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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1 DOG OR BITCH?
2 ARE LANCASHIRE HEELERS GOOD WITH CHILDREN?
3 ARE LANCASHIRE HEELERS A HEALTHY BREED AND WHAT HEREDITARY PROBLEMS DO THEY SUFFER FROM?
4 HOW MUCH EXERCISE IS REQUIRED FOR THE LANCASHIRE HEELER?
5 WHAT EQUIPMENT WILL BE NEEDED TO START OFF WITH?
6 WHAT IF THE PUPPY WILL NOT SETTLE WHEN WE LEAVE IT AND GO TO BED?
7 HOW AND WHEN DO WE START HOUSE TRAINING?
8 CAN I BREED FROM MY BITCH?
9 WHICH IS BEST HOME REARED PUPPY OR KENNEL REARED PUPPY?
10 ARE LIVER AND TAN LANCASHIRE HEELERS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN BLACK AND TANS?
11 WHAT IS THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF A LANCASHIRE HEELER?
12 DO LANCASHIRE HEELERS SHED MUCH COAT AND HOW MUCH CARE IS NEEDED ON IT?
13 DO LANCASHIRE HEELERS GET ALONG WITH OTHER DOGS AND CATS?
14 DO I OR AM I WILLING TO SHIP PUPPIES VIA AIRPLANE?
15 HOW LONG WOULD I HAVE TO WAIT TO GET A LANCASHIRE HEELER?
16 WHAT AGE WILL A PUPPY BE READY TO GO TO ITS NEW HOME?
17 WHAT DO I DO IF MY PUPPY NEEDS RETURNING?
1 DOG OR BITCH?
Of course if you have had dogs before of both sexes you may favour one sex above the other, temperaments between the sexes are different within different breeds. As for the Lancashire Heeler, I live with both sexes and don’t find them dramatically different.
It is commonly thought that bitches are more loving I don’t find this the case, the males I know and have lived with are just as loving as the bitches.
Apart from the obvious differences such as the bitch has seasons and can become pregnant I find as a pet the male and female Lancashire Heeler are equal and both will suit the family environment or single owner.
Of course these are my observations and based on my experience and feed back from the many puppy owners that keep in touch.
If your new puppy is a bitch and is to be shown, she will have seasons, usually about 6-9 months apart, and could have a moult afterwards so you need to take into account time out of the ring.
If you have a dog he may catch the scent of a bitch which has been taken to the show in season, which is quite common, this may completely put him off his performance.
At the end of the day it is your choice, look at your friends or relatives dogs and just go for your own personal preference.
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2 ARE LANCASHIRE HEELERS GOOD WITH CHILDREN?
Effort must be made with house rules and behaviour from the beginning. We can in no way say all Lancashire Heelers are good with children, it is for you to find out from the breeder you choose to buy your puppy from, the best thing to do is to see the breeders other dogs especially around your children.
The mother of the puppies may be a little protective of her brood so her temperament may be different whilst she is protecting her young but by the time the puppies are 8 weeks she should be more tolerant of people around them.
We can however vouch for our breeding and have had no bad reports from the many families with children that have one of our puppies, if you decide to take on an older dog you may need to give it time to adjust to its new environment.
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3 ARE LANCASHIRE HEELERS A HEALTHY BREED AND WHAT HEREDITARY PROBLEMS DO THEY SUFFER FROM?
This question is covered on the health page please refer to that.
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4 HOW MUCH EXERCISE IS REQUIRED FOR THE LANCASHIRE HEELER?
I believe all dogs should be allowed free running whenever possible, there is no greater pleasure than to watch your dog run free and able to sprint and twist and turn at will. They cannot do this on a leash.
I feel extremely sad for dogs that spend there lives only ever walking at the human pace and unable to feel the speed and agility they possess.
Most areas in Britain are only minutes away from somewhere to let your dog free run even if it’s once per week.
As for exercise that is needed the answer is, not much really, if you have a garden which the dog has access to it will only need a couple of short walks - more to break up the monotony for the dog and for socialisation purposes.
If you don’t have a garden, a couple of 30-40 minute walks per day is usually sufficient exercise.
Lancashire Heelers are actually very docile in the home and are happy to laze the day away until there’s a knock at the door, and then they spring to life!
Most working dogs are the same, they will conserve energy till needed
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5 WHAT EQUIPMENT WILL BE NEEDED TO START OFF WITH?
The first investment should be to secure your garden if you have one.
The next major purchase is a crate (carrier) for the car, use it from the day you collect your new puppy it may save its life or yours. My choice would be the plastic variety as the metal ones have been known to fold up in a crash.
A bed
There are many kinds on the market all aimed at catching your eye and taking your money, a no frills plastic type is ideal they are strong, durable and hygienic. Use a blanket for the bottom (old jumper is just as good).
For the first few days a cardboard box will be just fine.
Never have the bed in a draft or near a radiator
Food and Water bowls
The choice is yours, you may have something in the kitchen cupboard that will do the job, I recommend the stainless steel type, again for hygiene reasons. Make sure that the water bowl is quite large and cannot be tipped if you plan to leave your dog alone with it.
Lead and Collar
I would actually wait until you have your puppy before purchasing these items
Take your puppy with you to one of the many pet superstores who do let your dogs inside and try them on for size. Lancashire Heeler puppies are only small and a cat collar may be ideal for the first few weeks.
REMEMBER puppies grow; always check that the collar is not becoming too tight.
Food
We supply the first weeks food and give advice on feeding
If the breeder you are to buy your puppy from doesn’t, give you food, find out what the pup has been used to and have it in stock before taking the pup home.
Bones
I recommend raw bones for your puppy and adult dog to chew.
1. it’s a dog! Dogs like bones.
2. It will help the puppy to teethe.
3. Bones clean your dog’s teeth naturally.
Toys
Of course puppies have an inquisitive nature and love toys as much as any child.
But there is no need to go mad, my dogs love plastic bottles, old tea towels, bits of rope etc.. They have no idea how much they cost or if they are in fashion!
The most important pieces of equipment are phone numbers
The vet
The out of hours vet
The breeder
Equip your home
You will need to walk round your home and view it through the eyes of a mischievous puppy. If temptation can be moved (e.g. table cloth hanging down) move it, if not at least you are aware of all dangers and things the pup could damage. Also be aware of pesticides poisons and ponds in the garden.
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6 WHAT IF THE PUPPY WILL NOT SETTLE WHEN WE LEAVE IT AND GO TO BED?
If you are determined that the pup is to sleep in a designated area and not on your bed there is only one answer, leave it to settle.
Some puppies will never cry from the very first night others may take up to a week to settle but they will.
Do not keep going to the puppy it will get mixed messages from you and think crying is helping to get attention.
A puppy never became ill from whining so don’t worry it will soon learn that bedtime means just that, just as our children do.
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7 HOW AND WHEN DO WE START HOUSE TRAINING?
A. From the moment you arrive home you should house train, you may notice when you first put the puppy down it will become all excited at the new areas to explore, watch for it sniffing low to the ground and circling as soon as this happens take the pup outside to do its business.
It is no good thinking that those first tiny pees don’t matter, they certainly do. Your puppy needs to know where to go from the start.
If the puppy has a pee in the right place, reward it with praise and maybe a little treat, this routine is quite tiring and may have to be done 30 times a day but if you bother to keep it up you should have a clean puppy within days.
Night times are a little different and unless you are prepared to get up in the night (I’m not), your new pup may not have enough control yet to last all night, I usually put paper down for night time duties but never leave it there during the day.
Never rub a puppies nose in its mess if it goes in the house. It serves no purpose and is very negative and cruel, just show the pup what it did tell it NO and put it in the correct place immediately.
Lancashire Heelers are usually very quick to house train, this is the method I use but there are lots of different views on the matter.
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8 CAN I BREED FROM MY BITCH?
If you are interested in breeding from your bitch you must make this clear before buying a pup, then I can make sure the bitch puppy is suitable to be bred from.
Any of my pups which I feel may not be suitable will have breeding restrictions placed on them at the time of their kennel club registration.
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9 WHICH IS BEST - HOME REARED PUPPY OR KENNEL REARED PUPPY
As long as puppies are reared correctly it doesn’t matter where they are brought up.
Warmth, food, water, hygienic surroundings, socialisation, area to play and explore - all these things can be catered for in a house or in a kennel environment.
It can be done correctly in both environments and by the same token can be done badly in both.
When going to view puppies look at the other dogs within the kennel or house. Do they have adequate space and an area to exercise? Look where the puppies play, ask to see where the puppies are kept when not supervised. Does the dam look happy?
Are the breeders happy to let you visit 2 or 3 times before you take your puppy?
Do they offer to give help and support after you have taken your puppy?
More importantly, do they offer to take it back regardless of age.
My pups are kennel reared but come into the home every day to play and learn about the different noises within the house, TV, Hoover, etc
But mainly to interact with people, which is very important from about 4 weeks onwards.
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10 ARE LIVER AND TAN LANCASHIRE HEELERS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN BLACK AND TANS?
Liver and Tan puppies are no more special than black and tan pups, so my pet livers are no more expensive.
However, liver puppies are rarer than black and tan so to produce a show quality liver with good pigmentation and rich even colour is quite rare indeed, therefore my show liver and tan pups are more expensive
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11 WHAT IS THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF A LANCASHIRE HEELER?
Lancashire heelers are a healthy hardy little dog and don’t ail much, most if cared for correctly will live a long life 14 years is average but I have heard of some living much longer than this.
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12 DO LANCASHIRE HEELERS SHED MUCH COAT AND HOW MUCH CARE IS NEEDED ON IT?
The Heeler sheds its coat usually a couple of times per year when it moults profusely for up to a week. This can be helped by bathing and grooming. Once the coat has finished shedding that should be it for a few months . Little maintenance is required with the Heelers coat, just the odd bath if smelly and a quick groom when needed.
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13 DO LANCASHIRE HEELERS GET ALONG WITH OTHER DOGS AND CATS?
Heelers do like other dogs company and lots of our pups have been sold to families with other dogs, as for cats yes they get along with them just fine.
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14 DO I OR AM I WILLING TO SHIP PUPPIES VIA AIRPLANE?
Yes I have shipped quite a few and have had no problems doing so.
All new owners have reported that their pups arrived in great condition, unperturbed by their journey. If you don’t want your puppy shipped I am willing to bring it to you personally.
Of course, my flight and any out of pocket expenses would have to be paid for.
You would be welcome to collect, you would be picked up from the airport and be welcome to stay until your flight home.
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15 HOW LONG WOULD I HAVE TO WAIT TO GET A LANCASHIRE HEELER?
I have a waiting list that is growing by the day, if you are lucky the wait could be short but realistically maybe up to 12 months.
Heelers are rare now and there aren’t so many breeders around. If your heart is set on the breed waiting is the only option and getting your name down on other reputable breeders lists will help.
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16 AT WHAT AGE WILL A PUPPY BE READY TO GO TO ITS NEW HOME?
9 weeks.
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17 WHAT DO I DO IF MY PUPPY NEEDS RETURNING?
All buyers are asked to take their new puppy to their own vet for a checkup within 48 hours of taking it home.
Get it vet checked and registered, if a medical problem is found at this check, a full refund would be given and puppy taken back immediately.
A full refund will also be given within the first 48 hours for any other reason as long as the puppy is returned in the good health it left in.
After 48 hours if you return your puppy for anything other than medical reasons you will receive a refund once the puppy is resold.
I will never turn away any dog I have bred. Even 10 years or more later I would take it back.
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