Policies

At Good Dog, we’re on a mission to connect educated, prospective dog owners with responsible breeders so that the best breeders rise to the top and the worst fall out of the system.

Each breeder on our platform is held accountable to a set of standards created in collaboration with our animal welfare, veterinary and breeder advisors. These standards represent a breeder’s commitment to honest communication with their customers, the health and wellbeing of their dogs and responsible breeding practices.

Breeding and Care

All participating breeders agree to:

1. Make sure every litter is the result of conscientious planning, including consideration of known health problems within the breed and the parents’ physical well-being, temperament and lack of hereditary and congenital diseases (including conducting health clearances for diseases including but not limited to PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy), EIC (Exercise Induced Collapse), vWD (Von Willebrand Disease) and DM (Degenerative Myelopathy)).
2. Provide the proper care and a clean, safe environment for both the female and her litter.
3. Not breed a female before she is physically and mentally mature (which is generally not until 1.5 to 2 years of age or until at least her second heat cycle), and then only if she is in excellent health.
4. Not breed a female beyond the appropriate age for her breed (which is generally 6 years of age).
5. Not allow a female to rear more than the appropriate number of litters in her lifetime (which is generally no more than 4 to 6 litters).
6. Ensure all puppies are seen by a licensed veterinarian, have a health checkup with a clean bill of health including a fecal exam with negative results, are given appropriate shots and are dewormed before going to a new home.

Placing Dogs with New Owners

All participating breeders agree to:

1. Keep puppies for as long as it takes to make sure they are placed in suitable homes.
2. Not allow any puppy to leave for its new home before the age of 8 weeks or the minimum age allowed by law.
3. Screen all prospective owners to determine their suitability and motives for acquiring a dog.
4. Discuss common health issues in the breed and disclose any known health issues of a dog before it goes to a new home.
5. Never knowingly misrepresent the characteristics of a breed or a dog.
6. Adhere to all aspects of the Animal Welfare Act and any other relevant federal, state and local laws governing breeding and animal welfare.
7. Make sure that each dog, upon release to its new owners, is accompanied by the following:
8. Health certificate, including vaccination and deworming dates.
   1. A sales contract (preferable).
   2. A health guarantee (preferable).
   3. National registry registration (if applicable).
   4. Maintain records of each litter they breed, including but not limited to:
   5. The date of birth, breed, description (e.g., color, distinctive markings, coat, tail) and names and addresses of registered owners (if other than the breeder) for the sire and dam.
   6. Date of whelping, breed, sex, description and identification number (such as microchip number, if applicable) for each puppy in the litter.
   7. Date of transfer, name and address of the new owners, whether picked up in person or delivered (and delivery method, if applicable) for each puppy.
9. Refrain from selling, consigning or transferring dogs to pet dealers, pet stores, pet brokers, pet wholesalers, contest sponsors or to individuals with known or suspected intention to resell.

Guidance for New Owners

All participating breeders agree to encourage new owners to:

1. Have their dog examined by a veterinarian within two business days following pickup/delivery.
2. Keep the breeder informed about any behavioral or physical health problems that may arise in any dog obtained from them.
3. Contact the breeder with any questions they may have regarding the dog’s health or behavior.
4. Notify the breeder if they are ever unable to keep their dog so that, regardless of the reason or circumstances, they can either take the dog back or help in rehoming it.
5. Have their dog neutered/spayed (if not placed for breeding purposes) and give a limited registration (if applicable).
6. Get permanent identification for their dog (by microchip, tattoo or otherwise).

Health Guarantee

All participating breeders agree to offer the following minimum health guarantee to all new owners of their dogs:

• General Health
  • All dogs are guaranteed to be healthy and free of major diseases for a minimum of two business days (or more) from the date of pickup/delivery.
    • Within that time frame, the new owner is required to have their dog examined by a licensed veterinarian.
    • If within that time frame the dog is found to have an untreatable disease or a life-threatening condition, written documentation from the veterinarian outlining his/her diagnoses must be presented to the breeder within 3 business days.
    • Minor health ailments including, but not limited to, fleas, worms or stress-induced diarrhea, are not considered major issues.
    • The breeder retains the right to have a second opinion at the breeder’s expense.
• Hereditary and Congenital Diseases
  • All dogs are guaranteed to be free of hereditary/congenital defects that can be screened for, such as PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy), EIC (Exercise Induced Collapse), vWD (Von Willebrand Disease) and DM (Degenerative Myelopathy), for a minimum of 1 year (3 or more years preferable) from the date of pickup/delivery.
• If an issue arises based on these criteria, the breeder will give a new owner the following options:
  • The breeder will issue a full refund of the purchase price of the dog including sales tax, but not including any other costs, such as transportation cost.
  • The breeder will allow the new owner to keep the dog and will reimburse them for reasonable veterinary costs (based on the cost of similar services provided by other licensed veterinarians in the area), including any necessary emergency services and treatment directly related to the issue identified by the veterinarian based on the criteria above, up to the purchase price of the dog.
  • Though not preferable, the breeder may offer to replace the dog with a dog from another litter of equal value (when available) at no charge.
• If the new owner should fail to act within the time frames listed above, they will forfeit the rights listed here and agree to incur any/all medical costs associated with the diagnoses and treatment of the dog themselves.

Record Keeping

All participating breeders agree to maintain complete and accurate records of each litter they breed as follows:

1. For the sire and dam:
   1. Date of birth
   2. Breed
   3. Description (e.g., color, distinctive markings, coat, tail)
   4. Club registration, if applicable
   5. Names and addresses of registered owners if other than you
2. For each puppy in resulting litter:
   1. Date of whelping
   2. Breed
   3. Sex
   4. Description (e.g. color, distinctive markings, coat, tail)
   5. Identification number such as microchip number, if applicable
3. If transferred:
   1. Date of transfer for each puppy
   2. Name and address of owners of each puppy
   3. Whether picked up in person or delivered (and delivery method, if applicable) for each puppy