What questions would you ask a breeder who wants to co-own? (by keedokes)

OOoh, cool! Who is he from?

 My first question is to see the contract. :)

Who gets to decide what he's bred to and when? Where will breedings take place, who is responsible for transportation etc.

Who is responsible for show costs? Will you use a handler? Will they require that he be shown a certain amount or sent with a pro if he's not finished by a certain age?

Who pays for health screens?

 Can you have him collected for them to use and then neuter him if he's not finished by a certain age?

Those are the first things that come to mind, I know there are more. I'm co-owning Mal with his breeder (so we can license him in her town if this MSN thing passes) but it's just a paper co-own, he'll never be bred and he's 100% mine. :)
 

Oh, and nevermind, I remembered why that photo looked familiar. :P Are you getting Beamer from AJ?  

You know AJ?  Crazy!!  How are you connected with her?  Yeah,  he's with AJ right now.  He's a Harry P grandson...her husband wants her to downsize--he says five is too many, especially since they're still working on their house. 

 I've known her on boards for a while, and a friend of mine has a pup from her that I adore.

The world of dogs is a small one. 

My only question would be have you ever been owned by a herder?  Corgis are SERIOUS herders for small dogs -- particularly around kids (Foxy was a sheltie/corgi mix and it was often the corgi side of him that got him in trouble)

That's just a knee jerk reaction -- I would have a herder again in a heartbeat but it took me a long time to really really REALLY understand them and how they think.

Questions *I* would ask?  I have a friend in such an arrangement.

1.  As he ages, are there any health issues which will be an immediate "spay/neuter" thing?  (like allergies being diagnosed, etc.)

2.  I would get it *in writing* that certain milestones have to be met or he just becomes a 'pet' and gets altered. 

3.  If she's downsizing -- what happens if she no longer breeds at all?  Will you then be required to keep showing him?  That might become cost-prohibitive if you didn't *want* to do it.  Travel is expensive.

 I can vouch for this boy's temperament. He's a mushbear and lots of his family lives with small kids with no problems at all.

1. Highly unlikely with this particular family, but can't hurt ot ask.

2. I would do this with some people- but not AJ, to be honest. She's VERy reasonable.

3. She's not going to- I mean, yeah, she could get hit by a bus, but seriously, no, not a worry with a serious established breeder- I mean, even if SHE did, her mentors and friends would pick things up... She's got a nationally ranked dog right now and is very seroius about the breed, and is willing to cover his show expenses, from what I heard. (She's downsizing due to an injury that is making it difficult to take the whole horde for proper walks. Bored corgis engage in demolition work and this makes for unhappy husbands.) 

Pwca

My first question is to see the contract. :)

(1)  Could the breeder sell her ownership portion of the dog? 

(2)  If one of the owners dies, does full ownership revert to the living owner?

That would keep the living owner from having to deal with relatives of the deceased owner.  However, it also means that the dog could be taken away from the remaining members of his pack.  For an older dog that could be especially traumatic.  Taking a child's pet away because a parent dies is also not something I would want to see happen.

I would want full ownership to revert to me if the breeder(s) died, but I would want my family to take care of the dog if I passed since they would be part of his pack.  However, I know that not everyone has family that can be trusted to do this.

The breeder should certainly get the dog back if it would otherwise be sent to a rescue or a shelter!  The breeder should have the right of first refusal if the dog is to be sold and any new owner should be required to sign a contract (same conditions) with the breeder (whether the dog is sold or given away).

Boy, this contract stuff gets complicated!!  It needs to cover the current situation and as many future scenarios as one can think of.

 Gosh, hes a doll! Thats the only thing about the Pembrokes that I wish were different. Cardis come in such neat colors.

A friend of mine got massively burned by a breeder "friend" of hers that informally co-owned a dog with her.  Main issue centered around competiton vs. breeding, i.e. the breeder wanted to breed the girl but she was in the running for AKC Nationals and needed to be competng vs. raising pups.  The breeder wouldn't budge and my friend ended up giving the dog back after much heartbreak.  I know it's different in males, but still something to consider if you plan to do any sports seriously.

Also, does the breeder have any requirements for feeding and/or healthcare?  My friend also ran into some issues there, so you will want to make sure your ideas mesh with your future co-owner.

Awww! He's adorable!  ... and what a HUGE change from a Saint!  But, I think it's smart to be open to change and recognize the right dog when you find them.

I'd want to see the contract, first, too.  I'd want to make sure that you both have clear set roles and that nothing is too subjectively written.  If the only reason she's co-owning is to breed him, then that should be clearly spelled out. Otherwise, does she help pay for vet visits?  Will she be taking him to shows?  What would it require from you to do the breedings? 

Sounds like she's well known and respected and I've learned that the dog world is indeed tiny! 

Can't wait to hear more about it!
 

 The best piece of advice I was given - get everything on paper - spelled out in detail and signed by both of you. My biggest concern on doing a future co-own is the limits being spelled out on the genetic testing and those pass/fail results influencing any breedings. At what level of test results are acceptable to still allow breeding? Be sure you are comfortable with the details - I've heard of lots of good friendships going south due to co-owns - both informal and those detailed on paper. Good luck!