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PUPPY BUYER INFORMATION Each person or family when looking at introducing a new puppy to a home should have done some fairly extensive research before even starting out, as to what breed of dog might suit them best. Too many times someone will be struck by a pretty fluffy puppy and just have to have it, without knowing anything about the breed they have just obtained on cute value alone. Hence as responsible breeders, when you enquire for a puppy off us, we will be asking many questions to determine in our own mind if a Toller will suit your family and your lifestyle. In nearly all cases we will want to talk to you personally or meet you if you live in our Brisbane area. If unable to meet us personally we will try and ensure that you yourselves have at least met the breed face to face or have spoken to or met other Breeder/Toller owners. Tollers for many reasons may not always be the breed for you, we want to place our puppies into the *right* home first time around. On our worldwide Toller E-Mail list there was a conversation that came up about things that prospective owners might not enjoy about the Toller- at the end of discussion Peggy O'Connells Top 10 Reasons why people might not enjoy a Toller- came about - The list appears below- read it well - if you have some doubt after reading this list then maybe a Toller is not for you. 10 Shedding and Mess. Tollers do blow their coats seasonally, and they like to swim roll and wallow. They are not a dog for the fastidious or the allergic. 9 Watch your cat! Many Tollers do just fine in households with cats or other animals. They do have a strong prey drive, however. If you don't want your cat chased, this may not be the dog for you. The chasing will only be fun but it is likely to happen. 8 Don't expect me to protect you! Tollers are generally wary of strangers, but if you want a dog to serve as protection, look elsewhere. While they are excellent natural watch dogs, and their barking maybe more than enough to scare away a burglar, these dogs are not cut out to protect. They may not lead the intruder to your silver, but they also aren't likely to go for his leg! 7 THE SCREAM - Many Tollers possess a penetrating scream that they produce to indicate excitement and eagerness. To the un- initiated this can sound like the dog is being fed into a wood chipper. It's high pitched, frantic and loud Not all Tollers scream, but many do. If you are unable to teach quiet manners, or live in a neighbourhood where dog noise will get you into trouble, or just don't like dogs that make noise, this is not the breed for you. The Scream is usually a reaction to an exciting stimulus (water, toy, ball) rather than a constant behaviour, but it can be annoying. 6 Drive. Tollers are a hunting breed, with an intense desire to work. They will retrieve until your arm falls off. Toller owners who suffer from tendonitis are not uncommon. This dog is a retrieving fool that will climb trees to reach a bumper in the branches. This may sound cute now, but after the 4oth throw, you may change your mind. 5 Everyone's best friend?? If you are looking for a dog that wants to befriend the world, the Toller may not be for you. Tollers are gentle and kindly and many can be quite outgoing, but if you are looking for a dog with the LAB, "I just met you and now your my best friend!" attitude, the Toller may be wrong for you. Tollers will greet strangers happily, but generally reserve true enthusiasm for their immediate family and their special friends. 4 Did you say NO? If you give Tollers and inch they will gladly take a mile and come back again for another. Tollers are generally too smart to engage in out and out dominance battles. Instead, they sense power vacuums and exploit them. If you are unable to be firm (kind but firm that is) about the rules in your household, and to enforce those rules consistently, you will soon find that the ruler of the house has four legs and a red coat. Tollers don't have a mean bone in their bodies, but they are opportunistic and stunningly smart. If you aren't in charge, they' l pick up the slack. 3 Just do as I tell you! Tollers love to work, but they are not always as easy to train as other breeds. they need to be challenged and engaged by their work or they get bored and stop paying attention. They may also try things a dozen ways before they get around to doing what you are looking for. Patience, inventiveness and flexibility are the rules when training a Toller. If you want a dog that is going to learn by the book, or if you are at all unsure about your ability to train a dog that is a little different from the norm, the Toller may not be for you. 2 Smart, Smart, Smart, It cannot be stressed enough that this is a dog with brains to spare. Keeping all that intelligence busy and focused is a big challenge. These dogs must be given at least basic obedience training and many Toller owners are active in several dog activities (hunting, hunt tests, agility, Flyball, tracking, competitive obedience etc) just to keep their Tollers occupied. Even Tollers who are just pets must have basic obedience training and the chance to use their brains (teach them to bring paper, have him carry the mail in, teach tricks etc) or they will become downright obnoxious around the house. 1 VROOOOOOOOM!!!!!! The Toller is an energetic dog, and needs plenty of exercise. While they are not not quite as hyperactive as some breeds, they do need lots of activity, both physical and mental. If you are looking for a dog that is content with nothing more than a pleasant walk in the evening, look elsewhere. Better behaviour through exhaustion is the rule for living with a Toller. If you do not have time to give this breed at least an hour of exercise a day, every day, with plenty of swimming and retrieving, look elsewhere. A Toller with energy to burn will find other outlets for their drive, and the results are seldom pleasant. In Summary, if you can't keep this dog busy don't get this dog. more than many breeds a Toller is a mental physical commitment. They are not the right dog for everyone and while we love them dearly, we don't want to see them in pounds and shelters. Keep this in mind when you consider Choosing A LITTLE RED RETRIEVING MACHINE.!!
Tollers are still rare in Australia - if you feel that they are absolutely the right dog for you and the breeders, be it us or someone else, agree to sell you a puppy be prepared to have a bit of a wait. Most of the Toller Breeders here in Australia work together for the good of the Breed and are more than happy to pass inquiries for good homes to each other, specially when it might be quite a while before a litter is due. So if you are patient and prepared to wait then there will be a puppy for you eventually. Length of time on a Breeders waiting list might also depend on what you were wanting to do with your puppy, just a plain pet, a puppy for showing and breeding, a puppy to work in dog sports such as obedience, agility etc. It will also depend on whether you want a girl or a boy, all these factors are weighed up by the Breeder to make sure the puppy that suits you best is selected. Here at Fionavar we also have a few requirements that we ask new owners to meet before the eventual sale takes place. As responsible breeders they are things that we ask to protect our puppies and the breed in general, also they provide protection to you the owner. You will be asked to sign in conjunction with us a Contract of Sale. Not every contract is the same, as it can depend on what basis you are buying your puppy on, Breeding/Potential Show puppy, Co-Ownership Puppy, Pet Puppy etc. In the case of a Pet Puppy Contract, some of the stipulation's are that the puppy is to be de-sexed- not be be used for Breeding. In some cases we will have the puppy de-sexed before they are placed into their new home. For a Potential Show/Breeding Contract we will place a Non-Breeding Agreement section in, stipulating that the dog or bitch not be bred until over 2 years of age, must have passed all Health Clearances (we will ask for copies of Clearances) and that the dog or bitch be working towards a title or have obtained a title in Conformation or working. In all of the Contract of Sales will be a Guarantee by us the Breeders against Genetic defect. If you read our health page we make all efforts to ensure the parents are fully health cleared but can't ensure that each and every puppy won't have a problem occur down the track. Hence we do the next best thing and will either replace, buy back or come to a satisfactory arrangement with the owner if there is a genetic problem. Also in the contract is the option for us to take the puppy back for re-housing in the event you can no longer keep the puppy. Your puppy will come to you wormed, have had at least it's first vaccinations, it will have also have been heart cleared by a Specialist Cardiologist before going to it's new home. We also have all our puppies Microchipped and they are registered with the ruling Canine Control Body here in Australia. Your puppy will be vet checked before leaving but we recommend you also have a vet check within 48 hours of getting your puppy home. As the owners of our puppies know, a part of Terry and I go with each puppy to it's new home. We love each one dearly and wish to stay in touch with all owners. We welcome all news, brags and photo's as they grow up- and we will place updates and pics here on the Fionavar Web site. So if you are interested in getting a Toller Puppy give us a ring or email us initially. We will get to know each other and see if a Toller is indeed a dog that would suit your family and your lifestyle. If you feel the need we can give you contact email addresses for those who purchased puppies off us previously- all these people had lengthy dealings with us before getting their puppies. The best way to find breeders in your state is to contact your states Canine Control Council who will provide you with names and phone numbers of registered Toller Breeders.
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