Before you decide to purchase a puppy, ask yourself some questions and consider the following.  

• Can you resist buying the first cute puppy you see on impulse?  

• Are you prepared to make a commitment to a dog for the next 10 - 15 years?

• Full responsibility for a dog is not a job for children, it requires responsible adult supervision. 

• The commitment is not a small one, training a Siberian Husky to be a pleasant companion requires considerable time and patience. Siberians don't become well behaved all by themselves!  They require substantial attention and exercise throughout their lives, they are active and social animals and don't do well if stuck in the backyard and forgotten. 

• Do you have an appropriate environment for a puppy and are you willing to live with puppy mistakes............digging & chewing? 

• Do you have secure, adequate fencing for the adult dog?

• Are you willing to spend the money it takes to provide appropriate care, including quality food and supplies, annual vaccines, heartworm/intestinal worm prevention, emergency veterinary care and spaying or neutering?

• Are you willing to wait for the right puppy from the responsible breeder of your choice? Remember, finding the best puppy for you is well worth the wait.  

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BUY A WELL BRED DOG FROM A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER

• Responsible breeders take care to produce healthy, typical Siberian Huskies with good temperaments.  Don't bargain hunt!! Avoid buying a puppy from a pet store or a puppy farm.  Often these puppies come from poor breeding, may have been kept in poor conditions with inadequate socialisation, and are sometimes more expensive than puppies purchased from an ethical, responsible breeder.

• Responsible breeders do all they can to avoid producing serious problems, including aggressive or shy temperaments, hereditary health defects such as hip problems or early blindness from hereditary eye diseases.  Remember that "Pedigree Papers" are not an indication of quality in the dog.  They only mean that the dog's parents were Pedigree Registered.  

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HOW DO I KNOW A BREEDER IS RESPONSIBLE?

Look for a breeder who:

• Is knowledgeable about the breed.  Most responsible Siberian breeders continually test the results of their breeding programs by participating in conformation shows, obedience trials, or sled racing. 

• Is knowledgeable about raising puppies.  Even puppies with the best hereditary temperaments can exhibit behavioral problems if they are not socialised sufficiently or if they are removed from their dam and littermates before eight weeks of age.  Socialisation done by the breeder should include ensuring that each pup receives frequent human attention, is handled frequently, and is exposed to a wide variety of noises and experiences. 

• Takes steps to keep the puppies as healthy as possible.  Before puppies go to their new homes, they should have been wormed and should have received their first vaccinations.

• Takes steps to prevent occurrence of hereditary defects in the puppies.  Both parents should have hip clearances from the AVA (Australian Veterinarian Association).  Both parents should have current eye clearances from a  Veterinary Ophthalmologists.  Eye exams must be performed every year.  Be sure to ask about health clearances, responsible breeders will be happy to tell you about them and will honestly discuss problems that might occur in the parents' lines.  Avoid breeders that tell you their dogs don't need health clearances because they've never had a problem, or those who tell you that their "vet said the dog was OK".  Remember that clearances on the parents don't guarantee that the puppies will be free of problems, but your chances of buying a healthy puppy are greatly improved if the parents have been cleared.

• Does not breed bitches every time they come in season.  This is extremely hard on the bitch and may indicate that profit is the breeder's primary motive. 

• Chooses breeding carefully.  Ask why the particular sire was chosen. The answer should be thoughtful and knowledgeable.   Answers such as "because he lives close to me" or "because he's such a cute dog" generally don't indicate a breeding that is being done to produce puppies that are better than their parents (the goal of every responsible breeder).  

• Lets you meet the parents of the puppies.  Bitches may be sent long distances to stud dogs, but the breeder should be able to show you photographs of the sire and answer questions about him.

• Evaluates puppy temperaments and helps you choose the puppy that is best suited to your lifestyle.   A very active puppy won't do well in a sedate environment and a quiet puppy may be overwhelmed in an active household.  Remember that most breedings are done so the breeder can choose a puppy to carry on his or her own lines, so you may have to wait until this choice is made when the pups are 7-8 weeks old.  After that, the breeder can help you decide which pup would be most suitable for you.  The breeder has spent extensive time with the litter and knows the puppies best, so their advice is important. 

• Will be willing to take the dog back at any time if you cannot keep it.  Responsible breeders DO NOT want their puppies to end up in an animal shelter or in a LESS THAN IDEAL HOME.

• Is someone you feel comfortable with.  You may not be an expert on Siberian Huskies, but you do know about people.  Use your intuition. The breeder should be available for the life of the dog to answer questions, so this could be a long-term relationship.  If you don't trust a person, don't buy a dog from them. 

• Will provide appropriate documentation with the puppy, including registration papers and a health record. 

• Is concerned about your future plans for the puppy, particularly whether you're thinking of breeding the dog.  Many responsible breeders sell "pet quality" puppies with mandatory spay / neuter contracts and/or Limited Registration (meaning that offspring of the dog cannot be registered). This is a good indication that the breeder cares enough about the breed to ensure that only the very best representatives of the breed are bred from.  Some breeders may be willing to change Limited registration to a Full registration if you present the dog to them after maturity, having had all its health clearances. If the breeder thinks the dog is of good quality and temperament, they may change the registration and help you with the selection of a good stud dog. Only the dog's breeder can make this change.  

• Is checking you out too? A responsible breeder will ask you questions about you and your home to ensure you are suitable for one of their Siberian Husky puppies? They will take time with you and show a real interest in you and your questions? The breeder wants their puppy placed in loving, responsible home. They are careful about who buys their puppies, so as the new owner, prepare yourself for some questions from the breeder.  Don't expect a responsible breeder to sell you a Siberian Husky puppy over the internet just because you say you want one!

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HOW DO I FIND A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER?

• First, educate yourself.  Read books on the breed.  Attend dog shows and talk to the Siberian Husky exhibitors.  Be willing to spend some time on the phone, talking to breeders and looking for referrals.  Most responsible breeders will have a list of puppy buyers before they do a breeding and usually don't have to advertise in the newspaper.

• Please remember that the great majority of  breeders are hobby breeders. They are not "in business", breeding is not their profession, and very few of them make money on their dogs.  

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