Buying a Puppy



Buying a puppy of any breed is not a decision that should be taken lightly. A puppy is a life long commitment and Griffons usually live for 14 - 17 years. A Griffon is a loving, loyal and devoted breed and if you are not prepared for the commitment for life then you should not consider getting a pup.

Before you buy any dog you should research the breed thoroughly to make sure that the breed characteristics will suit your lifestyle. The biggest mistake people make is to buy a dog on impulse, simply because they like the look of the dog. As you will have to live with the dog for many years it is essential that you have an understanding of the temperament and personality of the breed.

All the photos on this page are taken by members of our club who are caring ethical breeders.

You will see in the photos that the pups which range in age from one day old to 4 months old are all healthy, pups, kept in ideal conditions and meet all the requirements which are described on this page 

Pedigreed Dogs have Recognisable Looks, Temperament and Personalities 

Purebred, pedigreed dogs have been bred for many years as an identifiable, specific breed. Some  breeds may have only existed for a 150 years but others have been around for over 1000 years. Griffons can trace their ancestry back over 600 years with the modern Griffon going back for 200 years.

This means that specific breeds have an identifiable appearance and a very specific personality that has been developed over the centuries to suit the purpose of the breed.

This means that if you buy a purebred pedigreed dog you know what it will look like as an adult because the breed has been bred for so many years and they breed "true " to their breed appearance. You will know in advance what size the dog will be, they type of coat the dog will have and the amount of exercise the dog will need.

You cannot know this with a cross bred dog as it can be a mixture of any number of breeds and have a bit of all its relatives in its appearance.

All pure bred dogs were originally bred for a specific reason- for example-herding, rat catching, guarding or companionship. The people who developed these breeds back in history selected breed traits that would help them do the job they required. This means that when you buy a pure bred pedigreed dog you know the type of personality to expect .

Cross bred dogs are a mixture of different breeds and the personality is not predictable.

Why should you buy a pup from a reputable Registered ANKC breeder?

When you buy a puppy from an ethical, reputable registered breeder you start off with a pup that has had every advantage from birth.

1. It will come from a litter that has been carefully planned by a knowledgeable and caring breeder

Its parents will have been selected with great care and thought in order to produce a healthy, happy, sound pup. In many cases the mother will have been sent interstate to be mated, at great expense to the breeder, just because the breeder felt that was the way to get the best possible quality pups. Sometimes the father may be in another country and the pups conceived by frozen semen, sometimes the parents may have been imported from overseas because the breeder wants to produce the best possible pups.

As a puppy buyer you benefit from all this careful planning and thought because you know you are buying a pup that has been given every advantage even before conception.

2. It will come from health tested parents  

An ethical registered Griffon breeder  will only ever breed from healthy dogs. They will carry out any testing for eyes, heart, patellas etc that is required in the breed, before any mating is carried out. In this way they will minimise any potential health problems that may arise. Of course there is never any 100% guarantee as that is not humanly possible but they will do the very best they can to ensure that they do not have any problems.

An ethical registered breeder will encourage you to take your new pup to a vet to ensure that you have purchased  a healthy puppy. They will have nothing to hide, unlike the puppies sold in pet shops.

This means that you benefit as a puppy buyer because you will have a healthy pup with very few vet bills. In most cases your well bred dog will only need to see a vet for vaccinations.

3. Your Puppy will be properly socialised so that it will be a well balanced family member 

Ethical registered Griffon breeders do not breed large numbers of litters at a time. They care about their dogs and they usually only have one or two litters a year.

The pups are almost always raised in the house so that they experience all the normal household noises from an early age.

The pups are loved, patted and handled from an early age so that they learn to enjoy being with people.

The pups are not taken away from the mother too soon. They are left with her until  10 weeks of age so that she can teach them all the valuable things a puppy needs to know about interacting with other dogs and respected older dogs.

The pups are kept in roomy pens when they are old enough to leave the whelping box and allowed to run and play on grass from about 5 or 6 weeks of age. This makes them easier to toilet train as they learn to be clean.

This means that you benefit by having a puppy that will fit into your household without showing undue fear or neurotic behaviours. It will be quicker for you to housetrain because it has been taught to be clean and it will be a more loving pet because it has been taught to enjoy being with people.

4. Do these dogs cost more because I only want a pet

This is a common statement  often heard by breeders-"I only want a pet".

All Griffons bred by ethical registered breeders are bred to be pets. The best a breeder can ask for is to get their puppy into a loving home where it will be valued and cherished, just as they value and cherish it.

Even the best, top winning show dogs are still first and foremost pets and after a day of looking magnificent in the show ring will go home to curl up on a lap and watch TV or sleep on their owners bed.

Not all Griffons bred can be show dogs just as not all women can be super models. But every puppy in a litter gets the same love and attention from birth. It costs just as much to breed a pet as it does a show dog and when you buy a pup from a well bred litter you are getting a high quality pup regardless of whether it is a a show dog or not.

Very, very few Griffon breeders make any money from breeding a litter. It is a long, stressful and expensive process and if they break even then they consider themselves lucky. They usually breed for the love of the breed and because they want a dog for themselves. The cost of a pup is usually to cover costs.

In many, many cases, these high quality thoughtfully bred Griffons cost less than some of the poor, puppy farmed, cross breds with silly names, that are sold in pet shops with all the inherent health problems and mental issues that come with them.

5. What to Expect when you decide to buy a Griffon Pup 

a) Do not expect to get a puppy straight away. Griffons usually have small litters so there are not always a lot of pups available. Also Quality breeders do not breed frequently and they usually have a waiting list so be patient and be prepared to wait. Keep in touch with the breeder to let them know you are interested. Most breeders will not chase up sales- you will have to convince them that you really want a Griffon. They will only want to sell to people who will love the pup.

b)Be prepared to answer a lot of questions. Good breeders love their pups and have put in a lot of sleepless nights to rear their precious little babies. They are very fussy about where their pups go. Some breeders may even visit your house to inspect your yard and garden to ensure that it is safe for their pup. If they do not ask questions and if they seem in a hurry to sell then that should ring alarm bells to you.

c) You will usually be able to visit the pups after they have had their first vaccinations at about 7 or 8 weeks of age. You should be able to see the mother  and occasionally the father.  When you visit the pups they should be lively, full of energy and playful. The eyes should be clear and bright, coats clean and free of fleas and the ears should be clean. They should be well covered and chubby but should not have a pot belly as that is often a sign of worm. Pups with weepy eyes , dull coats, skinny bodied with pot bellies , are not healthy pups and should be avoided.

d) A good breeder will be able to tell you about any health tests the parents have had and either show you the documentation or refer you to their vet to vouch for the pups.

e) A good breeder will not let the pups go to their new home until 10 -12weeks of age due to their size. It is against the ANKC breeders code of ethics to allow a pup to go to a new home before 8 weeks of age .

f) If the breeder has a lot of litters of pups at the same time or is breeding a lot of different breeds then they should be avoided - they are puppy farmers and you will not get a quality pup from them but will be more likely to buy a lot of health problems and vet bills.

g) An ANKC registered breeder  will provide the pedigree and the official ANKC registration papers for the pup. This should be provided at no additional cost as it is against ANKC rules to sell a registered pup without papers. It costs $28 to register a pup with Dogs NSW. Anyone who offers you a pup without registration papers or who charges extra money for the papers should be avoided as they are lying to you and are behaving in an unethical manner.

h) Never buy from a pet shop. The pups sold at pet shops come from puppy farms.  No ethical breeder would ever sell to a pet shop. The people who sell to pet shops are unscrupulous and do not care abut the pups- they only care about making money. Any pups in a pet shop have been reared in small crates like battery hens, they have never been socialised, they have been taken from their mother at an early age and they have not come from health tested stock. If you buy from a pet shop you will be buying a lifetime of health problems , a pup that is difficult to housetrain and a pup that frequently suffers from fears and neuroses

i) Do not buy from a breeder who claims to be registered with grouos like the MBDA or other no genuine registers. There is only one genuine internationally recognised registration system in Australia and that is the ANKC. Many commercial breeders or puppy farmers say that are registered breeders with the MDBA to fool the public into think they are getting a purebred Griffon. Do not be fooled by this  Avoid these people.

 

 

Get started on your journey to adding a Griffon to your family by joining our club!

Membership Form

ONLINE FORM : click here to complete

DOWNLOADABLE FORM : click here to download

 

Once your membership is approved, you may complete this form to get on the Griffon Buyer Register.


Contact Details

Secretary: Marousa Polias - [email protected]