# Health Guarantee



## jmedin (Jul 28, 2014)

What is a good health Guarantee on puppies.
Here is my buyers contract with health guarantee and warranty info
Contract « Zwinger Von Der Bauerhof German Shepherds Kansas Zwinger Von Der Bauerhof German Shepherds Kansas
look good? 
mom Arka Z Heritage Acres « Zwinger Von Der Bauerhof German Shepherds Kansas Zwinger Von Der Bauerhof German Shepherds Kansas
dad Digger Vom Haus Lena « Zwinger Von Der Bauerhof German Shepherds Kansas Zwinger Von Der Bauerhof German Shepherds Kansas

what do you guys think. Breeder spent 1.5 hours on the phone answering any and all questions. very nice to say the least


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I know nothing of the breeder nor their dogs, but I like their contract.


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## VaderHD (Jul 4, 2014)

Just some general comments on how I see the value of the warranty.

Warranty statement:
Regarding the warranty against congenital conditions including allergies for 5 years from the date of birth.

Reaction:
This seems great but I would like to know the exact list of congenital non-skeletal conditions that manifest after the age of 2 and before the age of 5. A review of the literature suggests that most become apparent early in life. Does the warranty extend to allergy-mediated dermatitis?

Warranty statement:
That the Buyer must contact the Seller immediately if any questions or concerns arise about the dog, such as housing, diet, health or training. The Buyer must also keep the Seller informed of any treatment as it occurs.

Reaction:
This needs to be clarified to the specific level of questions and how to contact the seller. For example, should the buyer call the seller while at the pet store if the typical dog food is out of stock and the buyer needs to change the food? Does the seller wish to have vet medical records submitted following each procedure (from routine vaccination to a severe condition)? The buyer should be clear that the contract remains valid if a warranty condition arises yet no contact with the seller on routine vet visits was made.

Warranty statement:
Regarding specific requirements for food and exercise.

Reaction:
How exactly is this verified to the seller? Should dog food receipts be retained? Nutrition, growth rates and level of exercise are critical components in proper bone development and the buyer should be clear on how to document these measures in case there is disagreement on why the dog developed hip dysplasia.

Warranty statement:
The buyer is responsible for all costs in returning the dog to the breeder.

Reaction:
The buyer has to pay these costs (maybe $600 for shipping by air) even though the condition was the result of genetics as outlined in the warranty.

Warranty statement:
Regarding the clause on hip dysplasia outlining documentation and compensation.

Reaction:
Using capitals to highlight genetic suggests that the breeder may want confirmation on the nutrition and growth of the dog. The level of documentation should be clear as mating two dogs with clean hips could still result in the occasional pup that develops hip dysplasia due to genetic recombination.

The buyer should be clear as to the cost of following through with the warranty on hip dysplasia. The cost of suitable radiographs may approach or exceed $500. The OFA certification is $35. If the original price of the pup was $2500, the buyer pays approximately $600 to confirm dysplasia and then another 1250 for the replacement. Add in shipping costs and you may be close to the orignal sale price.

A real concern is the clause that seller may request a new set of radiographs from their vet since this would add considerable expense to the buyer. This makes no sense if the radiographs are sufficient for an OFA rating.

Warranty statement:
Referring to the clause in which the buyer acknowledges to provide proper environmental and nutritional conditions to promote sound skeletal development.

Reaction:
Without clarity on how to document these measures, this clause is subject to interpretation on the factors that caused dysplasia.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

any contract/guarantee can be picked apart.

Nice to have, but you can't 'live' by them or really depend on them..You read some postings here, of people who have a guarantee/contract and maybe some, it serves it's purpose if something crops up, others put you on ignore and your stuck.

With that, go with your gut, if you like the breeder/like the dogs, TRUST the breeder, then hopefully you'll have no to minimal issues.

No one can guarantee against health issues/allergies especially, things happen, no one can predict the future.


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## DHau (Feb 24, 2007)

I am impressed that the breeder includes allergies in the contract. I wish my contract included this because I have spent more on vet care than the purchase price of the dog.

I suggest you ask if you can contact previous buyers to see if they are happy with their dogs. Go visit the breeder in person if you can. Ask about who trains their dogs and where.


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## VaderHD (Jul 4, 2014)

JakodaCD OA said:


> any contract/guarantee can be picked apart.
> 
> Nice to have, but you can't 'live' by them or really depend on them..You read some postings here, of people who have a guarantee/contract and maybe some, it serves it's purpose if something crops up, others put you on ignore and your stuck.
> 
> ...


 
If any contract/guarantee can be picked apart, then there is no value in the document. You suggest that no one can guarantee against health issues (including hip dysplasia) yet you state that guarantees are ‘nice to have’. Why are they nice to have if they are legally useless? Are they inducements to sell a pup and then step away (or bunny hop) from a warranty when the dog becomes dysplastic? My point is that no one should put any faith or trust into a warranty since they typically aren’t worth the paper their written on.
I completely agree that the best approach is to get to know the breeder and visit the facility several times before investing into an animal.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I don't care how fancy the contract or "guarantee" is, if I don't like the dogs and the genetics aren't there to back it up, I'm not buying the puppy. Most of the dogs I've bought have been with *no* contract/warranty/guarantee and all have been solid, healthy dogs from good breeders.


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

The wordier something is, the more you can pick it apart, lol. If someone is dead-set against altering, this contract isn't worth anything anyways, since that's a stipulation in obtaining the refund.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Here are my thoughts on any contract...

First, it seems to be strictly a U.S. thing.
Second, if the dog has genetic deformities (HD) or illnesses (Allergies, EPI, etc) will you
1. Return a dog you've grown to love?
2. Want another dog from the breeder?
3. If the contract states a replacement - again, do you want another dog from that breeder? Or will you be ready for a replacement AND keep the dog you have?

If the answer is No, then the contract is just a dust collector to give you a good feeling.

Personally, I researched the lines and asked how many dogs in those lines they've bred have had HD, allergies or any illnesses. Met the dogs to see the temperaments and trusted my breeder.


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## DHau (Feb 24, 2007)

If a person knows nothing about "lines" then how does one go about learning if the breeding is good. Where does one begin? To me a pedigree is a foreign language. If there are health issues in the history, where do you look? 

If you ask a breeder about a specific problem, most likely the answer will be no, not in my lines. One should be sure to ask how many generations of dogs of his own lines does he keep? Some small breeders may start over with fresh breeding stock. 

I agree in hindsight experience that a contract is worthless. In order to get the breeder to back up his contract, one has to jump through too many hoops. If you are really concerned about specific health issues, have it in the contract that you would prefer a refund of the purchase price.


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## weberhaus (Jan 2, 2008)

I think that spending time talking with the breeder and getting to know them is very helpful in making up your mind as to if you feel comfortable with the person. I for one like to take with buys and enjoy telling them about each parents and why we chose to match them together such as strengths and weaknesses in each dog. What buys need to always keep in mind that some things wear health is concerned is a much bigger deal than others. No dog is perfect and any breeder who says they have never had a hips problem or anything bad would worry me. Its also just as important to maybe not run from the honest breeder who tells them the truth. I may have lost a buyer or 2 over the years as i was honest that when asked YES the stud they asked about who was the sire produced 2 male puppies with a retained testicle and also has 3 confirmed cases of HD but given the number of puppies that he has this number id fairly low. So as a buyer asking lots of questions and understanding that a few bad things are going to happen will help you make a choice that best fits you. Things like Mega E, EPI, and Allergies are costly and can be hard to deal with were a missing tooth or umbilical hernia can still love a normal healthy long life. 
Wishing you all the best with your GSD puppy


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