15/08/2025
This is a good article written by another border collie breeder. Buying from a responsible breeder is all so very important. Ask to visit. Check out the breeders facilities by zoom if you can't physically get there, ask questions. Make sure the dogs are living a good life out of a cage. Breeders do need some form of pen to keep dogs separated at certain times but are the pens used 24/7 or just at certain times of day ie night time, when dogs are on heat, medical reasons etc. Do your homework people. The cheapest part to owning a dog is usually the purchase price. As the saying goes 'you get what you pay for'
I'm going to have the uncomfortable conversation with you regarding the current puppy market.
When Covid hit, there was what we could term "panic" puppy buying. Due to the increase in demand, some breeders increased their prices dramatically & the public were happy to pay high prices to obtain a puppy NOW. The increase in demand & the price hike encouraged some breeders to expand their breeding programs & many new breeders entered the market. There was a lot of opportunistic breeding from inferior quality dogs & from breeders who offered little or no puppy raising curriculum. All too often breeders with ill intentions will not meet the breed or puppy raising standards, or the required health care for adult dogs. Consequently, there are more breeders now & the puppy market is not as "reliable" as it could be. Unethical breeders who cut costs can sell their puppies at lower prices. The public needs to be made aware that this is false economy ...... in so many ways.
Did you know that puppy worm infestation causes malnutrition & stunted growth, anaemia & weakness, organ damage, severe & long term organ damage, a weakened immune system & death in severe cases? Worms are not something to mess around with!
Puppies who aren't raised with advanced behavioural science curricula will be so much harder for you to deal with. Including toilet training, resource gaurding, separation anxiety, desensitisation, socialisation, training & HEALTH management.
Saving $1,000 or more by going to an unethical, irresponsible breeder is simply not worth it. The stress & expenses it will cost you in the long run are just too great.
You're probably wondering why the public should be supporting ethical breeders during these difficult times. Afterall, the rising cost of living affects everyone. The fact is ----- that ethical breeders want to protect & preserve the quality of their breed. If the public are buying inferior quality dogs at cheaper prices & not supporting ethical breeders, ethical breeders will NOT cut costs. They will initially reduce litter numbers, then pause their breeding program. They may stop breeding for a while & assess the situation. This may lead to them stopping breeding permanently. If the breeders who are breeding to the breed standards stop breeding, where are the quality puppies required to maintain or improve the breed standard going to come from? If only inferior quality dogs are being bred from, that's where the breeding lines will come from. Obviously, this is not in the best interest of any breed. Even if ethical breeders want to breed litters to replenish their own breeding stock, they will not unless there is demand for their puppies. Female dogs also do "age out". If breeders wait too long without breeding their bi***es, they will be too old. There are legal & physical restrictions involved.
Emerald Park Border Collies have been fortunate so far, but I admit to anxiety over the future. I am seeing & hearing of excellent breeders as well as new breeders having trouble placing all of their puppies in homes. I like to have enough families actively seeking a puppy on my Waiting List before breeding a pair. But, in the current economic, puppy climate, I am aware that situations can change & families can change their minds. It does concern me.
Some are calling this a "battle cry" to the public. It's not a plea for more families to purchase puppies, but for those who are seeking puppies to look to ethical breeders first. Don't go for cheaper puppies of lower standard, raised with poorer methods.
I'm asking members of the public looking for a puppy to buy smart. Price isn't always a sign of quality. Support ethical breeders who health test, have excellent puppy & dog welfare, raise puppies with advanced behavioural science curriculums, share photos & videos & provide high quality education for their new puppy families. You don't want to buy from a breeder who wants nothing more to do with you once the puppy is gone. You want lifetime support. Research well. A registered breeder does not mean an ethical breeder. There is much more involved.
This isn't about Emerald Park Border Collies; this is about the current situation we are facing in Australia. Please protect ethical breeders & allow them to continue to breed to high standards. Ethical breeders will stop breeding before compromising their integrity, lines, programs, care or standards. Unless you support ethical breeders, we cannot continue to hold to the standards that our dogs deserve. This includes careful selection of quality parents, health testing, veterinary care, quality nutrition, advanced puppy curriculum, puppy evaluations, quality general care etc. Ethical breeders will breed to one standard only & that is of excellence. If anything stops ethical breeders from achieving this, they will stop breeding.
Breeding well, is expensive. Who is going to protect our Border Collie breed standards if ethical breeders are forced to stop breeding? The standard of the breed will deteriorate ...... conformation, genetic health etc. Don't leave the fate of dogs in the hands of ill-intentioned breeders. Support ethical breeders.
- Donna Williams,
Emerald Park Border Collies.
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