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Co-owner (Good and Bad)

5K views 22 replies 20 participants last post by  Jay Dufour 
#1 ·
I am looking for some feedback, good or bad, on co-ownership of a dog. I am not sure of all of the ends and outs of co-owning a dog so any information is good information.
 
#4 ·
Someone has approached me. Wants to give me a puppy from a good breeding in exchange for me training it and putting titles on the dog. Details as for as who pays for what have not been worked out. What is a fair agreement?
 
#17 ·
This sounds like more of a puppy agreement, rather than a true co-ownership. These are usually; you take the dog on, dog lives with you, dog is registered to you, you campaign it, put titles on it; then later the breeder comes back and gets a single breeding-litter, basically your purchase price for the pup. Usually works out pretty well for everyone, breeder gets titles on a dog, and breeder gets profit from a litter; after a single litter the breeder signs the dog over to you, and it's entirely your dog. This is different than a true co-ownership where things are usually split 50/50 (purchase price included), and the dog moves between 2 handlers, or one owner pays for this other one pay for that, split stud fees etc. etc. I'd prefer a puppy agreement to a co-ownership, unless I really knew the person. Even knowing a person time changes things. A puppy agreement leaves all choices in your hands, with co-owners you have to go back and forth; and can be a big PITA.

X2 don't co-own with a hunting buddy or a brother, Even if you always hunt together. It always comes up that one wants to take the dog here and one wants to take it there, one is paying more; He's using it more than me, why am I paying half. I never get to use of my own dog. Complete Drama that ruins friendships.

I guess right now all you need to do is have a sit down, figure out what's in the breeders head. Do yourself a favor and get it outlined and written down.
 
#5 ·
My advice would be to discuss it casually... say around a BBQ. Then both sides think it over a while, but the most important part for me would be to have everything in writing.
 
#6 ·
I co own my Golden's with my best friend. We breed together. Everything is split 50/50. Vet bills, profits, everything.
 
#9 ·
a co owner is great if one of them is named Kippy :cool:

brother's should never co own dogs...it didnt work with the Martin brother's (they only agreed on Joe Schomer as a trainer) and it didnt work for my oldest brother and Clint (that old skeleton pops up at every other family reunion)

and the FT history books are filled with marital splits that were bitter custody battles....


Nowadays the Co Owner seems to be a lightning rod when it comes to owner-handler events and limiting entries in certain stakes
 
#10 ·
I co own with my best friend, I gave the pup to him to train and live in his home.
He pays for food, I pay vet bills, and entry fees. I also just paid all expenses for a breeding and luckily we had
7 pups and split a little profit 50/50.
She is QA2 at 3 years old and totally amateur trained by my Buddy and his wife.

We don't have anything on paper and probably should, but if worst came to worst I would give my share to them in the best interest of the dog.

This can't be about MONEY if you want it to work!!!
 
#14 ·
I co own with my best friend, I gave the pup to him to train and live in his home.
He pays for food, I pay vet bills, and entry fees. I also just paid all expenses for a breeding and luckily we had
7 pups and split a little profit 50/50.
She is QA2 at 3 years old and totally amateur trained by my Buddy and his wife.

We don't have anything on paper and probably should, but if worst came to worst I would give my share to them in the best interest of the dog.

This can't be about MONEY if you want it to work!!!


This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
#12 ·
If you doing it for a profit you'll be lucky to break even, unless you end up with a world beater. Co owning a competitive dog can be a recipe for disaster, both parties have to be on the same page and have everything in writing. Someone always gets the short stick.
 
#15 ·
in all due fairness there were some very successful co ownerships that worked out

2XNAFC FC Lawhorn's Cadillac Mack

NAFC FC Barton Creek's O Mustad

NAFC FC Topbrass Cotton
 
#16 ·
Co Ownership is as good, or bad as the folks involved. The what ifs should absolutely be addressed up front and duties and responsibilities clearly defined. After that it's a crap shoot :D
 
#20 ·
All the dogs in the past 35 to 40 years that I have been involved with have been co-owned for a variety of reasons. The co-owners have been my spouse, my daughter, my training partners. You have what is called the primary owner, first name on the registration, and then the others thereafter. My present co-ownerships are a three way with a Derby Dog now on the National Derby List, the primary is not a dog trainer, the other two are, including myself, A MH three way co-ownership, primary is not a dog trainer. My three at my home dogs, two my daughter co-owns and the third my spouse co-owns with me. Also, co-own a nice hunting dog, three way, that the primary owner put my name on the registration for ? I did co-own a National Derby List dog that later became a FC, but, at my request chose to take my name off for personal reasons when the dog was about three years old. It is not like buying a car or a house, it is a name only thing for the most part but ,what arrangements you make outside the parameters of the agreement.
It has all worked out for me, including owning 6 field champions (four that myself and co-owners signed off on) and various almost dogs over the years. What one has to learn is to stuff any "big egos" in the closet, and whoever is the "new owner or co-owner" , takes the credit , so all you have is self satisfaction that you were involved at various points in training, running, etc. that to me is the biggest obstacle. There are several "horror stories" of some dogs co-owned became very bitter issues as they gained fame. Overall I think co-ownerships are good things for sharing expenses, even including professional training fees.
 
#22 ·
My advice is to discuss beforehand the what if's i.e. if a bad situation arises what will be each's responsibility and put it in writing. I bought into a co ownership much like you are considering never having done it before. All worked really well until the 5600 vet bill. My advice stay friends and buy the dog outright.
 
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