ETHICAL DOG BREEDERS

Why Ethical Dog Breeders Are The Best Way To Find Your Next Furry Family Member

When you’re searching for a new furry friend to join your family, it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of looking through adorable photos and buying cute little collars, toys and treats, so you might not be considering where your new best friend is going to come from. There are so many puppies available for purchase and adoption on the internet; you might be tempted to pick the cheapest, easiest option and go from there. At Puppies Downunder, we have 45 years of experience breeding, raising, and training dogs, so we understand how much better ethical breeding practices are for the dogs and their new families. We encourage people to do their research and seek out ethical dog breeders when buying a puppy, and we’re here to help you find the right ethical breeder for you.

What’s The Difference Between Ethical Dog Breeders And Other Puppy Breeders?

If you want to avoid buying from unethical breeders or puppy farms, you’ll need to know how they differ from ethical dog breeders.

Puppy farms are, first and foremost, a business. At the end of the day, puppy farms care about profits, and they tend to ignore the welfare and needs of the dogs if it means improving their bottom line. They aim to save money on food, health care, and living conditions and the dogs are often deprived of love and attention. These breeders will give puppies over to the highest bidder with no regard for the dog’s well-being. At Puppies Downunder, the health and well-being of our dogs and puppies is our number one priority, and we go above and beyond to make sure each is placed with a caring, responsible family.
They won’t let you see the facilities. Unethical breeders have something to hide. They won’t let you visit their facilities or meet the parent dogs. This is a huge red flag, and you definitely shouldn’t ignore it.
Puppy farms have few endorsements. You won’t see any acclaimed government or independent bodies giving their approval on puppy farms. In fact, most puppy farms operate illegally, and their actions may be considered abusive.
Puppy farms make no guarantees about health or genetics. Due to unethical breeding practices, puppy farms have little regard for the puppies’ health after leaving their breeding facilities. As a result, if the puppy has a genetic disease or other health issues, the breeder won’t care to disclose it.

How To Tell If A Breeder Is Ethical

There are a few hallmarks of ethical dog breeders to keep an eye out for if buying a puppy ethically is important to you.

They won’t let the puppies go early. Ethical breeders won’t let the puppies be separated from the mother before eight weeks of age. At Puppies Downunder, we wait until our puppies are ten weeks old so they can take advantage of valuable socialisation time and have a chance to transition to solid foods before joining their new families.
Ethical dog breeders provide accurate health records. Your breeder should provide you with the puppy’s genetic medical testing, microchip information, health check record, vaccination record, and parasite prevention schedule.
They should ask you plenty of questions. Ethical breeders are very selective when choosing families for their puppies, so they’ll ask you questions about your home, family, and lifestyle to ensure you’re the right fit for the puppy and the puppy is the right fit for you.
Ethical dog breeders have plenty of experience. The most ethical breeders will have a long history of working with animals, and they often specialise with specific breeds. At Puppies Downunder, we have 45 years of experience breeding, raising, and training dogs of all breeds, but we focus on poodle cross or -oodle breeds.
Ethical breeders aim to give puppies the best possible start to life. As a breeder understands the puppy’s needs, they should do everything possible to provide them with the best start. For example, Puppies Downunder provides a few essentials to help our puppies settle into their new home, including biscuits, a collar, lead, bowl, toy, and six weeks of free pet insurance.
They don’t let the puppies go to just anyone. The highest bidder isn’t necessarily the one who’ll get the puppy when you head to an ethical breeder. Instead, they carefully choose the family with the right lifestyle and environment for that individual puppy’s temperament. Sometimes, ethical breeders have a waiting list of pre-approved buyers, so if you’d like a specific breed, give them a call and add your name to the list.
Ethical dog breeders are transparent. Unethical breeders are very reluctant to answer certain questions. They also sometimes lie or embellish the truth to get the most money from you. You should be able to ask questions and receive clear, informative answers about the puppy’s temperament, health, lineage, age, and training.
Ethical dog breeders have endorsements from reputable organisations. Look out for breeders endorsed by respectable government and independent bodies. For example, at Puppies Downunder, we’re proud to say our facility has been approved by the Minister for Agriculture, the Chief Veterinary Office of Victoria, and the RSPCA, and we strive to maintain ongoing compliance with the Code of Practice for the Operation of Breeding and Rearing Business 2018.
They should offer after-sale support. Ethical breeders care about the well-being of their puppies, so they will usually offer after-sale support to make sure the puppy is happy and healthy. Puppies Downunder provides support to families throughout the lives of the dogs, so we’re here every step of the way.
You should be allowed to see the facility/breeding area. A good ethical breeder encourages customers to come and see the facilities, meet the parent dogs, and see the puppies in person. At Puppies Downunder, we love welcoming our customers to see our state-of-the-art facilities, but we also understand that not everyone can visit. That’s why we maintain total transparency online, posting plenty of information and photos of our facilities and our dogs.

Why Choose Puppies Downunder?

There are a few reasons why more people choose Puppies Downunder when they’re looking to expand their family by one four-legged member.

We genuinely care. Our core values ensure we provide enrichment, love, and care for all our animals and their health and wellbeing is our first priority. Animals are our passion, and our care for them extends long beyond their sale. We spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week with our animals, and they’re never left alone or neglected.
We have extensive experience. We’re experts in our field, and we have over 45 years of experience working with dogs and puppies. Our 15 employees are all well-trained and experienced, and they’re entirely devoted to the well-being and quality of life of our animals.
You’re never on your own. We provide lifelong support for the families of our puppies, so we’re there for you every step of the way. If you have any issues or questions throughout your dogs’ life, we’ll be here to help.
We carefully select the parent dogs. We take great pride in ensuring that our puppies are suitable for all kinds of families, so we carefully choose parent dogs that allow us to minimise the risk of genetic diseases and behavioural issues. Each dog has a few litters only before being retired and adopted by our staff or a trusted, reliable family.

If You’re Looking For Ethical Dog Breeders, Puppies Downunder Are Here To Help

At Puppies Downunder, the health and wellbeing of our animals is our highest priority. Dogs are our passion, and we dedicate 24 hours a day, seven days a week to their care. We’re the experts in our field, and with over 45 years of experience in breeding, raising, and training dogs, you can rest assured that your puppy is coming from a place dedicated to its enrichment and care. We’re proud to say that Puppies Downunder is one of the only commercial dog breeders approved by the Minister for Agriculture due to our immensely high professionalism and ethical behaviour standards. In fact, we have the highest ethical standards of any dog breeder globally. We offer lifetime support for families adopting puppies from our facility, so you can always feel confident knowing we’re here for you. If you’re looking for ethical dog breeders, get in touch with the team at Puppies Downunder today.