If
you would like to come and visit my adult Lappies you would be more
than welcome, just drop me a line telling me about yourself and
we can organise something. I live near Guildford in Surrey. I will
happily answer your questions about the breed and tell you what
living with them is like and the upsides and downsides, in my experience.
You will be able to judge for yourselves what adults are like within
the home. Please do join the Finnish Lapphund Chat group hosted
by Yahoogroups (subscribe on Links Page) that I set up in 1999,
as reading through the archives will give you a massive head start
on learning more about the breed - there are also hundreds of photo's
to browse through.
I very rarely breed a litter, but
when I do, I usually select new homes from the people that have
visited me. After spending some time chatting over my dogs I generally
have a very good idea of what visitors are like and whether a Lappie
would suit their lifestyle. I also get a chance to meet the children
that will be living with a puppy. If they are well behaved and respectful
of my adult dogs then I feel happy that they will be fine with one
of my Lappie puppies. People with unruly kids get told to contact
someone else! Often after such a meeting, people are desperate for
a pup, either from me if I have a litter planned or from a breeder
I can recommend. This can be where the long wait sets in!
When looking for a home for a puppy I give preference to people
who either live reasonably close, or who are active on the Finnish
Lapphund List, who have joined the S.F.L.S (Southern Finnish Lapphund
Society) and are keen to join in on Lappie walks etc and/or who
may be interested in showing. As you may have gathered, I like to
keep in touch with all my dogs, not just when they are puppies,
but throughout their adult life. I love reading about the dog's
exploits on the Yahoo list and meeting up for get-togethers when
possible. I don't just sell a pup to the first people who ask to
'go on my list', take the money and wave them off without another
thought. I give very careful consideration to the right home for
each and every pup based upon what the owner wants to do with their
dog and what the character of the puppy is. I also conduct a home
visit to ensure that the garden is adequately fenced and to answer
any on the spot questions the new owner may have. Today I drove
230 miles to conduct a home visit. A bit OTT? Well maybe, but new
owners-to-be seem to appreciate the amount that I care and the effort
I put into my pups, and I in turn have the peace of mind of knowing
that I have found a secure and special home.
It is a good idea to visit as many
Lappies as possible and a good way of doing this is to visit a dog
show. Details of forthcoming shows can be found at www.highampress.co.uk,
www.fossedata.co.uk, or www.dog.biz Lapphunds are often well represented
at Championship Dog Shows and the owners will usually be more than
happy to answer any questions you may have (although best not to
ask them just before they go into the ring!).
So, having decided that the Lapphund is the ideal dog for you and
your family, what next? I suggest you contact both the Finnish Lapphund
Club of Great Britain http://www.finnishlapphund-club.co.uk/start.htm
and the Southern Finnish Lapphund Society http://www.sfls.org.uk/puppy.htm
who both run puppy lists. I suggest that you also post a message
to the Finnish Lapphund Yahoogroup giving as much detail about yourself
as possible. The messages are read by many of the breeders in the
UK (and indeed around the world) and active participation really
does help to firmly place you in the minds of the breeders when
planning a litter. There are far more people wanting Lappie puppies
than pups available and breeders can pick and choose. To make sure
your email doesn't just get lost amongst a hundred others all wanting
the same thing - get involved, become someone we feel that we know,
join in on Lappie walks - be seen to be the kind of owner that we
breeders would love to have for one of our precious pups; sometimes
it is simply a case of being in the right place at the right time.
I was chatting with a friend who said that were she to want to get
a dog, she would phone the breeder and leave her number and expect
to be rung when the litter is born. I'm afraid it simply doesn't
work like that with Lappies! Do be determined and do be patient
- as everyone will tell you, they really are worth waiting for!
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