Hi

A friend of mine has recently 'inherited' a rotweiller, originally
purchased by her daughter, who can no longer keep the dog. She is 9
months old, and was purchased at 6 weeks old at a cost of £300. She is
a lovely and very much adored dog.

My friend noticed the dog occasionally limped, and after an x-ray at
the vets, it was discovered that the dog has a poor hip, which is
apparently a common hereditary problem in rotweillers, an operation to
fix the problem for just this hip, will cost about £450.00. It
transpires that her pet insurance does not cover hereditary
conditions.

My friend was distraught, and contacted the breeder to ask whether the
parents were 'hip-scored', and whether the dog was actually KC
registered. Also the pedigree certificate for the dog, is obviously
just something that has been created on a home pc.

The breeder is not interested in the dogs condition, and does not want
to get involved, either to give my friend guidance and support on the
dogs condition, nor to at least help with the cost of the operation.
My friend is furious and believes that the breeder should at least
show some interest, and perhaps help with the cost of the operation.
The breeders response is that its not her problem, and the cost is my
friends own fault for taking out 'cheap insurance'.

Are there any rules that this breeder should adhere to in this
situation, or are they perfectly within their rights to not want
anything to do with it? Also, do dog breeders have to be registered
with a governing body? Is there anyway to find out whether this
condition was present in the dog from birth?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
Lisa

"LJH" wrote in message
om...
Hi

A friend of mine has recently 'inherited' a rotweiller, originally
purchased by her daughter, who can no longer keep the dog. She is 9
months old, and was purchased at 6 weeks old at a cost of £300. She is
a lovely and very much adored dog.

A rottie from a responsible breeder would not have been allowed to leave
until eight weeks & I'd be suprised if only £300....
Another reason to do the research before purchase.

Pedigrees are written by the breeder & may well be created on a home pc. The
Kennel club documents are officially produced.
I doubt it is registered as if it were the friends daughter should know. All
the rottie breeders I know make a point of explaining the X rays & tests to
new owners but so often people just buy the first puppy they see.
Caveat emptor........
AFAIK no pet insurance would cover this condition.

Does the breeder breed regularly, unless this pup was sold with a warranty
there is little you can do.
It has to be the original purchaser that makes any complaint against the
"breeder" but a word with her local environmental health dept & trading
standards is the way to go. Is the breeder local? A sob story in the local
rag might pay dividends ;oP
But Caveat emptor........I would expect HD as part of the deal with a poorly
bred rottie.

2p
Sue

"LJH" wrote
snip

Also the pedigree certificate for the dog, is obviously
just something that has been created on a home pc.

This is not a problem in and of itself. I just sent a pedigree I printed on
my PC home with some potential puppy buyers. No big deal.


The breeder is not interested in the dogs condition, and does not want
to get involved, either to give my friend guidance and support on the
dogs condition, nor to at least help with the cost of the operation.
My friend is furious and believes that the breeder should at least
show some interest, and perhaps help with the cost of the operation.

Things might be different in the UK, but unless your friend's daughter
(would would have to be the plaintiff) has a legally binding contract
wherein the breeder agrees to refund all or a portion of the cost of the
puppy, there isn't anything the breeder /has/ to do. Sure, a good breeder
would care and at the very least be interested in the dog's condition and
willing to lend moral support. A good breeder would also refund the cost of
the puppy for use toward's the dog's treatment.

This doesn't sound like a good breeder.


Are there any rules that this breeder should adhere to in this
situation, or are they perfectly within their rights to not want
anything to do with it? Also, do dog breeders have to be registered
with a governing body?

I am not aware of any sort of governing body for breeders in the UK. There
isn't one in the US for hobby breeders. In the US any breeder with a USDA
license for commercial breeding is someone to stay away from - that's a
puppy miller.

Many breeders are members of their local and national breed clubs. Sometimes
those clubs have a code of ethics. Your friend could find out if the breeder
is in any of those clubs, and if so what sort of agreement the breeder made
when joining. Some clubs will kick breeders out for violating their code of
ethics. Some won't. They can't stop a person from breeding or selling dogs
though, or fine her in anyway.

Is there anyway to find out whether this
condition was present in the dog from birth?

Hip dysplasia is hereditary. The genes that cause it were present at birth.
The condition itself is not always detectable or effectively present in youg
dogs which is why the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) will only
certify hip scores on dogs over 2 years of age. Hips change as the dog
grows. BTW, if the dog was registered, your friend's daughter should
probably have a registration certificate.

Your friend could probably contact the breed club for advice and support in
dealing with CHD. She'll probably just have to write the breeder off as a
lost cause and just concentrate on caring for her dog.

--
-Andrea Stone
Saorsa Basenjis
http://home1.gte.net/res0s12z/
The Trolls Nest - greenmen, goblins & gargoyle wall art
www.trollsnest.com