The Ethical Breeder
Managing Expectations
Choosing to purchase your next puppy, instead of adopting from a rescue or shelter, is a personal and sometimes difficult decision. Obviously, we breeders fully support the choice to purchase a puppy, but there will always be a place for responsible rescue within the dog community.
Before you can choose your breeder, you need to decide on a breed of dog! When deciding on your next breed, it is important to do some research on the range of expected personality, inherent traits, and physical characteristics expected within that individual breed. For Icelandic Sheepdogs, we encourage people to meet that breed and chat with owners to discuss common challenges and favorite aspects of their dogs. Icelandic Sheepdog puppy owners should be ready for a confident and outgoing, sometimes emotional and impulsive, occasionally loud, always happy, medium-sized, active Spitz!
An ethical breeder does not always look the same in every breed, and no two breeders will be exactly alike. For me, personally, being an ethical breeder means a number of things:
Proper health testing of breeding dogs to make the best possible decisions I can with each pairing
Including genetic diversity, temperament, health, and structure in my breeding analyses since all are important to help produce the best dogs I can
Having clear goals for each litter and being able to explain why I have chosen the pairing I did
Puppy raising that centers on a well-rounded foundation for new owners – engagement, crating, potty training, sociability, dog manners, etc
A lifetime of support for my puppy owners, as well as support for other breeders and puppy owners who do not have a puppy from me
Notice that nowhere in this list is it stated that I will produce only “perfect” dogs. As breeders we do our best to make educated decisions with the best outcome in mind, but when dealing with living, breathing things we do not actually have full control of the outcome. Getting ANY dog is a gamble but choosing an ethical breeder and purebred dog is effectively stacking the deck in your favor - we hope for healthy dogs for years to come, with predictable temperament and structure/type. However, each dog is an individual with his or her own personality and genetic make-up. We cannot guarantee that dogs will not develop issues as they grow and change, but we CAN support you through that process and do our best to offer guidance and assistance wherever possible. We make educated guesses on who our puppies will become, but also cannot guarantee “show quality” or “sport” dogs.
Each dog is a bundle of potential, and that potential can change as the puppy grows and develops. Unique experiences and environment helps shape their personality in addition to individual genetic make-up; prospects are only prospects and what a dog enjoys down the road or is successful at can only be determined with time!
I encourage each new puppy owner to be prepared to adjust their expectations and goals and really just focus on loving the dog in front of you as he/she shows you their personality, what they enjoy, and who they are. Sometimes we find ourselves pursuing avenues we never thought we would! It’s all worth it in the end to see the joy your dog experiences while doing things they love with you as you continue to grow your relationship. Ultimately the only guarantee with an investment in an ethically bred, purebred dog is your own little piece of history – pedigrees that have been tracked and monitored for years – and, ideally, a supportive relationship with your breeder.
