Paying MORE for a health guarantee. - Page 1

Hello, I am new here.  I was just wondering opinions (non-flaming/heated) on breeders that sell dogs for one price and then they charge MORE for a health guarantee on the dogs.  I have come across this in a few ads for German Shepherds (puppies and adults) for sale where the breeder charges, say....$1000 for the pup/dog, but if the new owner wants a Health guarantee against HD/ED or anything else, it's an additional $500.

As far as my opinion is concerned, that's not very ethical and just seems like a way of getting more money.  You shouldn't have to make a buyer pay more for a quality dog.  You should be responsible enough to know that your dogs would have no health issues because you, as a reponsible breeder, have a quality dog that meets and/or exceeds any and all health tests, temperament tests, etc.  So why charge a buyer more?

(This has nothing to do with limited versus full registration: only charging more money for a health guarantee)

 

If you want to charge 1000 for the pup and 500 for the contract why not just price the pups at 1500. Call me stupid but personally i'd stay away from people who want to charge extra for a health guarantee. Tells me they won't stand behind their dogs. Those are the kind of breeders that more then likely won't pick up the phone when you call and tell them somethings wrong with the dog you bought. JMO

A breeder just south of me, charges $500 extra for a health guarantee, I think its ridiculous. I purchased a pup from her years ago, dog had bad hips and she said well it would be guaranteed if I would have bought the extra guarantee, didn't realize it was extra.

Kari

A health guarantee is just a marketing tool to sell puppies. How in the world can a person predict, for sure, whether or not a puppy is going to have health problems. The only way they can guarantee the health is if the breeder goes out and has a complete DNA genetic test done on both sire and dame and the test come out clear for genetic health problems. And even with a complete DNA profile test there is still the chance for mutations. Even then there is still the other side of the equation and that is the environment. What breeder should be guaranteeing is that the puppies will be GSD's (or what ever breed you are breeding) and that both parents were healthy and had no known health problems at the time of breeding.

When are people going to get it. Dogs are not toasters. We have allowed ourselves to be manipulated into an environment where the American public expects a guarantee that nothing will happen to them in life ( and if it does the govt or someone else will pick up the tab for the "victim")

You can do all the DNA tests you want. That doesn't guarantee a damn thing. Some may show a "potentiality". Many are specious at best in terms of the science and rush to market for money.


Does a parent get a guarantee that their children will be healthy. No!  A puppy is a living breathing organic creature. What you get when you buy a puppy is puppy breath. No matter how well the breeder has done their homework and health screenings it is always a crapshoot what you will get.  Some breedings work for god knows what reason. Some don't.


If you want a hip screened dog able to be titled or shown then buy and adult or a juvenile old enough to know what you have.

So you buy a puppy from a breeder who ends up dysplastic, and the breeder says "whoops - sorry."  The breeder continues to breed dogs producing dysplastic dogs.  That's okay? Because a dog is a living and breathing animal?

Does a parent get a guarantee that their children will be healthy? No, but does a parent pay $1500 for their child?

hi !!  i like the first 3 previous responses to your message.

I agree completely that if the breeder essentially wants $1500.00 per pup (with AKC Full Registration) then this should be the selling price including warranty, which in my opinion will be a guarantee that the pup is free of congenital defects (such as heart murmur, etc.) and will OFA Fair or Better when of age,  if not, provisions are made in the warranty.

i do not understand why the "breeders" who are advertising German Shepherd Dog pups with these stipulations that a health guarantee is an "additional $500.00"  (any pup sold should be guaranteed to be healthy), purchase price + health guarantee, are complicating their sales.  Personally, i have never heard of this before i read your message.
 

I like to give my puppy buyers a copy of the pup's PAT (puppy aptitude test given at 49 days of age, score sheets are recorded for each pup, i keep a copy of each pup's score sheet in my own files, and i give the original copy of each of the pup's that are being sold included in the pup's gift package along with gift bags of the feed i am feeding, a quick-release collar in a colour that coincides with the pup's colour collar (placed on each pup at birth to tell the individual pups apart and greatly improves record keeping)  ...  the pup's pedigree, AKC Registration Application ( completely filled out and transferred)  and a completely filled out Warranty.  I tattoo all of my pups and this information is also recorded on all papers.

A "health guarantee" is, in my opinion, not necessarily a marketing tool, but more importantly a guarantee that the Breeder is offering a healthy, fully immunized and temperamentally sound pup suitable (based on the pups drives and aptitude and the buyer's wants and needs) to the buyer.  If the Breeder does not have a pup that qualifies for what the Buyer wants and needs, then the Seller should tell the Buyer that he/she does not at this time have a pup available which suits their wants/needs.  Health should not be an issue,  all pups should be healthy to the best of the Breeder's knowledge,  best if Vet checked and when one includes this information along with the personal experience of assisting in whelping and raising the litter and spending time with them each and every day,  then there should not be (in my opinion) a question of the pup's health, or else the Breeder would not be offering the pup for sale in the first place.

Karon Melillo d'Vega
Von Sonnenberg Kennels
Missoula Montana

     I offer a 100 % health guarantee with ALL my pups. I have done my research, and I know "WHAT I EXPECT" out of my dogs. If by some chance something does come up, I WILL GIVE A REPLACEMENT pup, without making someone jump through hoops to get it. And, I don't want your pup/dog back before I would give a replacement pup.

It's the right thing to do.