There are many reasons why people desire a purebred dog; you may like the particular character traits of a particular breed, or you want your dog to do a certain job. You might want a guard dog, some people want a hunting dog, and some want a quiet breed that will cuddle up on the couch such as one of the toy breeds, which have lived with humans for hundreds of years. Whatever the reason, there is much to be gained from buying a pure bred dog.

For those who choose to buy a pure bred dog, there are many advantages to be gained by seeking out a registered breeding kennel for the place to buy a puppy, rather than buying from a pet-shop or puppy farmer etc, and be sold what they tell you, is a pure bred dog.

Buying from a registered breeder is in itself a guarantee, of acquiring a pure bred dog, as registered breeders come under the umbrella of the Australian National Kennel Council, whose mission is to maintain a registry of pure bred dogs. The A.N.K.C. has a strict code of ethics; rules and regulations; and of the breeder does not abide by these rules, and ethics, they will quickly be brought to order.

There are many other advantages to be gained from a registered breeder, for instance, when you visit the home or kennels of the breeder, the first thing you can see is whether the dogs are healthy and happy and what type of dog you are looking for. You can look at the parents of the puppies; this in itself shows you what sort of dogs you are looking at. Do the parents represent the breed? What sort of temperaments do the parents have?

- The breeder can give you advice to the sort of temperaments the puppies have, and which puppy would suit your family situation the best.

- You know the puppies have been vaccinated and thoroughly checked by a qualified Veterinarian, and have been on a worming regime since they were two weeks old.

- The breeder can also give some advice on the expectations of coat type, how tall the puppy might grow etc.

- Usually a breeder will give you lots of back up service if you need it. What to feed your puppy, also information on house training, and the benefits of obedience training, and will always be available if further assistance is needed. As you probably realise, this sort of assistance and back up service is not available to you, if you buy from a pet-shop, puppy farmer or back yard breeder.