Perhaps you have come across the term “co-ownership” and are wondering what it actually means. In a nutshell, it means that two people own the one dog. How, though, does it work and what is the point of co-ownership in the first place?
Co-ownership with the breeder
In general, dog breeders use co-ownership to make sure they don’t have a huge number of dogs on their hands, dogs which might end up languishing and not having the chance of a full life. You have in all likelihood come across websites at which kennels show dozens of dogs and bitches; these are usually animals to which the breeders have certain rights (use of the dogs as studs, the bitches for litters, taking them to shows, and so on), but which are the family dog to someone else.
Co-ownership allows the breeder to meet its breeding plan and its idea of how to achieve better breeding; it aims to ennoble the breed of dog and co-ownership is one of the resources it has at its disposal to do so. The number of dogs that can actually live with the breeder is limited, but it still has the option of using dogs and bitches that it does not have with it at home for its breeding efforts.
The advantage for the breeder is that it has as many “home-grown” dogs as possible, and for the co-owner the fact that he or she gets a truly top-class dog for a fraction of the price (sometimes free, as it happens), a dog that the breeder will always help with and advise on.
Last, but not least, the co-owner gets an arranged reward for cooperating with the breeder.
Co-ownership, however, is also a good idea for those that perhaps might like to breed their own puppies in the future, but do not want to embark on the arduous task of establishing and showing their own kennel. And so the co-owner rears his or her future litter under a parent kennel as the co-owner of the breeding female.
The terms and conditions of co-ownership are always written into a contract, with clearly set rights and obligations on both sides.
Naturally, everyone can write different conditions into the co-ownership contract. Someone might require half of the stud price for a stud dog in co-ownership, others might not want payment, but puppies, and so on. There are so many options and it is entirely up to the breeder and the co-owner to agree on the conditions.
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Last, but not least, it is important to say that the puppy you are the co-owner of with us will be YOURS!
We won’t take the dog from you without letting you know first - nothing of the sort! It will be a member of the family with which you can make all your dreams come true! Our primary concern is that the puppies we breed live a full and happy life and all points of co-ownership are aimed at maintaining “the kennel Tender Storm” breed, maintaining the pedigree of the dogs and bitches, and presenting the kennel. It’s all about reaching agreement.
