TWO PARTS:

 BREEDER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO BUYER
BREEDER'S PROTECTION FROM BUYER

We all know that when we sell a puppy, we must supply a pedigree and papers and do everything we can to be sure it's going to a good home.

But, after you sell a puppy, do you know exactly when the American Kennel Club says your responsibility for that puppy comes to an end?

BREEDER's RESPONSIBILITY TO BUYER

According to the AKC:

Responsible breeders know that their responsibility doesn't end when their puppies leave with new owners. They make sure their puppies' new families know they can turn to them with any questions or problems that arise throughout the puppies' lives.

It is important to see yourself as not only a breeder, but also as a resource for the person who buys his puppy from you.  Most of us breeders who belong to the GSDC of America are involved in showing and/or training dogs; but, most of our puppies go to homes where they're simply a member of the family. When the Jones or the Smiths leave your house, they're not walking out with a toy.  That living breathing item they're carrying or leading to their car is going to raise a lot of questions over its lifetime.  And you're the experienced one who can answer those questions. 

The Smiths don't have the experience to know whether the new puppy is eating the right amount or not. When the neighbor tells Mr. Smith his dog is too skinny, you need to be available to re-assure the family that their puppy's  weight is just fine.  After a brief phone call to you,  Mr. Smith will confidently go back and tell his neighbor that the BREEDER said the dog's just right,  weight-wise. And you'll know if the the weight is right because of knowledge you've gained during your years of breeding.

You have that knowledge and it's to your advantage to share it by encouraging and asking questions as they arise.

For one thing, a happy puppy buyer is good for the breed.  Talk about a good will ambassador!  Haven't you had referrals over from people who stopped buyers like Mr. Smith and asked where he got his dog?  There's no better advertisement for our breed than a proud German Shepherd Dog owner.

For another thing, when their friends the Jones are looking for a dog, the Smiths will tell them about their wonderful experience with a breeder.  The Van Dykes, instead of looking in a pet shop or the newspaper will go to a breeder for their puppy. 

And besides, being readily available to Mrs. Smith when she has a question will clear the way in case there is a problem with dog.  Keeping communication lines open is essential. . None of us are out there trying to breed problems, but breeding isn't a mathematical formula and doesn't always add up the way we'd like it to do.  If you've been receptive to small questions, and a BIG question comes along, you'll have established a rapport that will make it easier to handle.

For your buyer, you're a resource for local resources. 

You probably know a trainer in the area so if there's a behavioral problem, you can help the buyer solve it. If you don't know a good trainer, you should find one.  He/she can help the Smiths and Jones learn how to make their new dog a well behaved member of the family. A trainer who works with puppies you've bred will encourage other buyers to get a pure bred puppy from a breeder.  Again another plus.

And the same with a good veterinarian. A good vet will save the Smiths a lot of worry and money and you a lot of hassle -- especially if this vet knows you and your dogs. If that vet knows that you consistently x rays hips and elbows, show concern for the health of your dogs, and knows you as a breeder who's trying to improve the breed, you're doing as much for your puppy buyers and the breed as anyone can.

When you, as a breeder, sell a puppy to the Smiths, they may have taken on the responsibility for that puppy for it's lifetime, but you've taken on the responsibility of the Smiths for the life of that same pup.

Here's what the AKC has to say on that subject:

You must be willing to take back any dog you have bred, at any point in its life, for any reason. You must have a commitment to the puppies you brought into the world for the whole of their lives.

BREEDER'S PROTECTION FROM BUYER

There are several ways to protect yourself from serious problems with the Smiths. 

References can help.  This doesn't mean you need to call all the Smith's neighbors and friends and family.  Here in Los Angeles we have a good network of breeders referring buyers so at least we know the person has gone to some effort to find a dog.

Someone who's gone to the GSDCA and/or the AKC internet site or called either of these organizations has also made some effort.  A referral from another buyer can  tell you a lot, too. None of these are actually references, but this kind of error on the part of the Smiths, at least eliminates the impulse buyer who will probably turn into that "bad" buyer you're trying to avoid.

Asking key questions is another way to weed out "bad" buyers. Questions to ask may vary from one part of the country to another and from seller to seller.  It may sound silly to some of you living in the MidWest, but in the Los Angeles area, one of the first things we ask is whether or not the Smiths have a fenced yard. That tells us they're in a situation where they can have a puppy. Apartment dwellers or people who plan to let the dog run loose or be tied up are not someone who should have a puppy. Breeders in other parts of the country may not have the "fence" question at the top of their list; you may not even think you have a list.  However, if you really think about it, you probably do. Besides that "fence" type of question, there are lots of others that you probably ask to avoid that "bad" buyer taking one of your puppies.

And, then, there's the interview better known as, "how-the-Jones-play-with-the-puppies".  Watching the Smiths and their kids interact with the puppies can tell you whether these are buyers that should have one of your puppies.  How the parents interact with the children  tell you something too.

Another way to avoid misunderstandings is with a good contract.

The GSDCA has a sample contract which can be used as a reference:

German Shepherd Dog Club of America

Sample Sales Contract

WHEREAS,________________________________________________ hereinafter called "Seller is  the owner of a _____________________ German Shepherd ______________ further described as: (Show, Showable, Pet) (Dog, Bitch)(For definitions, see below) Registered Name of Dog ________________________________________________________ Color ______________________________________________________________________ Call Name of Dog_____________________________________________________________ Litter Registration No. ________________ or ____________________ (AKC Number) Foreign Registration No. ______________________________________ Name & Registration. No. of Sire _____________________________________ Name & Registration. No. of Dam _____________________________________ and WHEREAS, ___________________________ , hereinafter called "Buyer" is desirous of purchasing the animal described above: 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the sum of ____________________ Dollars,  the Seller hereby conveys one German Shepherd ( Show-Showable-Pet) (Dog, Bitch)  under the following warranties and conditions and no other warranties or conditions either expressed or implied.
1. That the above described animal is a purebred dog, registerable with the AKC and that a registration application or  individual registration, has been given to Buyer as of the date of purchase.
2. That the above described animal may for any reason be returned prepaid to Seller within 24 hours, or as otherwise agreed in writing, at the time of receipt, Buyer shall assume full responsibility for the health, anatomical make-up, appearance and temperament of the above described animal during said 24 hour period.  If the condition of the animal has changed in any of the categories mentioned in the previous sentence, the Seller is relieved of obligation to return the full amount of the purchase price, otherwise the full purchase price will be refunded.  Any claim of change in the animal by the Seller must be communicated to the Buyer within 24 hours.
3. Optional. In the event disqualifying faults as listed and defined in the Breed Standard animal on or before one year of age or within 45 days of the date of this agreement, in the case of animals of more than one year of age at the date of this agreement, the Seller agrees to __________________________________to Buyer _________________% of  replace, refund the purchase price of the animal and the animal shall be (a) returned to Seller or (b) retained by Buyer (circle one).  
4. In order to receive an adjustment, under the terms of this Sales Contract,  Buyer must return signed AKC papers to Seller before any adjustment hereunder. Buyer must make animal available to Seller or designee for appropriate examination.  
5. This writing constitutes the full agreement of the parties.    

WHEREFORE, the above named Seller and Buyer have executed the foregoing contract of sale at ___________ (am/pm)  on this ___________Day of _________, 19 ______ at , State of ______________ 

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Buyer, Address & Phone No.)
 __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
( (Seller, Address & Phone No.)

Special Notations: ____________________________________________________  __________________________________________________________________

DEFINITIONS: 

Pet: a companion animal purebred and AKC registerable, that Is sold as a pet with no warranty that the dog will be show quality or breeding stock.  

Showable: a puppy or adult that goes beyond and above the definition of a pet dog. This animal must be free of all disqualifying faults. This dog Is in no way guaranteed to win in the show ring unless this is agreed to in writing In this contract at the time of execution. It is understood that, with proper care on the part of the buyer, in due time the dog should be of acceptable temperament and structure, and should embody the basic standard of the Breed.  

Show: an animal that has all of the qualifications of showable plus being one that, with proper handling, can and should win in the conformation ring. If there are any further guarantees they must be in writing.

But eventually, it simply comes down to your own judgment.  And almost all of the time, it works.  Once in a while you may run into a "bad" buyer but, for the most part, the Smiths of the world are just regular people looking for a good puppy.  Many of the problems you'll have with them will be because of miscommunication rather than actual "bad" buyers. If you've encouraged the Smiths to keep in contact and they have, they won't turn into  "bad" buyers.

Discussion topics:

How can you keep the lines of communication open?

Share some local resources: veterinarians, trainers, classes

What kind of questions do you ask to screen buyers?

What kind of guarantee do you give?

What do you look for when watching the potential buyer interact with puppies?

What sort of things should be added to the GSDCA contract so it would work for you?

Deleted? Any suggestions as to what specific statements should be included?