08/21/2024
There are so many things for responsible buyers to keep in mind when searching for an ethical breeder! These are just a few of them. We always welcome questions, but I'd also like to give y'all a little rundown on how Northern Lore shows up in these four categories!
1️⃣ INVOLVEMENT - Nikki and I travel halfway across the country with our dogs, twice a year, to attend breed specialty shows hosted by the International Windsprite Club. Eventually, we hope to hold specialties in the Midwest region as well! You can join Midwest Windsprites to stay tuned for regional events that we organize, which currently just consist of social gatherings, rather than shows. In addition to our involvement with the IWC, we are also active with other local canine clubs.
2️⃣ HEALTH TESTING - Our girls haven't had litters yet, but we're currently preparing for Siren's first, likely coming up in early 2025. Prior to being bred, we will complete the health testing recommended by our breed club (OFA hearts and eyes), as well as any additional testing seemed necessary by our veterinarians. Our pups will be registered with the IWC, which means they will receive genetic testing via Embark in order to confirm their CEA and MDR1 carrier status. Siren, Fable, and Haven have already been Embarked. In addition, we aim to be as transparent as possible about the health and temperaments of our dogs. We want our puppy buyers to be able to make informed decisions.
3️⃣ PROVEN DOGS - Each of our dogs compete in IWC conformation classes. At a year old, Fable had already achieved her Junior Championship and she passed the CGC test earlier this year, with the goal of working towards therapy dog certification. We also participate in a variety of dog sports! Siren came home with a whole pile of ribbons from our last specialty show, where we enter Agility, Rally, and Straight Racing each time. This past weekend, Fable took first place in her LCI category at an ASFA event hosted by the Midwest Coursing Club. She's also placed in both UKC and WCRL Rally. We've also dabbled in nosework, barn hunt, dockdiving, disc, and flyball. Our focus isn't on winning, but on having as much fun as possible with our dogs! Proving them to be as excellent as we think they are is icing on the cake.
4️⃣ LIFELONG RESOURCE - There's a reason our "mailing list" sign-up sheet is called the Future Friends Form! It's cheesy, but it gets the point across. We want to develop lasting relationships with the families that will love and care for our puppies throughout their lives. We will always be here for you. We will want updates about the puppies we place forever. And your Northern Lore pup will be welcomed back with open arms at any time, if circumstances change.
I hope that's helpful! Writing it out reminded me of several other posts I'd like to put together in the future, including information about CEA and MDR1. In the meantime, please let us know if you have any questions and we'll be thrilled to chat with you here in the comments or on Messenger!
Don’t forget to do your research before buying a puppy. Reach out to your local kennel club if you need help identifying or locating an ethical breeder.