Buyers' Guide

Why Pet Stores are No Place for Puppies!

We cannot state this enough - pet stores are not the place to go to buy your puppy. You should be approaching dog breeders directly. Here's just a few reasons why (we could write a whole book on this):

• A breeder will have much accumulated experience and knowledge of Siberian Huskies, ideally over several years of hands-on involvement in the breed. In contrast, the pet store sales clerk will most likely only have a rudimentary understanding of the breed and will not be in a position to provide detailed and informed advice.
• A breeder will have time to sit down with you and discuss your needs, preferences, and what you will need to do to provide a good home for your new puppy. The breeder will be seeking to ensure that you are well-informed, that you understand both the good and the bad facets of the Siberian Husky breed, that you know with 'eyes open' what you are committing to and that you are able to care properly for your new puppy. In contrast a pet store will be seeking to close the sale and move on to the next customer; they won't have time to spend hours in discussion to ensure you're informed & prepared.
• By visiting a breeder directly, you can meet the litter's dam (mother) and possibly the sire (father) and other relatives too. You'll be able to observe their temperament and appearance first hand, so you'll have a much better idea what you're actually buying. At a pet store, you've effectively buying a lottery ticket.
• A good breeder will have a specific purpose in mind when breeding each and every litter and should always be seeking to build upon and improve the quality of the breed and minimize the risk of adverse health outcomes. By contrast, the suppliers of pet stores are breeding dogs simply for profit and have no interest in the ongoing welfare or benefit of the breed. Puppies purchased from pet stores have a much higher incidence of long-term health issues because the breeders of these dogs simply aren't screening to prevent it (and they don't get to hear about, or care about, problems down the track anyway).
• Pet stores are a socially damaging environment for puppies, which are placed there at a critical stage of their early learning development. Cooped up in a pen, or behind glass under lights, they are forced to 'mess in their nests' as there is nowhere else to go. Pups kept in this environment miss out on critical experiences and much-needed social interaction which breeders are able to provide from birth right up until the time the pup goes to its new home.
• A good breeders will provide ongoing after-sales support and advice; really good breeders will be there if you need their assistance for the lifespan of your dog. Pet stores offer the legally required minimum 24-hour health guarantee and after that you're on your own.
• Breeders who are registered with the Victorian Canine Association Inc. or the Siberian Husky Club of Victoria Inc. are prohibited by the codes of ethics of those organisations from selling pets to pet stores. The people who supply pets to pet stores are not registered breeders with the interests of the breed at heart, but instead puppy farmers who are churning out several litters a year only to make money for themselves.
• After all those reasons, a final 'nail in the coffin' - breeders will usually sell a pet puppy for significantly less than the pet store price.

So there's simply no excuse not to buy a puppy directly from a breeder. By patronizing reliable breeders, the buyer is assured of dealing with knowledgable people who are in a position to give correct information and counselling during all stages of the dog's development.

  Return to Buyer's Guide