With the J Litter all settled into their new homes in late February and all the Puppy toys, yard and supplies packed away it was time to consider a return to the show ring.

Anarchy did not disappoint.
She picked up her title in November 2021, mere weeks before we relocated to our new home and welcomed the J Litter.
It's been a pretty busy time for us.

Since returning to the show ring, Anarchy has consistently been awarded by both Australian and International judges and we're over the moon with our special girl.

She even managed a Best Exhibit in Group over 100 entries. I always think she looks amazing, but I wasn't expecting the judge to agree.

She followed it up a couple weeks later with a Best Intermediate in Group

We also went to South Australia, and she was awarded BEST of BREED at the FCI Show and was received her second CACIB certificate towards her International Title.

She's my Superstar. Love her Dearly.

Preparing to bring home a puppy!

I see/read/hear this a lot.....

"oh i'll get them out / visit 'x' / once it's safe or once they're old enough."
For me, 'old enough' is NOW.

Contact your local vets and find out the risks in your area. Particularly for Parvo and other contagious diseases. If there have been no recent outbreaks reported in your area then i want you to get your puppy out right away.
This doesn't mean take them  to a crowded dog park where its a free for all. But it does mean you should take them out to less dog populated places and let them see, hear, learn and explore.

People have the best of intentions and will kindly advise you that your puppy is too young to be out. Nod and smile. They have good intentions but I truly believe the pro's outweigh the con's. The puppies will receive their first vaccination at 6 weeks. They'll be 2 weeks in by the time they come home to you at 8 weeks old. They're either still covered by mums antibodies or hopefully that vaccination. The next one is usually for between 10-12 weeks. You don't want to keep your puppy home for a month. On the advice of the Aust. Vet. Assoc, (AVA) their last vaccination should be at 16 weeks. 4 months old!
You certainly don't want them staying housebound for 2 whole months! 8-12 weeks is a critical time for a puppy to be experiencing all the things you want them to take for 'normal'. 12-16 weeks the window is closing to really imprint all the things you need them to experience before a puppy fear phase could kick in and new experiences can actually scare them. General concensus is that by 16 weeks that window has closed. Don't take just my word for it. Here's one little handy link i could find straight off a google search which considers both arguments https://www.thelabradorsite.com/when-can-i-take-my-puppy-out/

I took my 8 week old puppy to Bunnings. I put her in a trolley with a bed, puppy pad on top and frozen water bottle. She met people, was loved and adored and fell asleep in the trolley to the sounds of everyday life.
I took her to a cafe where i held her on my lap, let her explore the garden and sit on the pavers. She shared my friends grilled cheese sandwich and even met a guy dressed up in a Mario Bros suit (seriously i couldn't have been more lucky. How often do you get to see people dressed up in those massive costumes?). Winter was held by a giant weird thing and patted by a pair of giant hands. It never occurred to her that it wasn't completely normal. She met my friends Aussie Shepherds, both a geriatric and a young one and learnt how to greet both.
We took her down the beach at 9 weeks and she ran along the beach off lead following the older dogs and exploring. She ran into the water, dug in the sand, climbed the wooden steps and slept like the dead afterwards.
We also took her to a carnival where there were crowds of people, other dogs and carnival rides. Lots of noise and sound. And she handled it like a complete pro.

I took her to visit my friendly chiropractor, who also treated dogs, so they were welcome in his rooms. She wasn't being treated, but she was patted and adored and even held by other clients while i was getting treatment. There was no way i was passing up that opportunity.

She also went to night dog shows and Agility comps and walked around and met dogs and people. Even before she was old enough to enter. And they can enter shows at 3 months old. Dog shows are amazing for teaching a dog how to behave, settle in a crate, and be around other dogs. It's awesome for teaching a puppy to work under distraction, which becomes a right beast to teach them when they're a little older, and you'll be thankful you put in the time to take them out when adolescence kicks in and they become willful teenagers, who don't need to listen to you.

All of these things she did well before her course of vaccinations were complete. I monitored her to make sure she wasn't overtaxed (which could potentially make her more susceptible to illness) and i kept her away from dog poo and anything that looked a bit too suss. (settled water, goopy mud and high traffic dog parks). But she's the best socialised dog i have now and i don't for a second regret the decisions i made.

Each of you have to make a choice, and i won't harp on about it too much if you choose a different route, but I really feel you're making your future more difficult than it needs to be if you don't commit to early socialisation. I urge you to get in touch with your local vets and find out the risks in your area. And to also do some independent research on the benefits of early experiences for your puppy. I'm sure once you do you'll agree that its in the best interests of you and your puppy to get them out early and often.

It's been a dramatic year of lows for us here in Victoria, but finally we see an end to the gloom of COVID-19 lockdown in sight and we're hoping to celebrate doubly hard.

In September, I was more than a little worried this wouldn't go ahead. But the stars aligned and with a lot of luck, frozen semen collected almost a year ago finally made it to Australia. On the very same day Winter came into season.

I took it as a good sign and the next day the semen was sitting at Monash Vet waiting for Winter.

There were a few anxious weeks to confirm we were expecting little Hiro and Winter babies in December.
They arrived with a minimum of fuss on 12th December 2020: 4 Boys and 4 Girls, all Black and Tan.

We need to thank Hiro's owner and breeder for all their help making this happen, Opvet and Monash vet for their professional support, the Finnish Lappalaiskoirat Ry Breeding Committee and my partner Glen for indulging my passion.

What to look for when you’re on the search for a puppy?

Exploitation of the consumer

Honestly, buying anything these days can be fraught with issues. Exploitation of the consumer is rampant in every industry. Human nature can sometimes leave a lot to be desired. Elderly grandma’s buying iTunes cards, scam listings online, the Nigerian Prince who emails needing your help. There are plenty of unscrupulous people out there willing to take advantage of an opportunity. I’m going to try and help you when it comes to finding a puppy. This may take a few posts but I hope you'll stay with me and I welcome your feedback.

You may have spent a lot of time working out what breed(s) suit your family. Once you're decided, it's tempting to rush out and get the first one you can find.
Something you may not have considered is WHERE to buy your puppy from. Where that puppy comes from is an important part of how that puppy will turn out. Choosing the right breeder is the very next important step and most people tend to skip it over. This is not the same as picking a new phone or car where the specs are exactly the same, so it doesn't matter what dealership or shopfront you visit.
I want to challenge your beliefs that all breeders are the same and as long as they're 'Registered' that's all the checks you need.
We’re dealing with living creatures. You can do everything else right in your search for a puppy and still get it wrong. There is so much to be heard in what is not said and you need to be able to pick through it.

I’m hoping to convince you that an ANKC Registered dog is the way to go. But it’s also only part of the answer. Welcome to a topic that has so much legislation surrounding it and yet there are still so many traps to avoid: Companion Animal Breeding

What's in a name? The 'Register'.

There is a lot of confusion around what is a ‘Registered Breeder’ in Australia, and in fact around the world. 
To start with 'what is a Register?' and how do you get on it? You have Microchip Registers, Council Registers and Pedigree Registers.
Each has a role, but for the love of DoGs, why do they all use the same term? What is meant by the term ‘Registered breeder’ and how do unscrupulous people use the term in a manner which is misleading to the public?

Simply put a Register is a place to store information.

Microchip registers are a beast of a topic and I’m not going to deal with them here. In short, there is no 'National' microchip database, there are a couple of state-government-run registries in some states of Australia, and they don’t all like talking to each other. My advice: get on one or two relevant to your state (or states you visit) and keep your contact info up to date. Okay, maybe it's not a beast of a topic.

Council Registration varies again across the country. Victoria's state government recently overhauled their Animal breeding laws with the Domestic Animals Amendment (Puppy Farm and Pet Shops) Act 2017 and i'm more familiar with it, so i'll use Victoria in these examples. Please note, most states in Australia have implemented/are implementing similar rules and definitions though the terminology is different
Companion Animal Register: All companion animals (cats and dogs) are legally required to be registered in their council. This simply identifies that the dog belongs to you/your address and helps reunite you if your pet is ever found roaming. The register is used in updating the Councils' Animal Management plan (ie Cat curfews, Cats vs Wildlife, Dog parks: numbers and locations, Employment of Rangers, etc). 
Business Register - 'Breeders' who aren't part of the ANKC and have 3+ females are required to register as a breeding ‘business’ and are given a permit or licence depending on state requirements. In Victoria, this has two levels: Domestic Animal Breeder (Council approved) and Commercial Animal Breeder (Minister approved). CoP for the Operation of Breeding and Rearing Businesses (2014)
'Breeders' with 2 females aren't required to register as a breeder anywhere and are termed 'Micro-breeders' under Victorian state legislation.
Small ANKC ‘hobby’ or 'Recreational breeders' (Vic government term) aren’t required to have council breeding permits (unless they have >10 breeding age females) and don't follow the CoP above. The ANKC have their own Rules and Regulations to abide by, which in some instances are stricter than the council rules. These rules and compliance reports are reviewed regularly by Victoria's state government.
Regardless of the title 'Business', 'Commercial', 'Micro' or 'Recreational' breeder, all dogs are to be registered with the council on the companion animal register.

That leaves Pedigree Registries. What exactly are they? When shopping for a puppy, should that be the only criteria? The short answer is No.

What is the difference between an ANKC Registered dog/breeder and one who is not?

A Pedigree Register is an official list made up of entries which record the birth and lineage of a dog. That’s it. It is not a measure of quality, morals, ethics or ideals.

In Australia, the ANKC is the only Pedigree Register that is internationally recognised.
The ANKC set national guidelines, Rules and Regs for Purebred, Pedigree, Preservation breeders and dog enthusiasts and cover all things Dog: Canine Health and Welfare, Dog Sports, Dog Shows, Developmental Breeds, International agreements and Breeding. Due to the complexity of government laws in each state and territory, the ANKC allows each State to use those guidelines to build their own Codes, Rules and Regulations under their own branch organisation called Canine Councils (CC’s,) colloquially known as Dogs ACT, Dogs NSW Dogs NT, Dogs QLD, DOGS SA, Dogs Tas, Dogs Victoria and Dogs West. These State CC Rules, Regulations and Codes are built around Government laws and generally set the minimum standard.
Each State CC then allows for specialised Breed Clubs to set further guidelines specific to their breed, whilst still adhering to both Government and Canine Council regulations.

Why register a dog at all? The same reason that you might search your family heritage on ancestry.com.au. To know the history, lineage, bloodlines of your family (the pedigree). To identify traits, characteristics, health issues or diseases, etc.
Registration allows a neutral third party to officially record the lineage of a specific animal. It allows a breeder to record a multi-generation family tree. To make an independent record of what they’ve created for future generations to utilise.

If you intend to breed your dog and do it well, a pedigree registration certificate is essential, both in order to register the offspring of your dog, but fundamentally to research and trace those traits, characteristics, health concerns and diseases behind your dog. Ultimately and ideally, bringing forward the ones you want, and leaving behind the undesirable. To be able to verify the parentage of your dog, and therefore better predict the offspring.

But if you don’t want to breed your dog how helpful is registration? It can aid in proof of ownership along with the microchip registration. But aside from that, registration is just a piece of paper, right? Telling you what you already know. Your dog is a Finnish Lapphund. Yes. and No. Hold that thought.

The same way you don’t know what your Great Great Great Grandfather was like, a registration certificate does not tell you what kind of dog he was. You don’t know if he was mean, friendly, energetic, shy, impatient, a larrikin etc.
It is simply data. It records Name, Sex, DOB, Colour, Microchip, Titles and health results (overseas – ANKC does not include health data yet). It also records the breeders' details.

The unscrupulous annexing of 'Registered'

In the push to close puppy factories, and for the public to have better-bred pets, there have been many education campaign efforts by the likes of pedigree breeders, the RSPCA and various animal rights groups.

Whilst the greatest push for ‘Adopt, don’t shop’ is probably well known, later the fine print often contained a disclaimer along the lines of ‘if you can’t adopt, at least buy from a registered breeder’.
as comments often came from the public that they wanted the predictability of temperament, size, coat and exercise requirements that comes from a purebred/pedigree dog.  

What the RSPCA and Animal Rights groups meant was, “Please find a responsible, ethical, educated, ANKC registered preservation breeder” and not a Backyard or Commercial breeder. Initially ‘Registered’ was enough. But Backyard Breeders, Commercial breeders and Puppy Farms cottoned on and started to use the word ‘Registered’ as well.
Some Commercial operations used the technicality of being ‘registered’ as a domestic/commercial breeding business, which means they got a permit or licence from council/minister approval. The requirements vary by state but have more to do with buildings, kennelling and staffing arrangements than how a puppy is raised.
Backyard Breeders wrongfully use the registration of their pets with council tags or the microchipping of their pets on the microchip register to call themselves ‘registered’. It's not them who is registered. The dog is.
Some people even went so far as to set up an alternate dog breed ‘Register’ because they had been expelled or suspended from the ANKC for breaches of the Codes of conduct or simply didn’t like their rules (The ANKC does not allow the breeding of crossbreeds unless in an approved breed development program and, in a recent example in 2017, the ANKC established a Task Force to uncover fraudulent breeders of French Bulldogs which sent them to the alternate registers in droves). There have been several extra registers over the years. A means for others to call themselves ‘registered’ and deceive the public into thinking they are the 'registered breeder' advocated by the RSPCA, ANKC and animal rights organisations.
Each register is different. Some of them even go so far as to have attached a Code of Ethics, Rules and Guidelines.
Some providers of puppies even managed to infiltrate the ANKC to ‘go legit’ in order to use the ‘registered’ buzzword. Unfortunately, until they’re found out and expelled, they can operate under the radar with the added legitimacy of membership.


You now know that there are several registries and we know they’re not all the same, barely in the same ballpark.
So what is a Registered Breeder? - There are so many individuals, businesses, groups using the term 'Registered Breeder' that it's really lost all meaning. You should now realise that the term ‘registered’ tells you very little and as a Puppy Buyer trying to research to find your puppy, it’s not enough to just ‘Find a Registered Breeder’. You need to probe a lot deeper.

In my opinion, what makes the difference in the quality of the puppy being produced isn’t the registry, it’s the breeder.

A good breeder can make all the difference between a well-bred dog and a dog of the same breed with few of the qualities you expect.
A good breeder will be able to expand on the details of that pedigree and tell you what your puppies ancestors were like, why they chose the parents, and what to expect from your puppy.
A pedigree certificate is just a piece of paper, it takes a good breeder to tell the story written between the lines. 
 

The second half of 2019 saw us pretty busy. We welcomed Aura and Pates little Icicles on 1st November.
This is probably the easiest litter I've raised, since the Gardians themselves. 
The puppies obviously inherited their calm, happy-go-lucky nature from their mother and settled into their new homes with less than the usual bumps and curveballs.

Aura (Caleebra Gardian Gamora (AI)) was a lovely, sweet mother, who even allowed visitors, similar to her own mum. I caught Anarchy in the whelping box regularly and even Summer, Winter and Dolce were allowed to visit the babies. Aura was a relaxed mum, attentive to her puppies and happy for a tummy rub or a snuggle on the couch when not attending the puppies.

Pate (Lumiturpa Pikku Pate) frozen semen imported from Finland was used for this litter and he brought his own touch of sweetness to the puppies. With double the dose of sweet, they were sweet, cuddly pups, keen on attention from people, but not as demanding as i'm used to. It was quite a nice change.

The Icicles were a litter of 7 and were named for the Looney Tunes
We had 2 Black and Tan males, one with Irish spotting almost in a Border Collie pattern with white feet, tail tip, blaze and half collar, 1 Wolf Sable boy, 2 Domino boys and 2 Domino girls.

All are in their homes.