Why do we place our puppies under contract?

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Simply put, contracts help us protect the wellbeing of our puppies and the future of our breeding program. They’re not about control – they’re about care. We’re deeply committed to the dogs we bring into the world and the breed we are developing, and our contracts reflect that passion.

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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 needed. This has given peace of mind to the many wonderful puppy families who value knowing their pup comes from a breeder who takes responsibility seriously.

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Over the past 20+ years, we’ve dedicated significant time, effort 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.

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While the vast majority of our puppy families do the right thing, sadly, a small number have broken agreements. Our contracts are very reasonable, and if you’re honest about desexing your dog or breeding matters, there’s never anything to worry about.

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We are very careful about where our puppies go. Once, we discovered a buyer who had over 40 Labradors despite claiming to have just six – this is exactly the kind of situation we strive to prevent. We’re strongly against unethical breeding, puppy farming, poor living conditions, and people putting profit before animal welfare.

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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. We carefully consider structure, pedigree, temperament, health, behaviour, and overall balance – it’s a complex and costly process, but one we’re proud to uphold.

 

We're extremely cautious about selling intact puppies now. Sadly, some people try to mimic our program for profit, and 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.

 

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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What are “Breeder’s Terms”?

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Occasionally, we may offer a puppy on “breeder’s terms.” This is quite common among breeders and allows us to work with a trusted family to preserve important lines while still giving the pup a loving family home.

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Sometimes, we may take a female puppy back to raise a litter for the next generation, in which case, the original purchase price and associated costs are reimbursed to the owner. ​In the past, we have supported, guided and mentored owners to raise the next generation in their own home. We assist in this process by advertising puppies and screening puppy applications to ensure the ongoing protection of our bloodlines. Unless we have known buyers for many years, we are no longer entering into this type of arrangement due to issues we have experienced with people not raising puppies to our high standards and people wanting to breed their dog for financial gain.

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Health testing, temperament, and experience guide our decisions.  Not every pup on breeding terms turns out to be what we want to go on with in our breeding program, and if that’s the case, they simply become beloved desexed family pets.

We always aim to work with our puppy owners, maintaining fairness, transparency, and a shared love for the breed.

 

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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, and helps avoid behavioural issues, accidental litters, or injuries from dogs seeking a mate.

Even after 25 years of breeding, we've experienced 3 unplanned litters – and we've always been honest about them. Hormones are powerful!  So we totally understand how easily it can happen, and we support our families in doing the right thing.

 

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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 do our part to make that happen.

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CONTRACT BREACHES & LEGALITY

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Some people believe dog breeder contracts are not worth the paper they are written on, BUT a contract is only worthy if the breeder is willing to enforce the contract.

 

We have used our contracts for decades while breeding White Shepherds with a lot success with everyone working together as a team. It is only since developing the Lykos that we have found people breaching contracts in recent years, leaving breaching parties substantially out of pocket. Legal action can be a very expensive and arduous process that no-one wants to get involved in. We have worked hard over the years to develop a line of outstanding quality dogs to develop the breed with and we want to protect our hard work.

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One of the cases 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.

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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 not to x-ray the dog to assess the dog's breeding suitability. The dog was finally x-rayed after we had to step in and make the appointment, a long time after they were due. The buyer also made excuses such as the dog had not come into season for several years, which was unlikely. We paid for a reproductive specialist to examine and test the dog, which was found to be totally normal. Shortly before mating, 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 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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Court cases and litigation is 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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We encourage people not to buy a dog from us if they don't plan on honouring their contracts. It's really not difficult. We have also offered to pay for health testing if people are experiencing financial difficulty. We are happy to always work together with people to achieve the best outcome.

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