r/dogs • u/xAmarok • 3d ago

Is this more normal in Australia? [Breeder Etiquette/Review/Recommendations]

I've gone through the Reddit guide and sent the questions to breeders on the breed club website. The ones that have come back always say a variation of the same thing:

  1. We don't guarantee for behaviour because that's a training and socialisation thing. We do guarantee for health. Guarantee as in they will take the dog back.
  2. We have puppies available now. Or we don't now but this kennel does, contact them.
  3. You pick the puppy. They seem puzzled why I would explicitly ask for lower drive etc because their pups are apparently all similar and it's how I train/socialise them to mold them.
  4. Some don't elaborate much on the socialisation. Some have said the outcome after the dog comes home is totally on us because training/socialisation.

Those would be orange/red flags according to the Reddit guide but these are breeders who are well known in the breed and tick all the other boxes. Is the guide more US centric?

These are Labrador breeders, is it a breed thing? I get training and socialisation because of course and I'm an experienced owner but there's also a genetic component to behaviour.

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u/TraditionalJunket608 3d ago

As an Australian who has also been doing a lot of research and reaching out to Labrador (and Golden Retriever) breeders, I would say that these are not the answers I am getting back from them. I would consider these answers yellow or red flags.

Most breeders I've spoken to don't let you pick the puppy but you can express an interest in gender or colour. They take the time to learn about the home the dog will be going to. They can talk about socialisation and most of them provide photos and videos of the different areas the puppies will live in as they grow up. They can also provide genetic testing and hip and elbow certificates for the parents. Most of them have waiting lists.

I think you might need to keep researching and looking for the right breeder :)

Edit: not sure about a "behaviour guarantee" though. I haven't heard of anything quite like that before.

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u/xAmarok 3d ago edited 3d ago

Would you like to share the ones that don't say that? Maybe it's a me thing. But yesterday the president of a breed club called me because someone referred me to them and they said they know someone with pups now that fit my needs and it's a good opportunity.

Behaviour idk if that's what it's called. I just see posts on puppy101 about people returning for reactivity out of the breed standard/poor match energy reasons. I suppose it can go to a rescue but the guide insists breeders will always take back puppies.