I have been asked by a few people "What's the ACTUAL difference? Like why does it matter if I get a "name of designer dog" or if I get one of your pure bred Japanese Spitz?"
This is a very valid question!!
RESCUES'
A dog will be in your life for a long time and it's reasonable to question how you want to spend your money! I am not a purist by any means! I have met some wonderful dogs who have been adopted through a rescue and worked very hard with their rescuers and then owners to get them to where they are now! They are gentle and sweet. It took a lot of work to get them that way though. So if you are willing to put in a LOT of elbow grease, and time- you can truly work with a dog to get them to where you want with their behaviours. Honestly!
This is not to say any dog is not going to be work! Yes you will need to work with your dog to help it learn acceptable behaviours and rules of your home. Rescue's might be more work based on the foundation they were given before they came to your loving home. Keeping in mind, unknown genetics can lead to behaviours you weren't expecting, r health issues that will cost you a ongoing fortune.
In my opinion, if you want a rescue and you feel you have a good foundation of training to handle a dog who may require special skills- this route is for you!
Designer Breeds
Let's have a conversation about designer breeds. These include such titles as "Puggles" anything ending in "Doodle" made up names using two or more dog breeds "Shepapei" or creative ways to hide the fact that someone is purposely breeding two dogs who have nothing in common with each other.
Maremma Sheepdog are consistently bred with Great Pyrenees. These dogs are sold as crosses and are used mostly for livestock and farm guarding. These dogs are similar in temperaments. However without proper health testing you might end up with a dog with elbow dysplasia, entropion, hip dysplasia and the list goes on! Why? Usually people who are breeding for profit, don't care. I know they love their dogs, they are their babies, they get the best food and treats! BUT THEY DON'T CARE! They aren't getting them health tested! They are not pulling dogs from their programs who have genetic issues! Overall they are breeding for profit.
Ever heard of a Pomsky? This a pandoras box of genetic failures! Who's idea was it anyways to let a 30-60 pound Siberian Husky mount a 5 pound Pomeranian?! Or performed artificial insemination from a Pomeranian to a Siberian Husky? There are many issues in this scenario, my heart aches thinking of the poor Pom who had to give birth to the rather large puppies- then end up in a life threatening situation with breach pups, and needing to have a invasive c-section performed to get the rest of the puppies out. That's just the first scenario. Here's the next thing to consider, each of those breeds comes with a unique set of genetic issues. Cataracts, collapsed trachea, Epilepsy, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, Legg-perthes Disease in the pom, (as in your puppy is already dissolving before their 1st birthday! Remind me how much you paid for this insane cross?) YES I KNOW- THEY ARE FRICKEN ADORABLE! Such a cute little face, soft fur and the size of a...? Well you won't really know because cross breeding almost always results in the unknown size, weight, appetite, and genetic issues. Oh and the bit about the soft fur? Not always the case. In any mix, all I have heard from groomers is how ridiculous it is to try and brush these poor things out. If you want a dog that looks like a purebred, just get a purebred, Klee Klai, Pomeranian, Siberian husky, Japanese Spitz! They are fantastic animals and going through a reputable breeder you are going to get the perfect temperament and the awesome genetics you are being promised. Not to mention there are more than 10 other pure bred dogs who are hypoallergenic.
Anyways my point is this; If you decide to get a rescue, I'm in your corner, cheering for your dog! He gets a second lease on life! You are there to help him to the right space in life.
Here's what I do to ensure you get a lifetime companion! What sets us apart from other breeders and is the difference between a real breeder (me) and a back yard in it for the profit breeder.
- Health testing before breeding and you receive a copy of both sire and dam when they go home with you.
- Removing dogs who don't qualify for our program (they stay as pets but don't breed in our program)
- SUPPORT- yes that means you can call me, text me, email me, facebook me, contact me anyway you need and ask me anything. Need me to send a record from our vet? Have a question about behaviour? Want to know if something is concerning- yes! Call me! bring your baby to me and let's work out some training that works for you and your puppy! Need contact information for a specific kind of trainer? Agility? Ring work? YES! We are here for you! Not just day 1, week 10 or 6 months from now. We are here for you for the lifetime of your puppy!
-Pedigree- I am proud to tell you how much work we went through to find dogs to add to our program. We look specifically for dogs who have no genetic issues. Dogs who have proper conformation. We only work with breeders who have the same goals in mind for the breed itself. It's incredibly important to us to continue breeding and keeping proper temperament for the perfect family dog.
- Removing dogs who don't qualify for our program (they stay as pets but don't breed in our program)
- SUPPORT- yes that means you can call me, text me, email me, facebook me, contact me anyway you need and ask me anything. Need me to send a record from our vet? Have a question about behaviour? Want to know if something is concerning- yes! Call me! bring your baby to me and let's work out some training that works for you and your puppy! Need contact information for a specific kind of trainer? Agility? Ring work? YES! We are here for you! Not just day 1, week 10 or 6 months from now. We are here for you for the lifetime of your puppy!
-Pedigree- I am proud to tell you how much work we went through to find dogs to add to our program. We look specifically for dogs who have no genetic issues. Dogs who have proper conformation. We only work with breeders who have the same goals in mind for the breed itself. It's incredibly important to us to continue breeding and keeping proper temperament for the perfect family dog.
-Mi Casa - Su Casa! My home is your puppies home for the first 8 weeks of their life! YES! I want you to come over and meet my dogs, decide if this really is the right breed for your lifestyle! Then when the puppies come, I want you to meet them! So yes, you are welcome to come to my home! (We do schedule times) **Due to CoVid19 this is no longer possible, however we encourage video calls!!
-I can tell you all of the other breeders in North America. I can recommend some really great ones too! I want you to see other dogs. I want you to want my dogs because you have met other dogs and know my dogs are the best! I know there is a convenience factor- the fact is we are the ONLY breeders in Western Canada. I can tell you how much we spent getting our dogs in from out of country. I can describe to you what my whelping kit looks like and how much we spent to ensure our dogs are not only perfectly healthy, but to ensure our puppies come into this world safely. I will also support your decision to go with another breeder. I am confident in what we bring to the table, we hope you see that too!
-Puppy back guarantee. Listen we know LIFE HAPPENS. I personally would never rent a place where I couldn't bring my dog. I wouldn't get a dog, knowing I am allergic. I wouldn't give up my dog just because I had a baby either. My dog is my life. However I accept that not everyone is like us. We definitely do not want to see any of our dogs end up in a rescue or in the puppy pound. Our guarantee ensures that for any reason, you have a plan B without judgement. (We will ask questions and see if there is a way for you to keep your dog, we'll work with you to at least try) You can bring your dog back to us and we will work to ensure training is up to date and we will find a new suitable home for them.
- I am not asking a million questions in our puppy questionnaire to annoy you- I am seriously weeding out people who are not serious. I am weeding out people who don't have the right intentions. I am looking for near perfect families who I know will love these dogs as much as we do.
- In saying that- you asking me questions makes me beam full of pride- Yes let me answer that for you! If I don't know the answer I will consult with my up-line breeders and see what their knowledge is, and if collectively we don't have the answer I will go to my veterinarian and make sure I can answer that question for you! I don't mind being asked questions at all! It's important to make sure you understand everything before getting a puppy!
- I am not asking a million questions in our puppy questionnaire to annoy you- I am seriously weeding out people who are not serious. I am weeding out people who don't have the right intentions. I am looking for near perfect families who I know will love these dogs as much as we do.
- In saying that- you asking me questions makes me beam full of pride- Yes let me answer that for you! If I don't know the answer I will consult with my up-line breeders and see what their knowledge is, and if collectively we don't have the answer I will go to my veterinarian and make sure I can answer that question for you! I don't mind being asked questions at all! It's important to make sure you understand everything before getting a puppy!
- FAMILY!!! You are family once you have one of our puppies. We have a dedicated facebook group where we arrange meetups and training sessions.
-Alberta Force Free Alliance, training. We believe the right foot to start training your new friend is using the force free methods. Japanese Spitz are VERY VERY VERY food motivated! They love to please! I don't want you calling a trainer not recommended by force free. Japanese Spitz do not need to be dominated in order to gain control of them. They need consistency, love and encouragement. You will be required to take a training session with AFFA PRIOR to buying a puppy from us! Once your training is complete and your puppy is paid for, we will be happy to refund the cost of the class for you! We believe in AFFA and we want to make a believer out of you too! **UPDATE: DUE TO CoVid19 this is not possible. we instead encourage you to do
independent research about positive reinforcement training.
- Pick of the litter- It's not what you think. I work very hard with my dogs to get to know their behaviours and personalities. I am going to pick your puppy for you and you need to trust me. I am not going to put a highly driven puppy with a sedentary older couple. Likewise I am not going to place a shy puppy with a family of 4 excitable children. I want to ensure after you have filled out your puppy questionnaire that I am placing a puppy with you that I know will suit you. We do have a wait list for litters. Sometimes that could mean your name gets moved up in queue because the puppy who is showing all the things you are looking for is finally here!
-UKC, FCI or CKC registration. Your puppy comes with their limited registration (it takes time, but it is mailed out to you a couple weeks after your dog goes home with you.) This will enable you to register your pup for all kinds of competitions that are held locally like the great Barn Hunt! Or Rally Obedience! Other fun competitions as well. As well you will be able to register in local kennel clubs too and compete with their events. Please know and understand "Papered" means "GUARANTEED!" GUARANTEED HEALTH, GUARANTEED SUPPORT! If something Genetic were to pop up we are there to support you and your decision. (This is outlined in our contract with you)
-Puppies come with their first set of vaccines, dewormed, microchipped and first physical health exam completed, a copy of this record will be provided to you.
Anything else? Just let us know, we're family <3
Anything else? Just let us know, we're family <3
A Post By Adventures of a Dog Mom
This may be one of my more controversial pieces, but please stay with me until the end and give it a chance. The “adopt don’t shop” movement is toxic. Yes, you read that correctly, but don’t crucify me yet. Hear me out. I am all for responsible rescues. I just think the movement needs more nuance. “Adopt don’t shop” needs to become “Adopt or shop, just do so responsibly”.
“Adopt don’t shop” pits two kinds of dog lovers against each other. It also lumps reputable breeders together with backyard breeders and puppy mills. If you truly love dogs, then you really cannot only be in favor of rescue. Reputable breeders do not allow their dogs to end up in rescue. They offer a lifetime of support and make it a contractual obligation that any dog bred by them is returned to them should the owner no longer be able to care for them. Only supporting rescue, and demonizing even the most reputable of breeders, essentially means that the only dogs you think people should own are ones bred either through irresponsible breeding practices or irresponsible ownership of intact dogs bought through the proxy of a rescue. If you truly love dogs, you should be demanding that we do better by them. You should want there to be more reputable breeders in the world. Reputable breeders make it their goal when breeding to not only preserve a breed’s original purpose, but to produce overall healthier and more conformationally and temperamentally sound dogs with predictable drive. Without reputable breeding, we’ll eventually run out of healthy and genetically predictable dogs to enjoy.
“Adopt don’t shop” also overlooks the crucial element that some people need dogs bred for specific jobs and they need to be able to reliably know that dog has the correct drive and health to do it which can’t be guaranteed in a shelter mix. For instance, even well bred service dog prospects often wash. Training a service dog is a lengthy and costly process, and the handler is often quite literally placing their life in the paws of their service dog. A handler would be taking a much larger risk in trying a puppy or even adult dog with an unknown past and genetic history. Other jobs that typically require a well bred dog from proven lines include: hunting, herding, livestock guardians, personal protection, search and rescue, or military/police work.
In addition to needing specific things out of a working dog, many people want a well bred dog as their companion. Arguably companionship is the largest purpose for dogs and for most people it is the most important, so why should we not want the best for our companions? We want our dogs to be with us for as long as possible, so we should want them to have the absolute best start in life. We should want them to come from generations of fully health tested parents in order to breed them away from common heritable health issues. We should want predictable temperaments and drive, so we know that the dog we are bringing into our home is a good fit for our lifestyle.
We will always need reputable rescues, but it is important to know that there are many reasons that someone would not want to bring an unknown mix with an unknown past into their home. Maybe it’s because they have small animals and aren’t willing to risk their lives on a rescue that may prove to have an extremely high prey drive or be small animal aggressive. Maybe it is because they have children and can’t be sure the rescue has the temperament needed to tolerate the specific behaviors often exhibited by small children. Maybe it is simply because they want the joy of raising a specific breed from a puppy and ensuring it has the absolute best start in life in terms of socialization and training.
The important thing to know is how to separate the reputable from the those who are not, as there are examples of both in both rescue and breeding. Knowing how to tell them apart makes a world of difference.
Know better for your dogs. Demand better for your dogs.
Adopt OR shop responsibly.
(Post inspired by a comment by Beret Walsh)