[kjc]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

Ok...so now I am confused. Oh well....

Bottom line, I did not bash anyone on this thread. I missed someone else doing it as well. Guess old age is doing me in.

Maybe this is what is being refered to:

Originally Posted by 107barney

Yes, I agree, the rest of her contract seems ok to me. But, I take issue with paragraph #1. Mostly because of the Leggs Perthes limitation since I have had experience with this. This is a very painful condition that will eventually cause my dog to go completely lame and require the head of his femur at the ball joint of his hip to need to be cut off. He will then have to hobble around for about 3 or 4 months while he heals scar tissue to create a false joint. Since the surgery can't be done until he goes lame (because he is already an adult), I have to wait. Sitting by and paying for consults w/ an orthopedic specialist every 6 months to assess my dog's gait, stature, movement, and objective measure of necropsy of his bone (dying of the bone) is emotionally draining. It's not fair to a dog who already has epilepsy. The cost of surgery for LCP is about $3,000 to $4,000 in the northeast when done by an ACVS surgeon.

I have to also say that the first paragraph only covering high grade LPs up to a year bothers me some as well. High grade LPs are almost NEVER the result of trauma, they are due to poor confirmation of the dog, which is a genetic issue. LP is a known genetic condition. Surgery can involve cutting deep into the tibial groove of the bone and making a wedge to take it out. Recovery is about 3 months, with full recovery taking longer. The price on that surgery is about $3,000 in the northeast, done by an ACVS surgeon when all is said and done.

With all this said, if I was interested in a breeder's dog, I would state and explain my issues with the contract. A reasonable breeder might consider this food for thought and would even edit the contract. I feel I am giving a dog the absolute best care that I can and remaining committed to my dogs NO MATTER WHAT. A reputable breeder would be trying to buy me as much as I would try to buy them.

Originally Posted by 107barney

The contract I had with my breeder guaranteed the dog's health without a time limit. I wouldn't sign the contact from AY because of the first paragraph only guaranteeing against Leggs Perthes for one year. My dog Teddy was diagnosed with Leggs Perthes at 2 years, 9 mos old. His breeder already stood by her contract when he was diagnosed with epilepsy at age two. One year guarantees against genetic defects don't impress me, and if AY edited that one word out I'd sign otherwise I would walk away. Sorry to say this but I've just spent too much money on theses issues to do it again and bear the whole responsibility emotionally.

Originally Posted by 107barney

The contract as it is written is what is included. When a buyer and a seller sign a contract, they are held to the terms of the contract as written in most cases. Therefore, it's important that you negotiate for the terms you want, so that there is a true meeting of the minds. Only then will you both be truly satisfied should something go wrong, and there won't be a need for battling it out later costing everyone time and money.

Genetic defects like Leggs Perthes, Hip Dysplasia and Patellar Luxations that are high grades IMO should be covered for longer than a year because these conditions might not manifest themselves until a little later as with my dog. If you want, give me your email and I'll show you Teddy's xray of his necrotic hip. My surgeon said that 95% of vets looking at his xray would expect a dog that is limping and lame, yet my Teddy runs around like an agility dog, taking leaps and bounds that would astound! Fact is, that seemingly normal running and playing is temporary, and the day will come, as sure as the sun will rise, when he needs to have surgery to cut off his femoral head.

She's covering other stuff up to 5 years, so why exclude these things since they are so painful, expensive to treat, and known to be genetic or congenital.