Quote:
Originally Posted by GusGus
What I don't get is how from the same litter they say you can get a puppy with a hip/elbow check or pay less and not get one? Don't those checks have everything to do with the parents?
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Actually that part of the pricing structure I understand. In North America it is sort of expected for breeders to offer health warranties. The breeder can't guarantee that there won't be a problem as genetics don't work that way, but they can provide some form of compensation if a problem does arise. In Europe and most of the rest of the world, warranties are not the norm. Instead it is understood that there is no guarantee when buying a living creature, breeder does their best to stack the odds in favor of a good outcome, buyer does their research to ensure that they are comfortable with the level of risk, and then everyone waits to see what happens. Puppy prices here tend to be higher than those in Europe, and much of that increased cost is due to the expected warranty. In essence, people are paying more for a warranty much of the time.
So for a breeder to offer pups at a lower price without it, and higher price with it, doesn't strike me as particularly odd or in any way unethical. There are several very reputable breeders who do it that way. If people want a warranty, they pay more for it. Though I'd expect to see more of a difference in price than is shown here, and would expect the pups without the warranty to be significantly less.