To Co own or not to Co own
According to the American Kennel Club, the greatest area of purebred dog contentious dispute involves co-ownerships. Let us explore the reasons for this.
The co-owner frequently wishes to pursue a successful well-established senior breeder. They usually wish to obtain the best dogs from such a breeder. The monetary sale price may be too great for the fledging enthusiast, or the “best of the best” from that breeder is often not for sale. Therefore, a co-operative arrangement is the most attractive incentive to coax a breeder to part with stock
From the breeder’s standpoint offering show/breeding stock to a co-owner would only be attractive if the goals and expectations of both parties are the same. In all instances a preferred written, or verbal contract agreeing to the specific performance of each party is executed. Remember paying a monetary price allows for the co-owner to have a greater say, after all he paid for the privilege. Most often however no price is paid to the breeder. So why would the breeder co own as there seems to be little advantage for the breeder? After all, he could keep, show, and breed the dog benefiting solely from his effort.
From the breeder’s standpoint, particularly this breeder, our breed is, as we all know, the ultimate companion. To have such loyal and affectionate dogs languish in a kennel away from their owners’ side is sad, or worse yet, having volumes of dogs living in crates within the breeder’s house is inhumane. Sharing such companion animals with a co owner to afford the dogs individual care and attention is the hope. This as well as the anticipation to mentor someone to continue the line forward, is most often the breeders goal. In addition, it is often possible to obtain a co-owner whose interest lies in showing the breeder’s dogs, which helps to defray some of the effort and expense of such showing.
For the co-owner, the association with an established breeder gives them acceptance in the dog show world, as well as the shared glory and National notoriety of winning show dogs. In addition, those who cannot physically breed dogs due to the lack of a facility, experience, or time, can be an associate co breeder, with the breeder doing the work. The result of this co-operation is the exposure of being listed as a co-breeder of award winning dogs, as well as a degree of shared monetary gain from the sale of any subsequent puppies, all agreed upon in advance in the contract of course.
What goes wrong?
Dog people always wish to share their passion with those of like passion. The rewards of great co-ownerships are often realized. However, co-ownership arrangements are only as good as the ethical conduct and intention of the parties. The pitfalls are great and often result in the devastating loss of valuable breeding stock. In my own instance encompassing 57 years in Rhodesian Ridgebacks, too often contracts, written or verbal, did not protect me.
With the breeder lies, perhaps naively, the hope of the advancement of their line of dogs by expanding their breeding stock base, and to evolve their dog breeding genetic study, which is their passion.
It is not unusual for a co-owner to have aspirations of becoming the breeder. They become impatient in this endeavor, wishing to establish separately in order to benefit financially through the breeding of these dogs, all independent of the control and overseeing of the breeder. At this juncture most do not realize that it is truly the Art Of Dog Breeding.” Typically these “ship jumpers” have minimal success on their own, lacking the “eye”, experience, and dog breeding instincts of the senior breeder.
Frequently, in order to achieve this independence, these impatient co-owners illegally use puppy registration signatures as leverage to achieve outright ownership, leading to AKC intervention, expensive legal fees for court action and hurt parties with friendships lost.
My lesson for the breeder is that co-ownerships should not be engaged in lightly, IF AT ALL. A successful co-ownership can be done but it is usually between people who have known each other for years where they understand exactly what they are to contribute to this partnership.
My lesson for the potential co-owner is to be honest with your intentions. Avoid the inevitable war. Know that breeders are fiercely protective of their line of dogs. In many instances the breeder has dedicated his life’s work to this effort, diligently screening their stock, culling for health issues and temperament, while promoting their outstanding specimens at great cost over many years. For them no monetary price can be affixed to such commitment.
In all instances the breeder concerns for their long cultivated good reputation in the dog community. Most co-owners do not realize that their behavior in the sport of dogs reflects on each other to the extent that if one looses their AKC privileges do to a rule/conduct infraction, both parties suffer punishment, whether the other owner was a participant or not, purely because he is listed as a co-owner. That is to say, all dogs with both names affixed as owners cannot be shown or bred during the time of the suspension.
If you do not choose to accept this co-ownership responsibility than purchase your dog outright on payments if necessary. If the dog you want is not available than purchase the second or third pick. Remember a lesser dog from a GREAT kennel is better than the pick of a POOR kennel. As the old Irish saying goes… “Never marry the only pretty face in the family.”
https://chat.whatsapp.com/LECLiiP7RqRHuvs5ZJQpbi
Dimension: 1080 x 1920
File Size: 199 Kb
Like (1)
Loading...
1