(info on raising our pups is lower on this page) 

Morekos spends countless hours planning each litter and we are very selective about who we entrust our pups with. Countless animals are abandoned at animal shelters every week due to a lack of planning and thought made prior to taking on the responsibility of dog ownership. Owning a dog should be viewed as a commitment to a dogs entire life. It is a huge responsibility and not a right. We know our dogs and want their needs and lives to match those of our prospective new families, so they will go on to flourish and meet their full potential in a forever home.

Before inquiring about one of our pups please consider the following and be honest-

· Do you know much about the breed?

· Can you afford the up keep of a dog? (approx $3000 per year + unexpected vet bills)

· Can you afford pet insurance and unexpected vet bills?

· Do you have a large secure fenced yard?

· Will you allow the dog indoors? (dogs are social animals and thrive indoors)

· Are you active and able to exercise your dog for hours each day?

· Do you have time to train your new friend? (all dogs need plenty of training)

· Do you have the time to intensively socialise your pup? (lack of socialising leads to fear and anxiety)

· Does everyone in the home agree to get a dog?

· Do you have other pets, will they tolerate a new dog?

· Are your neighbors OK with a dog living next door?

· Are you able to commit to caring for a dog for the next 12 years+?

If you have answered 'no' to any of the above questions, it may not be the right time in your life to commit to a dog, let alone a working dog. There are far more things to consider than listed above but it is important to be sure of your decision, before making the choice of bringing a dog in to your life.

Our dogs grow to be loyal, loving and devoted companions. They give you as much to you as you give to them so be sure it is the best. A dog is solely dependent on its owner and in return devotes its life to the one it trusts.

Puppy Raising,

 

All MOREKOS puppies are sent home with detailed information to help new owners get off to the right start with their puppy. This page outlines the way we would like our pups to be brought up, if you find it is vastly different to your own beliefs then please look for another breeder, if owner and breeer are not on the same page, its not going to be a good fit. MOREKOS selects breeding animals that have proven themselves to have sound temperaments and pass all the health and breed requirements expected by the GSDL and Affiliated breeders clubs, however the environment and upbringing that puppies receive will determine if they meet their full potential.

All Puppies are expected to go to puppy preschool or undergo a similar development and socialisation process

 

Why? It is crucial that your puppy is properly socialized and trained in order to create a well mannered, companion animal, as an adult. The earlier these life skills are learnt, the less likely a pup will be to develop a behavioural problem.The average puppies crucial socializing period ends at around 16 weeks old and literature suggest that for the German Shepherd breed, this period could end as early as 10 weeks. Enrolling in a puppy preschool provides a safe outlet for socialising and bond enhancing, early formal training, provided the class instructor is knowledgable and keeps their skill set up to date.

However puppy preschool alone will not create an obedient and social dog, this will take considerably more work and time. Socializing must include exposure to as many sights, sounds, people, places and animals as possible, all of which must be a positive experience for the dog.

Taking the time to invest in all this socializing will help to ensure your pup is not afraid of everyday scenarios in the future. If a dog is kept isolated it will develop fears of new people and places, which will be very difficult to overcome.

 

Training

Training is an important part of any dog's life. It provides mental stimulation, which helps to keep your dog happy and it creates a mutual bond of respect and understanding between you and your dog, however it has to be taught correctly.

Positive reinforcement and motivational training is the way to go.

Why? Reward-based training methods whereby the dog is set up to succeed and then rewarded for performing the ‘good’ behaviour (positive reinforcement), is enjoyable for the dog and enhances the relationship between the dog and handler. Rewards may be in the form of a toy, tasty food treat or verbal praise such as "good dog!" in a pleasant tone of voice, to be given when the dog performs the ‘good’ behaviour. Reward-based training also involves redirecting ‘unwanted’ behaviours and avoiding creating a mishap by thinking ahead of time. I.E - before the dog jumps up ask it to sit and reward it for doing so. If you have a young pup in the house, crate it when you can't watch it to avoid accidents happening.

Aversion or physical punishment should be avoided and used as a last resort in training programs. Punishing a dog in a manner that causes fear or discomfort for 'unwanted' behaviour can sometimes exacerbate the problem. Physical punishment undermines the trust that is important to establish in the bond with your dog. If you constantly have to punish your dog for the same infraction then the technique is not working and this could constitute to abuse.

Stay far away from trainers that want to immediately use harsh aversion/punishment style methods, such as, choke, prong or electric collars, the latter two items being illegal in many states of Australia and other forward thinking Countries. If a dog is taught properly from the start and understands what is expected of it, there will be no need to give a harsh correction, dogs work for themselves, the more they are rewarded for a behaviour the more they will offer that behaviour. The stronger a dogs desire to obtain a reward is, the stronger witholding that reward will be to deter behaviour (negative punishment) - if our dogs are not perfroming the way we want, we withhold the reward, thus the dog see's no point in continuing the unanted behaviour and is less likely to offer the unwanted behaviour in the future.

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Teaching obedience commands is relatively easy to do, but changing a dog’s negative behaviours and perceptions is a lot harder.

For further reading please refer to    http://www.dogwelfarecampaign.org/

 

With the correct technique and skill of the trainer, our dogs are easy to train, they learn quickly and respond very well using the right rewards for each dog. We train ourselves, as do many of the owners we have placed past litters with, if all those dogs can be trianed without inflicting fear or discomfort, then our future owners should be capable of doing the same. We honestly just can't understand why there are people out there who set out to train their dogs in a manner that will undoubtedly be uncomfortable or damaging to their dogs wellbeing, when it is well and truely documented that there are better more reliable ways to trian, without a need for tools and techniques that cause fear, pain, discomfort or other welfare implications.

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MOREKOS trains all dogs using dog friendly scientifically based techniques with outstanding results. If you are reading this page in utter disagreance, please look for a different breeder to source your puppy from or better still, upskill your abilites and open your thoughts to alternative ways of training and challenge the way you've currently been taught. Training is so much more enjoyable for you and the dog when its kind, humane and rewarding for both participants.