Caleebra Kennels - Finnish Lapphunds - Gippsland, VIC

Finnish Lapphund Dog Breeder - VIC

Owner and Breeder of Finnish Lapphunds.
We are devoted to this rather unique and wonderful Spitz. We've been owned by Lapphunds for over 13 years and they still find ways to surprise and amuse us.
Generally, they're a family-focused dog with a keen intellect. Most are keen to train and show off what they know as long as they're getting paid. They're also happy to skip to the end if the training becomes monotonous or if they can't see the point in continuing.
Some are more comfortable lazing on the couch, though through our selective breeding, we don't tend to get that here.
They're still a spitz breed and can fall back on those primitive roots: independent, stubborn, determined. Especially during adolescence. Without early training, living with a Lappie can be a lot of hard work. Put in that time early and you'll have a best friend for life.
They're often described as a Border Collie with an 'Off' switch. They're ready in an instant for a game, a walk, road trip or training and will settle down in the evenings to be 'nearby'. They don't want to miss a thing.
For this reason they're not great dogs to be left alone in a backyard, but need their family.
They're known for barking and digging (to keep cool in summer) but also for their addictive properties: Most owners don't stop at one.
Life is always interesting with a Lappie by your side.

We don't breed often and aim to find the best fit for our puppies.
Our website is always up to date with the latest information on puppy availability and litter plans.

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Get in touch

Location: VIC

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Registrations & memberships

Registration: DOGS VIC;

Prefix: Caleebra

Supply/Source RB101529

Clubs & Assoc: Dogs Victoria: 3100039005.

Our standards & practices

Health testing & screening

Q. Do you health test appropriately (eg hip and elbow X-ray scoring, DNA testing), and understand the genetic issues that may affect your breed? If your breed is prone to health issues, what are they, and what testing practices do you have in place?

A. Yes.Yes, we hip and elbow score under CHEDS and have regular eye screening done under ACES for our breeding dogs. Every puppy is full-panel DNA screened, profiled and provided with parentage verification. Imported semen is also fully DNA profiled and screened. I'm not sure regular people would call my strategy sensible as I have multiple objectives I'm trying to achieve with each and every litter and throughout my breeding program. I feel I need to do everything I can to give each puppy the best start whilst preserving the breed I love and limiting the loss of genetic variation.

Preparation & socialisation

Q. Do you ensure that your puppies are properly socialised?

A. Yes.Our puppies are raised in the home and from 4 weeks venture outside. They're raised around other dogs and carefully exposed to different environments, people and children, objects and substrates. They're challenged commensurate with their age and placed under different stresses (held by children, rolled onto their backs for tummy tickles, have obstacles placed between them and something they want to test their frustration and problem solving, held like a baby and taken from their litter mates to different parts of the house or garden to see how they react without the extra courage and security of the family unit) They're held and have their feet, mouths and ears played with. they're 'examined' on a table to simulate a vet visit. We start toilet training from 10 days to 2 weeks and largely use shaping and luring to achieve desired outcomes without the puppies even realising they're being trained. Their owners are given comprehensive puppy packs to continue the learning.

Placement & matching

Q. Is making sure your puppies go to the right homes a priority? How do you ensure they are placed in loving, responsible homes?

A. Yes.It's absolutely important to me that the puppies I breed find the most appropriate home for them. I screen owners with questions and either meet them in person or have them meet a trusted friend if they're not local to me. I clearly state the type of puppies I'm expecting from a litter and stress the importance of suitable homes. I am determined to find committed homes, ready for a puppy and willing to put in the groundwork and early training to make the most of their pup's life.

Q. Do you have any of the following: conditions of sale, health guarantee or warranty, de-sexing agreement, a buyer questionnaire, verbal or personal interview?

A. Yes.We provide potential puppy buyers with a puppy info pack and questionnaire. The sale of our puppies is contingent on agreement to the conditions of sale. The basics of the agreement includes that: the puppy will be fed an appropriate diet, will not be exercised on slippery surfaces or allowed to jump onto or off high platforms until fully grown. The puppy must attend puppy school and follow with formal obedience classes for at least a year. Lappie puppies are a stubborn, willful lot and their teenage stage can drive owners crazy if they don't have the training under their belt to survive it. There is also a clause that they will only be desexed upon reaching physical maturity to give that puppy the best chance for a long and healthy life free of joint and skeletal issues. Under Victorian law we already abide by the Code of Practice for the Breeding of Animals with Heritable Defects that Cause Disease and under Dogs Victoria's Code we provide a Health Declaration at time of sale. We have further provisions in our contract relating to hip and elbow dysplasia and eye conditions.

Ongoing support

Q. Do you offer ongoing support?

A. Yes.Of course any time you need to chat to us we're here. For the life of your puppy. We also have a FB group for Puppy Owners and invested parties where advice, stories and funny photos are swapped regularly.

Q. Do you assist the buyer with re-homing an animal that was purchased from you if they are unable to keep it?

A. Yes.We've needed to assist in the re-homing of a couple of our dogs before. In both cases, I offered to take the dogs back immediately and had them flown home or picked up promptly to ease the burden on their owners and allow me to quickly get them back so I could assess them and see what they might need and what home would be best for them before eventually rehoming them.

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