ellz

OK so what happens if the breeder wants to breed from the bitch and you're not ready? Or they want to use a dog that you don't want to use? Personally, I would not pay full price for any puppy with conditions that could conceivably remove ANY of the control of YOUR property from you.

The only real way to ensure that a puppy is desexed is to do it yourself. I personally haven't had a lot of luck with desexing refunds etc. As I said, you can suggest and strongly recommend it but the choice is entirely up to the new owner. Oh and as it was explained to me, the difference between contract and agreement depends on context. However, conceptually they are different because if the parties have a "contract" that means their arrangement will be enforced by the courts, whereas an "agreement" is just an arrangement between the parties which may or may not contain the necessary elements to be enforceable before a court of law. It has been proven time and again that contracts and agreements generally don't hold water in a court of law because they usually are not balanced. If the agreement is that X pays $500 and gets a registered puppy then that is balanced because there is offer, acceptance and consideration. It is when conditions are thrown in that "favour" the breeder that things get murky because for everything the breeder wants, ie the puppy speyed, then the purchaser must benefit too. And likewise, I would NEVER lock a person into a "show" agreement, simply because you are then implying that you guarantee that the puppy will be show quality and if it doesn't shape up, then you could be held liable.

I do use "agreements" not "contracts" (and yes, there is a difference). BUT...I'm well aware that they are not enforceable and will only be "adhered" to by honest people who probably wouldn't need an agreement anyway. If I have ANY doubt whether a person will do the right thing by a puppy, whether with an agreement or not, then I don't sell to them. I also generally don't sell on a) co-ownerships b) main registration and I don't lock people into desexing unless they want to. I do strongly suggest and recommend it, but at the end of the day if I took somebody to court for not desexing all it would do would be to cost me a lot of money.

The most important thing to remember when drawing up any agreement is for it to even have a shot at being taken seriously, it must benefit both parties equally. You cannot put excessive conditions on the sale of something because legally once the "goods" (and yes, in law dogs are classed as goods) have been paid for, they are the property of the new owner and they have rights under the law. If you care so much about something that you feel the need to tie it up in paperwork, then don't sell it in the first place. That is the ONLY way to have a watertight agreement.

We seriously debated NOT going, but I had a Heartstring to deliver (hope you still like it lovey! ) and we had to go grocery shopping anyway so killed a few birds with one stone. Allerzeit, we looked out our loungeroom window in your direction and thought "nup, she won't be going". It was completely white with fog between us and you! :D Oh and if you want to know a really good shortcut between Hamilton and Brighton, just holler and I'll give it to you. It saved us around 20 minutes in this shocking weather so probably even more in good weather. And if you're heading up North, or even considering it....go via Bothwell and cut through to the Midlands Highway from there. You get back on the Highway at Melton Mowbray and it can save quite a whack of time instead of going all the way to Bridgewater and then up that way.

It is already like that in some breeds. Lhasa Apsos for example are notorious for changing colour. They call them Jelly Bean dogs because they come in so many different colours!! And in many cases, what they are registered as isn't always the colour they finish up when mature! :D

Yes, but hopefully people also know their children and their limits. I for one would never put my children into a situation that was beyond their ability to cope....hence why they've never been encouraged to show an interest in Junior Handlers. In some ways, this can be worse for a sensitive child than full-on competition in the breed ring.

Like the person who was a bit put out when their "rare" red with black tail turned out to be smut! Mind you, she also got "miffy" when somebody called her puppy a bitch. Er....hello love, that's what girl puppies are called. She was even more disgusted when I suggested she should be thankful that bitches are no longer called SLUTS!!

Well, if they were black noses, then my guess is the puppies were brown brindle. This is my boy....quite brown looking as a baby But unmistakeably a brindle as he ages...now 9 months old

What colour were noses and eye rims? Staffords DO come in liver, but like all dilutes, they have liver/brown/red noses and eye rims.

To me it depends upon context. For example, I'd die before I would bowl up to somebody and cold-canvas them to use any dog that I owned, BUT, if I were talking to somebody at a show and having conversation about breeding direction or virtues etc, then I would most certainly suggest my dog if it were a situation where he has proven to be dominant at fixing or cementing a particular trait, or if his bloodlines are compatible or even if he would make a suitable outcross. And I see no problems whatsoever in advertising my dog at stud or placing profiles etc in places where people may frequent. In a breed with the gene pool the size that mine has, it can be difficult to keep up with who has which dogs or bloodlines, so sometimes you might find a dog in the most obscure and unexpected places.

You should have seen the Dachshunds! Editing to add: And did you know that Basenjis can run around the ring with their eyes shut! NO JOKE!!!!

It is also quite possible that the dog was brindle. Some brindles have more stripes than others, ALL black Staffords are actually black brindle because genetically, Staffords don't come in plain black (as seen in other breeds). The standard also states "Any shade of brindle or any shade of brindle with white." as being acceptable. For my part, I have a young dog which many people have called "brown" but he is in fact a brindle. And it gets very hard to explain to people as well without going indepth into the ins and outs of the standard and the even deeper ins and outs of genetics!

ANKC Code of Ethics aside, no caring, reputable, responsible breeder would consider allowing a puppy to go to a new home at that age.

We dropped in to say hi....it was miserable! Bodies flying left right and centre! Mr Rajacadoo-doo-doo was called upon a couple of times to administer First Aid to the victims. It was yucky enough dropping in (although the company was good as usual) I'm just very thankful that I didn't have to stay there!!!

Unless you wanna swap a Tilly for it! :D

Thank you! Have just completed a slightly wider lead to show to another Rottweiler lady too. She saw one I made for a GSD person and asked me if I could make it wider so I did! :D

And answered you too Jess!

Have answered you now Mid!

Here's the link to my Facebook page Mid http://www.facebook.com/?tid=1420772361749...22954049?ref=ts

They're my braided things...leads, collars, martingales etc.

Roight! If you're being mean to my Tilly, she's definitely coming to Chez Ellz! :D I've still got the Brew-man's black/silver lead set. And I think (without looking) I may even have a gold/white for you to look at.

With a 90% chance of 20 - 40mm of rain forecast, good luck to everybody showing! I WAS toying with the idea of just dropping in to say hi (and steal a Basenji baby), a break from the boring domestic stuff like shopping etc, but if the weather IS bad, then I think I'll stay home instead. IF I go, I'll have a selection of Heartstrings with me for those who are interested in having a look.

Yep...although it is debatable about Woger's brain quality any time of the year!!! Here he is just discovering that water is NOT an enemy. Well, that was until a platypus scared the bejesus out of him anyway!

;) WTG Roger - you have to watch those sneaky bananas you know! :D Well Barb, we all know that Woger is...er....ummmm....spethal!