[Dailydrool] Dailydrool Digest, Vol 10, Issue 11

[Cindy Wright]

Well said Sylvie...your contract sounds very much like my pet puppy
contract. 
Also, the BHCA has a public education coordinator who tries to help
people looking for a puppy, and most of us will try to refer people to
another show breeder that may have a litter or at least a planned
litter. I have found that many people expect us to have puppies
available at all times. Many show breeders may not have more than a
litter a year or every other year. People do not realize that not every
breeding results in a pregnancy.

Cindy
 
> I have not seen that very much at all among Basset breeders, and I've
looked at a lot of contracts in the process of developing my own
contract.
I've also talked with a lot of Basset breeders across the country, and I
have not run across the kind of barriers that you are attributing to
breeders of show dogs. There are significant conditions in contracts to
buy
show prospect puppies, because we are letting intact bitches and dogs go
-
and those dogs represent our breeding programs, and have the potential
to be
bred. But *most* pet puppies are not subject to those conditions. For
example, in my own contract, pet puppies must be (1) spayed or neutered
by a
specific date; (2) returned to me if the purchaser is unable to care for
them: (3) given adequate food, water, shelter, veterinary care; (4) kept
as
a personal pet, primarily in the home (not housed in the yard); and (5)
never carried loose in the back of a pick-up truck (which is against
state
law in most states to begin with. Sound excessive?

 It is also sometimes difficult to even find show breeders or breeders
who
will respond to requests.
> I have offered on this list to help people make connections with
*reputable* breeders of quality dogs, and I believe that other reputable
breeders on the list have offered the same assistance. I have never
*once*
been taken up on the offer - and have several times later seen happy
announcements that people got a Basset over the internet or from other
questionable sources.

I like puppies to stay with siblings to 10 weeks.  I think it improves
bite
inhibition a 1000 fold.  You also have less dog to dog agression.   But
some
show breeders take forever decididng which dogs to keep and which to
sell.

Generally, a breeder of show dogs will have some "clear pets" who can go
at
10-12 weeks, some clear show prospects who won't go at all and maybe  a
couple of "I'm just not sure yet" pups who will stay on longer to 16 or
even
24 weeks. But it is not impossible to get a younger (10-12 week old
puppy),
who are still VERY puppy in their antics, looks and cuteness, from a
good
breeder. I'd also point out that a 4-6 month puppy is still pretty
adorable,
that they are often well on their way to housebreaking, leash trained
for
walks, fully vaccinated, and have some house manners - so for a working
family, they can really be an ideal pet.

What people have to be prepared for to some extent is thinking ahead to
when they will want a pup and making contacts well in advance. In our
society of instant-gratification, I want one and I want one *now*, it's
hard
to find puppy buyers willing to do that - but if they are, they are
generally rewarded with the best pet pups in the litter, including in
some
cases puppies who are in fact suitable to show, but the breeder doesn't
have
enough show homes available and so places them as pups.