Reward Canine - Background
Reward Canine was founded in 2003. I have a keen interest in dogs since the age of 6 and at the age of 12 I started earning money from training other people's dogs. As I wasn't allowed my own dog at that time I spent a lot of time looking into all the different breeds available to find the breed I wanted, when I could have a dog. This is where my interest for finding the right dog started - the interest that now has taken me to start my own business.
I finally got two dogs after moving to Australia in 1995. They are energetic and intelligent and have competed in obedience, agility, tracking and herding competitions with excellent results.
Apart from training my own dogs I have also been running private obedience lessons during the last five years. Using mainly positive reinforcement, I specialise in helping owners train new puppies to be well behaved family members. I have trained many breeds of dogs, from Welsh Corgis to Rhodesian Ridgebacks. In addition to the private lessons I have also been working as a level 5 obedience instructor at the Moorabbin and Districts Obedience Dog Club.
As a member of the Victorian Canine Association (VCA) I receive important information on what's happening in the dog world. Just like the VCA I do not support puppy mills and I do not recommend buying a dog from a pet shop. Often these puppies have very little human contact in the early days, which impacts their relationships to humans for life. It has also often been reported that puppies from pet shops suffer from parvovirus, worms and other diseases and to the new dog owners regret die shortly after being brought home.
I would also like to take the opportunity to eradicate the misunderstanding that dogs from pet shops are cheaper than dogs from a reputable breeder. Often this is not the case. As a guideline - a puppy from a breeder generally cost $400-$1200, while a pet shop puppy normally cost anything from $250-$1200. However, when buying from a pet shop the vet expenses will generally be quite a bit higher. Also, think about how much the 'running' expenses of a dog will be - in a year you will spend much more money on vaccinations, food, vet visits, training, basket, kennel, replacing chewed items, toys etc than the actual price of the puppy.
For further information please contact Reward Canine on e-mail or phone 0419 517 480