[i_have_too_many]

As a breeder, I have a 2 page contract for buyers to sign when they buy a puppy from me. The litter I have now, I had a waiting list of 12 people before it was born. Once the litter was born, most on my list had either changed their minds, were now unable to get one (moving, baby, etc) or had found a puppy elsewhere since many have their names on several lists. I think only 1 of the original people will be taking a puppy home, several of the potential buyers never even got back to me after telling them the puppies were born. Of the 7 we have, we are keeping 1 and have sold 5, they are 4 weeks old. I reluctantly had to advertise my first litter in the paper only because I had not been breeding long enough to establish a reputation and get returning buyers, which is where many of the people on the list come from. They were a different breed than the puppies we have now. A list really depends on how long the breeder has been breeding, the longer they have been in the "business" the more people know them. And remember, all breeders, even the best, started with a first litter. The length of time that someone has been breeding does not make them a not-worthwhile breeder. Some who have been breeding for only a few years could be producing better dogs than those who have been doing it for a long time.

My contract states that if a dog developes a genetic problem within 3 years we give money back, no dog return, I could not ask people to give up a dog that they have become attached to. They are sold on non-breeding contracts that state the dog must attain a CKC or AKC title and have all health checks done. I do not "demand" the dog be fixed, I can not police that, but I do encourage, at 6 months for a female, 1 year for a male. I had never heard of saying you will sue someone for not getting the dog fixed, I dont think too many breeders have that in their contracts, but it may not be a bad idea. However, when we got our girl we did not intend to breed her, but by the time she was 1 she had turned out to be such a great dog we waited, and now she is titled, has health checks and has a litter of wonderful puppies.

I agree with Cygnet about the title saying more about the breeder than the dog, it means they are willing to put the time and money into competing, and want to make sure that the dogs they own stand up to the standard (showing or working). Competing is not cheap, to get my one girl titled for tracking I first took her to class (10 sessions at $150) Then a test at $75. She did not pass so I forked out another $150 for a second set of classes and another test at $75. She passed. Health checks are not cheap either, and to get a show title it takes at least 3 shows at $25 each, plus the cost of travel and a handler (starting at $100 a show) if you do not want to do it yourself. Most dogs require attending several shows to get their Championship, depending on how common the breed is, sometimes over the course of a year or two. The breeds that I have rarely have more than 3 or 4 dogs at a show, and the one breed is almost always a no-show. That is why good breeders take pride in their puppies.

Those are just a few more points to consider, coming from someone who is new to this wonderful world of breeding. All of our puppy buyers are much older than my husband and I, but that does not mean that we dont know what we are doing.

Final words; research and interview, both the breed of choice and the breeder, ask for references, they should be happy to give you a few.