Costs and Guarantees

COSTS - Effective with Altmoor Deutsch-Drahthaar litters whelped after 1 January 2022, puppies are priced at $2,200 to $2,600 each. We'll determine the price for puppies of each litter based on the costs associated with the stud service and other factors. The price will be clearly stated in each email litter announcement to those on the provisional reservation listt. The pricing has nothing to do with our perception of the "quality" of the pups. All of our pups have equally terrific potential or we would not conduct the breeding. Prior owners receive a $100 discount. The purchase price includes a non-refundable $200 reservation fee. The balance of the purchase price may be paid by cash, check, or credit card. Pups must be picked up here and are subject to 6.625% NJ sales tax. There is a 4% surcharge for any payments made by credit card. (Because of COVID, effective March 2020, we are suspending air shipments, and we do not permit use of commercial transport services.)

Sometimes buyers need us to hold pups for a few days after the pups are ready to go. There are times when we can do this for reasonable periods, and times when we cannot. Please check with us before reserving a pup from a particular litter. At times when we can, the full purchase price of the pup must be paid by its 42nd day. For each day we board the pup after it would normally be ready to go, the fee is $10 per day for days one through five, and $20 per day after that. Pups picked up here are usually ready to start going to their new homes starting on day 49, and should be picked up by the Sunday following day 49.

Because of the ease of Internet access and its widespread use, we no longer send out printed information packets with photos. However, if there is information you need which you haven't found on this site, please feel free to e-mail.

We are no longer accepting reservations for a year or more in advance. We will now only accept reservation deposits for the next litter that we plan, regardless of when that might be, and not beyond. Reservation fees are forfeit if the reservation is cancelled or postponed later than three weeks before the pups are due to whelp. It will require another $200 reservation fee to get on the list for the next litter if we decide to accept another reservation. The reason for this policy is that in the last few years we have experienced an increasing frequency of buyers who reserve a pup and then after the pups hit the ground they decide that the timing isn't right, or they got impatient and got one from another breeder without letting us know. Of course, in the meantime we turned away dozens of other buyers because we thought all the pups were spoken for.

We accept reservations by sex, but not by color. We feel that all our pups have equal potential, or we would not have conducted the breeding in the first place. Buyers very often make false assumptions based on the photos of the parents. For example, in our J³ (Yana) and K³ (Suzy) litters, which were on the ground at the same time, we had many inquiries from folks who were interested only in a pup out of one or the other female. But, the fact of the matter is that there could normally be little Suzy's in a Yana litter and little Yana's in a Suzy litter, for example. However, the ultimate decision as to whether or not to accept a particular pup, is, of course, the buyer's.

The non-refundable reservation fee may be returned to the prospective purchaser under only two circumstances: if we are notified by the client that they are no longer interested at least three weeks prior to whelping; or, if we determine that no suitable pup is available from the current breeding. None of this means that we have any intention of keeping your reservation fee frivolously, or trying to stick you with a pup you don't want. For example, let's say that before whelping you told us that you would only accept a pup that looked like a GSP and had no beard. The pups are now six weeks old and are all showing plenty of beard. We're going to give you the option of moving to the next litter and leaving your reservation fee in place, or having us refund it. (This is perhaps not the the best example, since all the females in our breeding program are homozygous for beard and will only produce bearded pups.)

While for years we did order of pick by date of inquiry or reservation, that system resulted in many difficulties when the time came to pick, as well as folks sometimes selecting pups which were inappropriate for them. In 2016 we began a policy of us selecting which pup would go to which buyer. This has worked out extremely well. No longer does an early inquiry delay everyone else’s pick. Our first and most important consideration is picking a pup that comes closest to what the buyer is looking for in an adult, while also taking into account how long the buyer has had one reserved with us. The actual result has been that most folks, regardless of where they stood in the chronological order of pick, end up with the pup that would have been their first or second pick in the litter. And of course, no one goes home with a pup that doesn't suit them. Amazingly, in our K5 litter, each of the buyers got their first choice pup.

A photocopy of your current hunting license is required when sending your reservation fee. Our pups are placed only with licensed hunters. We reserve the right to decline sales entirely at our discretion. We may, for example, feel that shipping to certain locations involves too many changes and/or too long a flight time. We do not ship pups to other countries. We also must be thoroughly convinced that the pup will be going to a hunting home where it will be cared for properly and not be bred under another registration system.

All of our clients should be aware of the fact that our existing owners usually have priority should we need to replace a pup. In other words, if a pup has been purchased from us, and something happens with the pup that we feel obliges us to replace it, the replacement pup often comes off the top of our reservation list. This is something which happens extremely rarely, but it is our policy, and buyers should be aware of it.

You have our assurance that we feel a desire and an obligation to do right by the buyers of our dogs. We believe that our reputation is that of being breeders with integrity, who care about their pups long after the sale, and we want to keep it that way. We provide new owners with a training manual and health care guidelines, both of which we expect to be followed very carefully if you hope to see your pup reach its maximum potential. We want to know about it immediately if you ever have the slightest problem with your puppy. Be it training or health, if you contact us at the very first indication of a problem, there is a very good chance that we can provide helpful advice. Waiting until a problem has become serious can not only make it impossible to resolve, but also voids all of our warranties/guaranties.

All puppies or adult dogs sold by vom Altmoor bearing a Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar registered kennel name of "vom Altmoor" are transferred to the buyer with the unalterable, non-waiveable condition that such sale and any subsequent sales to others are conditional upon the animal never being used to produce offspring in any other registry, or any non-registered progeny. If the vom Altmoor dog (either male or female) is used for such purpose, whether by the original purchaser or some subsequent purchaser, at the sole discretion of vom Altmoor, ownership automatically reverts to vom Altmoor and the dog will be subject to collection at any time with no prior notice. If a vom Altmoor dog is used to produce progeny which are registered with another registry, or not registered at all, those progeny, at the sole discretion of vom Altmoor, automatically revert to ownership by vom Altmoor and are subject to collection at any time without prior notice. It is the responsibility of the original purchaser, and any subsequent owner(s), to make absolutely certain that any subsequent owners are aware of these unalterable conditions of transfer.

GUARANTEES - We provide a guarantee against the canine bleeding disorders known to occur in the Deutsch-Drahthaar. All of our dogs have either been tested, or are descended from dogs which have been tested, for the hereditary bleeding disorders known to occur in the breed (Canine Hemophilia B and von Willebrand's Disease type III) and are clear of them. We will continue to blood test imports or other new additions to our breeding stock so that our program remains free of these disorders. We would urge buyers to select a puppy only if the breeder can provide documentation that the pup will be clear of Canine Hemophilia and von Willebrand's Disease, regardless of breed or breeder. As far as we know, no sporting breed is exempt from these disorders. We provide a guarantee against crippling hip dysplasia. However, our breedings are genetically such that for us to produce a severely dysplastic pup (dysplasia to a crippling degree) is an extremely unlikely possibility, which will probably only occur if a genetic predisposition is coupled with the overworking of a young dog and/or improper feeding or dietary supplementation. (We provide guidance on this in the information you receive with your pup.)

We provide a conditional guarantee against non-clinical radiographic degrees of hip dysplasia. We feel that if you show a commitment to do right by your puppy by joining the breed club and preparing the dog for the first test, you will probably do other things right also and deserve a further guarantee in addition to that provided with regard to crippling dysplasia. For this guarantee, since the evaluation of the radiographic signs of hip dysplasia is somewhat subjective, we will want an OFA confirmation of any German rating of dysplastic. Further, as breeders, we need to know as quickly as possible if any degree of dysplasia is appearing, so that we don't go on repeating the same breeding. (It would do us no good to learn when a dog is five that it is dysplastic - we might have repeated the breeding several times.)

We provide a temperament and hunting ability guarantee. We expect that, given proper early socialization and exposure to hunting environments, your pup will mature to be a hunting companion which will make you and us extremely proud. If you have reason to believe that the pup, from either hunting ability or temperament perspectives, has some fault, we need to know about it immediately. Contact us at the first indication of a problem, however slight it might be. We can normally make suggestions which will correct the problem. As you might guess, many times problems are owner-induced.

While practical perspectives preclude us from making any guarantees or warranties other than those specifically covered below, please be assured that we are continually trying our best to provide versatile gun dogs which are as close to perfect as nature and the complexities of genetics allow. Should you ever have any problem with your dog, we want to know about it immediately. Given our experience, we are often able to provide solutions to a wide range of problems, from health to training. And, if there is even the slightest chance that the problem has any degree of genetic origin, we, of course, need to know about it immediately.

We guarantee to refund all or part of what you paid for the pup according to the following four warranties. In every case, we reserve the right to refund your purchase price (excluding cost of shipping or other expenses) rather than replace the pup, should we deem it necessary or advisable. The guarantees or warranties are as follows, with the understanding that no guarantees apply to pups whose normal selling price was discounted for any reason:

PUPPY HEALTH - We will replace your puppy if within fourteen days of purchase, you take the puppy to your veterinarian and any health problem is found which warrants the return of the pup. You must have your vet provide a written statement to that effect, explaining the nature of the problem, and notify us immediately.

HEREDITARY BLEEDING DISORDERS - We guarantee that your puppy will be neither a carrier of, nor affected by, either Hemophilia B or von Willebrand's Disease. Should at any time in your dog's lifetime, it be diagnosed by Cornell University (the North American authority on these disorders) as being a carrier of, or affected by, either of these two disorders, we will refund your purchase price plus 50%, plus the cost of sample taking and sample shipment, and allow you to retain the dog.

HIP JOINT CONFORMATION - We guarantee that your puppy will be free of crippling hip dysplasia - unable to hunt or lead a normal life because of clinical symptoms evident at or before 14 months of age. We will replace him or refund the purchase price if the following conditions are met: he must be seen by and treated for lameness by your vet, your vet must provide a written statement briefly stating the history of treatment or diagnosis, hip radiographs must be evaluated by OFA with a preliminary rating of severe hip dysplasia, and we must be notified of the OFA rating within ten days of the owner's receipt of same. Additionally, we will refund 1/4 of the purchase price puppy if it receives a rating of HD I (mild), 1/2 of the purchase price if rated II (moderate), or the full price if rated III (severe), from the VDD HD-Zentrale if the following conditions are met: you must test your puppy in the VJP, have two hip films taken concurrently (which are properly positioned and exposed) when the pup is between 12 and 14 months of age, promptly submit one of those films to VDD HD-Zentrale, and if it receives a rating of HD-I, II, or III, confirm this evaluation by prompt submission of the spare film to OFA which results in a confirming "preliminary" diagnosis of any degree worse than "OFA Preliminary Borderline", and we must be notified of the HD-Zentrale rating within ten days of your receipt of same. All hip joint conformation warranties are conditional on you having followed our feeding and exercise/kenneling instructions that are provided with your pup.

TEMPERAMENT AND HUNTING ABILITIES - We require that owners notify us at the very first sign of temperament or hunting trait problems, and that they take our advice and make a good faith effort in attempting to overcome any deficiencies or faults. In the case of serious faults which don't seem to be owner-induced and don't seem correctable through reasonable efforts we will replace the puppy or refund all or part of the purchase price, at our discretion. When an owner makes a final decision that the pup is unsatisfactory we must be notified in writing of this decision so that we receive it before January 1 of the pup's Breed Test year. Exceptions to this guarantee are if the pup is at that time suffering from, or showing ill-effects of, any communicable disease, any non-congenital disease or traumatic injury, and, the pup must not have been neutered. The temperament satisfaction guarantee is void if the owner has kept the pup for significant periods of time on a chain, cable run, or similar, or in a closed environment (such as a garage or small room) where it does not receive visual and auditory stimulus. It is also dependent upon completion of a group puppy class for basic obedience and socialization prior to seven months of age. In some cases we may elect to examine the pup ourselves, or have another knowledgeable person examine the pup, before making a determination as to whether or not the owner has a legitimate complaint. Puppies are normally ready to go to their new homes between their seventh and eighth week, as soon as their registration numbers have been received from Germany and they have been tattooed. As a general rule, our pups are whelped and spend their first several weeks in the house, and get several hours attention throughout the day, every day, until they leave here. They are always well socialized, and their noise conditioning will usually have been started. They will have been wormed, and their vaccinations will be up to date.

Because of concerns about the possibility of them having been exposed to brucellosis, and the 12 to 16 week quarantine/isolation period that would be required, we no longer accept returns of pups for any reason. If something is wrong with your pup, we’ll do what’s right and fair financially, but returning to us will not be an option out of consideration for the health of our other dogs. For the same reason we do not permit buyers to bring their own dog with them when they come to pick up their new pup. While brucellosis is not common, it can be transmitted by means not traditionally accepted and there is no cure.

GOING HOME - We want our puppies to be placed only in hunting homes where they will receive proper care and be able to fulfill their purpose in life. Although they make fine combination house dogs/hunting dogs, we feel that it is absolutely essential to have a kennel run available for those times when the dog must be left alone for long periods of time. They should not be left on a chain or cable run and should not be left alone in a basement or other area where they will have minimal sensory stimulation. Ideally, the pup should have a mix of several hours kennel run time and several hours of house time each day, with numerous outings to both hunting terrain and social situations. In this manner, the pup will mature to be socially adept, and yet realize that it is a dog, not a person. We hope that you will take this advice, regardless of where you obtain your pup.

Your Drahthaar puppy will have been named by us shortly after birth, as required by registration regulations, but of course you may use any call name you wish.

As a puppy buyer, you must realize that our efforts need to be complemented by your own. We provide you with the raw material - a puppy. It will be genetically predisposed toward sound temperament, orthopedic soundness, and freedom from bleeding disorders. It will have a serviceable coat, a superior nose, be biddable and easily trained. It will instinctively point and retrieve. The refinement and advanced development of all these qualities is your responsibility. You must house it properly, feed it carefully, expose it to everything possible, and give it appropriate socialization, training, and veterinary care. If yours is a permissive household, and/or any adults believe that "positive only" training actually works, any German versatile breed is not for you. All adults in the household must have a mind set that allows them to administer physical corrections when necessary - the dog must know who is boss. These are the things that all puppies need to become good gun dogs and companions. We'd like you to purchase a vom Altmoor pup only if you're prepared to make the same commitment to rearing the puppy as we have in producing it. If you would like to purchase one of our pups for possible use in a non-VDD breeding program, we'd ask that you look elsewhere. In our opinion, the other registries, with their lack of breeding regulations, have ruined many fine breeds. We have no desire to see vom Altmoor pups used indiscriminately.

In another section you will find profiles of the parents of expected and previous breedings. All of our breedings are planned to balance parental traits in such a manner that pups of equal quality and similar appearance are likely to be produced in every litter. We study each pup carefully during the developmental period, and our goal is to make the buyer happy. We will never try to place a pup with you that we think will be unsuitable from any perspective. While predicting all of a pup's adult qualities is more art than science, when dealing with vom Altmoor, you have the advantage of the advice of one of the most experienced VDD breeders in the world. And, we are not happy unless you are happy. Placing an unsuitable pup, or a pup in an unsuitable home, is at least as traumatic for us as it is for you.

20150523, 10/24/2018, 6/21/19, 11/22/20, 07/20/2022