Please can someone explain what I should expect if I accept a bitch on breeding terms. ie advantages / disadvantages. Is the dog mine or the breeders? Should i expect to pay the same amount as if I am buying a pup.
Richard

Hi Richard

Unless you know the breeder really well (I mean really well) and trust them implicitly then I would avoid a bitch on breeding terms like the plague.  There are so many ifs, buts and maybes in breeding a bitch of your own let alone one shared with someone else that it is just about impossible to create a watertight agreement covering every eventuality.

on the other hand i have both bred and sold dogs in partnership with breeding terms and bought dogs in partnership and with breeding terms, and have not had problems, i guess it depends how honest your partners are...
As to ownership it really depend on what the agreement says.

But one thing i would be positive about is get the agreement in writing - things may change but that is your starting point and keep in regular contact with the other party, develop a good trusting relationship.

good luck

Oh and the benefits - you generally get a better quality dog.

If you do go ahead and have a bitch on breeding terms make absolutely sure you have a clearly written contract, (Every I dotted and every T crossed)! Cover every area of the control of the bitch and intended stud choice and what happens to the puppies. There is a lot of things to go wrong if you don't.
A few examples:
Suppose the bitch fails a BVA health test and you don't want to breed, would the other party still insist? How would that be solved if not covered by contract?
Suppose you really don't like the chosen stud dog, and the worst happens your bitches dies in whelping? Would you want a puppy from the litter?
Suppose you didn't have a choice of having a puppy if anything happened to your bitch?
If a puppy is handed back at 2 years old would you be prepared to take it back or would  the other partner in this contract take it in, and whose responsibility would it be?
Who pays for veterinary treatment, needed due to a difficult whelping?
There is a lot involved and I'd make very sure both I and the other party knew who was responsible for what.

What would happen if you had a litter but only one puppy was born, you wanted to keep it and the breeder would have the right to take your only puppy, this do's happen and should be decided before you get you puppy from the breeder, it can be very heartbraking.