Puppy Awareness Week

It's that time of year again when the UK Kennel Club holds Puppy Awareness Week to try and let peeps know more about where to buy their puppies and not to support the terrible puppy farms and puppy mills where dogs are not cared for and puppies are raised in terrible conditions. And to warn about getting puppies from peeps who don't understand how to raise puppies well and don't carry out any health tests that are needed. The Kennel Club here in the UK has a video and lots of useful information for anyone wanting to know more. Just click here.

Anyway a nice surprise for us was that DogsClub tv who helped set up the PuppyCam for when I had my last litter of pups decided to use a photo of my little Mabel yesterday on their Facebook page to promote Puppy Awareness Week :-) Do you remember when she looked like this?

Such a sweet puppy!

This is the advice from the Kennel Club for peeps looking for a puppy:

• Always go to a reliable and reputable Kennel Club Assured Breeder.
• Ask to see the puppy's mother.
• See the puppy in its breeding environment and ask to look at the kennelling conditions if they were not raised within the breeder's house. If you suspect the conditions are not right, then do not buy the puppy.
• Ask to see the relevant health test certificates for the puppy's parents
• Be prepared to be put on a waiting list - a healthy puppy is well-worth waiting for.
• Ask if you can return the puppy if things don't work out. Responsible and reputable breeders will always say yes.
• Be suspicious of a breeder selling several different breeds, unless you are sure of their credentials.
• Consider alternatives to buying a puppy like getting a rescue dog or pup. 
• Report your concerns to the relevant authority if you suspect the breeder is a puppy farmer

Don't

• Buy a puppy from a pet shop.
• Pick your puppy up from a 'neutral location' such as a car park or motorway service station.
• Buy a puppy because you feel like you're rescuing it. You'll only be making space available for another poorly pup to fill and condemning further puppies to a miserable life

Tell the relevant authorities

Local Councils, animal health officers and the police have the power to enforce the law. If you suspect somebody is a puppy farmer report them to the RSPCA, the police, or your Local Authority.

If somebody who you also suspect of being a puppy farmer, is registering their dogs with the Kennel Club, then ensure that you tell the Kennel Club about your suspicions. The Kennel Club would never knowingly register puppies from a puppy farmer and will tell the relevant authorities to try and ensure that the person is brought to book.

Opt for a puppy from a Kennel Club Assured Breeder or rescue centre

The Kennel Club strongly advises puppy buyers to go to a member of the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme, the UK's only scheme for breeders that sets strict rules for and checks the quality of its members. The Kennel Club has independent United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS) accreditation to certify breeders under the rules of this scheme. Those looking for a rescue dog can use the Kennel Club Rescue Dog Directory to find a Breed Rescue or another rescue home. 

All good advice and here are some more puppy photos for you to enjoy :-)

A tunnel load of pups

Gracie

Mabel & Creggan

Maverick exploring the garden with his brother and sisters

And little Otto from my first litter :-)