Why do we place our puppies under contract?

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Well, this is a subject we have had a lot of experience in for over 2.5 decades and is a subject that I'm quite passionate about. Ethical breeders who want to protect their puppy's welfare and their future, sell them under contracts. It also provides health guarantees for the buyer and much more.

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Simply put, contracts help us protect the wellbeing of our puppies and the future of our breeding program. They ensure no pups can partake in any backyard breeding or situation where pups are used as 'money making machines'. The last thing we want is for our bloodlines to end up being like the next "doodle" craze, where puppy farms and backyard breeders take advantage of dogs start trying to replicate our breeding program.

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Contracts are not about control – they’re about welfare and care and long term protection of our bloodlines. We’re deeply committed to the dogs we bring into the world and our contracts reflect that passion. We hold our special bloodlines close to our heart - we have invested a lot of time, money, blood, sweat and tears into their development.

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Our agreements were created in consultation with a respected legal team, and while we’ve only ever needed to enforce them in a few cases, they’ve been successful when tested. This has given peace of mind to the many wonderful puppy families who value knowing their pup comes from a breeder who takes their responsibility seriously. We stand behind our word with honour.

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Over the past 20+ years, we’ve dedicated significant time, sacrifices and resources to our breeding program. This isn’t just a hobby to us – it’s a lifelong passion, and the dogs we breed are truly part of our legacy.

​​​It’s also important to understand that we are not a commercial breeder. Breeding for us is about improving the breed, not producing pups for the sake of it. We believe in QUALITY over QUANTITY. 

 

We spend a lot of time planning our breeding program, aiming to create top quality dogs and selectively improving each generation we develop. We carefully consider structure, pedigree, temperament, health, behaviour, and overall balance – it’s a complex process, but one we’re proud to uphold.

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We do not sell intact puppies to pet homes since experiences where people have deceived us. Sadly, some have tried to mimic our breeding program for commercial profit.  We want no part in a “fad” culture that treats animals like trends. We want our dogs to be valued family members, not breeding commodities.

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Should an owner ever be unable to keep their puppy, we are always here to help rehome it or welcome it back, ensuring it gets the best future possible.

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We also provide $200 rebates for any sanctioned working title our pups may receive.

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At the heart of it all, we trust our puppy families. We just ask for honesty, communication, and a commitment to giving your dog the best life.

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Desexing

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There are many health and behavioural benefits to having a desexed dog. It reduces the risk of cancer, prevents life-threatening conditions like pyometra (in females), and helps avoid behavioural issues, accidental litters, or injuries or even death when dogs escape to seek a mate.

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Before pet only pups leave us, they are sterilised either by traditional desexing methods, OR ovary sparing for females or vasectomies for males. New owners make the choice from these options as to what method they prefer.

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Our sterilisation policies are clearly outlined on our website and in our puppy sale agreements.

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Ovary sparing in females or vasectomies in males, are designed to retain hormones that vets say support natural growth and joint development.

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Ovary-sparing is where a female pup's ovaries and uterus remain intact. They will still experience normal heat cycles and bleeding but cannot become pregnant. 

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Vasectomies are when male dogs retain their testicles and natural hormones. They may still show typical male behaviours, including mounting or mating, but will be unable to impregnate a female.

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Pups recover very fast and are usually back to normal the same day, although care must be taken for pups not to over-exert themselves post-surgery.

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With pups who have had a vasectomy or ovary sparing, owners can discuss any requirement to fully sterilise their puppy (when they are older) with their vet. Sometimes this is a good option should the 6 monthly bleeding with heat cycles in females or unwanted behaviours in males be a concern.

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Even after 25 years of breeding, we've experienced 3 unplanned litters – and we've always been honest about it. Hormones are so powerful!  So we understand how easily unplanned litters can happen, and want to prevent this occurring with our pups.

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We also provide an honest and informed view about desexing in our Puppy Bible, that gives some good food for thought about the subject.

 

​If you ever have questions about our contracts, breeding terms or expectations, we’re always happy to chat.

 

At the end of the day, we just want our puppies to be cherished, well cared for, and to live their best lives – and we’ll always go above and beyond to make that happen.

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What are “Breeder’s Terms”?

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Sometimes, we may offer a 'pick of the litter' puppy on “breeder’s terms.” This is quite common among breeders. The owners must reside locally to us.

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We pay ALL health testing and reproductive expenses.

 

A female is returned to us for one litter when she has matured. When the pups reach 8 weeks old, the owner is reimbursed their purchase price in full.

 

So basically, they get the dog for free, all breeding expenses paid and we get to improve and develop our next generation moving forward. It's a situation that works for everyone and ensures a continued high standard of welfare.​

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We used to allow people to raise a litter at home, but no longer allow this due to a terrible experience we had where pups were raised in an unhygienic environment which was not being adequately cleaned and poor socialisation - which negatively impacted pups. They also saw it as a money making venture, and that's not how it works.

 

From that time on, we will only ever work with trusted people we have known for decades, who have high standards which align with the values we are passionate about.

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Owners of a male on breeding terms receive a stud fee, which is also written into a stud contract. If we authorise another breeder to use one of our stud males, we do not receive any part payment of the stud fee. The stud fee is paid in full to the stud owner.​

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Experience guides our breeding decisions in every way.  Not every pup on breeding terms turns out to be what we want to go on with in our breeding program, and that's ok.  They simply become beloved family pets who are desexed. We always aim to work with our puppy owners, maintaining fairness, transparency, and a shared love for the breed.

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CONTRACT BREACHES & LEGALITY

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We are very careful about where our puppies go. We discovered years after someone purchased a unsterilised female, that they had over 40 Labradors despite claiming to have just six, and were basically running a puppy farm. This this is exactly the kind of situation we strive to prevent and will never let that happen again. We’re strongly against unethical breeding, puppy farming, cruel living conditions, and people putting profit before the welfare of animals. People have and do lie about their intentions - and this is a lesson we have had to learn the hard way.

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When necessary, we will enforce our agreements to protect the integrity of our breeding program and the wellbeing of our dogs. 

 

Sadly, taking this stand has led to a small number of individuals reacting negatively online, creating fake accounts and spreading untrue and hurtful claims about us. This kind of behaviour is unfortunate and discouraging, especially when we put a lot of trust, care, and respect into relationships with our puppy owners. 

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Some people believe dog breeder contracts are not worth the paper they are written on, BUT a contract is only worthwhile if the breeder is willing to enforce the contract for any substantial breaches and has a contract that is legally enforceable.

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​Legal action can be a very expensive and arduous process that no-one wants to get involved in. We have worked very hard over the years to develop a line of outstanding quality dogs with wonderful achievements. 

 

​One case we are permitted to publish, was set as a binding precedent under the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) whereby it was considered enough of a high profile case that it is listed on Australasian Legal Information Institute website. In this case, the buyer took out a whole generation of our bloodlines we worked so hard for, in breaching the contract.

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Case Summary: The Deputy President presiding over the matter went into detail about the case. The Deputy President stated that the Respondent (buyer) agreed to buy the puppy on terms which would enable the breeder (us) to have one litter of pups, which the Deputy President stated was not as part of some ambitious money making enterprise, but for the genuine purpose of developing the breed.

 

The buyer made many excuses to avoid taking the dog for hip & elbow x-rays to assess the dog's breeding suitability.

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The buyer also made excuses such as the dog had not come into season for several years, which was highly unlikely. We paid for a reproductive specialist to examine and do tests on the dog, which was found to be completely normal. Shortly before mating was arranged, the buyer went and desexed the dog behind our back, further breaching the agreement.

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Deputy President acknowledged that in breaching the contract, the buyer caused heads of loss and damage to us. This included (1) financial loss, (2) loss of reputation due to the persons involved and what they posted on social media, (3) loss of bloodline caused by the Respondent taking out a generation, and more.

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Deputy President stated that the Respondent (buyer) went to entirely "superfluous issues in which she attempted to justify her conduct". 

 

In what the Deputy President called an "appalling and blatant breach of her obligations" under the contract, the Respondent unilaterally desexed the dog, a female sold under breeding terms.

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Deputy President stated that the Respondent was fortunate that the Applicant did not claim further amounts from her in liquidated damages.

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Deputy President closes by saying the Applicant (us) substantially succeeded in the proceeding. We are thankful to the Deputy President of VCAT who presided over this matter, who saw it for exactly what it was. A deliberate breach by tainted and selfish parties who wish to harm our breeding program, reputation and legacy.

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We are not large scale breeders, so someone taking out a whole generation by breaching their contract, significantly affects our breeding program and our goals of breed development and improvement.

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Court cases and litigation are a nightmare to go through, but it is unfortunately necessary for us to protect all that we have worked so hard for over so many years.

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