Frequently Asked Questions
We understand that choosing a breeder and welcoming an Australian Cattle Dog into your family involves many important questions.
Below you will find answers about FAREWELLHILL, puppy availability, registration, transport, health testing and what to expect when applying for one of our puppies. If you have a question that is not answered here, please contact us.
Location, Availability & Visiting
FAREWELLHILL Australian Cattle Dogs is located at Oyster Cove in southern Tasmania.
As a small, dedicated breeder, we produce only a limited number of carefully planned litters. Many of our puppies are therefore spoken for in advance.
Please visit our Current Litters page for the latest information or complete our puppy application to express your interest in joining the waitlist.
Waiting times vary depending on our planned litters, when our girls come into season, litter sizes and the preferences of the families already on our waitlist.
As a general guide, the wait may range from approximately two to twelve months. However, breeding and whelping cannot be guaranteed, so timeframes may change.
Yes. Visits are welcome by prior appointment.
Because the health, safety and wellbeing of our dogs and puppies come first, visits may be limited during pregnancy, whelping and the puppies’ earliest weeks.
Choosing and Receiving Your Puppy
Where possible, we consider each family’s preferences, including sex, colour and facial markings. Priority is generally given to applicants who have been waiting the longest.
However, we also consider each puppy’s temperament, personality and suitability for the proposed home. Our goal is to create the best possible match for both the puppy and its new family, so a particular puppy or first choice cannot always be guaranteed.
Our puppies generally leave for their new homes from eight weeks of age, after completing their veterinary health examination and receiving their first vaccination.
Each puppy’s readiness to leave is assessed individually, and departure arrangements must be confirmed with Alison.
FAREWELLHILL puppies can travel to suitable homes throughout Australia.
You are very welcome to travel to Tasmania and collect your puppy personally. Where this is not possible, air transport may be arranged, subject to the destination, weather conditions, carrier availability and current animal-transport requirements.
Transport arrangements and associated costs will be discussed with you before your puppy’s departure.
Prices start from $4,400 inc GST and may vary between litters and according to the puppy’s registration arrangements.
A holding fee is requested after a puppy has been allocated, with the remaining balance generally due when the puppy is seven weeks old. Payment must be completed before the puppy leaves FAREWELLHILL.
Full pricing, payment dates and the terms applying to the holding deposit will be provided in writing before any payment is requested.
Please complete the online form on our Apply for a Puppy page.
The application helps us learn about your home, lifestyle, previous dog experience and plans for your puppy. It also assists us in determining whether an Australian Cattle Dog is well suited to your family.
Submitting an application does not automatically guarantee a puppy or a place on the waitlist. Alison will contact you after reviewing your information.
Every new family receives a comprehensive Puppy Information Pack containing helpful information about:
Please visit our What You Receive page for the complete list of items, records and information supplied with each puppy.
Registration & Breeding
Yes. FAREWELLHILL puppies are registered with Dogs Australia through Dogs Tasmania and are placed on either the Main Register or Limited Register, depending on the individual puppy and the agreed purpose of its new home.
The puppy’s pedigree and registration documentation will be provided or forwarded once registration processing has been completed.
A puppy on the Limited Register is not eligible to compete in conformation shows and must not be used for breeding. Limited Register dogs may still be eligible to participate in many Dogs Australia activities and dog sports.
A puppy on the Main Register may be eligible for conformation showing and breeding, subject to Dogs Australia regulations, health requirements and any agreement made with FAREWELLHILL.
Main Register placement is not automatically available and must be discussed and agreed upon with Alison before purchase.
Moe is FAREWELLHILL’s foundation stud and is the sire of many of our litters. However, we may occasionally select an outside stud whose health, temperament, structure and bloodlines complement one of our girls.
If you are particularly interested in a puppy sired by Moe, please mention this in your application. Placement will depend on our planned pairings, litter availability and the suitability of the puppy for your home.
No. FAREWELLHILL breeds Australian Cattle Dogs, commonly known as Blue Heelers and Red Heelers.
The Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog is a separate and distinct Australian breed.
Health & Puppy Care
Yes. Every puppy receives a thorough veterinary examination before leaving FAREWELLHILL.
Puppies also receive their first core vaccination and the health records supplied by the veterinarian. New owners will need to continue the vaccination program with their own veterinarian.
Our puppies receive an age-appropriate core vaccination, commonly referred to as a C3 vaccination.
It provides protection against three serious canine diseases:
Your veterinarian will advise you about the remaining puppy vaccinations and when it is safe to begin visiting public areas.
Yes. Our puppies undergo Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response, or BAER, hearing testing at approximately six weeks of age.
BAER testing objectively assesses the hearing response in each ear and helps identify puppies with unilateral or bilateral hearing loss. The results available for your puppy will be included with their records.
Our breeding dogs undergo genetic screening through services such as InfogeneNZ or Embark. These tests screen for the specific inherited genetic variants included in the selected testing panel and help inform our breeding decisions.
Genetic screening is an important breeding tool, but no DNA panel can test for every possible illness or guarantee that a dog will never develop a health condition.
We are happy to discuss the health testing completed for the parents of a planned litter with prospective puppy families.