Talking with longtime Australian Shepherd breeder, Patti Herhold, who has almost four decades of experience and over 30+ litters of Aussies, we asked: “What is the one piece of advice you would give to someone interested in getting a puppy?” Her answer:
“BE PATIENT! Don’t be in a hurry. This is the biggest problem: everybody wants instant gratification right now. Please try to meet the breeder somewhat ahead of time. I have no problem with people who are even considering the breed, to come and meet some of the adults. I like to have them come out on a wet, muddy day if they want to really meet!”
And this is a sentiment we agree with as well as one shared by everyone we spoke to! Get to know your breeder. They are a wealth of knowledge. Especially if you want two puppies at the same time…NOT SO FAST!
Googling “I want two puppies NOW!” immediately queries cautionary advice sternly against it from multiple reliable sources! And as enticing as it might sound to have two miniature balls of furry goodness in your life at once (because what’s better than one puppy but two puppies) all the experts say otherwise!
Nancy Melone, PhD, owner of ThornCreek Bernese and Eendenkoi Kooikers (say it fast!) emphatically says: “NOPE! Raising one puppy takes a lot of time. Raising two at the same time would result in the two puppies bonding with each other rather than the owner. It would cheat both puppies from getting sufficient, individualized socialization that makes for a well-tempered and behaved family member.”
As it turns out, according to the APPA, 23% of households with dogs have more than one dog. Pet ownership is a long term commitment and we certainly understand the desire to want more than one? But getting two puppies at the same time is not the recommended dose by anyone we spoke to.
And any reputable dog professional would share this opinion. But how do you, as a prospective new puppy owner, sift through all the online noise to find the right breed for you and a reliable breeder that is going to help you through the process? Believe it or not, all of our panel is adamantly against finding your puppy online. That does not mean you can’t educate yourself, meet breeders, ask questions, learn about the breed, etc. But perhaps that can be part of the first step of the process into understanding what’s important when choosing a puppy. The one thing that we noticed with everyone we spoke with, was the importance placed on learning about the breed you are interested in. In effect, becoming an educated consumer will benefit you greatly. And as mentioned, Patti Herhold emphasized, patience is key. Look to local chapters of breed specialties. If it is Aussies you are interested in, you can start at the United States Australian Shepherd Association.
When we discussed this topic with David and Rhoda Hartmann, two longtime devoted advocates and experts in the Newfoundland community, their advice was crystal clear. Join chapters of local and national clubs representing the breed you are interested in. Get a mentor, someone that can teach you about the breed. Learn if the breed you are looking at is the right breed for you. If you like Newfoundlands like Dr. Hartmann and his wife, look no further than the Penn-Ohio Newfoundland Club.
While this seems to be obvious to some, most of us fall in love with a breed because of how they look never taking the time to truly understand their specific needs. Every breed is different and having a grasp on the breed requirements when it comes to what they eat, how much exercise they require, etc., will set you and your new puppy up for success. Simply going by what you think is cute will make your task of selecting the proper breed for your lifestyle a lot harder, because, let’s face it! Puppies are CUTE!!!
How to select a breeder-how will I know?
Selecting the right breeder is the first step in this monumental decision. And breeders are the gateway to helping us select our newest family member! And if you are looking for a sweet talking, beautiful website to persuade you to write a big check, the internet is long on these:
think www.theperfectpuppytotallytrained.com and see your hard earned money go down the drain and the likelihood of getting ghosted by your breeder almost guaranteed.
Dr. Hartmann states:
“…nowadays social media has enabled an awful lot of disreputable or sketchy people to represent themselves as being high class quality breeders. “
So how can you avoid this? For starters, you can take the advice of our panel. Join clubs specific to the breeds that interest you. Check out the AKC site to see most breeds in one place to start your journey. The AKC is a great resource as a first step. They even have a page on their website dedicated to finding breed specific clubs. This is definitely a great place to start your research. To make things a little bit easier for you, when you actually get to meet a potential breeder that you are thinking about doing business with, they will be doing much of the work.
So while you are interviewing them, they are definitely interviewing you! Nancy Melone, when asked if she ever refused to match a potential owner with one of her puppies, her answer was very telling:
“ Yes. If I am uncomfortable with a prospective puppy client I will not risk placing my puppy with them…Typically, I have lists of people who want puppies from me so I can be choosey. I also interact with my puppy clients well before I breed a litter…My relationship with my clients extends for the life of the puppy and often beyond. I want them to feel comfortable asking me for help. Some puppy buyers do not want a relationship, and it is better that we find that out early in the game.”
Bingo! That’s how you know. A good breeder has equity in their puppies. The breeders we spoke to reminded us that breeding puppies is not a money making proposition and they are lucky to break even. But they all had very specific parameters for the type of home they are looking for to place their puppies. In the case of Patti Herhold, she is well aware of the physical demands that an Aussie has and she shared a story with us about a potential client:
“… one time there was a woman who was physically not going to be able to care for an Australian Shepherd. I was thankful to her for being honest with me that she had a chronic fatigue condition and she was barely able to leave her home. After talking this through with her she agreed with me by the end of the interview. After she came over to meet the dogs, she realized that was not the breed for her. “
In both cases, both Patti and Nancy are serious breeders that put bloodline integrity and placement over making a quick buck. That is the type of breeder you should be looking for!
And like Patti Herhold and Nancy Melone, the Hartmanns echoed their own devotion to the breed and its inherent reason to be:
“…we got involved and did confirmation. We started doing water work with the dogs. We did obedience work, we did draft work, we did public work. We appeared at educational forums, parades and anything that would give the public some insight into the breed. We were involved remotely with rescue. And we are active in our national and local Newfoundland Dog Club.”
And we learned that Dr. Hartmann has been President in the past and is currently the Treasurer for a very, very long time.
Socialize, Socialize, Socialize!
If you do your homework and you are lucky enough to find the dog of your dreams, you are just getting started. You have a match made in heaven with your new found “breeder friend” . You are on a first name basis with the UPS driver that brings your Chewy.com deliveries and you are studying enrollment schedules for Advanced Agility and Therapy Dog certification. Put the breaks on and follow the advice for the professionals!
Bringing home a new puppy is a big, big deal. Your breeder wants you to succeed. Nancy Melone offered this:
“Socialize, socialize, socialize. I can produce a happy, healthy puppy for you, but poor socialization and a lack of training can ruin it all.”
There are also other considerations that you must keep in mind when you are thinking about getting a puppy. The cost! Feeding, training, grooming, medical, etc. And the bigger the dog, the more the cost.
Do you want a large dog? Dr. Hartmann reminds us:
“…the medical costs of having a giant breed is very high. One of the things I would counsel any prospective buyer is to get health insurance for their dog. With any of the breeds and certainly with Newfoundlands, the decision whether to repair an ACL for a couple of thousand dollars or to euthanize a dog for a couple of $100 is just a decision that no one should have to make and health insurance to some extent, minimizes that need…
I think, the service that you provide with Pets After Dark is a wonderful thing for people as a resource. I know there have been nights that we could have used your service as well.”
Thank you Dr. Hartmann for the kind words!
Breeding doesn’t end when the puppies are born. That is the time that real work begins. And what we heard from each of these breeders is that they are in it for the long haul. If a family adopting one of their puppies is unable to continue to care for their dog, the breeders all agreed that they will re-take possession. In other words, they stand by their puppies.
Every serious breeder has a mentor when they enter the hobby. They all remain passionate and devoted to their breed and are continually learning . They stay true to the demands of the breed and who will make the best caretakers for their puppies. None of them are in it for the money and all of them exhibit an obvious commitment to the breed standard and carrying on the breed intention through responsible bloodline management and breeding practices, education and of course, compatible placements with pet parents.
Dr. Caroline Simard-Swimmer , Medical Director and Co-Founder, Pets After Dark
Howard Swimmer, Co-Founder, Pets After Dark
