| home
back to So You Want A Silky
About Contracts
Think of your puppies contract as an insurance policy....
You want to make sure your are protected if something comes along in the future that you weren't expecting.
Your Insurance Company (oh, excuse me, I meant Breeder) wants to ensure that you are going to be responsible and aren't going to be doing anything that might jeopardize the health and well-being of the puppy. Both of you are entitled to be protected, but the most important thing is to protect the puppy.
Read any contract carefully before you decide to buy. Read the small print and think about how it can be interpreted. For 
example... guaranteeing a puppy for it's lifetime for "life threatening illnesses" may sound good at first - but just how many problems are "life threatening"? Your contract should offer protection from hereditary defects or genetic problems that would affect the animal enjoying a happy normal life. Usually the guarantee allows for a replacement puppy or a refund of some, or all, of the purchase price. There is usually a limit to the coverage - 2 years is normal. If a breeder tells you their dogs don't have any hereditary or genetic problems, you should still insist on it being covered in the contract. Every dog on earth (purebred or mutt) has at least 6 genetic problems in their background (according to most Vets). The breeder may not have been breeding long enough, and have been lucky enough, not to have had any come forward... but they're there.
example... guaranteeing a puppy for it's lifetime for "life threatening illnesses" may sound good at first - but just how many problems are "life threatening"? Your contract should offer protection from hereditary defects or genetic problems that would affect the animal enjoying a happy normal life. Usually the guarantee allows for a replacement puppy or a refund of some, or all, of the purchase price. There is usually a limit to the coverage - 2 years is normal. If a breeder tells you their dogs don't have any hereditary or genetic problems, you should still insist on it being covered in the contract. Every dog on earth (purebred or mutt) has at least 6 genetic problems in their background (according to most Vets). The breeder may not have been breeding long enough, and have been lucky enough, not to have had any come forward... but they're there.Any contract should always have the full registered name of the puppy, plus the full registered names and registration numbers of both the parents. The puppies date of birth, sex, date of purchase and price paid should also be included, plus the full name and address of the breeder as well as your own.
Your contract should also stipulate a time period (usually under 6 months) by which time you must have spayed or neutered your puppy. Many breeders will have you sign a waiver that you will not receive the registration certificate until proof of the altering has been provided to the breeder.
Many breeders will also have a clause that, should you be unable to keep the puppy at any point in the future, that you must notify them first. They may even require that the dog is returned to them so that they can locate a new home for the dog.
All in all, just read carefully and use your good judgement.
Copyright 2002-2004
No image or text may be taken off this site.