Frequently asked questions

Fill in the Puppy Enquiry. We accept only a limited number of enquiries per litter. You cannot reserve a puppy with us, you can only enquire. We choose every puppy with great care, taking into account its temperament, its personality and the lifestyle of the future family. More on this under Our Future Puppy Owners.

That depends on the litter: on our litter planning, on the size of the litter and on what character the puppies have. We do not keep a waiting list. It makes no sense to hand over puppies whose character does not fit. Which litters we plan is shown on the page Puppy Plans.

The price varies because we breed on a cost-covering basis.

The price is given on request.

Not before ten weeks. Our puppies stay with us at least until they have completed their tenth week, because during this time they learn important basics from their mother and littermates. If a puppy needs more time, we extend its stay.

Yes, of course, but that is the second step in our getting-to-know process for people interested in a puppy. We prefer to start with a get-to-know walk. There are several reasons, and the main one is this: you only really get to know our dogs on a walk, not at home. At home they are the best dogs you can imagine, and that gives a completely false picture, which we want to avoid. After the walk you are welcome to visit us.

We look after the puppies during their first 16 weeks. First, care and daily weight checks are the priority. Then we introduce everyday sounds, toys and human contact step by step and begin early neurological stimulation. Between four and eight weeks the puppies get to know new impressions, sounds, surfaces and different people in a safe, positive way, along with first routines such as house training, the transport crate and gentle grooming. After the first vaccination in week 8 they have their first dog school experiences with their mother and get used to new surroundings and car rides. From week 10 most puppies move to their new home, and we stay in contact with the families afterwards. The whole journey is described on the page Puppy Journey.

Puppy Culture is a rearing programme for breeders, developed by the American breeder Jane Killion together with experts. It accompanies puppies from birth to the move to their new home, with over 50 lessons in a week-by-week timeline (film and workbook). Topics include early neurological stimulation, socialization, house training and training with positive reinforcement, without corrections. The basic idea: the puppy sets the pace of learning, and you observe what it is ready for at its current stage of development.

We raise our puppies with this programme and use clicker training and shaping to encourage curiosity, confidence and joy in learning. More in our Breeding Philosophy.

It is not always easy to recognize at first glance whether a kennel is reputable, and so to be certain that your future family member comes from a responsible and loving place and was not “produced” by a puppy farmer out of sheer profit motive. Here are ten signs of a good choice of kennel.

1. Love of the breed: The breeders have a deep passion for dogs and for the breed they breed, which shapes their work.
2. Balance between aspects: A balance is sought between the health, conformation, performance and social behaviour of the dogs.
3. Health of the dogs: The health of the dogs is the focus, and measures are taken to prevent disease.
4. Behaviour of the dogs: Besides outward appearance, attention is also paid to the behaviour and social behaviour of the dogs.
5. External quality controls: Willingness to undergo regular external quality controls to ensure that standards are met.
6. SKG and FCI breeders: The breeders are usually members of the SKG or FCI, which provides additional safeguards.
7. Compliance with standards: Breeding practices meet the highest standards, which are continuously monitored.
8. Heartfelt rearing: The puppies are raised with heart and dedication, with the wellbeing of the dogs coming first.
9. Commitment to high standards: The breeders are committed to constantly improving and adapting their breeding practices.
10. Holistic approach: A comprehensive approach to breeding that considers both the outward appearance and the wellbeing of the dogs.

We used the text above from the SKG article Wie finde ich eine gute Zucht? on HundSchweiz and translated it into English.

How we put this into practice is described on our pages Recognition and Breeding Philosophy.

Yes and no. It is important to know that a Siberian Husky is not an ordinary dog that wants to obey. He is completely independent and needs a great deal of time and patience in training, because he does not have the will to please. This means you have to go to dog school regularly to learn how to deal with that.

The problem is that the Siberian Husky will not always be the model pupil, and you have to keep finding creative solutions to put into practice what dog school asks of you. If you do not have the commitment, patience and perseverance for this, we do not recommend a Nordic breed.

Every dog loves to be allowed to move. What hardly anyone says, though: a Siberian Husky can be trained into a movement junkie. So you decide what kind of Siberian Husky you want: a movement junkie, or one that can also live with a day of little exercise when you are ill.

Something very important must never be forgotten: a Siberian Husky puppy must, like every other puppy, get enough sleep for 12 to 15 months and be spared strenuous activity. Overexertion damages the body permanently.

Yes, especially during the coat change. Huskies have a dense double coat and lose a lot of undercoat during the coat change, usually twice a year. Otherwise regular brushing is enough.

We wash and blow-dry our Siberian Huskies regularly during that time. That way we get rid of the loose fur quickly and have less hair everywhere. It is important to do it properly so that coat and skin are not damaged or stripped of their natural oils.

Yes, you can, but at your own responsibility. What we mean by that: nothing may happen these days. If the dog starts to go after wildlife (we deliberately do not say hunting, because hunting dogs learn how to hunt and it is controlled) and kills animals, this can have serious consequences, up to the dog being put down or shot. That is why it is important to always have a dog you let off the lead under control and not to risk anything. How we train is described on the page Training.

It depends on how long you want the coat to be. At 1 to 3 cm, care is easier: 1 to 2 hours every 3 weeks. At 3 to 7 cm it becomes a little more demanding: 1 to 2 hours every 2 weeks. Anything longer needs 2 to 4 hours of grooming per week.

A well-trained Barbet is a perfect family dog. You need to take the time to teach it the basics and to go to dog school regularly. In the first two years a Barbet can have quite a lot of nonsense in its head, but this time passes so quickly that in the long run you forget how demanding it was.

No dog is guaranteed to be hypoallergenic. The Barbet hardly sheds, so many allergy sufferers tolerate it better. But it differs from dog to dog, and you can also react to an individual puppy. If you are allergic, spend time with the dog before buying a puppy, for example on a get-to-know walk. It has to be a well-considered decision.

Yes. If you train a Barbet in a positive way, you have a super sporting dog at your side. You can get it excited about anything if you are excited yourself.

For all our breeding dogs we test for hip dysplasia (HD), elbow dysplasia (ED), lumbosacral transitional vertebrae, the eyes (ECVO), DNA tests and heart checks, and we also invest in examining their offspring. The results are shown on each dog’s page under Health Tests. More in our Breeding Philosophy.

A test such as Embark can confirm that the genetically testable diseases are not present, and it shows the coefficient of inbreeding (COI). Our dogs are still not protected against all diseases, though. There are many influences that can make a dog ill. Joints, eyes and heart need their own examinations.

The COI shows how likely it is that a puppy has inherited the same genes from both parents. The lower it is, the more genetic diversity. It is an indication, not a quality measure on its own. We pay attention to genetic diversity.

Yes, a residual risk remains. Even healthy parents can carry genetic traits without showing them and pass them on. Health tests and DNA tests reduce the risk considerably, but they do not rule it out. Anyone who claims otherwise is selling a lie.

As a breeder you can never guarantee that you have brought a completely healthy dog into the world. We want that one thousand percent, but we can never give that guarantee. That is why we do our best to breed healthy puppies and always speak openly and honestly about our breeding risk. We are not always spared problems either. For us it is clear: if a dog wants to live, we do everything to give it a life worth living, even if this puppy remains part of our pack. One example is Zarina.