Every Olde English Bulldogge sale should be backed by a written contract signed by both the breeder and the buyer. Verbal agreements and handshake deals fail predictably, and the failures are always expensive: the puppy turns out to have a health issue, the dog needs to be returned, the buyer breeds the dog and the breeder claims they were not allowed to. A written contract is the document that resolves every one of those situations without a courtroom or a Facebook drama.
A real contract is not boilerplate. It is a specific document for this puppy, this breeder, this buyer. The breeder writes it; the buyer reads it carefully before signing; both keep a signed copy. If the breeder will not produce one, that is its own answer.
Honest framing. OBBA does not enforce sales contracts between private parties. The contract you sign is between you and the breeder. Our role is to register the dog, maintain the pedigree, and keep the public record honest. If a dispute arises and the parties cannot resolve it, the resolution path is small claims court or mediation, not OBBA. That said, a contract on file does dramatically reduce the chance a dispute ever escalates.
What every OEB contract should include
A complete OEB sales contract names eight things, in plain language:
- The dog: registered name, OBBA registration number (or puppy paper number), sex, color, date of birth, sire, and dam
- The parties: breeder's legal name and kennel; buyer's legal name and address
- The price: total amount, deposit terms, balance due date, payment method
- The transfer: when ownership transfers, when papers will be filed, who pays the OBBA registration
- The health guarantee: what is covered, for how long, what the remedy is
- The return clause: under what conditions the dog can be returned and what the breeder will pay
- The breeding terms: full or limited registration, breeding rights or spay/neuter required, any breeding-back arrangement
- The right to rehome: whether the breeder has first right of refusal if the buyer needs to rehome the dog
A contract missing any of these is incomplete. The most common omissions are the return clause and the breeding terms, both of which become problems later.
Health guarantees: what is reasonable
A health guarantee promises the puppy is healthy at the time of sale and protects the buyer if a serious genetic condition emerges within a defined window. It is not an insurance policy and should not be sold as one. The reasonable guarantee structure:
- 72-hour wellness period. Buyer takes the puppy to a vet within 72 hours. If the vet identifies a pre-existing condition that should have been disclosed, the buyer can return the puppy for a full refund. This is standard.
- 1- to 2-year genetic guarantee. Coverage for life-impacting genetic issues that emerge within the window: severe hip or elbow dysplasia (graded), cardiac defects, severe allergies that affect quality of life, certain cancers if linked to the line.
- Defined remedy. Most breeders offer replacement of the puppy from a future litter, not a refund. Some offer partial refund of the purchase price minus the cost of medical treatment. A few offer nothing beyond the 72-hour window. Read carefully.
- Conditions for the guarantee. Usually requires the buyer to maintain vet care, keep the dog at a healthy weight, and provide documentation of the condition. Some breeders require the buyer to spay/neuter before claiming.
What is not reasonable: a lifetime guarantee covering all health issues (no breeder can honor that), a guarantee that requires the buyer to feed a specific brand of food on penalty of voiding, or a guarantee that only pays out if the dog is euthanized.
Return clauses: the breeder's safety net
A serious OEB breeder wants the dog back rather than have it end up in a shelter or a rescue. The return clause says the buyer agrees to return the dog to the breeder if they ever cannot keep it, regardless of how many years later. The breeder takes the dog back without conditions and rehomes it themselves.
Reasonable return clauses include:
- The breeder has the right of first refusal for the lifetime of the dog
- The buyer cannot sell, transfer, or surrender the dog without notifying the breeder first
- If the buyer abandons the dog, the breeder can retake ownership through OBBA records
- If the breeder takes the dog back, they may or may not refund a portion of the purchase price (this varies and is the breeder's call)
A return clause is for everyone's benefit. The breeder protects their bloodline. The buyer protects themselves from being stuck. The dog ends up somewhere it belongs.
Breeding rights versus limited registration
Most OEB puppies are sold on limited registration with a spay/neuter contract. This means the dog is registered but its offspring cannot be registered with OBBA. The contract states this explicitly and usually requires proof of spay/neuter before the registration is converted to permanent.
A puppy sold on full registration is sold for breeding. Full registration usually costs more than limited (often $500 to $1,500 more, sometimes packaged as "breeding rights" sold separately at a later date). The contract should specify:
- Whether the puppy is sold full or limited at the time of sale
- If breeding rights are sold separately, the price and conditions
- Any breed-back clause (the breeder retains rights to one puppy from a future litter)
- Whether the buyer is required to be an OBBA-registered breeder before breeding
Breed-back clauses are common in show-quality and stud-quality dogs. They are not unfair, but the buyer should understand them before signing.
Spay and neuter requirements
When a puppy is sold on limited registration, the contract usually requires spay or neuter by a specific age (often 12 to 18 months) with vet documentation provided to the breeder. The breeder will not convert the puppy paper to permanent registration until the documentation arrives.
The age window matters for an OEB. Optimal timing for large breeds tends to be 12 to 18 months for joint health, not the 6-month standard that some shelters and clinics push. A reasonable contract gives the buyer flexibility within a band rather than a hard 6-month deadline.
Co-ownership clauses
Some breeders sell promising puppies on co-ownership instead of outright sale. The buyer takes physical possession and pays for care, but the breeder retains partial ownership and breeding rights. Co-ownership is usually used for show or breeding prospects.
A co-ownership contract should specify:
- What percentage of ownership each party holds
- Who pays for what (food, vet, training, breeding-related expenses)
- Decision rights (who decides on breeding, on health treatment, on showing)
- The exit terms: what happens if the buyer wants out, what happens if the breeder wants the dog back
- What happens to puppies from any litter (breeder takes pick, splits the proceeds, etc.)
Co-ownership is fine when both parties trust each other. It is a disaster when the relationship sours and the contract is vague. Be more specific, not less.
Disputes and what happens if it goes bad
Most OEB transactions end without any dispute. The minority that go bad usually involve:
- A health issue emerging within the guarantee window and the buyer wanting a remedy
- A buyer breeding a limited-registration dog without permission
- A buyer trying to rehome the dog without notifying the breeder
- A breeder failing to file the registration paperwork
- Unclear ownership when the breeder is unresponsive years later
The contract resolves most of these in advance. For situations that actually escalate to dispute:
- Try direct communication first. Most disputes resolve when both parties read the contract together.
- Mediation is the next step. Some breeder networks have informal mediation; some buyers use a neutral third party (a vet, a different breeder, a small-claims advisor).
- Small claims court handles the financial component. The dollar threshold varies by state or province; OEB-related disputes typically fall under it.
- OBBA does not adjudicate ownership or contract disputes. Our records reflect the registered owner, not the legal-rights holder. Transfer of ownership requires both parties to participate.
Sample language to look for, and avoid
Language that signals a serious breeder:
- "Buyer agrees to return the dog to the breeder at any time during the dog's life if buyer cannot keep it."
- "Health guarantee covers severe genetic conditions diagnosed within 24 months."
- "Sold on limited registration. Breeding any offspring of this dog is prohibited under this contract."
- "Breeder will file the litter registration with OBBA within 14 days of whelping. Buyer is responsible for converting puppy paper to permanent registration ($20 to OBBA)."
Language to walk away from:
- "All sales final. No returns under any circumstances."
- "Buyer agrees not to file a complaint with any agency or post negative reviews."
- "Buyer must use [Brand] food exclusively or this contract is voided."
- "Buyer waives the right to a vet exam."
- No specific dog identification (no registered name, no OBBA number, no parents listed)
- Verbal-only contract