I agree with many of the comments so far. This breeder has unrealistic expectations and is trying to be far too controlling imo. Even if I did feed raw, I would be put off such a breeder due to the wording on their site.

The thing that worries me is what if someone agrees to feed raw just because they want this particular dog (as said, there's not many of them around), but doesn't bother to research it properly? You have to feed the right variety in raw or you'll get nutirtional deficencies. What if they just throw beef mince at it every day? Decide that bones are too dancgerous and offal too icky?

If someone is going to feed raw then they need to be 100% behind it, research it properly and feed it correctly. I sincerely hope this breeder provides full raw feeding guidelines if she wants to enforce this...

True, but you could say the same for lots of things. You could say you'll feed the dog on a premium food recommended by the breeder then go and buy Bakers because your uncle/cousin/work colleague does and their dog's been OK. You could say you're enrolling the puppy to decent, well-researched puppy classes then take it to the cheapest, most convenient local class that use outdated methods, or not even taking it to classes at all. You could agree to x amount of exercise then decide you know best and overexercise a puppy/underexercise an adult because you've decided that your way is right. You could go for working lines, saying you're happy to do agility, trials, scentwork, etc. to occupy the dog and then half-heartedly do some scentwork in the garden before giving up and sticking to regular walks and ending up with a bored dog.

I think there's got to be trust that the breeder has the same kind of view/ethics as you, and for the breeder to trust the owner is genuine and has done their research, plus a decent breeder will be happy to both grill and be grilled by potential new owners. Maybe they give out puppy packs full of info on raw diets, maybe they sit down new owners and explain it all (plus their reasons for being so pro-raw), etc.

I agree, how would they know, and if they found out what could they do about it???
My friend bought an ES the breeder told her in no circumstances should she have her bitch spayed, understandable but totally not enforcable, anyway my friend decided to listen to her vet and had her spayed just after she was six months old, before her first season resulting in a beautiful bitch with the worst coat I have ever seen or dealt with, spaying an ES has to be carefully worked out inbetween seasons.

[QUOTE=Jenn~n~Luke;2272112]


LOL - well said!!

Can much of the stuff in a puppy contract be enforced, legally or otherwise?

How would I enforce it ? Only let my puppies go to people who already feed raw QED, I've never had a problem finding people who want my puppies.

Well in the experience I have had since 195 when i got my first dog, is that dogs fed on a commercial diets are very prone to have"delicate"stomachs. I have known 100s of GSDs who have had "sensitive"digestive systems that are fed solely on commercial complete foods. The number of dogs that develop digestive problems has grown dramatically with the popularity of complete foods. All the chemicals added to the actual food & the chemicals/antibiotics etc applied/given to the vegetable & grain content/meat source animals that make up the ingredients are known causes of digestive problems in dogs(EG Bakers has a warning not to feed it to any animal that could have contact with food animals as it contains bone meal-a possible source of BSE !-it's in the small print on the large bags)

I don't think any of us who are raw feeders have problems with raw feeding, we just do not need a breeder telling us what to do with our dogs AFTER we have bought them!

Do they not do this already though? E.g. having to contact/return to the breeder, not breeding from them unless this is pre-arranged, neutering and vaccinating them (or not neutering/vaccinating them, depending on breeder's viewpoint!) and so on, which, like this rule, could be lied about and ignored if you wanted to get around them. Is this not just another case of "I feel this is best for the puppy so I would like owners to follow these rules" rather than a "I'm a controlling dog breeder who wants to tell you what's right and wrong in the world"? If someone believes, like Joedee seems to, that commercial diets have a negative impact on a dog's health then why would they want dogs they've brought into the world to be fed on it?
Ditto with rescues, many insist on puppies being neutered or spayed by 6 months, regardless of your personal feelings on it. Many insist you enroll in puppy classes, that you have the dog vaccinated, that you keep it on-lead for the first x weeks you own it, that you keep the microchip in their name, that you let them know if you can't keep the dog, etc. - all telling you what to do with your dog after you've adopted it. In my view, if you don't like those rules, get a dog from someone who's rules you do agree with.