Our Breeder Term program is a ground breaking program that allows us to achieve the highest quality life for our breeding dogs without sacrificing the genetic diversity of our breeding program. To achieve a truly stellar breeding program requires diverse genetics over several generations but to house numerous dogs over several generations usually involves kennels and sacrifices one on one time with each individual dog.
Using this program we place our genetically valuable Dobermans within families that can dedicate their time and energy on a more one on one basis to that dog giving the dog the gift of having a real family life with plenty of love and attention. These families are given the chance to eventually own the dog when they are retired from our breeding program at no cost to them.
If you are considering becoming a Breeder Term home you will need to be able to meet all our requirements which are:
- You must not have an intact dog of the opposite sex.
- You must have resided at the same housing for at least 2 years.
- The address on your license MUST be the same address you live at.
- You must live within 600 miles of Brantley AL for a female and 250 miles for a male.
- No more than 4 dogs in the home, including the Breeder Term Dog.
- No criminal history in the last 5 years and never a conviction of animal cruelty, fraud, theft, violent, or drug related crimes.
- You must be 18 years of age.
- You will need a vet reference if you currently have animals.
If you are accepted to the Breeder Term program we will place you on a list to match a Doberman of our choosing to that will mesh well in your home and that we wish to use in our breeding program. This dog will be placed with you at between 8-16 weeks of age. You will act as a foster home, with the eventual goal that you will take full custody of the dog once we have retired them from our program. You will raise the dog and train the dog. The dog will live with you for most of their lives.
What we expect of you while the dog is being fostered:
- The foster home will cover all routine vet care like yearly exams, yearly vaccinations, heartworm medication, and any illness/accidents that may occur whilst under the fosters care just as you would for a dog that was fully yours.
- The foster home must obedience train the dog by the time the dog is one year of age. The dog must know the sit, lay, stay, and come commands as well as walk nicely on a leash.
- The foster home is responsible for the cost of feeding the dog except in the case of females during pregnancy and raising puppies. The kennel will cover all cost associated with feeding the female while pregnant and during puppy raising. The kennel will ALSO cover the cost of feeding the puppies during weaning.
- The foster home must be willing and able to transport the dog to a vet within 100 miles of their address for health testing. The kennel will cover the cost of all health testing but we do not reimburse for time or fuel. Typically there will be 3-4 vet visits for health testing as different test require different specialty vets.
- Between the age of 18 months to 65 months females will need to be brought to the breeder to be bred and left here for 7-14 days. Males will be required to return more frequently than females and may need to stay as long as 60 days.
- The foster family may elect, and we prefer, to raise the puppies within their home or they may return the female to the kennel at 14 days prior to the whelping date and she will remain here until the puppies are weaned.
We expect up to three litters from each female in our Breeder Term program but due to our high standards many times we retire females after one. We make this decision based on many factors including the bitch’s mothering skills, her health during pregnancy as well as after birthing and raising the puppies, and the overall quality of the litter. We may also retire a bitch without having a litter for a myriad of reasons. But every female in the Breeder Term program will be contracted for up to 3 litters between the age of 18 months and 65 months. When retired from the program for any reason we will alter the dog and release full custody to the foster family. A foster family with a female can elect to exit the Breeder Term program by purchasing the female outright IF she is not pregnant/currently rearing a litter or returning the dog to the kennel at any time. Pricing for such is outlined in the Breeder Term Contract.
Male dogs are much more rare for us to place via the Breeder Term program and they cannot be bought out. If a foster family decides they no longer wish to be part of the Breeder Term program the dog must be returned to the kennel. Males are expected to return to the kennel more frequently then females and usually for longer than females as they will be scheduled to mate multiple females a year. Foster families may use their fostered male with their own females at no cost provided their females meet our requirements. Breeder Term studs are NEVER allowed to be studded to females outside of the foster family or kennel. The kennel will neuter the dog when it is retired from our program.
The benefit to the foster family is the acquisition of a superior specimen of Doberman at no cost to them for the dog itself. We do not charge approved Breeder Term homes for the dog we place with them at any point except if a female home wishes to retain their female and exit the program. The program benefits the dogs because allows the dogs to have normal lives as happy spoiled pets with their own dedicated families. They program benefits us by allowing us to keep a wider range of diversity in our lines.
Families with females can elect to raise their females puppies in their home. This is our preference as the females tend to be more relaxed about the whole process when they are with their foster family. Foster families will be allowed to keep one puppy from each litter raised in their home to keep for themselves at no cost PROVIDED they sign a puppy placement contract on the dog. The family must be wanting to keep the dog as a family pet only. The chosen puppy will be on limited AKC status and our placement contract DOES NOT allow rehoming.
Key Points to Be Aware Of:
- Transport cost to vets and the kennel are the responsibility of the foster family.
- If the foster family moves outside of the approved distance radius before the dog is retired from the program the family must either purchase their dog (only possible in the case of a female) or return the dog to the kennel.
- The kennel pays for all health tests ordered by the kennel and also retains ownership of these tests results.
- Cost of normal pet ownership such as routine vet costs, non breeding related vet costs, feeding outside of pregnancy or puppy rearing, toys, treats, and training are the responsibility of the foster family.
- Females may be expected to have up to 3 litters between the ages of 18 months and 65 months.
- When retired from the program the dog will be altered at the kennels expense.
- Until retired from the program the dog is legally owned by the kennel. Ownership will be transferred only when the dog is retired.