Costs and Guarantees

COSTS - Effective 1/1/08, puppies are priced at $1,250 each, with prior owners receiving a $100 discount. The purchase price includes a non-refundable $150 reservation fee. Reduced prices may, on a case-by-case basis, be available to buyers with a proven track record of putting pups through the Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar system. There may also be times when supply exceeds demand, so plese check each litter announcment carefully for possible reduced prices on pups over 8 weeks of age.

For those shipped by air, we ship out of PHL only on American, Continental, Delta, United, and Northwest flights which accept animals to your destination city. For pups shipped by air, there is also a $100 vet exam and airport shuttle fee. Airline shipping costs sometimes run about $200 to $300 (as of spring '09). We also require a $60 crate deposit, which is refunded if the crate is returned to us within three weeks. Reservation fees and crate deposits must be paid by cash, check, or money order. The balance of the purchase price of the pup and any shipping costs may be paid by credit card. Regardless of your state of residence, if you pick up your pup here we must collect 7% NJ sales tax.

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 call or e-mail.

We are no longer accepting reservations for a year or more in advance. We will now only accept reservations 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 $150 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.

Our "order of pick" policy has been changed effective 10/10/08. First, some background. In the past our order of puppy selection for a given litter has been based on "first come, first serve". Many times this has resulted in a pup with the coat and conformation closest to perfect going to a buyer who has no interest in becoming involved in the Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar system and who can't wait to neuter the dog, and from our perspective, the pup is essentially never seen again. At other times, buyers who are gun dog novices, or have no dog experience at all, decide to pick a pup that we feel is likely to be a training challenge, compared to other pups in the litter. Many breeders of all registries have long dealt with these and similar issues by making it the breeder's decision as to which pup goes to which owner. We are now adopting a policy similar to that. Order of pick will now be influenced, when applicable, by our perception of the likelihood that the pup will successfully become part of the VDD breeding system, and buyers who have a proven track record of putting dogs through the VDD system will likely be given preference in order of pick. (However, this situation will be unusual since most experienced VDD folks are breeders themselves, and will choose their next pup from one of their own litters.) When our perception of likelihood of VDD involvement is not part of the equation, we will revert to "first come, first served," but we reserve the right to decide that a particular pup is not suitable for a particular buyer. (This will rarely happen, because most of the time our pups are nearly identical in temperament.) Usually we will have determined order of pick by the time the pups are about four weeks old. Anyone dissatisfied with that arrangement at that time can request a fifty percent refund of their reservation fee and we will often accommodate that request. But, all buyers need to keep in mind that we never place substandard pups and the last pup to walk out the door is very likely to equal or better the first one out the door.

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 no longer 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.

Effective 7/22/05, 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 manual 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. In some circumstances we will take the dog back if reasonable correction efforts have not been successful. We have put a deadline on this so that we have a little time to evaluate the pup while it is back in our hands, and make a decision as to the severity of the problem and the feasibility of correction. As you might guess, many times problems are owner-induced, and in these cases we may be able to correct the situation, put the pup through VJP, and then place it with another owner. With all the Drahthaar pups that we have placed (several hundred), owners have asked that we make good this guarantee three times, to the best of our recollection. In one instance we permitted the owner to do as he pleased with the first pup and provided him with another pup at no charge. In another we refused because of the manner in which the pup had been kept (frequently chained). In the third we took the pup back and placed it with another owner who is thrilled with it in all regards. 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 replace your puppy upon its return to us 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:

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 24 months of age. We will replace him 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 final or 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 replace your puppy if it receives a rating of HD I (mild), II (moderate), or III(severe), from the VDD HD-Zentrale if the following conditions are met: you must test your puppy in the VJP (which requires that you be a member of a VDD Group), 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.

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 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. 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.

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, it is a good idea to have a kennel run available if 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. 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 typical or expected breedings, and sometimes one or more sample pedigrees. However, sometimes we wait until the last possible moment before selecting a stud for a particular bitch. 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 a very inexact science, when dealing with vom Altmoor, you have the advantage of the advice of the most experienced VDD breeders on this continent. 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.