Some breeders send buyers home with the necessary form to register their new puppy, and some take care of it themselves. If you are an AKC Breeder of Merit, ensuring that your puppies get registered is one of the requirements, and you might let buyers know that you will be registering the puppy together online when they come to pick it up. Whatever your naming practices are, give the buyer time to choose their puppy’s registered name according to your agreement.
If you are selling a show prospect, chances are you’ll be doing some mentoring too. If the buyer does not want to show the dog, you might stipulate that you want to evaluate the puppy at a certain age and then show it yourself. Some breeders require owners to hire a professional handler to show their dog. Others will only sell show-quality puppies on a co-ownership. It might be changed to total ownership by the buyer upon completion of a championship title.
Buyers might not understand why they don’t have complete freedom in the naming of their puppy, so you’ll need to explain why it’s important to you. You might require that your kennel name be part of the puppy’s name, allowing the new owners to choose part of name. Some breeders have themes for litters, and it can be fun for buyers to come up with a name that fits. Others provide a list of names and allow the buyer to choose one.
In Bendywood contracts, Kirkpatrick said that “fenced yards are a requirement but there are exceptions, and we are careful selling to homes with young children that may accidently open a door. We explain about changing food from puppy to adult, and that the dogs are unaware of heights and to protect them from falling off decks and step railings.
AKC Breeder of Merit Betsy Kirkpatrick, of Bendywood Border Terriers, said “our main concern selling puppies is their safety. We have a buy back agreement and ask for first refusal if a family can’t keep a puppy. We offer to help place them as we want to know where they are and that they do not go to shelters to be resold.”
Why You Should Always Get a Contract When Buying a Dog
What’s a contract? Like a lousy wedding toast, lets allow Merriam-Webster to define it for us real quick.
A contract is “a binding agreement between two or more persons or parties, especially: one legally enforceable.”
Sounds simple enough, right? You want this, they want that. Plain and simple. Black and white. The why is a pretty important part of the entire endeavor. A contract spells out the terms of the sale and protects both the buyer and the seller.
You want to know what you’re getting into. And once you’re in this binding agreement, you’ll want to see what you’re on the hook for. The opposite side of this same coin is the seller. They want to know that they’re turning over one of their precious litter to a responsible party.
The “why” of these contracts is simple. They make sure all parties are on the same page and have the most important entity as the top priority: the puppy.
A quality dog breeder should include a number of items in your contract to protect the best interests of both the buyer and the dog. This document lays out the expectations and responsibilities of both the breeder and the buyer.
While this might seem controlling, look at it from the breeder’s perspective: In order to be responsible for every puppy they bring into the world, breeders need to make sure they are in loving, responsible hands. They will also want the new owners to know they are available to provide the same guidance and advice that they gave you. And they want to know if any problems or issues develop throughout the dog’s life, as that is important information that will help guide their breeding program.
In terms of the contract, the distinction between pet and show hinges on the responsibilities attached to each.
No matter how much you research, or how many books you read, in the end buying a puppy is an act of faith. You are trusting that the breeder has done her level best to produce a healthy, well-adjusted puppy, and the breeder is trusting that you will take care of your new family member to the best of your ability, hopefully, long enough to see its muzzle gray. Ideally, the breeder will be available every step of the way for questions, concerns and, at the very end, a shoulder to cry on. If a contract seems so restrictive or punitive that it suggests your relationship with the breeder will be more combative than caring, then that should give you pause.
Though reputable breeders only breed dogs that are registered with the American Kennel Club, thus verifying their lineage, each new puppy that is born must be individually registered as well. Sometimes a breeder will require you to fill out the AKC registration papers; other times, the breeder will take care of it herself, especially if she is an AKC Breeder of Merit, a designation that shows a breeder has committed to registering all of her puppies with the American Kennel Club.
But there is another important way to look a breeder contract – and it’s not as a “gotcha” waiting to happen. For many breeders, contracts are a parting-shot opportunity to share their philosophy, advice, and expectations about the dog they are entrusting to you. Signing a contract reminds you of the enormous responsibility you are undertaking, and codifies all the things your breeder told you during your many visits and phone calls, but that you were probably too overwhelmed or distracted to process and commit to memory.