These essential books are the best resource on raising and training puppies you can start with.  And with poorly raised and untrained dogs accounting for 90% of all dogs handed into pounds in later life, don't let your puppy become a statistic too.

Read RSPCA's Smart Puppy Buyer's Guide

Don't waste your time and money with a breeder who doesn't know what they're doing, read RSPCA's Smart Puppy Buyer's Guide first.

Some people breed for the love and continuation of the breed, and work hard to ensure they produce healthy, well-balanced puppies.  Others breed out of ignorance, or to make a quick buck.

Puppies bred for the wrong reasons can show serious medical and behavioural problems later in life, so make sure you only buy from a reputable breeder.

Don't:

• Don't buy from classifies, pet stores or from the Internet
• Don't buy a puppy without meeting the breeder, the puppy, its mother and the place of birth first
• Don't buy on an impulse. Owning a dog is a huge responsibility.

Do:

• Make sure you know the responsibilities of owning a puppy
• Consider adopting from a rescue group first
• Read the Smart Puppy Buyer's Guide (PDF)
• Visit the place where the puppy was born
• Meet the mother of the litter to see what your adult dog will be like
• Know what questions to ask the breeder

 Find a Reputable Breeder

When you buy from a reputable breeder you're paying for their time and expertise in:

• Screening for known genetic problems in the breed
• Selecting the sire and dam most likely to produce well-tempered, healthy puppies
• Raising puppies in the first 8 weeks to be happy, sociable and well-adjusted - not fearful, shy or problematic

We never recommend buying from a pet shop or puppy farm as dogs kept behind glass or in cages will have missed out on critical socialisation in the first 8 weeks of life, and can cause their owners problems down the track.

Here is what reputable breeders do, compared with all the others: 

Reputable / Responsible / Registered Breeders

Backyard Breeders / Puppy Farmers / Pet Shops

• A reputable breeder will have a vast knowledge and love of Siberian Huskies. They care about where their puppies go and interview potential buyers.   • Breeds for a reason – to maintain or improve the breed - and always breeds to the correct Breed Standard.  The breeder should be able to explain the Breed Standard to you properly.   • Health tests the parents of any litters bred and can show you the certificates to prove it.   • Will ask you lots of questions and expect you to ask many. They will spend time answering your questions, after all they want their puppy to go to a great knowledgeable home.   • Offer lifetime advice and believe that there are no stupid questions.   • Will show you the Dam (mother) of the litter, along with the puppies.  They will also show you the Sire (father) if possible.  They will happily provide you with copies of pedigrees on request.   • Are registered members of Dogs NSW or other state affiliate of ANKC, and have a registered kennel prefix (kennel name).   • Are usually active members of their Breed Club or are in contact with members of the Breed Club.   • Almost always compete in either Showing, Agility, Obedience or Sledding activities.   • Consider temperament to be an important factor in breeding.   • Want to ensure only great homes are found and generally asks for puppies to be spayed or neutered to prevent casual breeding.   • Generally keep one puppy from the litter.   • Takes back any dog they have bred should that situation arise.   • Guarantees the puppies health for an appropriate amount of time, not just for 3 months or so. Serious problems like eye defects or Hip Dysplasia may not be evident for many years. Beware of breeders who say health testing is unnecessary or that their lines are free of genetic faults. • Explains all aspects of puppy/dog care and provides diet and health care information.   • Provides registration, vaccination, worming and microchipping documentation for each and every puppy they sell.   • A reputable breeder NEVER sells to a pet shop.

• Do not perform health tests or worry about conformation and genetics, therefore cannot produce health certificates   • May not vaccinate, worm or microchip before selling the puppies.   • Do not care where puppy goes, and will sell to anyone.   • Pedigrees are usually not available for any of the dogs. A pedigree is more than just a "council registration" form.  It is a document issued by Dogs NSW or other state affiliate of ANKC and lists all Sires and Dams in the puppy's pedigree for 3 generations.  It will also list the breeder's name, their kennel name and their breeder's registration number.   • Puppies have little or no socialisation usually resulting in shy or fearful behaviour   • Health guarantees, if offered are usually worthless. Most genetic problems don’t show up until after the guarantee has expired. ie Hip Dysplasia at 2 years.   • Believes that because their dog is ‘purebred’ or 'a nice looking dog' that it is healthy and worthy of being bred from.   • Breed for profit.   • Usually have no knowledge of genetics and so don't select Sire and Dam based on whether they will produce puppies consistent with the Breed Standard.   • Don't ask questions about your circumstances and preparedness as a home, or are upset by questions you may ask.   • The Sire and Dam do not have champion titles, even if they have a pedigree.  This is not always a bad sign though, but most breeders will only breed from dogs that have proved themselves champions in the show ring.   • Lack knowledge of Siberian Huskies and their associated genetic problems   • Are not usually involved in any activities with their dogs – showing / sledding / obedience / agility etc When selecting a breeder, make sure you consider your instincts as well.  If it doesn't 'feel' right then it probably isn't, so it's best to move on and find another breeder.

The list of SHCNSW members who have chosen to list their details on the SHCNSW web site can be found on this page.

Membership of SHCNSW is not a guarantee of quality however, so please be sure to ask your own questions to ensure you are satisfied with the quality of the puppies a breeder is offering.

Train Your New Puppy

You should bring your puppy home at 8 weeks of age, and certainly no younger than 6 weeks.  Be wary of purchasing a puppy who is 12 weeks of age or older, as you may find it harder to socialise them properly with your family, your home and your lifestyle.

Enrol in Puppy Pre-School even before you bring your puppy home.  Talk to your vet or local council and ask about puppy pre-schools operating near you, or visit the Delta Society web page to find a CGC Instructor near you.

Puppy pre-school gives your puppy the best possible head start in life by allowing them to socialise with other puppies during the critical development period before 22 weeks of age.  They will learn good play habits as well as bite inhibition from this, so make sure you attend - even if you find the sessions boring yourself.  Puppies that miss out on these developmental experiences can cause their owners serious problems later in life.

Read about the recommended training resources for Siberian huskies here:

• Only ever train using rewards (positive reinforcement), never with punishment or aversives
   
• Purchase Life Skills pet dog training book from RSPCA ACT
   
• Check out these links to training resources on the Internet
   
• Find answers to the most common training questions here