Sales Policies - Puppies & Dogs

puppy Selection overview

Here at Treasure Seeker Dobermans we are committed to producing Dobermans of outstanding quality. We believe that bringing a puppy into this world, when so many dogs and puppies go without homes, is a tremendous responsibility. We carefully select our breeding stock, seeking Dobermans that have demonstrated their abilities in the conformation ring and in performance events. We firmly believe in rigorous health screening of all breeding stock, and make health screening information readily available to interested parties. 

We not only carefully select our breeding stock, but we also carefully select our puppy buyers! We always reserve the right to refuse to sell a puppy to anyone for any reason.

What Is Included in the Purchase Price?

All puppies are sold only by written agreement, signed by both Treasure Seeker Dobermans and the puppy buyer. When you receive your puppy from Treasure Seeker Dobermans, he or she will be registered with the American Kennel Club with a formal show name chosen by Treasure Seeker Dobermans. You will receive a four-generation pedigree for your puppy, and your puppy will be microchipped (you will need to register the microchip). He or she will be cropped and docked, with dewclaws removed, as is customary for the Doberman.  Your puppy will be up-to-date on all vaccinations customary for the age of the puppy when you receive it, and you will receive a vaccination record with that information. Your puppy will have been regularly dewormed from the age of two weeks.

Deposits

If you are interested in a Treasure Seeker Doberman, and we do not currently have a litter, we will be happy to collect your contact information and contact you when we plan our next litter. We require a deposit of 20% of the price of the puppy when we determine that a puppy is available for you. If we are unable to fulfill your request for a puppy for any reason, we will refund 100% of your deposit. If you change your mind about purchasing a puppy after committing to Treasure Seeker Dobermans to purchase a puppy, your deposit is non-refundable.

Shipping

We do not ship puppies. We want to meet the buyers of our Treasure Seeker Dobermans face-to-face. If you live too far away to drive to North Carolina to pick up your puppy, a round-trip airline ticket and a carry-on puppy tote will ensure that your puppy makes it back to your home safely.

Selection and Placement of Puppies

All of our puppies have the potential to become outstanding companions, and some can become great working and/or show dogs. We will grade the conformation of the puppies and engage in extensive temperament testing at seven weeks to ensure that we place each puppy in the litter in the right home for the desires of the owner and the needs of the puppy. Our constant interaction with the puppies from the time that they are born until the time that they go to their new homes, along with the temperament and conformation evaluations that we perform will give us the knowledge to choose the best puppy for your needs and desires.

Pet/companion, Working or Show Potential? 

Please make sure to let us know if you have a specific activity in mind for your puppy such as conformation, schutzhund, search and rescue, ring sport, agility or obedience. As we begin to match puppy buyers with our puppies, we will make sure to look for those traits that indicate that your puppy is a good prospect for that particular venue. It's important to keep in mind that dogs are living creatures, and there are many factors that determine the overall success of the dog on the sport or agility field, in the obedience ring, or in the conformation ring, so we cannot guarantee outcomes, only do our best to match you with a puppy that has an excellent chance of succeeding in your chosen activity.

Registration & Co-Ownership

Most of our puppies are sold to you as sole owner with an AKC (American Kennel Club - the internationally recognized breed registry for the Doberman in the United States) Limited Registration. Dogs with AKC Limited Registration can be shown in all AKC events except for conformation, and can be shown in all working sports in the USA. Offspring from dogs with AKC Limited Registration cannot be registered with the AKC unless the individual placing the dog into AKC Limited Registration, i.e. Treasure Seeker Dobermans, converts the Limited Registration to Full Registration. 

Treasure Seeker Dobermans may agree to convert the Limited Registration to AKC Full Registration when your dog meets certain minimum requirements for breeding (health testing and titling) as outlined in our contract. Please contact us for additional details on the requirements for conversion. For more information on AKC Limited Registration please visit http://www.akc.org/reg/limitedreg.cfm.

Since competition in AKC conformation shows requires full registration, we usually sell our AKC conformation show prospects only on a co-ownership basis. If you wish to show your dog in the AKC show ring in addition to other conformation venues, please ask about our co-ownership arrangements.

All sales agreements and prices are individual and negotiable.  Please don't hesitate to ask about various options for purchase.

Guarantees and Warranties

A dog is a living creature, not a cookie cut from a mold. Each puppy is an individual, with its own unique mix of temperament, conformation, and health genetics (genotype). Each puppy will live in a unique home environment that will influence the way in which its genetic heritage is displayed (phenotype).

Because the Doberman is a "man-made breed" originating from a very small group of dogs selected by Herr Dobermann in the late 1800's, to perform a specific function, the gene pool is very limited. Whether American-bred or European-bred, all Dobermans basically go back to the same small group of dogs! Even Dobermans from responsible, top quality breeders can have health problems, and no ethical breeder will tell you that their lines have no health problems. If a breeder tells you that, they either don't know enough or care enough to have researched the pedigrees of their breeding stock or kept records on the life outcomes of the puppies they have produced. If you are not familiar with the diseases most common in the Doberman, please visit the Doberman Pinscher Club of American Doberman Health page.

While we cannot guarantee you that your puppy or dog will not become ill, we warrant that we have performed the health testing of the breeding stock that we own as stated on this website and in our contract. We warrant that we have confirmed with the owners of the dogs that we do not own, but use in our breeding program, that they have performed the health testing for the dog as stated on our website. We offer a  3-year health refund/replacement policy against hip dysplasia and certain eye conditions, and a 1-year health refund/replacement policy against all other congenital defects. Please contact us for additional details about this policy. 

Because much of a dog's behavior is influenced by early puppy experiences, training methods used, and daily management, we cannot guarantee you that your puppy will become the next agility champion, IGP champion, or obedience champion, or that your puppy will never have a behavior problem. We will warrant that we have verified that the dogs advertised on our website have earned the titles stated, and that your puppy has the genetic history to become an outstanding companion or working dog if provided the correct learning experiences and home environment.

We will provide mentoring to you in the care and training of your Treasure Seeker Doberman for the lifetime of your dog.

Incentives for Titling

We are proud of the puppies we produce, and we want the world to know about them! We offer small cash incentives to our puppy owners for EACH regular AKC (CH, CD, CDX, UD, TD, TDX) or AWDF member club conformation (UDC CH) or performance title (BH, IGP1-3) earned by our puppies and puppy owners. We will proudly display the accomplishments of your puppy on our website and Facebook pages, when you provide the information.

What Happens If I Cannot Keep My Treasure Seeker Doberman?

Sadly, despite our best intentions, life sometimes takes an unexpected turn, and you may find that you cannot keep your Treasure Seeker Doberman. We will always take back one of our puppies, regardless of the age of the dog. Please contact us for assistance in temporary placement, transportation, or other arrangements that might enable you to keep your dog.

If you decide to sell or place your Treasure Seeker Doberman, you must contact Treasure Seeker Dobermans and give us the first opportunity to purchase the dog at a price no higher than to any other party. We can also assist you in selling or placing your dog. Treasure Seeker Dobermans may never be sold through a dog broker or pet shop.