Thoughts on hip warranty - Page 1

What are your thoughts on hip warranties? If the dog comes back with bad hips should it be replaced entirely? Should you get 1/2 off the price of another pup? I notice both out there.  What's fair?

i think they should give you a  new pup, if the pup does not pass ofa or A stamp at 2 years.
for free.
thats what i do.
and i dont expect you to return the old pup back either.
you would get to keep him.

Hip warranties are sometimes not worth the paper they are written on. And many Europeans don't give them anyway. US breeders will usually have various conditions with a warranty. A very generous breeder who sells a dog on a full AKC registration will give you a new pup. You have to decide what you can live with. Do you want a dog to show, trial and breed? If so, then you'd better get a contract that allows you a replacement pup if the first one turns out to have HD at 2 years. Is the dog to be a pet that you will also show and trial but not necessarily breed? You may not need the same warranty then. Will you get so attached to the dog by the time he's 2 that you will want to keep him regardless? I'm this way, but unfortunately for the dogs, some people are not. If you are then you should get a contract that allows you to keep the pup however he turns out and whatever else happens.

What's fair is really what you and the breeder decide is fair, upfront and before any money changes hands.

Fairness has nothing to do with it.  Buyer and seller sign a legal contract and agree to whatever terms are written on paper.  After that, buyer really is at the mercy of the integrity of the seller to honor the contract. 

Even a straightforward "replacement guaranty" can turn slippery in a heartbeat.  I have a friend who bought a GSD from a big name breeder/trainer and dog turned out dysplastic in one hip.  She had to wait 14 months to get her replacement puppy, and that pup was a one-nutter.  Ooops!

Personally I think prevention is better than a cure.  Find a good breeder who X-rays and certifies all breeding stock and has a good track record of hip producers.

Or, choose a different breed with fewer hip problems.  I've got an iron clad warranty for my current GSD because I've already had to replace a pup for bad hips, and I still fret.  My hubby has a Malinois and nothing in writing, and little to worry about.  LOL. 

Malinois have their share of potential problems including HD, ED, spinal problems, temperament and nerve problems any of which would eliminate them from working or breeding.  IMO well-bred GSDs have far fewer potential problems than Malinois bred for working.

molly

I personally think that if the puppy turns out to have bad hips and the owners follow the agreement on how the pup is to be raised, fed  that they should be replaced.  No questions.  Especially with some of the prices I see being charged for puppies.  Very few puppies are worth more than $1000-$1500 unless there are extenuating circumstances like foreign breeding or the like.