Breeders
Names and contact details of kennels breeding Australian Shepherds in Estonia are welcome on this page.
(breed club member / FCI-registered kennel)
Contact us: ESTaussi@gmail.com
| Kennel | Breeder | Phone | Web / email |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peak River | Marge Perri | +372 5163176 | peakriver.ee |
| Kleine Sonne | Inge Aun | +372 56226381 | kleinesonne.eu |
| Kalliskivi | Marili Kallikivi | +372 56921077 | |
| Last Sensation | Niina Haugstad | +372 55642574 | lastsensation.com |
| Crystal Zone | Jane Evert | +372 53734533 | janeevert.evert@gmail.com |
| Mo Island | Katrin Pihlas | +372 5269287 | |
| Ocean Spirit | Kaire Vaikma | +372 55589094 | kaire.vaikma@gmail.com |
| Fluffy Boss | Liilia Roomelt | +372 56892044 | liiliaroomelt67@gmail.com |
| Latolly Top | Helen Laurits | +372 5223249 | latollytop.eu latollytop@gmail.com |
| Sparkling Blueeyes | Külliki Küttis | — | kylliki.kyttis@gmail.com |
| Sapphire Heart | I. & A. Toome | — | Instagram: sapphireheart_aussies |
Choose a responsible breeder
(source: Estonian Kennel Union | kennelliit.ee/hea-teada)
A breeder is the person in whose name the puppies born are registered. The first two litters may be registered without a kennel name, but from the third litter onwards the breeder must already have an approved kennel name. To register one, the breeder must first complete the EKL breeder training course and sign the breeder’s commitment agreement. Use of the kennel name is thereafter a mandatory part of the name of every dog they breed. You can find a list of breeders registered in Estonia HERE.
Breed enthusiasts and breeders have formed a breed club or society for most of the breeds represented in Estonia. When looking for a puppy, it is worth asking the relevant breed club about breeders; many clubs also publish breeders’ puppy announcements on their websites. You can find a list of breed clubs and their contact details HERE.
The Kennel Union does not broker puppies, but it can tell you whether a particular breed has a breeder in Estonia. You can also search for this information yourself in the EKL breed register. The EKL website also lists puppy announcements from Estonian breeders.
Before buying a puppy, research the breeder’s background – for example, check the EKL breed register to see how many litters the breeder has had and how often, and whether the parents have undergone health examinations. Do not settle for photographs of the puppy alone – go and see the puppies at home and get to know the conditions in which the litter is being raised.
Do not get a dog from a so-called “puppy mill” – any slightly lower price is usually “compensated for” by large veterinary bills, and by “rescuing” a puppy from poor conditions you are in fact keeping that business alive!
Read more: What does responsible breeding mean?
How can you tell whether a breeder is responsible?
A responsible breeder’s aim in raising a litter is to improve, preserve and promote the breed. Careless breeders see a kennel only as a source of income and ignore the dogs’ needs. This does not mean that a responsible breeder does not charge for puppies – they do so in order to cover the costs of raising the litter, not to make a profit or earn a living.
A responsible breeder does not simply want to sell a puppy, but also wants to be sure that the future wellbeing of the dogs from their kennel is secured. They want to know that the puppies go to loving homes where the new owners are informed and understand the breed’s particular characteristics, temperament and nature. Besides love, new owners should also be able to provide the puppies with an environment suitable for growing up and for life. This often means that a responsible breeder chooses new owners carefully and may have more questions for you than you have for them. It also means that you will have to wait for a puppy, because a responsible breeder usually has only a limited number of litters per year.
A responsible breeder will invite you to come and meet the puppies and their mother, and where possible their other dogs at home as well. This is an ideal opportunity for you to observe how the puppies interact with one another, and it gives you an idea of what the dog will look like as an adult, how it will behave and what care it will need over the next decade or longer. You will also get an overview of the environment in which the puppy is growing up and of the dam’s state of health.
A responsible breeder knows the breed thoroughly, is glad to answer all your questions and will point you to where you can find more information about the breed. They will give you information about the breed’s characteristics and unique needs. They will also advise you on how to care for the puppy, providing information on feeding, vaccinations, health checks and so on, and they will support you throughout the dog’s life.
A responsible breeder NEVER sells a puppy over the internet without meeting the new owner in person to make sure the puppy is being offered a suitable home. A responsible breeder will sign a sales contract with you. They will also take the puppy back, or find it a new home, if the new owner ultimately proves unable to care for it.
In addition, a responsible breeder carries out the available genetic and other health tests on the puppies’ parents, along with regular veterinary checks, in order to ensure healthy puppies as far as possible. They also want to be informed if a puppy develops health problems. It is important to understand that canine health is a complex subject and health testing is only one part of the whole. Beyond the steps taken by a responsible breeder, you too must ensure the puppy receives proper care in order to keep it healthy.