Below is a copy of the Health & Wellness Purchase Contract and Hip / Elbow Guarantee that will be sent electronically for e-signature before pick-up / delivery of your puppy.
Ritterhund K9s
HEALTH & WELLNESS OF YOUR NEW PUPPY
PURCHASE CONTRACT
CONDITIONS OF SALE
Seller (Ritterhund K9s) guarantees that at the time of delivery, the dog is in good health. Should the dog be found in poor health by a licensed Vet, Seller will provide buyer with a full refund of the purchase price of the dog only. Transport fees will not be refunded. The following conditions apply to the sale of the dog:
The Buyer has 72 hours from the time of receipt of the dog to have the dog examined by a veterinarian. Any request to return the dog to Seller for a full refund must be made within this time and may only be requested should the dog prove to be seriously ill upon arrival. Proof of examination must be provided to Seller. This guarantee will be terminated immediately if dog is not examined within allotted time. After 72 hours of the health guarantee period, the seller cannot be held accountable for future diagnosis of bacterial or viral infectious diseases, giardia, fungi, etc. since these can be contracted anywhere in the environment after leaving our premises and are not a result of genetic or breeding. If there is a problem that cannot be rectified, the buyer may return the puppy to seller, at buyer's expense, no later than the day following the vet exam, along with a veterinarian's statement stating the problem. Upon the puppies return, it will be replaced with another puppy of the same breed.
(Exclusion: This does not include the presence of parasites and does not apply to a health problem resulting from an injury or accident due to buyer's negligence), the following provisions will be honored. All medical expenses are the sole responsibility of the buyer. All puppies are vaccinated and treated for worms and giardia before they leave. However, buyer need to be aware that these things can arise and that they are usually not serious (even though seeing blood in the stool appears serious) and are easily treated and seller will not cover the treatment for such after the puppy leaves our possession. Viral, bacterial diseases, and bloody stools (form of worms) are not covered in the health guarantee as they can be gotten from anywhere outside of our kennel.
Our puppies are sold with full AKC registration. Puppy will be current on vaccines and worming. Vaccination records will be provided. We guarantee that the puppy will arrive to you free from communicable disease. However, there are many things a puppy can contract or encounter prior to the completion of all three puppy shots. Your puppy will be fully vaccinated at 16 weeks of age. At 16 weeks, be sure to ask your vet about a rabies vaccine for your puppy. We highly recommend keeping your puppy at home with no outings to places like parks, dog parks, creeks, streams, or lakes until your puppy is fully vaccinated. Do not let the puppy eat other animal’s feces!
CARE OF DOG
Buyer agrees to maintain this dog in good health, provide routine preventive health care including but not limited to inoculation, internal and external parasites, and preventative medicine. Buyer agrees to use only plant-based, all natural flea & tick treatments on dog.
Buyer agrees to make every effort to keep dog on the same diet as it was previously on at Ritterhund K9s kennel. If the diet is changed and the puppy experiences gastrointestinal upset, the Buyer is responsible for the dog’s care. If Buyer is unsure on feeding amounts/instructions, Buyer agrees to reach out to Seller for clarification.
REPLACEMENT PUPPY
If the dog is to be replaced, it must be returned to Ritterhund K9s at the owner’s expense. The puppy will need a health certificate issued by your vet to ensure the puppy is free of communicable disease. This is to protect the health & wellness of our Pack. The replacement puppy will be selected by Ritterhund K9s. Of course, we will ask to have a face-to-face or phone conversation to re-assess what you are looking for in a puppy. The shipping costs of the replacement dog will not be covered by the breeder. Ritterhund K9s does NOT refund money on replacement dogs. We are very reasonable people, and if you are facing extreme personal circumstances, we will work with you in whatever capacity we can to make sure you are satisfied with the outcome. By signing this contract, Buyer agree to such terms.
NEGLECT/ABUSE/FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL
If, at any point in the puppy's life, the puppy/dog shows evidence of abuse or neglect, we will immediately contact Animal Control Services and request a full investigation be undertaken. If abuse and/or neglect is proven, the puppy/dog will immediately be seized by Animal Control and returned to Ritterhund K9s. We will contact AKC and have the ownership transferred back to Ritterhund K9s. If at any point you are unable to keep the puppy/dog, Ritterhund K9s will be notified immediately. WE ALWAYS HAVE THE FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL. It is agreed/understood that the puppy in its lifetime will never be given away, sold, or taken to any sort of animal shelter, dog pound, or Humane Society without first contacting the Ritterhund K9s. We do not refund money when returning your dog/puppy. By signing this contract, Buyer agree to such terms.
TRANSPORT COSTS
The buyer is responsible for all transport costs which can include the cost of shipping and/or transportation including an airline-approved travel crate (if applicable), vet health certificates, airline ticket (if applicable), and transportation to and from Ritterhund K9s. By signing this contract, Buyer agree to such terms.
PUPPY/DOG PURCHASE COST
If the puppy is being transported, all remaining balances (excluding the deposit) must be paid in full one week prior to the puppy's departure from Ritterhund K9s' kennels. No exceptions will be made. The puppy will not leave Ritterhund K9s premises until all payments have been received. For in-person pickups, the balance can be paid at the agreed-upon pick-up time.
LIVING CONDITIONS
The Buyer agrees any puppy or dog purchased from Ritterhund K9s will never be tied out on a chain or rope as a living condition. The puppy will always be given water, food, adequate shelter, and proper care. The puppy will never be transported in a motor vehicle in an unsafe manner. The Buyer understands that any of the above will be considered animal cruelty and willful endangerment and will result in prosecution by governing agencies. By signing this contract, Buyer agree to such terms.
REGISTERING YOUR PUPPY
The Buyer agrees the above-mentioned puppy’s name shall include on any and all registries submitted to AKC or other clubs and memberships the name ending in vom Ritterhund.
This name will be included in all entries to any clubs or organizations and for recognition of titles received.
If the buyer Registers this puppy with AKC and does not include vom Ritterhund in the registered name, this contract will become NULL and VOID. For example, if you wish to name your dog Thor when you register with AKC, you must register as Thor vom Ritterhund. We will verify your registered puppy's name via our online account with AKC. By signing this contract, Buyer agree to such terms.
The Buyer agrees to update Ritterhund K9s with their contact information on a yearly basis to include mailing address, phone numbers, and email. We would love to also receive an update on how the puppy/dog is doing. Pictures for us to share would be greatly appreciated as well.
*If Buyer has paid electronically, Buyer agrees to not retract payment in any way. Doing so will result in fraudulent charges.*
HIPS & ELBOWS
New owners need to be very careful of over-exercising the puppy. This means no jogging until after 12 months of age. This is to protect the growth plates of the developing joints of your puppy. The puppy should not play or be exercised to the point of exhaustion. The puppy should not go on long walks or be ran vigorously. The puppy should not do excessive jumping. These are measures to prevent hip/elbow injuries at a young age. Over-exercising a young puppy can affect/damage the hip/elbow joints, possibly for a lifetime. It is EXTREMELY important you do not over-exercise your puppy. By signing this contract, Buyer agree to such terms. A warranty against hip and elbow dysplasia is provided for 2 years after birth. This guarantee is terminated should the dog be allowed to become overweight or breed. Buyer must provide seller with proof in the form of documentation from the Orthopedic Foundation of animal or from PennHip. We reserve the right to have a veterinarian of our choice confirm the results before replacement or refund is made.
Warranty shall only apply to original purchaser. Transfer of dog ownership shall void all such provisions of this agreement.
Under no circumstances shall the Seller be liable to the Buyer or to a third party for a dog which has been subject to abuse, accident, negligence or misuse. Also, under no circumstance shall the Seller be liable for any consequential incident or special damage resulting from or in manner related to the dog.
Upon execution of this contract, all veterinary care and its associated costs are the sole and exclusive responsibility of the buyer.
HIP/ELBOW GUARANTEE
Puppy’s hips and elbows are guaranteed to pass OFA at 2 years of age. This warranty expires when the pup is 28 months old. This means the owner has a 4-month window to have the pup x-rayed and certified by the OFA. The REGISTERED NAME AND REGISTRATION NUMBER MUST BE ON THE RADIOGRAPHS, or this contract is VOID. If the OFA recommends an additional x-ray in 6 months to issue a certification the owner will re x-ray the dog at 30 months of age. Most dogs who are re-x-rayed come back with a certification. We strongly recommend preliminary x-rays at 15 months. If the owner's vet suspects a problem with the hips, the owner or his vet should send the x-rays to OFA and ask for a preliminary opinion. If there is an issue with the hips of a Ritterhund K9s dog, a copy of the x-ray must be sent to Ritterhund K9s. If we determine that the positioning is bad on the x-ray, we will not accept that x-ray as grounds for a replacement dog. Some veterinarians do not know how to properly position a dog for an x-ray and being out of position even a little can cause a false-negative reading. The hip warranty is nontransferable. Hip dysplasia has four major causes: Genetics, diet, over feeding, and too much exercise at a young age.
It is felt that genetics play between a 25% and 30% role in a dog having hip dysplasia. This means that new owners can assume a great deal of responsibility (70% to 75%) in their dog developing good hips.
This begins with feeding an appropriate diet. It also means that you should keep your dog lean. Carrying too much weight at a young age is going to add stress on soft puppy bones and ultimately negatively effects development of a young dog.
New owners need to be very careful of over exercising a pup. This means no jogging until after the dog is 12 months old. This means not exercising to the point of exhaustion, or taking the pup for long, long walks. Around the block is fine, but a 2-mile walk is not fine.
In addition, we will only replace a pup once. If someone gets two pups from our kennel and both have bad hips, then that person is doing something wrong in the way they raise their dogs, and we will not cover any additional replacements.
If a preliminary x-ray or an OFA x-ray is done and the local vet feels that the hips are not going to pass OFA, then the vet must send the x-rays to our kennel with the paperwork. We will send the x-rays onto the OFA after reviewing them. If the local vet does not want to do this, then the owner must ask for a copy of the x-rays so they can be sent to Ritterhund K9s. No dog will be replaced without us viewing a set of the x-rays. There is NO EXCEPTION to this policy. We must be certain we are not replacing dogs with good hips based on a local vet’s or a customer’s opinion.
If the dog does have hip dysplasia at no fault of the new owner and the owner wishes to retain the dog, Ritterhund K9s agrees to help with vet costs up to $1000 per pup.
If the dog does have bad hips, we need to see the x-ray to determine what level of problem exists.
This information is used to determine what happens to the dog. (i.e. are the hips so bad that the animal will be in pain and it should be put to sleep, or are the hips not good enough to breed but it can live a normal life as a family dog).
Additionally, the buyer understands that Genetic crippling canine hip dysplasia is nearly always present within the first 12 months of age and can be seen by x-rays. Genetic canine hip dysplasia will be present in both hips and not just one. Subluxation or unilateral H/D (present in one hip only) is generally the result of an injury, dietary deficiency, and over-exertion during critical puppy development stages. This should be the responsibility of the owner and not the breeder.
Per OFA, hip x-rays should not be taken on female dogs that are in heat or near their heat cycle. You should take x-rays one month before or after heat cycles. This warranty will be void if you breed your female before x-raying their hips/elbows as a female should not be breed before their third heat cycle.
By signing, Buyer Agrees to the terms of this Guarantee.
Buyer’s Email:
Buyer’s Full Name:
Buyer’s Address:
Buyer’s Phone Number:
Buyer’s Signature Date
(Buyer agrees that he/she understands this contract fully.)