Is it against the law for a AKC breeder to make you pay extra for the dog's papers?

Question

I am interested in a Great Dane I found on Craigslist. The owner says that her breeder is asking her to pay extra to get the registration papers. Isn't this against the law or something? Please help. And the Dane has an umbilical hernia - I am not familiar with this...the vet told them it won't grow larger - anyone have experience with umbilical hernias? She is asking $300 by the way.

Thanks to everyone who replied, you are all so helpful. I have tried finding a dane in a rescue but all in my area (Houston) don't have any available, and the MAGDRL has many but they don't do adoptions outside the Mid-Atlantic...so it's very hard to find one. Good purebreds are going for $1500+ from what I have found.

Answer 1

Umbilical hernias can be repaired surgically. Best to do it when the dog is already being spayed/neutered. Some are larger than others.
It is not against the law to charge for the papers ...but it is against the AKC policy. Check out their website for your answers www.akc.org
Only backyard breeders try to charge for papers....and make sure you see both parents...all puppies are cute but can grow up to be mixed breed. Anyone who has breedable AKC dogs can get papers for puppies.
But NO they should not charge for papers.

Answer 2

A $300 Great Dane could cost you thousands in unwanted vet bills. I would not consider a puppy purchase from this breeder.

The AKC is a registration for pure bred dogs only. It is not a breeder referral program. There is no such thing as an "AKC breeder" only people that breed AKC purebred dogs. The AKC is not a governing body. If a breeder wants to charge you more for papers, it is their choice. It may not be ethcial but completely legal.

Also AKC registered dogs does not mean you have a healthy puppy, it only means it is pure bred. If the puppies parents have heart defects, dysplasia, wobbler's, and a host of other genetic defects, it is likely the puppies will as well. Just because they are pure bred does not mean they are healthy. Temperment is also very heriditary.

A quality Great Dane puppy is $1000 and up. $1500 sounds about right. Don't confuse low cost as value. You get what you pay for. How much cost do you place on heartbreak?

Hernias are not such a big deal and can be corrected with a minor surgery when he gets older.....again, if you are going to pay for vet bills...wouldn't you rather pay an ethcial breeder instead and just get a healthy puppy to start?

Jill Swedlow allows people to download her book for free: "The Great Dane, Model of Nobilty" from her website. Seach for Sunstryke danes.

If you are serious of wanting a Great Dane puppy you should contact your local Dane club for a refferal or even a possible mentor. The Great Dane is a fantastic companion. However if $1000-$1500 is too much, you may wish to consider a different breed. Even purchasing a healthy, quality Dane, the orginal purchase is the cheap part.

Good Luck,
j

Answer 3

Breeders have the right to charge, but it is unprofessional. A good breeder would never charge extra for papers and I would run the other way from a breeder that charged me extra and I would also be skeptical of a breeder selling over the internet. A reputable breeder will want to meet a potential owner as well as make sure the pup is going to a decent home and these are things you can't do over the internet. A breeder who puts a lot of time and effort into their dogs and puppies and is selling healthy pups will sell the dogs through more professional channels.
Umbilical hernias are usually cosmetic and totally repairable. If you get it repaired at the same time that you get the dog spayed or neutered, they will usually charge you less since the dog is already under anesthesia.
If you really want this dog, just be careful and do your homework on the breeder. You don't want to end up with an unhealthy dog and extra charges that they could sneak in there.

Answer 4

By AKC rules a breeder can NOT charge more for the registration papers. An umbilical hernia can indeed become bigger and can cause a host of problems. It can become dangerous.Sometimes they will heal themselves without incident but other times you need surgery to repair.
There are good quality, well bred Danes out there from responsible breeders that are less then $1000. The average price for a pet quality Dane pup from a responsible breeder is usually from $750 to $1000.
The MAGDRL can put you in touch with other Dane rescues. A freind of mine just adopted a Dane from a Dane rescue in Arkansas and she lives in Maine, so it is very possible to adopt from a rescue even if you live in another state.
I would NOT buy a Dane (or any other puppy) from craigslist. This is a haven for BYB/Mills..otherwise unscrupulous breeders.

Answer 5

NO, If this is not part of there contract then no. I bought a Shih-tzu from a breeder,"first time and will forever be the last" and she had umbilical hernia, and one around her groin area. The vet fixed this when she was getting spayed!

The reason why most breeder have you get the paper is because you have different types of things you can get with your paper that will cost more to get them. Like if you want a photo, or if you want a tree of generations.

One more thing, if you thank that the akc breeder is not doing a good job about taking care of the mothers or over breeding them then you need to report it. Some times hernias come from over breeding, also it is not recommended to breed a dog that has had any birth defected pups. Or if the pups has had any birth defects.

If I was u I would go to the shelter and see if there is any there!
I hope this helps.

Answer 6

Umbilical hernias are small openings in the abdominal wall where fat or intestines can stick through and bulge under the skin. They are easily repaired when the dog is neutered or spayed. If you want to breed this dog, then an umbilical hernia is usually not a problem in a male, but could be in RARE cases in a pregnant female. They can be "passed on" to the offspring. They are very, very rarely a medical problem, but there is a slight possibility that intestinal loops could fall through and get "strangled". That's not common.

In my opinion, $300 is way too much to pay for a dog with no papers and a medical flaw like an umbilical hernia. I have never bought a dane, but unless they usually cost 10 times that much, this is no bargain. I usually just give away puppies if they are born with an umbilical hernia, but won't give the papers because they shouldn't be bred.

Answer 7

Stay away! As far as illegal, the current owner probably does have a right to sue under a contracts case (If there is a written contract), if in fact the papers were included in the purchase price of the puppy.

As far this dog goes, the poor baby is obviously from a backyard breeder, and I would pass on this particular dog. (Or have tons, and I mean multi-thousands of dollars to pour into its impending health problems.) A reputable breeder would take this dog back now or at any time if the family does not want it.

On a side note, AKC papers on this particular dog would be a waste as it will obviously not ever be shown and should most definitely not be breed. Find a Great Dane rescue in your area to adopt a dog from. In the mean time, read up on backyard breeders and reputable breeders.

Answer 8

I'd be wary of any one sellling a dog on Craigslist. It's not against the law to charge for papers, but it's not particularly ethical, either. Umbilical hernias are a genetic defect and can be repaired with surgery. If they are very small, surgery is not required. If it's a female Dane, the vet will automatically fix the hernia when the dog is spayed.
If you decide not to buy this dog, try gettting one from a purebred rescue group or by searching www.petfinder.com

Answer 9

The umbilical cord surgery will cost you over $100.00,and if breeder advertised this pup as AKC reg and trying to charge extra for the AKC reg,then the answer is yes,this is illigal.Pup must be sedated to have this type of surgery and there is a small chance that it won't survive the anesthetic and die.Anytime you put an animal under the anesthetic,you take the chance of it passing.As time passes the hernia will get larger.

Answer 10

That doesn't sound right or fair. If you have the breeders name I would contact the AKC http://akc.org & ask them exactly what the rules are for getting the papers. I have bought quite a few AKC dogs & never did I have to pay extra for the papers. I also had a litter of AKC Dobie pups & I did not charge the new owners extra for the paper work. Sounds as if they are trying to make every $ they can off these dogs!!! Good luck on finding out.