Ethical Dog Breeding

As we show and work our dogs, we are on a never-ending quest for the “perfect” Siberian. In order to do this, we may occasionally have a litter in an attempt to combine the best traits from mum and dad, and ultimately improve the breed as a whole.

We do not do this lightly - and no one should. This page describes everything we do to try to be as ethical as possible, and give every puppy the best start to their lives that we can.

Breeding

We do not breed from bitches younger than 2 years of age as an absolute minimum. . Siberian Huskies younger than this are not fully matured, and breeding from them would put stress on their reproductive systems. We also do not breed back to back, there must be at least a 1 year gap between litters from the same dam, for similar reasons.

Each litter is planned in advance, and the stud dog is selected to compliment the dam. We only breed when we wish to keep a puppy, the effort and cost to effectively raise a litter of pups and provide lifetime support means there is no financial gain for us to do so. We are in it for the future of the breed, not money.

We breed for type, temperament and health. Our Huskies must look like huskies, and they must behave like them too! The Siberian Husky is a team sled dog - aggression is not tolerated and any dogs that display this will be removed from the breeding program. The Siberian Husky is a healthy breed, and we endeavour to keep that the case.

Health Tests

The Siberian Husky has a few known genetic conditions that all breed clubs recommend tests for. Those are Hip Dysplasia, Glaucoma and Hereditary Cataracts.
Hips only need to be checked once in the lifetime of the dog, each hip is scored out of 53 for a total of 106, and a lower score is better. The current mean for hip scores in Siberian Huskies is a total of 7, so as a breed we have very healthy hips. A low score doesn’t guarantee a dog won’t go on to develop hip dysplasia, just that the cause is not considered to be hereditary.

Eyes on the other hand should be checked annually for cataracts, and every three years for glaucoma, as these conditions may develop as the dog ages. Cataract scores are either “affected” for dogs with cataracts, or “unaffected”. It’s important to check the history of a dog’s pedigree to determine if the dog may be predisposed to developing cataracts as the score of the dog alone cannot tell you this. For glaucoma the drainage angle of the eye is scored from 0-3, with 0 being unaffected/normal angle, 1 mildly affected, 2 moderately affected and 3 severely affected. It is not recommended to breed dogs with a grade 3 at all, and grade 2’s only to grade 0 dogs. Again this is just an indicator of likelihood to develop the condition, a grade 0 dog could still go on to develop glaucoma (and glaucoma can be triggered by damage to the eye rather than genetic) and a grade 3 dog may never develop it.

We perform all recommended tests, as often as required to maintain records on all the dogs we breed from. Having this information is invaluable to ensure the health of future generations.

We also Embark test all of our dogs so we know the genetic coefficient of inbreeding, if they may be affected by any other discovered health conditions and to further research in to dog genetics.

Whelping

We have invested in the latest technologies to ensure a safe whelp for both mum and pups, and give the babies the very best start in life.

We make use of the PuppyWarmer Incubation & Oxygen system, which provides the newborns with the perfect warm, oxygen rich environment. Newborn pups are not able to effectively digest the life saving colostrum in mum’s milk if they are cold. Drying them off and keeping them warm in the incubator means they can better absorb the antibodies and calories.

The incubator is also invaluable for small for gestational age puppies, who are unable to regulate their own body temperatures for longer than their siblings. The survival rate for these pups is significantly increased.

Socialisation

All our puppies are raised in an active home, and are thus exposed to all the usual sights, sounds and scents they will encounter through their lives. We follow the Puppy Culture program to create the confidence and self-sufficiency pups need to be well adjusted members of the family.

The first 12 weeks of a puppies life their brains are like little sponges - they will absorb everything! Its essential to present them with developmentally appropriate enrichment, puzzles and socialisation to shape their behaviours for the rest of their lives. The first 8-10 of those weeks are spent with the breeder, so its imperative for us to have a program in place.

New Homes

We start the crate and toilet training here, and all puppies are sent home no sooner than 8 weeks old with puppy packs designed to help you continue their socialisation and cover their basic needs.

• A bag of the food the puppies have been eating

• A blanket with mums scent

• A few toys

• A collar and leash

• Some tasty treats!

• Poo bags and holder

• All the paperwork (KC registration, info on parents & some helpful information)

All puppies leave micro-chipped and with 4 weeks free insurance courtesy of the Kennel Club