Consumer Law and Puppies

When you purchase a puppy from a Backyard Breeder your puppy is unlikely to come with any health guarantees.  In fact, you are not even covered by Australian Consumer Law because a Backyard Breeder is usually considered to be a “private” or “one off” seller and not a business!

There are a number of different types of dog breeders where you can choose to purchase your puppy.  It’s important to first understand that in Australia, different states and territories have different laws that regulate dog breeders.

Victoria leads the ways when it comes to good Animal Welfare regulation for dog breeders in Australia.  For example, in Victoria any breeder that owns more than two female dogs and less than 10 dogs (ANKC breeders are exempt from this law) must be registered as a Domestic Animal Business and anyone that has more than 10 dogs must receive a recommendation from the Chief Veterinary Officer of Victoria followed by approval from the Victorian Minister of Agriculture.  Both of these types of breeders must adhere to a strict Code of Practice.

It’s important to be aware that sadly Backyard Breeders and Puppy Farms still operate in Victoria and especially in other states and territories where weak laws have failed to address the issue.

What are the risks when purchasing a puppy?

When purchasing a puppy from either a Domestic Animal Business or a Minister Approved Breeder your puppy should come with a Health Guarantee.  Each of our puppies comes with a 3 Year Genetic Health Guarantee.

Why is this important?

When you purchase a puppy from a Backyard Breeder your puppy is unlikely to come with any health guarantees.  In fact, you are not even covered by Australian Consumer Law because a Backyard Breeder is usually considered to be a “private” or “one off” seller and not a business!

To reduce the risk of health issues we do the following

DNA Testing for Genetic Diseases

Our dogs are DNA tested for over 30 different genetic diseases.  Learn more

Health Checked Parents

Each of our breeding dogs must be thoroughly health checked by a veterinarian multiple times each year.

Selective Breeding

Before deciding to produce each litter we carefully select the parent dogs based on their health, temperament and history.

Regular Vet Checks

Each of our female dogs are Health Checked and Cleared by our veterinarian before mating and then again after the puppies are born.  This ensures that mum is in perfect health before being bred which reduces the risk of complications for her and her puppies.

Extensive Record Keeping

It is extremely import that a breeder keep good records about their dogs and puppies.  This helps when choosing which dogs should be bred and if there has been any health issues that need addressing.  Good records are fundamental to any good breeding program to help reduce the risk of health issues.

Large Gene Pool

Having a large number of dogs means we have a large gene pool to select from.  In some cases some males make a poor match when bred to certain female dogs, so it's important that the breeder is able to select the right males for the right females.  Most small backyard breeders will have a very limited gene pool to choose from (usually 2 or 3 dogs).

Experience

We draw upon over 30 years of Dog Breeding and Rearing experience.  Breeding great dogs is not something that can be simply learnt from a book or a course.  It takes many years of experience and having the right attitude.  We are always learning something new in our pursuit to breed great dogs.  Sadly, backyard breeders, just like puppy farmers, are only in it for a quick buck or simply don't have the knowledge or experience so, more often than not, their puppies will be riddled with health problems.

So if we do all of the above, why do we still need to Health Guarantee our puppies?  Well despite all of the above, we still occasionally see health issues arise.  Just like all of us, dogs are living, breathing animals and it’s just not possible to entirely eliminate the risk of every kind of illness known to man (not yet anyway, but we’re trying!)  Now compare this to your average Backyard Breeder who does none of the above.  The risk of their puppies having health issues is much greater and their puppies do not come with any guarantees or consumer protection.  It really is a case of buyer beware. 

There are many different categories of breeders in Australia and it can be confusing to understand the differences.  Unfortunately, just about any body can claim to be a "registered" breeder but this is often misleading.  Victoria has the strongest laws in Australia regulating Victorian dog breeders.

find out more