Monarch Mastiffs

We are not currently breeding, but we decided to leave this page up to provide information to puppy buyers.

CONTRACTS

Contracts work for both parties, both the seller and the buyer. All contracts should state all terms and agreements and nothing should be left up to the imagination. Do not accept any promises made verbally, and insist that everything be in writing, signed by both parties. Verbal agreements and handshakes are unfortunately a thing of the past, and only a precise, written contract will bind both parties to the agreement.

Testing

We also require our pups to have their preliminary OFA's before showing in conformation for two reasons. One is that you will know what you have and will be dealing with in the future and two so that you do not waste a lot of money showing a dog that will eventually be spayed or neutered. If your pup does not pass a test for some reason, and you really want to show it, we can make allowances for that pup, but it must be spayed or neutered for the guarantee to take effect.

Co-ownership

Most of our show puppies are co-owned for the first two years simply as an insurance policy that the dog will be tested and bitches not bred before they are two years old. It is a shame that we had to resort to this but there are many unscrupulous people out there who are good talkers and have no intention of adhering to the contract. Once the requirements are met, before any of the dogs are bred, we will sign off on the registration. All pups sold on a co-ownership agreement are yours, free and clear, and we get no further remuneration such as a puppy back, unless that was part of our original agreement. Occasionally, we will keep breeding rights to a male and rarely to a female, but only if both parties agree on the terms and conditions beforehand. The MCOA allows breeders to have eight litters in two years so we have no interest in having our names on your dog once he/she reaches breeding age. We often sign off on the dog as soon as they earn their championship title even if before two years. Pet puppies are not co-owned and are sold on a limited registration, of course.

Feeding Instructions, Pedigree, Vaccination Schedule

You will notice in our contract that we say that the feeding guidelines and pedigree will be separate, labeled addendum's 1, 2, and 3. If we included all of the above in the contract, it would be a bound volume! Usually, at the time you first see our contract, you don't know which litter your pup will be from, so adding a pedigree is useless. Our feeding instructions, vaccination schedule and pedigree come in the puppy pack you will receive with your pup. The vaccination schedule cannot be included in the contract for the same reasons stated above, and will come with your puppy showing what vaccinations, the brand of vaccine, the date, and when the next series of shots are due, as well as when the pup was dewormed and with what.

Guarantees

All of our puppies are fully guaranteed against genetic defects that will possibly hurt the dog. We do not want to sell you a crippled pup any more than you want to buy one. If you ever decide that you do not want your pup anymore, we will always take them back, regardless of age or circumstance. If you have bought a pup as a show/breeding prospect, and for some reason they do not turn out as expected, we will replace the pup or refund a portion of you money, bringing the cost of the pup down to pet price, once the pup is spayed/neutered, and we rewrite the contract on a pet contract. You may keep the pup if you wish, or return it for a full replacement. Most people do not want to part with their pup since they have become attached. We do not make you return the pup if you do not wish to, but want you to know that the option is always there if you need it.

With Hip Dysplasia (HD) so ingrained in the breed and about 50% of Mastiffs born having some degree of dysplasia, we guarantee our pet pups against moderate or severe HD and our show pups against any form. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell on a eight week old pup if it will have HD or some other genetic defect. I wish there were!! We also guarantee all of our pups against genetic elbow dysplasia, including ununited anconeal process (UAP), fragmented choronoid process (FCP) and severe forms of degenerative joint disease (DJD). We do not guarantee against mild DJD (grade 1) since it can also be acquired by jumping, heavy roughhousing, batting heavy objects and balls around, etc., and generally does not hurt the dog or require any treatment. All of our pups are guaranteed against any genetic eye defect which would cause blindness, such as Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), retinal detachment, geographic retinal dysplasia, hereditary cataracts, etc. Temperament is also guaranteed but is very subjective. Should a pup of ours become vicious without provocation, extremely dog aggressive, have Rage Syndrome, or some other severe form of a temperament abnormality, the pup will be replaced as per the original contract agreement.

Inspection

People often ask why we have the clause in the contract giving us specific permission to drop by without any notice. This is written in for the protection of the Mastiff and for no other reason. If we were to get a call that our dog was being abused, tied to a tree, or in desperate need of medical attention, this clause gives us the right to come and retrieve the dog and tend to it's needs. We realize that it is a sad world indeed where things like this have to be spelled out, but unfortunately, we both know that things like this do occur. Another instance may be where the owners were injured in an accident and were in the hospital and not home to care for their dog, or the owner may be in jail or otherwise indisposed against their will. So far, we have not had to invoke that part of the contract and do not just drop in on people unannounced. If we wish to simply visit our pup, we always call ahead and make an appointment.

Return Policy

You may return your dog to us at any time, for any reason. We wrote this clause in to insure that we always have the first right of refusal on any dog produced by us. This is also an insurance policy for you, the buyer, to know that your dog will always have a home, if the need arises. If you have decided to give up your dog and wish it to go to another responsible family or person, then we can rewrite the contract and transfer the dog to another party, if we at Monarch agree to the new home first. We want to know where our dogs are at all times, who they are with and what is happening to them. We do charge a daily kennel fee on any returned dogs, mainly to insure that the dogs aren't being returned just for the money. We actually had a person want to return her pup because she needed the money to take a vacation! She said she would buy it again when she got back! We have also included a clause that in the event of our death or incapacitation that you can call upon MCOA Rescue for assistance in placing the dog. You will never be in a situation where you have to leave and have no where to send the dog. We want to do everything in our power to see that no dog of ours ever ends up at the pound or shelter or with someone who just wants it to breed to Pit Bulls or something.

There are a few more paragraphs in our contract that may need a little explaining. Each item has a reason for being there, either due to an unfortunate incident with another buyer, or because it is required by the MCOA. If you have any questions about any part of the contract, why it is written this way, or need to alter or delete a portion to suit your needs, please feel free to contact us and discuss the matter. We often customize the contract to suit individuals, although there are some points that we cannot change due to their being a requirement in the MCOA Code Of Ethics.

Monarch Mastiffs