally like a certain breed once they have had a good experience with one (my puppy is particularly fond of Dobes at the moment Lol Spends the whole show training class mesmerized The odd adult comes up fr revoking occasionally

The perceived over supply is with the dogs bred and then sold willy-nilly without care or thought. Look at the ANKC registration statistics and then compare that to new puppies registered with local councils across Australia- the majority of these puppies will be from less than ideal situations. One of my puppy buyers had been waiting over 6 moths for a Border, another enquiry had been waiting 4 YEARS for the right pup (unfortunately she contacted me after all pups were spoken for). Fevah- I cannot quote you at the moment sorry (using my phone), but I know many breeders of so many breeds who speak about 'pet' puppies as if they are nothing more than a nuisance. More than one has said to me that they hate dealing with puppy buyers and breed purely to satisfy their goal of creating the perfect "insert breed here". You seem to be missing my point though- I NEVER said breeders don't care about their companion puppies, what I actually said was I don't see breeding a litter of healthy, happy puppies that are typical of their breed in appearance and temperament without the intention of running a pup on should be regarded as such a bad thing IF THE HOMES ARE THERE!!

thank you. Her owner mentioned she went to you for training so I know she's in good hands I am someone who 'couldn't wait' for a pup and ended up getting my Newfoundland from a pet store - it was purely by chance that I found out he was in the store, but had been looking for one for the past few months and none were available (I was 15/16 at the time, and the plan was for me to get my Newfie over the Christmas holiday period between years 9 and 10 of high school, so I would have the 2 months to raise him and then by the time I was in year 11 and into VCE stuff, he'd be older. There was no point in me getting a puppy during the school year, and it wasn't really appropriate to get a puppy at the same time as starting VCE IMO. But not knowing much about registered breeders etc (although knowing they WERE the preferred option and of course they didn't have pups on demand but even calling New Zealand breeders came up with a big fat zero male puppies), so yep, when I found out there was a male pup in a pet store, mum drove across the city and we picked him up. He was the most amazing, wonderful dog but crossed the bridge at only 8 and a half due to joint issues. HOWEVER at no point in time was he neglected (unlike his litter sister who was handed into the RSPCA as a 7 month old!!!), he was groomed & trained, fed a good diet etc. I consider myself to be a good owner, who went with the heart over the head I m certainly not saying that there should be pups available at the snap of the fingers BUT my story is just one of MANY responsible and dedicated owners who went to another source to purchase a puppy. Breeding a pet litter (i prefer the term companion myself), is seen as such a dirty thing to do in the dog world and I don't understand it ??? If the homes are there, the sire and dam are healthy and pedigrees compatible & you have the time and finances to breed a litter, but perhaps not ready for another dog of your own.... why is that SO WRONG??? It is seen as okay amongst breeders to rehome a 'retired' dog because you have a new youngster but to breed a litter to provide youngsters to dedicated pet families is not??? With regard to the profit thing- I see that as being dumb luck when breeding responsibly! I didn't add it up completely, but I know I had a bit of 'spending' cash once my 5 pups went to their pet homes - given that the essentials such as prog testing, ultrasound, extra food and any supplements, whelping supplies/vet bed, post-whelping checkup, stud fee, vaccinations & worming, microchipping & registration, membership to the Companion Dog Club and breed club etc were paid for out of my own pocket, I did have a decent sum of money once all pups were collected. Whether or not I made a profit, I don't know- maybe a thousand dollars or so??? It's hard to say exactly, and I don't really care to be honest. But I put it down to luck that my bitch had no complications during whelping and all pups were perfectly healthy and so on... if just one thing had gone wrong, I may have been in debt I don't know maybe the next litter I breed will require a c-section at 2am on a public holiday and may produce 1 puppy that doesn't make it. Actually, it just hit me. It's almost an opposite answer to the question, but in my opinion, a responsible & ethical breeder doesn't care about the money and quite frankly, deserves to make a profit on occasion!!! A puppy farmer is someone who breeds dogs en masse and sees them as livestock or dollar signs. There is no thought to the welfare of the animals involved, only for the end result- a bulging bank account. If a bitch doesn't produce - off with her head (figuratively one would hope!). And there is also no thought or care for the peopl who end up adopting these puppies - there is no back up support, no interest and no follow up care.

I actually slept in the spare ('whelping') room with my bitch for 2 days before the pups arrived - she is a spoilt thing and doesn't do well sleeping on her own (yep, my mistake - I wont be repeating it!!), her water actually broke on my doona and she was then swiftly transferred into the whelping box. For the following weeks I remained in the room, she slept on my bed with me between feedings (for the first 2 weeks I had an alarm set every 2 hours over night to ensure they weren't too cold or too hot - first litter so maybe a little over-concerned on my part...), there was also one night where the littlest girl wouldn't stop screaming and wouldn't feed etc. Eventually we worked out that she was too hot and just before daybreak got her settled, fed and sleeping peacefully. Visitors (other breeders etc) were around from the very first morning, Ziva was watched carefully but the worst thing was she was disappointed when the visitors were more interested in the new babies than her

http://www.sporn.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?...on&key=SPUS (if that doesn't work go to the main 'training' page and it's the 'simple control harness') the above is what I use on my girl who pulls like a train. Interestingly, it was purchased AFTER trying other methods using a flat collar/chain/martingale (I've trained dogs before, not to mention read dozens of threads and articles on it so I didn't try for 5 minutes then give up- I gave every method or tool sufficient time to have an effect), and it has made life easier. I'm not saying she is impossible to train, but she is damn hard and this tool has made life so much easier for the both of us. We can actually go for a pleasant stroll now rather than stopping and starting and having her put all her weight into her forequarter, resulting in unbalanced muscletone (she was all front - eww. Since she's been exercised on the harness and now walks with an even gait/weight distributed evenly from front to rear her weak hocks have also improved greatly ). It also has the added benefit of not cutting any coat as a collar does, so I am considering getting one for her daughter also (who does not pull but has a terrible cut on her neck from her collar ) I think a combination of maturity and the harness has resulted in her pulling less frequently these days (though she is known to just dart off at random intervals as many DOLers know she is only wee but she is STRONG), but overall, I am very happy with this product and have found it to be suitable for my needs. I can walk my girl on a flat collar if required, it's just less pleasant if the intention is a nice stroll!!

That's one of the issues though, many people don't know how to correctly fit a harness. My breed for example is very narrow in the front (or they should be!), so the majority of harnesses that have a chest strap do not fit correctly. Likewise, the narrow chest means that a front-attach harness is also a no-go zone as with little effort, a Border can slip it's shoulders out of one (I know this from experience ). As I said, I use a no pull harness on my adult bitch - but it IS fitted correctly and securely and I did not put one on her until she was grown. She is also regularly seen by a doggy chiro. I would be worried about a puppy's front going out if on a front-attach harness and pulling/being subsequently twisted as a correction.

Can you provide an example? I was thinking of the whole crossing with poodles thing to make a dog for people with allergies. Practical crosses - not just to make them look cuter. And that is the only example I was thinking of but there could be more? Bad example. Most poodle crosses shed and many folk have allergic reactions to them. As a "practical cross" its been an abject failure. Guide dogs got out of the crossing business because they could not stabilise the low allergy wool coat. Not that the oodle breeders will tell you that. What's wrong with the low allergy breeds we now have anyway? Leonberger, Black Russian Terrier are 2 breeds that come to mind as originating from deliberate crosses for a reason/purpose. What do you think of the introduction of Pembroke Corgi into the Boxer to create bobtails? Not all crossbreeding is done as a cash cow. Most would be, but not all. And the idea of the labradoodle is, in theory, a great one. No one was able to foresee the havoc it would cause

I would add: I will desex my dog unless it its part of a registered breeding program. Isn't this akin to mandatory desexing though? After all I have learnt through this forum and my own research, I will not be desexing any of my future dogs in a hurry, regardless of it's background. Perhaps something more along the lines of "I will not allow my dog to produce puppies unless part of a registered breeding program" - as staranais suggested.

I would add : if at any time during the dog's lifetime, if I can no longer provide adequate care or the dog would be better off in a different environment, I will do everything I can to ensure the dog is placed in such a home where it's needs are met and it is happy.

My definition of a responsible dog owner is someone who makes the best choices and decisions for the dog - ideally they will choose a breed and pup/adult suited to them but if something happens or they aquire a dog by default (find a stray etc), they do as much as they can to provide what the dog needs (in terms of diet, stimulation, exercise etc) and if they cannot meet these needs, they rehome the animal to a suitable environment.

I'm with you, Cos! When I bred my litter, I was breeding to get something for myself to go on with (as an improvement on the chosen parents, yes), but at the end of the day, I knew the majority of my litter would be going to loving companion homes. I don't believe that breeders of pedigree dogs should just breed willy nilly or breed the dogs they have just because it is convenient BUT I have no problems with someone who breeds healthy, sound (mentally and physically) pets that are clear & solid examples of their breed with no, or little intention of keeping a puppy from every litter. I also agree that there is a shortage of registered, ethical breeders in relation to the current demand for puppies. Not everybody who would like a pup at a particular time is an impulse buyer!!! Often people don't realise that they may have to wait a year or more for a pedigree animal, and sometimes they want the pup at a particular time so that it fits in with their lifestyle (perhaps a high school graduate taking a GAP year from uni wants to spend that 12 months raising a puppy??), or a young couple who wants to raise a puppy prior to having their human children, or a stay at home mum who is able to spend the time raising a puppy alongside their human child etc. Or maybe they have earnt their long-service leave and would like to use that time for their new pup. What this country needs, in my opinion, is more excellent examples of pedigree, registered companions. The 96 stafford litter adverts mentioned... I would wager that a vast majority of them are NOT from ethical and responsible breeders but in fact imagine that a large portion would be from breeders who have jumped on the blue stafford money-making machine.

Border Terrier litter was whelped on January 20th, first pup arrived 2:56 am and it was unusually COLD so turned the heater on LOL. Litter was whelped in the spare bedroom/study, in a whelping box but soon moved to a clamshell pool (lined with vetbed). The carpeted floor was covered with thick builder's plastic & a tarpaulin (which was swapped each time it was cleaned/disinfected). They were provided with a heat lamp & heated mat when required, as well as damp towels and a gentle fan during the heat of the day. This room was blocked off using a baby gate. I spent the first 3 weeks sleeping on a camp stretcher beside the whelping box. Once the pups were a few weeks old and outgrew the clamshell, they were placed into a puppy pen and given a bed/box at one end and the other, play area was covered in newspapers. I was home at the time so spent much of my day in the study with them, going about my uni assignments and such with the radio going 24/7. The pups were also brought out in pairs (there were 6 of them) into the living room each evening for cuddles and exercises (tickling the toes, holding them head-up or head-down for a few seconds etc). By the time they were 4 weeks old they were taken outside for some exploring

Ziva is on the bed with me, usually on the pillow with her head on my shoulder!! Caber is on the bed - usually with his head on my belly, or he is in his (large) soft-crate next to my bed, he chooses. My puppy (future breeding bitch) is currently in a crate beside my bed but will eventually be given free-range of my (our) bedroom at night Mums collie is crated (in a 48 inch mind you!!!) most nights, but this is because she is a thief :rolleyes: if she's been good, she sleeps on the bed lol. The crate is in mum's bedroom.

Indeed :D :D I understand that the reason why a good Border wont ever start a fight is because any terrier that got up a Foxhound's nose would have been dinner for the big 'un And fair enough, too. They are one of those dogs that IMO when you seem them in person are almost unreal :rolleyes:

Bahahaha it has no hair!!!! So very cute but wow. Look at the difference!!

I wouldn't put a harness on a growing/developing puppy for fear of damaging the dog and resulting in restricted/poor movement. I use a Sporn easy walk (figure 8 shape not the one that goes under the armpits) on my adult dog as she is evil, but I waited until she was developed fully before introducing this tool.

I wouldn't put a harness on a growing/developing puppy for fear of damaging the dog and resulting in restricted/poor movement. I use a Sporn easy walk (figure 8 shape not the one that goes under the armpits) on my adult dog as she is evil, but I waited until she was developed fully before introducing this tool.

I wouldn't put a harness on a growing/developing puppy for fear of damaging the dog and resulting in restricted/poor movement. I use a Sporn easy walk (figure 8 shape not the one that goes under the armpits) on my adult dog as she is evil, but I waited until she was developed fully before introducing this tool.

I wouldn't put a harness on a growing/developing puppy for fear of damaging the dog and resulting in restricted/poor movement. I use a Sporn easy walk (figure 8 shape not the one that goes under the armpits) on my adult dog as she is evil, but I waited until she was developed fully before introducing this tool.