Herzhund Labradors
Expecting litter
Penrith, New South Wales
Hi, I'm Alison C.
Bred to assist children and adults alike, through life as a best friend or helper, our dogs are very people driven. We want to provide you with your “Heart Dog”, and this is the meaning of Herzhund. We breed to make sure that every puppy is as healthy and temperamentally sound as we can provide.
Vet Approved Criteria
Last checked on 17 September 2021
Every breeder on RightPaw has agreed to our vet-approved RightPaw Code of Ethics, and passed an interview from one of our team.
- Breeding & Welfare
- Health Practices
- Home Environment
- Documentation
- Feeding
- Physical Condition
Our Breeding Practices
Behaviour and socialisation
Imprinting starts on day 3 after birth with the “Super Dog” or “Bio Sensor Early Neurological Stimulation Program”. Our Puppies are raised under the puppy raising program that was developed by Steve Courtney from K9 Pro.
Health
All dogs entering our breeding program must go through vigorous testing before becoming part of the Herzhund Breeding Team. All dogs must have X-Rays and DNA testing complete and pass our temperament testing to become one of our breeding dogs. All pups are vaccinated and microchipped before heading to their new homes along with a check by our Osteopath also.
Home environment
The whelping room is 100% insulated and is complete with soft lighting, ambient music playing throughout, room heating and cooling system and air purification and cameras. There is a complete kitchen for making up food once puppies are on solid foods and a washing area. All floors are sealed with epoxy so we can sanitise the entire area with ease. There is an outdoor covered area (which can be separated and blocked off from whelping…
Included with our puppies
We have a puppy hand over day at our facility at pick up time. During this time, Steve and Alison present on some basic puppy raising information, nutrition etc All puppy owners receive a puppy pack which includes some of the most essential products we feel are needed for pups eg leash, harness, bed etc. We have a dedicated private Facebook Group for all owners of any Herzhund Labrador. It's a safe place for all owners to chat and…
Health Tests
Core Tests(5/5)
Herzhund Labradors conducts 5 out of 5 core health tests which RightPaw believe are most important to conduct for the Labrador Retriever.
EIC
Genetic Test
Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC) is a genetic condition mainly affecting Retrievers and Spaniels.…
Elbow Dysplasia
Physical Test
These breeders have had x-rays taken on their breeding dogs to assess the quality of their elbow…
HNPK
Genetic Test
Hereditary Nasal Parakeratosis (HNPK) is a genetic condition that can affect Labradors. It causes…
Hip Dysplasia
Physical Test
These breeders have had x-rays taken on their breeding dogs to assess their ‘hip score’. Dogs with…
PRA
Genetic Test
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) in dogs is a type of genetic eye disease causing deterioration…
Additional Tests
Herzhund Labradors conducts 12 additional tests available for the Labrador Retriever.
- Genetic Test
Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome (CMS) is genetic disease that causes extreme muscle weakness after just a short amount of exercise. It can result in puppies or dogs who collapse after only five to thirty minutes of exercise. There is a DNA test available to identify if a breeding dog is carrying this condition.
- Genetic Test
Canine Elliptocytosis is a rare genetic disease causing the red blood cells to be abnormally elliptical in shape, rather than round. It generally does not cause a clinical problem to affected dogs, but puppies may be mildly anaemic and smaller than others. There is a DNA test available to identify if a breeding dog is carrying this disease.
- Genetic Test
Centronuclear myopathy (CNM), is a genetic muscle disease that occurs in Labradors. A DNA test is available to identify if a breeding dog is carrying this condition.
- Genetic Test
Congenital Macrothrombocytopenia (CM) is a mild disease which normally does not have any impact on an affected dog’s health or lifespan but can cause concern if noticed on routine bloodwork without knowing the cause. It is a blood disease resulting in low numbers of very large platelets. There is a DNA test available to identify if a breeding dog is carrying this condition.
- Genetic Test
This condition mainly affects Newfoundlands although other breeds can be affected. It is a genetic condition which results in the production of kidney and bladder stones. There is a DNA test available to confirm that breeding dogs are not carrying this condition.
- Genetic Test
This is a disease affecting the spinal cord of older dogs, initially causing wobbliness and eventually hindlimb paralysis. It can affect a wide range of breeds. There is now a DNA test that can indicated if a breeding dog is carrying this disease.
- Genetic Test
Hyperuricosuria (HUU) is a genetic disease that causes a build-up of uric acid in the urine, predisposing to painful bladder and kidney stones. It can occur in a range of breeds. There is a DNA test available to identify whether a breeding dog is carrying this disease.
- Genetic Test
Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) is a rare genetic condition that causes adverse reactions to anaesthetic drugs. It results in the body rapidly overheating and is sometimes fatal. There is now a DNA test available to identify if a breeding dog is carrying this condition.
- Genetic Test
Macular Corneal Dystrophy (MCD) is a rare genetic eye disease that has been identified in Labradors. It causes cloudy eyes and potential vision impairment. There is a DNA test available to identify if a breeding dog is carrying this condition.
- Genetic Test
Narcolepsy is a genetic disease which causes affected animals to fall asleep suddenly following periods of excitement, such a feeding or play. These dogs might collapse and appear drowsy or might completely fall asleep. They usually grow out of the condition after about one year of age. There is a DNA test available to identify if a breeding dog is carrying this condition.
- Genetic Test
Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PKD) is a genetic disorder resulting in low levels of an energy-producing enzyme in the body. Affected dogs can experience lethargy, exercise intolerance and severe anaemia. There is a DNA available to identify whether a breeding dog is carrying this condition.
- Genetic Test
Skeletal Dysplasia is an inherited form of dwarfism which causes the leg bones to grow much shorter than is proportional for the body. Affected legs will be short and slightly bowed outwards. Often the forelimbs are more affected than the hindlimbs, which can make the condition more difficult to spot in subtle cases. There is a DNA test available to identify if a breeding dog is carrying this condition.
About the breeder
A little about us
Hi we are Steve and Alison and we run Herzhund Kennels. Steve is the trainer and behaviourist at K9 Pro, The K9 Professionals and Steve has been working, training and breeding dogs most of his life. Steve is a Nationally Accredited Dog Trainer, Nationally Accredited Behaviourist , Nationally Accredited Law Enforcement Dog Trainer and ANKC Registered Breeder. Steve’s passion is the humble dog, and he grew up with a Labrador when he was a child. This is the reason we have added Labradors to our kennels, to provide high end, working Labradors Retrievers to people who need the right dog in their lives. Alison is the resident “midwife” at Herzhund Kennels. She raises the puppies born at Herzhund alongside Steve, following their raising program together. Both Steve and Alison love dogs and you will see that coming out in our pups. Herzhund Kennels are located in the Nepean region of New South Wales Australia and we ship dogs all over the world.
Why we got involved in breeding
When it comes to our Labs, Steve grew up with a Labrador named “Boy”, and he feels the Labrador makes the best pet for children young and not so young. A dog that loves to swim, fetch, hang out and swap attention with you, you wont find a more stable dog than ours. Our breeding goals are aimed at producing stable, intelligent dogs that are highly suitable to train as working dogs.
Our special touch
Genetics Well first of all, there are the genetics, you will not find better! We search the world for the best bloodlines and bring them together here at Herzhund. You can be assured that you are in the right place if history is to repeat itself. Experience Steve’s reputation for being one of the leading dog trainers for high end, working dogs in Australia spreads far and wide and he is also known as an outstanding behaviourist too. This means that he has developed an outstanding puppy development system that complements the solid genetics we have at Herzhund. Health Health is a big consideration here, and as well as hip and elbow testing, we complete thorough genetic testing to identify any genetic markers of concern or health issues. All our dogs are super healthy. Imprinting Imprinting starts on day 3 after birth with the “Super Dog” or “Bio Sensor Early Neurological Stimulation Program” to better prepare our pups for the vast differences in our world. Many studies have proven that pups that have been put through this program are more able to deal with stress and be more outgoing than other pups, even from good breeding lines, but it doesn’t stop there. Development Steve has a program that he teaches to many breeders on preparing young pups for working and sport careers and general life that starts right from birth, which has brought him huge success.
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websiteCredentials
State registration
B000614580
Association
Dogs NSW (ANKC)
Association number
2100067236
Prefix
Herzhund Labradors
Breeding since
2013