I am interested in purchasing a toy poodle from a breeder and wanted your take on written contracts for health. So far, all of my research indicates that contracts for health are obviously beneficial but none of them specify the length of time the contract is valid–whether it’s good for a few years of the dog’s life or for its entirety.
In talking to breeders I have yet to find one that will provide such a written contract for the first few years or any time thereafter. They have only offered an oral agreement saying, “We have a lifetime guarantee on our dogs and if some genetic problem were to arise we would work with you but do not provide anything in writing.” Is this unusual? We have only had one poodle, obtained through adoption, so we are unfamiliar with the whole deal of a breeder purchase. I do not think a written contract is such an unreasonable request. What do you think?
Seriously, how can the breeder guarantee that the dog will remain healthy? They don’t feed them or watch over them 24hrs a day to bake sure they aren’t licking the antifreeze off the driveway or drinking the pool water. A lifetime guarantee against a genetic defect is pretty much useless anyway and the likelihood of you getting your money back in any case is slim to nil.
The best thing you can do is buy from a breeder whom you trust and has good references(ask to check them).
Well, mostly what wishbone said. I have purchased 3 great danes from breeders, and one can get a written contract for health, but ONLY for genetic diseases the dogs are subject to. In the case of Great Danes, one can get a written contract specifying your money back if the animal has hip-dysplasia; a defect Danes are prone to (there are actually several options specified in the contract, only one of which was the money-back guarentee (and I didn’t actually think I’d get my money back, anyway)).
Beyond a limited-time, limited-circumstance contract, specifying things for which the breeder might be responsible (such as genetic defects), you are asking for too much. After you’ve had the puppy for a few months, its going to be pretty difficult to prove if it is nature or nurture that caused the illness.
I just bought a chow chow puppy from a breeder. The little bundle of love just arrived on Wednesday. The contract “guaranteed” her hips will pass OFA (a standard organization of some sort for dysplasia) for 2.5 years and that she won’t show any genetic problems for 1 year (in the case of chows this is usually ingrown eye lash problems.) The remedy? You can ship back your dog and they will replace it with a dog of equal value. Yeah, right! I’ve had this puppy for only a few days up 'til now and you’d have to kill me before anyone took her. Many breeders would just euthanize any returned dog. Also, there was a 48 hour return policy no questions asked.
Your main protection is to research the hell out of the breeder. Make sure that they are members in good standing of their breed club of the AKC. Go to some local dog shows and make friends of some of the breeders. They’ll let you know in a subtle way if a particular breeder is not to be trusted. Look at the pedigree of the litter and make sure there are some champions in the lineage. If you can, meet the parents of your puppy and inspect the facilities of the breeder. A good breeder will interview you to make sure that you will take good care of their pups. Have your vet inspect your new puppy the day or the day after you get it.
Be forwarned, dog breeders are crazy. Best in Show is a deadly accurate movie. I used to think that Mrs. H and I were crazy dog people. Not any more.
Haj
[gush] My new puppy is the cutest thing on Earth. She’s sitting at me feet as I type this. I’m gonna pick her up and squeeze her as soon as I post this. [/gush]
Wishbone, of course I’m not referring to such incidents caused by fault of the owner. That would be ridiculous. I’m referring to those as stated by bashere for “ONLY genetic diseases [poodles] are subject to.” Also, I would not be interested in returning my dog for money back since I’m sure I would fall in love with him as soon as I got him. I’m referring to those cases where my dog may die as a result of a genetic disease (however slim the chance may be) and I would be offered another one of her puppies at no cost. I’m not expecting this to occur but I would like to be protected in the unlikely event something so terrible may happen.
I agree with you, hajario, that a breeder should be greatly researched. I have already spoken to this breeder’s veterinarian as well as other satisfied owners of dogs from the same line I’m interested in. I feel confident that she is a good breeder from what I’ve researched but was just surprised that she was unwilling to offer a written contract for genetic diseases. My question remains…Is offering a written contract for genetic disease (directly related to breeding errors) a relatively common practice?
FTR, I’m not interested in obtaining a champion dog for show purposes; I just want one I can love and who can be part of my family for what I hope to be a very long time.
It sounds like you have done things correctly but some sort of sales contract is typical. Usually it is full of stuff that says that the breeder can take the dog back if it’s not treated well. Mine even had the stipulation that the first six letters of the dog’s official name must be the same as the breeder’s. My dog will never see the show ring or have puppies either, by the way.
All of that being said, just go for it. You’ve found the dog you want and the breeder seems reputable. If you do have a genetic fault that is not detectable at the time of purchase and they don’t replace it, you have the remedy of reporting them to the AKC.