Buying From A Breeder

[sinnamon]

i'm looking at buying a boston terrier but as there are no breeders close enough for me to drive to i'm considering breeders in other states. but there are a few things this breeder states on there web page that i'm not sure about. first would be that they are asking for a non-refundable depoist on pupps that will be taken off the overall price. this is just to hold them so they are no longer avaliable to anyone else. it's the non-refundable bit i'm not sure about? they also ask that i have it vet checked within 48hrs, is this normal? also that i feed it a certin dog food for the first few years? one other question is does the breeder normally organise shipping or the buyer? any tips about buying from a breeder in another state would be appreciated.

[Jacquiboss&scoop]

Hi

Non refundable deposit I dont like but I have seen it a lot

the vet check even if the breeder does not want this I highly recommend that you do so , if there are any health probs better to know sooner rather than later for your sake as well as the breeder

as diet can have a long term affect on health recommendation would be normal , but the breeder cannot make you feed a particular diet , in saying that they are breeding and know a good balanced diet is important while your dog grows

best to give your chosen breeder a call and have a chat with them , direct communication is often the make or break on your choice

I think you may have a wait for a boston as well

[sinnamon]

Hi

Non refundable deposit I dont like but I have seen it a lot

the vet check even if the breeder does not want this I highly recommend that you do so , if there are any health probs better to know sooner rather than later for your sake as well as the breeder

as diet can have a long term affect on health recommendation would be normal , but the breeder cannot make you feed a particular diet , in saying that they are breeding and know a good balanced diet is important while your dog grows

best to give your chosen breeder a call and have a chat with them , direct communication is often the make or break on your choice

I think you may have a wait for a boston as well

this breeder says it has pups avaliable now, i have been told waiting lists can be long for bostons. they say to feed it a dog food they approve or guarantee is null and void.i can see the sense in it i just wanted to know if this is all normal before i made contact with them via phone.

[RallyValley]

I would be very iffy about a non refundable deposit, fair enough if you changed your mind but what if something happened to the pups and they were no longer able to provide one. Could they still keep you money?

[Jacquiboss&scoop]

Umm . saying that the contract of sale is void and in law being able to do that are two different things , if the dog is getting a balanced and healthy diet that can be proven then they cannot void on that basis.

You can put anything you like into a contract , but the laws in relation to contracts of sale hold out

they may be trying to ensure the best homes and diets for their pups so list it in their contract of sale , in the hope that the dog will be fed correctly through its life time

You should give them a call as well as a few other boston breeders , most will talk to you about their breed even if they do not have pups at the moment ( just dont call at dinner time or 3 in the morning LOL )

A few phone calls will give you a lot more of an Idea as to the breeders motive and eithics

[minxy]

Hmm, I do find it strange that they specify it *has* to be fed a particular diet.

[Dogsfevr]

We don't do deposit.

We encourage all our buyers to vet check pup within 48 hrs

We also advise the food that should be feed & any changes must be done with consultation or we will void what we guarantee in our puppy contract.

Diet can create many evils & not all brands suit each breed for varying reasons.

If people wish to change diet then it would be very simple to discuss what they wish to use & there reasons behind.

To many vets will sway puppy owners mind on a diet they sell without understanding that product or even the breed in question & A good breeder is very knowledgeable about what suits there breed & pups for the long term future

[Danois]

Actually a breeder specifying a diet is quite common practice and one of the most frequent response here when someone asks - what should I feed my puppy is 'ask your breeder'. A breeder knows which food works best for their lines (there was always be some pups which it does not suit).

Whether you actually follow that diet is your own choice but what the breeder is saying is that if you choice to feed say PAL instead if Advance then they cannot be responsible for the puppy's health (other than latent or genetic defects) - for example if the dog developed something like pano.

A non-refundable deposit is reasonable provided it only represents a small portion of the purchase price. It is designed to stop time wasters and stop people telling multiple breeders they'll take a puppy and then pull out and leaving a breeder to find new buyers (which can be time consuming). It also demonstrates your commitment to getting a puppy.

Transport - that's the buyer's responsibility and costs but you'll need to obviously fit in with the breeder's schedule.

Vet check - that's to protect both parties - stop you claiming something happened to the puppy when really it fell off the couch on Day 3 and stop the breeder claiming it was fine when it was sent (unless something happened in flight). I would take the puppy to the vet the same day.

Edited August 15, 2010 by Danois

[Rysup]

A breeder should always advise what the current diet is, BUT, thats a big jump to saying a guarantee will be null & void if you DONT feed a certain brand. It is one thing to make a recommendation, but another to hold you to ransom, so to speak.

I personally would be finding another breeder.

I dont do deposits at all, and a non refundable one will tie you to this breeder, even if you later change your mind or if there is nothing available for you.

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

can i ask if you have researched breeders and have you talked to other boston breeders?

is this breeder registered with the official state kennel club?

does this breeder seem to be similar to other breeders or are they much different in their expectations?

have they tested their dogs for the common genetic issues found in bostons?

Edited August 15, 2010 by Jaxx'sBuddy

[Danois]

I dont do deposits at all, and a non refundable one will tie you to this breeder, even if you later change your mind or if there is nothing available for you.

They can't keep a deposit if there is no pup in the litter for you. They can only take one for a specific pup.

[WreckitWhippet]

I cannot understand why any breeder would want a non refundable deposit. You really want your puppy to go to a home that really wants it, not feels obligated because they have paid a deposit that they can't get back.

Bostons are in very high demand and if a sale fell through for whatever reason, a pup would be snapped up in an instant.

[sinnamon]

thanks for the great replys. i definatly have alot to think about, and will have to look at a few more breeders. this breeder says they are with ankc. so thats good right?

[puglvr]

Saying it is good actually being a member is right. Find out their Prefix, and their registration number and then you could check if they really are.

[BJean]

i'm looking at buying a boston terrier but as there are no breeders close enough for me to drive to i'm considering breeders in other states. but there are a few things this breeder states on there web page that i'm not sure about. first would be that they are asking for a non-refundable depoist on pupps that will be taken off the overall price. this is just to hold them so they are no longer avaliable to anyone else. it's the non-refundable bit i'm not sure about? they also ask that i have it vet checked within 48hrs, is this normal? also that i feed it a certin dog food for the first few years? one other question is does the breeder normally organise shipping or the buyer? any tips about buying from a breeder in another state would be appreciated.

Well for starters I wouldn't let an online forum put you off a breeder purely based on points of difference wrt how breeders sell their pups / what they recommend to puppy buyers.

Generally respondants only endorse what they are familar with and and advise against what they are not - so it wont really help you much.

The reality is, Breeder specifications like deposits, specific diets, veterinary checks etc depend very much on the individual breeder

and are in the range of normal

and cannot be used by third parties to determine whether a breeder is good for you or not

So yes, what your breeders website proclaims is NORMAL.

Best tip for buying from a breeder insterstate, spend the comparatively extra few dollars and fly out and meet the beeder and the puppies.

or failing that

ask the breeder to explain why they do the things they way they do and make your decision from there.

.

Edited August 15, 2010 by lilli

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

i'm looking at buying a boston terrier but as there are no breeders close enough for me to drive to i'm considering breeders in other states. but there are a few things this breeder states on there web page that i'm not sure about. first would be that they are asking for a non-refundable depoist on pupps that will be taken off the overall price. this is just to hold them so they are no longer avaliable to anyone else. it's the non-refundable bit i'm not sure about? they also ask that i have it vet checked within 48hrs, is this normal? also that i feed it a certin dog food for the first few years? one other question is does the breeder normally organise shipping or the buyer? any tips about buying from a breeder in another state would be appreciated.

Well for starters I wouldn't let an online forum put you off a breeder purely based on points of difference wrt how breeders sell their pups / what they recommend to puppy buyers.

Things like deposits, specific diets, veterinary checks depend much on the individual breeder

and are in the range of normal

They do not indicate whether a breeder is ethical or not and certainly are no reason to be warned off a breeder.

So yes, what your breeders website proclaims is NORMAL.

Best tip for buying from a breeder insterstate, spend the comparatively extra few dollars and fly out and meet the beeder and the puppies.e

or failing that

ask the breeder to explain why they do the things they way they do and make your decision from there.

this is a good way to decide whether you want to use a particular breeder however you also need to know what other breeders of that breed do..research is really important

Edited August 15, 2010 by Jaxx'sBuddy

[ellz]

I would also suggest that whilst you may like to fly interstate to check a breeder and/or their litter out....in some cases you might be sorely disappointed because not ALL breeders welcome visitors prior to their puppies being vaccinated.

[Guest Tess32]

I would be put off by the food bit. In a perfect world the breeder would know what's best for the dog/breed, but reality shows that that's simply sometimes a case of DOL rhetoric and not always the truth. I feed better quality food then plenty of breeders I know and while I know nothing at all about the BREEDING, pet owners do not by default know less about food and other health related issues.

[ellz]

I would be put off by the food bit. In a perfect world the breeder would know what's best for the dog/breed, but reality shows that that's simply sometimes a case of DOL rhetoric and not always the truth. I feed better quality food then plenty of breeders I know and while I know nothing at all about the BREEDING, pet owners do not by default know less about food and other health related issues.

IMO all a breeder can do is RECOMMEND a particular diet that they have found to be successful for them. They cannot guarantee that that is what an individual will do best on and they certainly have no LEGAL right to dictate to somebody what a dog should be fed after it has been sold on to another party.

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

I would be put off by the food bit. In a perfect world the breeder would know what's best for the dog/breed, but reality shows that that's simply sometimes a case of DOL rhetoric and not always the truth. I feed better quality food then plenty of breeders I know and while I know nothing at all about the BREEDING, pet owners do not by default know less about food and other health related issues.

IMO all a breeder can do is RECOMMEND a particular diet that they have found to be successful for them. They cannot guarantee that that is what an individual will do best on and they certainly have no LEGAL right to dictate to somebody what a dog should be fed after it has been sold on to another party.

i agree. my dog has some slight allergies and the vet and i have had to work out what she does best on. now she is on mostly raw kangaroo meat with raw fish, canned sardines and mackeral and raw chicken frames.

she is doing really well on this and i am sure her breeder would not have know that further down the track her diet would need changing (not that her breeder stipulated that i MUST feed her anything)

Edited August 15, 2010 by Jaxx'sBuddy