How We Determine Who is Eligible for Breeding Rights

The issue of whether or not to sell puppies on full registration (aka “with rights) is a controversial one. Some people never sell on Full, some only sell on Full, some will sell any puppy with full for an extra fee, some only sell rights on pups they think are of a certain quality.

Within the conformation community, this last one is the most common. Breeders will assess conformation at 6-8 weeks and make a decision on which pups are “good enough” to go with rights.

I personally don’t care for this method, and I’m going to explain why below and how I do go about making my decision.

All dogs with mismarks are immediately ineligible for Full.

Beyond that, all of my pups are ELIGIBLE for full registration. I do not believe it’s my place to decide what kind of dogs another breeder wants to breed. For example, I prefer a button ear. That doesn’t mean a dog with rose ears is not worthy of breeding rights in someone else’s program. I prefer a dog with longer length of leg and lighter bone. That doesn’t mean a shorter, heavier built dog isn’t perfect for someone else’s program.

So many conformation breeders will decide that because Puppy A doesn’t meet the criteria THEY think makes for a great dog, and therefore they won’t allow anyone else to breed it. I don’t personally think this is fair. I’ve seen so many dogs with NOTHING wrong with them that breeders refuse to sell on full because they “aren’t good enough”. I don’t like this subjective method of evaluating a dog at such a young age.

My breeding right decisions are based on the BUYER not the PUPPY. If I have decided that you, as a buyer, are “worthy” of breeding rights, I am not going to tell you which puppy to pick. That’s your choice. Anything that isn’t a mismark is available for you to choose from.

So what makes a buyer eligible? I only give rights to proven show/sport/working homes. I do not give rights to “pet only” homes. Ever. If you have never competed and think you would like to start, I’d be glad to discuss a co-own situation.

I do charge more for dogs that go with breeding rights. This is a sign of good faith that you’re able to afford to show/trial the dog. Pet owners pay less because I give them a discount. If you purchase a dog on limited and later decide you're interested in breeding, that can be discussed as well.