Lessons Learned

At some point in a breeders lifetime they will experience losses. They will mate a bitch who misses conception, lose puppies, lose shows, lose friendships, lose your oldies, certainly lose money and sometimes – may even lose faith.

Loss is just part and parcel of the experience. The way one deals with loss and how one is prepared for loss is what is so important. As for avoiding loss of trust when selling your puppies having a solid contract is a very good idea. Have separate contracts for different situations.

Pet puppy sales
Show puppy sales
Co-owned sales
Stud work
Leased bitch situations
Handler agreements

All of these situations are much easier to work with when all details are in writing and all parties are in agreement. Make sure everyone involved understands and accepts the terms in the contract. Keep it simple and you are more likely to have success with this.

Sometimes it is helpful to retain the services of an experienced canine attorney to assist you in preparing your contracts. They can make sure you have most loopholes closed and make sure that you are protected.

No matter how well prepared you think you may be, at some point if you are in dogs for long enough, you will experience some form of loss connected to your puppy sales in some way or another.

It is smart to remain calm and think about the best outcome and how to achieve that outcome. Getting angry and firing off helps nobody so avoid losing your control and temper.

If a contract has been broken, try to approach the person who broke the contract and see if you can amicably work out a way to repair the damage. If need be, use a trusted friend (or attorney) as a mediator. Usually things can be worked out for the best.

Remember, losing your reputation, a friend or money is one thing – but possibly losing a dog or a litter of puppies is another. Try to keep the focus on the dogs. That is why we do what we do after all, isnt it? The dogs are the important thing…always.

If you have done nothing wrong then your reputation will regain itself. If you lose a friend over a contract issue, then perhaps it can be worked out and if not move on. Money will be lost in dogs so dont fret over a dollar. Keep the focus on the future of the dogs themselves.

All this being said, we are of course, only human and mistakes do and will happen no matter if you have a good contract in place or a simple old fashioned handshake agreement. People bend to whims, peer pressure, knee jerk decisions or sometimes a simple lack of common sense. Very rarely is a person who breaks your contract setting out to lose your trust or purposefully go against your wishes for your dog you sold them. It is usually some other distraction that leads them down the wrong path.

If you have done your job as a reputable breeder and screened your homes well, have a good contract in place and remain in contact with your pup owners – then thats usually all you can do. You cant become ‘Big Brother’ and you must have some level of trust in place.

If you have been burned, try not to allow it to affect future dealings with new people you meet. It wasnt their fault you had a negative experience. Try to do a deeper level of screening and go with your gut feelings. Listen to advice from others and just put in place safety nets. Learn from your experiences and move forward. Trust again. There are plenty of worthy, happy and trusting homes out there. Find them and enjoy sending joy to them by way of a Stafford.