Where to Buy
One day, a young lady decides that she is going to get another puppy. She had been successfully training and raising and exercising her rescue dog, and thought she would live out her lifelong dream of having a Siberian Husky.
She does all the right things to start with. She does her research, learns about the breed and talks about it with her husband to make sure the breed is right for them. She prepares her home for the arrival of a new puppy, contacts a few breeders and interviews them to see what they’re all about. In her excitement, she decides upon a breeder who has puppies on the ground, and is within an hour’s driving distance of her house. The breeder sounds nice, and the puppies are cute. They are not CKC registered, but the young lady does not want to breed or show, so that doesn’t matter right?
The puppies cost only $700, which seems like a steal of a deal for a purebred dog! She visits the home of the breeder, checks out the premises (they look clean) and meets all the dogs on the property. These seem like good signs to her. The puppies are with their littermates, but not their mother. She picks out her own puppy, gets a receipt and copies of vaccination records and pays her $700. She heads home happy as a clam with her new baby husky girl in tow.
At first it is all bliss. The puppy takes a while to house train, but that is not uncommon right? She still has occasional accidents almost a year later though, is that normal? And despite the fact that she’s mostly a submissive dog, other dogs sometimes get mad at her for seemingly no reason… what’s that about?
The young lady in the story was me. And that puppy that I bought? My girl Izzie. Izzie was not fully housetrained until she was over a year and a half old, as she was separated from her mother too early, so she didn’t learn not to soil her "den". She still has to sleep in a crate at night to this day to avoid accidents. In comparison, Misti (who lived outside her whole life before coming to live with me) was fully house trained only two weeks after I brought her home at 7 months of age, and has not had a single accident since. Izzie also does not know how to communicate with other dogs, likely another result of her separation from her mother at an early age, which is why dogs sometimes get mad at her for seemingly no reason. The most worrisome thing of all, is knowing that this puppy's parents were not health tested. She could develop Hip Dysplasia, Juvenile Cataracts or Progressive Retinal Atrophy. She could have Epilepsy. She can only run on our sled team for very short distances and is not a very strong puller because she was not bred in accordance with the breed standard.
I don't think that the lady who bred Izzie was a heartless person just looking for money. Maybe she was- I don't know. The only thing that I know, is that I live in constant fear that my beloved, sweet Izzie is going to end up with some horrible genetic illness. I know that she is a pain in the butt because she still poops on the floor if I don't keep her in her crate at night (which I hate to do). She even causes dog fights with other dogs because she doesn't know how to show submission. I know that she may never be able to be a successful sled dog because I don't want to push her to the point of breakdown.
I also know that if any of these things did happen, the breeder had no health guarantee to provide for my medical expenses, and she would not be there to offer me emotional support if Izzie came down with epilepsy and had to be euthanized tomorrow. I couldn't even reach the breeder a week after her sale.
Everyone makes mistakes. The moral of the story here is don't make mine! A puppy mill, pet store or backyard breeder puppy (like Izzie) is not worth the heartache.
So how do you know if you're dealing with a reputable breeder? Puppy mills are easy to spot, and most people know enough now to stay away from them, but what about those backyard breeders? How do you separate the good breeders from the chaff?
1) Watch out for sellers who are charging more for certain puppies based on eye or coat color, or even for those who put an emphasis on eye or coat color. A Siberian is the same whether it's black, red or grey (green might be a problem), and it doesn't matter whether it's eyes are blue or brown or amber! Blue eyes (or any color or color combination for that matter) should never be more expensive. Which brings me to my second point-
2) The breeder should place an emphasis on health, temperament and structure, rather than on color or markings. A gorgeous, full coated, black and white, blue-eyed dog that bites, or can't run, or has seizures, is way more of a concern to a good breeder than a plain looking grey dog with brown eyes, and it should be to you too. Would you want that biting dog around your kids, regardless of his beauty?
3) Look for a breeder that performs health testing; if the breeders are performing the required tests, they will often post results or links to the results on their webpages. They should be able to produce the health certificates of the sire and dam on demand.
4) A reputable breeder rates puppies as "pet" or "show" as per the breed standard, and will almost always require pet puppies to be spayed or neutered. Do not let this fool you into thinking that pet puppies are inferior. They may have some small superficial problem like a slightly too curly tail or a structural issue that sounds like gobbledegook, such as steep shoulder angle, short upper arm or wide rear tracking. This doesn't make a pet puppy a bad puppy; usually the opposite! A pet puppy will likely have a calmer, easier temperament, since a winning show dog is usually a little high strung! But good breeders are sticklers for the qualities as set out in the breed standard that make the breed what it is, and only those puppies that are as close to the breed standard as possible should be bred. When you buy from a breeder who makes this distiction, you will know that your pet puppy came from the most structurally and temperamentally sound parents as possible.
5) Finally, a reputable breeder should be doing something with her dogs other than breeding, whether it be conformation showing, obedience trials, sledding or carting, agility, field trials, hunting or any of the many other activities one can do with his or her dogs. Dogs should be bred for a purpose, and that purpose should NOT be MONEY.
So when you've found a breeder that meets all of the criteria, what are you getting for your buck?
1) A reputable breeder offers a puppy whose parents have been screened for genetic health defects, so you can be reasonably sure that those problems will be unlikely to pop up. HEALTH TESTING IS NOT JUST FOR SHOW DOGS. And since genetics is never 100%, the breeder has a health guarantee that will help you deal with the problems, whether that's getting a replacement puppy, or helping you cover the medical expenses if those problems do pop up.
2) They will not place an inappropriate puppy or dog with you, but will work to get to know you and your needs and match you with the right dog.
3) The puppy will be CANADIAN Kennel Club registered (or American Kennel Club registered if from the United States). This is the only real way you can be sure that you are getting the purebred dog that you are paying for. There are other registries out there, such as the Continental Kennel Club (which also uses the acronym CKC, so be careful that you see CANADIAN Kennel Club on the registration papers when you visit the breeder!) or the World Kennel Club. These registries are NOT official, and anyone can register a dog by sending in a picture that looks remotely like that breed. Even puppy mills that are out to make a little more money can use these registries to deceive buyers. DO NOT accept any registration besides Canadian Kennel Club (if purchasing in Canada) or American Kennel Club (if perchasing in the United States) as proof that the puppy is purebred.
4) They will offer you support and guidance in any issues that might come up, whether that's your puppy's first heat, showing your dog, running your dog, training your dog, dealing with health problems, or -God forbid- your puppy's untimely death. This alone is worth the couple extra hundred dollars, and the wait for the right puppy to come along. What you're really paying for is a relationship that can last a lifetime!
One more word of caution: There are a number of backyard-type breeders of Siberians in Alberta (and all over Canada). These breeders are very good at convincing unsuspecting buyers to buy their puppies, and some even play on the sympathies of the pet-buyers in order to make the sale. I have even heard some people say "I knew that puppy would have a horrible life if I didn't take him home; that person/place/situation was so awful!" I can understand the temptation to "rescue" that puppy, but the fact of the matter is that if we continue to buy puppies from these people, they will continue to produce them. Just like a puppy mill, buying a puppy from these people for this specific reason will perpetuate their unethical methods, not stop them.
If you are looking for a purebred dog, buy from a reputable breeder. If you don't need or want a purebred dog, visit your local rescue or shelter. If what you want is a Siberian, please do your research and ensure that you are buying from a reputable breeder.
Buy from a reputable breeder; you will not regret your choice.
She does all the right things to start with. She does her research, learns about the breed and talks about it with her husband to make sure the breed is right for them. She prepares her home for the arrival of a new puppy, contacts a few breeders and interviews them to see what they’re all about. In her excitement, she decides upon a breeder who has puppies on the ground, and is within an hour’s driving distance of her house. The breeder sounds nice, and the puppies are cute. They are not CKC registered, but the young lady does not want to breed or show, so that doesn’t matter right?
The puppies cost only $700, which seems like a steal of a deal for a purebred dog! She visits the home of the breeder, checks out the premises (they look clean) and meets all the dogs on the property. These seem like good signs to her. The puppies are with their littermates, but not their mother. She picks out her own puppy, gets a receipt and copies of vaccination records and pays her $700. She heads home happy as a clam with her new baby husky girl in tow.
At first it is all bliss. The puppy takes a while to house train, but that is not uncommon right? She still has occasional accidents almost a year later though, is that normal? And despite the fact that she’s mostly a submissive dog, other dogs sometimes get mad at her for seemingly no reason… what’s that about?
The young lady in the story was me. And that puppy that I bought? My girl Izzie. Izzie was not fully housetrained until she was over a year and a half old, as she was separated from her mother too early, so she didn’t learn not to soil her "den". She still has to sleep in a crate at night to this day to avoid accidents. In comparison, Misti (who lived outside her whole life before coming to live with me) was fully house trained only two weeks after I brought her home at 7 months of age, and has not had a single accident since. Izzie also does not know how to communicate with other dogs, likely another result of her separation from her mother at an early age, which is why dogs sometimes get mad at her for seemingly no reason. The most worrisome thing of all, is knowing that this puppy's parents were not health tested. She could develop Hip Dysplasia, Juvenile Cataracts or Progressive Retinal Atrophy. She could have Epilepsy. She can only run on our sled team for very short distances and is not a very strong puller because she was not bred in accordance with the breed standard.
I don't think that the lady who bred Izzie was a heartless person just looking for money. Maybe she was- I don't know. The only thing that I know, is that I live in constant fear that my beloved, sweet Izzie is going to end up with some horrible genetic illness. I know that she is a pain in the butt because she still poops on the floor if I don't keep her in her crate at night (which I hate to do). She even causes dog fights with other dogs because she doesn't know how to show submission. I know that she may never be able to be a successful sled dog because I don't want to push her to the point of breakdown.
I also know that if any of these things did happen, the breeder had no health guarantee to provide for my medical expenses, and she would not be there to offer me emotional support if Izzie came down with epilepsy and had to be euthanized tomorrow. I couldn't even reach the breeder a week after her sale.
Everyone makes mistakes. The moral of the story here is don't make mine! A puppy mill, pet store or backyard breeder puppy (like Izzie) is not worth the heartache.
So how do you know if you're dealing with a reputable breeder? Puppy mills are easy to spot, and most people know enough now to stay away from them, but what about those backyard breeders? How do you separate the good breeders from the chaff?
1) Watch out for sellers who are charging more for certain puppies based on eye or coat color, or even for those who put an emphasis on eye or coat color. A Siberian is the same whether it's black, red or grey (green might be a problem), and it doesn't matter whether it's eyes are blue or brown or amber! Blue eyes (or any color or color combination for that matter) should never be more expensive. Which brings me to my second point-
2) The breeder should place an emphasis on health, temperament and structure, rather than on color or markings. A gorgeous, full coated, black and white, blue-eyed dog that bites, or can't run, or has seizures, is way more of a concern to a good breeder than a plain looking grey dog with brown eyes, and it should be to you too. Would you want that biting dog around your kids, regardless of his beauty?
3) Look for a breeder that performs health testing; if the breeders are performing the required tests, they will often post results or links to the results on their webpages. They should be able to produce the health certificates of the sire and dam on demand.
4) A reputable breeder rates puppies as "pet" or "show" as per the breed standard, and will almost always require pet puppies to be spayed or neutered. Do not let this fool you into thinking that pet puppies are inferior. They may have some small superficial problem like a slightly too curly tail or a structural issue that sounds like gobbledegook, such as steep shoulder angle, short upper arm or wide rear tracking. This doesn't make a pet puppy a bad puppy; usually the opposite! A pet puppy will likely have a calmer, easier temperament, since a winning show dog is usually a little high strung! But good breeders are sticklers for the qualities as set out in the breed standard that make the breed what it is, and only those puppies that are as close to the breed standard as possible should be bred. When you buy from a breeder who makes this distiction, you will know that your pet puppy came from the most structurally and temperamentally sound parents as possible.
5) Finally, a reputable breeder should be doing something with her dogs other than breeding, whether it be conformation showing, obedience trials, sledding or carting, agility, field trials, hunting or any of the many other activities one can do with his or her dogs. Dogs should be bred for a purpose, and that purpose should NOT be MONEY.
So when you've found a breeder that meets all of the criteria, what are you getting for your buck?
1) A reputable breeder offers a puppy whose parents have been screened for genetic health defects, so you can be reasonably sure that those problems will be unlikely to pop up. HEALTH TESTING IS NOT JUST FOR SHOW DOGS. And since genetics is never 100%, the breeder has a health guarantee that will help you deal with the problems, whether that's getting a replacement puppy, or helping you cover the medical expenses if those problems do pop up.
2) They will not place an inappropriate puppy or dog with you, but will work to get to know you and your needs and match you with the right dog.
3) The puppy will be CANADIAN Kennel Club registered (or American Kennel Club registered if from the United States). This is the only real way you can be sure that you are getting the purebred dog that you are paying for. There are other registries out there, such as the Continental Kennel Club (which also uses the acronym CKC, so be careful that you see CANADIAN Kennel Club on the registration papers when you visit the breeder!) or the World Kennel Club. These registries are NOT official, and anyone can register a dog by sending in a picture that looks remotely like that breed. Even puppy mills that are out to make a little more money can use these registries to deceive buyers. DO NOT accept any registration besides Canadian Kennel Club (if purchasing in Canada) or American Kennel Club (if perchasing in the United States) as proof that the puppy is purebred.
4) They will offer you support and guidance in any issues that might come up, whether that's your puppy's first heat, showing your dog, running your dog, training your dog, dealing with health problems, or -God forbid- your puppy's untimely death. This alone is worth the couple extra hundred dollars, and the wait for the right puppy to come along. What you're really paying for is a relationship that can last a lifetime!
One more word of caution: There are a number of backyard-type breeders of Siberians in Alberta (and all over Canada). These breeders are very good at convincing unsuspecting buyers to buy their puppies, and some even play on the sympathies of the pet-buyers in order to make the sale. I have even heard some people say "I knew that puppy would have a horrible life if I didn't take him home; that person/place/situation was so awful!" I can understand the temptation to "rescue" that puppy, but the fact of the matter is that if we continue to buy puppies from these people, they will continue to produce them. Just like a puppy mill, buying a puppy from these people for this specific reason will perpetuate their unethical methods, not stop them.
If you are looking for a purebred dog, buy from a reputable breeder. If you don't need or want a purebred dog, visit your local rescue or shelter. If what you want is a Siberian, please do your research and ensure that you are buying from a reputable breeder.
Buy from a reputable breeder; you will not regret your choice.