Thoughts on co-owning a dog - Page 1

I am considering co-owning a puppy with a breeder that I consider to be very knowledgable, trustworthy, and honest. I am wanting to show/title this dog and then breed her (as long as she is breed worthy). He would have all naming rights and rights to the puppies minus a 3rd and 4th pick puppy. I see this as a way to "get my feet wet" into breeding and to learn under someone with a lot of experience and knowledge. I was hoping to get your thoughts on this and things that I need to consider. 

So, you show and title the dog, arrange the breeding, but someone else gets the two top pick puppies?  What's in the co-ownership for you?

Personally I don't do them, but I've seen it work out OK.  I have "personal space" issues though, I train, show, work, and trial all my own dogs and don't ever send them away for anything, so if I'm putting in all my time, effort, money, and heart the dogs belong to me and me only.  I don't ever want to feel roped in or have to jump through hoops or not be able to make all the decisions about my dogs.

NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am co-owning a dog right now and it is HELL!!!! If for whatever reason there is a falling out between you and that person,
you will lose big time. It happens ALL the time.

You will not find many pro co-own comments here.

.02

A better option would be to buy the dog outright and ask them to mentor you. Or ask them to mentor you and in a year, when
you have learned much more, then buy the dog of your dreams.

Melissa

 Can you say NIGHTMARE????? All I can say is be prepared to enter HELL. I have never seen this work out and have heard a lot of stories similar to mine.

My advice is buy the dog outright or find a breeder who will sell outright if this one will not.

Okay so you are both saying that it is hell but why? Can you go into specifics? Melba and Etosha please tell me what your experience has been.

I have a dfferent take on co-ownerships since I have had 3, 4 excellent ones, no bad ones. If the person you want to co-own with has the type of dog you like and if that person has an overall great reputation in the breed, then I would consider it. I don't feel as if 3rd and 4th puppy back is unreasonable, but I would want to be clear about who pays to title the dog - handlers fees, entry fees. Have you been asked to pay any money up front?

Here are a few more things you may not have thought about - who pays the stud fee and related expenses and who chooses the stud dog. What if there are only 4 puppies (or less) or some die or all are pet quality. Repeat the breeding, use a different dog? What happens if the dog gets very ill and requires expensive vet care? A c-section.  Who pays....are the bills evenly split. What happens if you can no longer keep the dog? If the dog has HD or UAP or some other genetic issue that would prevent her form being bred, then what? After the dog is titled and the puppy part satisfied, will you be getting full ownership of the dog or will the co-ownership continue into infinity?

All but one of my co-ownerships have been with people who I knew very, very well, for many years.  

If you decide to go with a co-ownership, get it all in writing so there are no misunderstandings. Ask other breeders if they know this guy and their impression of him.

Again the most important thing is to know the person you are considering for a co-ownership.

Good luck...........



 

We co owned a American show line bicth a few years ago. We had right to pick of litter from first litter and then following litters split. After paying show titling fees, vet fees and other expensives it would have been much cheaper/easier to have done it all on our own. We didn't agree on the stud dog or on age pups left mom and so on. If you do decide on a co ownership make sure to have everything in writing. Including who pays vet bills and who makes decisions on vet care.

Thanks Blitzen and Northwinds. I am going to be talking with him this weekend and wanted to ask the tough questions at this time since we don't have any agreement right now. I do know that he is well respected among his peers and seems to be a wealth of knowledge when it comes to anything GSD and breeding related. I haven't ever heard him speak poorly of any other breeders and I have met a couple of people who have co-owned dogs with him and they seem very happy with the arrangement. He has several co-owned female dogs.

He has a foster option to which I didn't like because my name isn't on the registration paperwork which made me a little nervous and that is why the co-ownership seems the way to go. 

He said that he pays all show titling fees as well as stud fees and expenses and genetic screening related to breeding (need to make sure that includes whelping in the case of a c-section). 

Echoecho
The problem with getting it all in writing is
at the end of the day, litigation is expensive!
And you will never be able to forsee every
'what if' situation. It might suit you both better
for the breeder to give you the puppy with a
separate co-own contract specifying litters etc.

AKC won't interfere with any co-own either,
you can be stuck in paperwork hell if you
sign on as a co-owner.

I think a written agreement serves as reminder to both parties on what has been agreed upon verbally. Legally it's probably not going to mean much.