Selling Price

[Michael Romanos]

C'mon now. Any guararantee arrangement that involves multi years would not surely be a return of the dog. I would expect more sensibilities to exist. It would be a money back thing and/or an opportuntiy maybe for a free pup from another litter. Oh my god, not another untested situation - ignore the last part of the last sentence.

[corgimom]

Okay Michael,

I am going to take your last comment in your sentence as you trying to be
funny in a strange way and not take it personally - Afterall, my last Pem
was from the Humane Society and I knew nothing about her, but she sure
suffered an array of ailments through the years.

linda

[Michael Romanos]

I'm all for testing but I don't think itis as prevalent as you think at a local level and there are alternatives through pedigree parentage and family tree knowledge. If I was importing a dog from the USA I would want these things to be inplace and I would want contractural guarantees and certification. But all this would be in relationship to a very large outlay of expense and in catering for the expectation factors. Importing usually means that a breeding programme will be installed so there are those responsibilities to be addressed.

I can't blame you for wanting to tread very carefully when the occasion arises again and as I've inferred before if you can get a dog that's been properly tested or the dogs parents and grandpartents have and been given clean bills of health, good on you.

[glencorgi]

There are health concerns in every breed and I believe it is just the responsible course of action to make sure any animal that is to be bred is tested and cleared of those potential problems. It is the least someone who is breeding can do to produce the soundest healthiest pets possible. While it is true that many devoted owners would never dream of returning a beloved pet they have had for five years to a breeder due to an illness; there is a whole segment of the US population who do dump their pets in shelters, rescue groups, by the local trash collection site, at vet offices or abandon them at boarding facilities due to illness of pet, because the couple is having a baby, one is moving, dog is too old, etc., etc, etc. and so on.

What a breeder who takes a lifetime responsibility for a dog of their breeding means to the pet owner, is that the owner will always have someone standing in their corner. Breeding is as much art as it is science and since we are dealing with living breathing beings, there are always going to be an element that is out of human control. Even IF every test under the sun is conducted on the breeding parents, things can go wrong - that is just the way of Mother Nature. A perfect example of this happened on another list in the past 3 years. A lady bought a corgi puppy from a very reputable and responsible breeder, who was also on this particular list. Both parents were tested and clear of the major health concerns for Pembrokes. This puppy began having health problems and it was found to have a very unusual congenital kidney condition and not given but maybe a year to live. Breeder offered to take the puppy back of course, but as to be expected the owner declined the offer. The Breeder (and in my book she is a breeder with a capital B) did refund the purchase price, assisted with veterinary costs, did all kinds of research, both owner and breeder called on the collective broad based wisdom and experience of the list and the breeder was there every step of the way for the puppy owner. The gallant little corgi boy did make it about six months more than was expected for him. I believe a big part of that was due to the efforts of his Breeder to assist the owner in exploring all options possible for his health. After a grieving period and when the owner was ready, she got a second corgi from the same breeder and everyone is living happily ever after.

This was a pet home, not a puppy bought for as a foundation for any breeding program or for a show home. Being a family pet and beloved companion is the most important job any corgi can have. Breeders who are breeding responsibly realize that and each puppy who's calling will be to delight a family receives the same nurturing care and beginning their next Westminister hopeful does. That <imho> makes a difference.

Debbie

[corgimom]

You are so right Deb,

So many dogs are abandoned and relinquished by their owners because they
came down with health problems the owners did not want to deal with,
because of new babies, moving, etc. etc. All one has to do is look on Pet
Finder to see that. Healthy dog parents is certainly a plus to producing healthy puppies - at least the odds are in the buyers favor to some degree.

Linda