For you dog folks out there - can a breeder do this?

[clutter]

Well, you're right, your breeder is goofy. So what you're saying is that you have to sign the contract in order to get the one-year health guarantee. And that, if something happened to your pup, you wouldn't want a replacement dog from this breeder anyway. So why sign it?

Not being a lawyer, I'd still guess that if it's in the contract and you sign it, legally you have to abide by it, although I wonder how the breeder would enforce it. File suit in small claims court? Sue to get the dog back?

Just seems like you're not going to take advantage of the contract benefits anyway, so why put yourself through the hassle.

 

[Jynohn]

I breed Great Danes, and have a pretty extensive contract that I have my puppy buyers sign. This contract is for my protection, the protection of the buyers, and most importantly, the protection of the puppy. I would be very upset if someone signed my contract and had no intention of abiding by it.

Having said that, puppy contracts are very difficult to enforce, and will be deemed "null and void" in many court cases because the breeder has failed to have a lawyer look it over. I'm not sure what the laws are in your state, so you may want to check in to see if your contract is in fact, valid.

I can see both sides of the story here. Yes, it does raise red flags that the breeder does not want her dogs discussed on any message boards. On the other hand, the dog world is very small and there is a lot of jealousy, rumors and backstabbing involved. As a breeder myself, I would also hope that people would come directly to me with any problems rather than airing them on a public discussion board. However, I don't think that I'd go so far as to outright ban it in a contract. There are also issues of slander/libel to consider. I know of one breeder who succesfully sued a buyer for just that. The person had bought a dog from her and it was eventually put to sleep. The buyer, understandably upset, aired her greivances on a public board and the breeder brought her to court and won.

Something to think about, but I would still be careful with this breeder. Sounds like she may have something to hide...

Good luck!