Labradors of The Valley
Located in beautiful Carmel Valley, CA near the Monterey Bay
Puppy Terms
Some information to guide your decision on choosing a Labrador puppy from us…
At Labradors of the Valley, we have taken something which started as a family passion and turned it into a successful breeding program. We breed our dogs to have friendly dispositions that fit in seamlessly as incredible family pets, service dogs, therapy dogs, and hunting companions.
Since 2003, we have been raising, fostering, training, and breeding Labradors on our 3 acres in beautiful Carmel Valley, California near the Monterey Bay. We breed responsibly and raise our puppies in our home to prepare them for yours. These are the terms that are included your sales contract and that you agree to when purchasing a puppy from us. We reserve the right to reject any buyer for any reason. We are very selective in choosing forever homes for our puppies as we know how much time and commitment they need therefore we expect you to know the same. Just because a person is willing to pay, does not mean we are willing to sell.
DEPOSITS/PAYMENT TERMS:
Puppies are currently $1600 each which includes a non-refundable deposit of $500. Deposits on puppies will be taken either as soon as all puppies are on the ground or if we decide to open early deposits. Your deposit ensures we will NOT sell your picking spot/puppy if all terms in our contract are met. Deposits will be taken on preferred color/gender. This should be communicated between the buyer and breeder before the deposit is sent.​
Deposits can be made via cash in person, Venmo, or Zelle. No checks of any kind at any time unless prior arrangements are made. DEPOSITS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. The only reason a deposit will be refunded is if at any point in the eight weeks the puppy is with us, he/she is found to possess a congenital defect, unhealthy, injured (we will go by the opinion of our vet) or if the puppy passes away for some reason. If one of the above issues arise, the deposit will be refunded in full by Labradors of the Valley to the buyer via the method it was received. These same terms apply for any other payment made towards the total price of the puppy. This does not include giardia, coccidia, and/or worms. If any of the puppies are diagnosed with these parasites while in our care, the breeder will pay for the treatment and notify the buyer.
Labradors of the Valley reserves the right to have first pick before any buyers. If you put a general deposit down for a pick of a color/gender combo with multiple pups available and we decide to keep a pup of that color/gender combo, the person that put down their deposit for the last pick spot will be refunded or can be transferred to another litter, if we have a planned breeding occurring in the subsequent six months. In some situations, we may work with a buyer to be a “host” home to a dog while we retain breeding rights in the future of the dog. In the rare event we take early deposits and the color/gender combo you placed an early deposit on is not produced from said litter (breeding does not take, no pups live, etc.), deposits/payments can be transferred to another litter or be refunded.
If for any reason the buyer is unable to take a puppy home from the litter, the deposit/payments are either forfeited or the deposit and any payments made may be rolled over to another litter if this is communicated to the breeder before the puppy reaches five weeks of age. After the five-week age mark, deposits/payments will not be refunded OR transferred. However, if a special circumstance arises, we ask that the buyer communicates this to us. We may make an exception to this depending on the circumstances and at our discretion. If the buyer’s deposit is to transfer and he/she wishes to have a puppy from a litter that already has deposits down, the buyer will be next in line after any deposits already received on the litter. If the buyer backs out of a puppy the second time, deposit and any payments made are forfeited and will not be rolled over to any future litter. If at any point Labradors of the Valley decide to stop breeding, any deposits or payments made towards a puppy that will have rolled over to a future litter will be refunded.
AKC REGISTRATION:
Every puppy sold by Labradors of the Valley is sold with American Kennel Club (AKC) registration, unless previously stated. There are two types of registration, LIMITED and FULL. Each puppy that leaves us is required to be registered to the new owner with AKC by 6 months of age or the health guarantee in this contract is VOID.
We currently offer LIMITED registration only. This is pet registration, and no breeding rights are given. Dogs registered with limited registration are still able to compete and participate in the AKC sponsored events and shows like tracking, field trials, herding, lure coursing, obedience, etc. All dogs/puppies sold are expected to be spayed or neutered by the age of thirty-six (36) months but no sooner than eighteen (18) months of age. Since early spay/neuter can be linked to growth abnormalities, the hip/elbow guarantee is VOID if the spay/neuter occurs before the puppy turns 18 months of age. It is understood by the buyer that the puppy is NOT to be used for breeding at any time in their life under any circumstances unless Labradors of the Valley and the buyer have a previous agreement. Breeding is a HUGE responsibility, and it is not for everyone. We do this to ensure that our puppies are only added to responsible breeding programs. If a buyer is interested in breeding, it is their responsibility to communicate this interest to us so that we can ensure that upgrading to full is an option and conditions are explained. The breeder is not responsible for communicating this with the buyer.
PUPPY PICKING & VISITING:
We understand getting a new family member is very exciting and it is very hard to wait eight weeks to meet them! We allow visiting at no younger than six weeks of age, to ensure both the health and safety of not only your puppy, but all the puppies in the litter. No other animals will be allowed to visit at any time. For each litter, we will have a weekend where we will hold a “puppy open house” for all the deposit holders to meet and interact with the puppies. If the deposit holder would like to bring anyone other than themselves with them, it needs to be communicated to and approved by us within 24 hours of the puppy social taking place, so we have time to prepare. This date will be set within the 5 days after the litter is born to give you ample time to plan to attend. This date will be set as close to six weeks of age as possible. No random “drop-ins” will be allowed. Hygiene precautions will also be taken when visiting pups for health and safety reasons. We ask that you cooperate with us to keep the puppies’ environment clean and safe. We also reserve the right to cancel the puppy open house of a litter prior to the pick-up date at any time, for any reason.
The puppy picking process starts at the puppy social at six weeks of age. We will note how each family interacts with each puppy during this time as well as which puppy a buyer is interested in. Prior to this open house, the breeder and buyer will have chatted about what the buyer is looking for in a puppy in all aspects (temperament, purpose, etc.). We spend every day with the puppies and observe them as they grow, which allows us to get to know each puppy individually and provide you guidance on your choice. Volhard Puppy Aptitude Testing will be conducted on the puppies at 49 days of age to inform the decision-making process.
Puppies can go to their new homes at eight weeks of age. Within 5 days of a litter being born, we will notify the deposit holders of the pickup date for the litter. Pick up times will be scheduled closer to 6 weeks of age. If at any time the buyer becomes unable to make their pickup time as scheduled, we will try and accommodate the buyer’s schedule as best as possible.
Please Note: We believe it is the BUYER’S responsibility to stay in contact with the breeder throughout the process. The buyer must understand that while we are available to answer any questions that the buyer may have, we also have other puppy buyers to attend to and are not responsible for a lack of communication on the buyer’s part. Labradors of the Valley operates a very active Facebook page in order to keep buyers updated on puppy progress.
The remaining balance is due the day on or before the puppy is picked up and is due in CASH, ZELLE, or VENMO. Pickup in person must be made by the person who originally put a deposit down on the puppy, unless otherwise discussed and approved by Labradors of the Valley 24 hours before picking up. If arrangements for pickup are made between the buyer and the breeder more than three times with no success, the buyer forfeits their rights to the puppy as well as their deposit and the breeder will move to the next on the list, unless special circumstances are discussed between the buyer and breeder and breeder agrees. If the buyer does not show up to their scheduled pickup time and cannot be reached via two forms of communication (Facebook messenger, email, phone, etc.) within 24 hours of the missed pickup time, rights to the puppy are automatically voided by the buyer and deposits will NOT be rolled over to a future litter or refunded. Not showing up to a scheduled pickup time without contacting the breeder will ALWAYS result in the buyer losing rights to the puppy and all deposits/payments made. When picking up your puppy, the breeder will provide each buyer with a vaccination/deworming record, any vet paperwork, puppy sales contract, a puppy package, and AKC registration form. The breeder will also go over all paperwork with the buyer as well answer any questions. A paper copy of these terms will also be provided for the buyer’s reference.
COMMITMENT & EXPECTATIONS OF THE BUYER:
The buyer shall provide proper nutrition, vet care, shelter, and exercise to the dog for the dog’s entire life. If the dog is found neglected or abused, the breeder has the right to take the dog at any time without replacement or payment. It is a privilege to own an animal, and we do NOT tolerate abuse or neglect of any animal bred by Labradors of the Valley.
We understand that life happens. If for some reason you are no longer able to care for your puppy at any point in his/her life, you must let us know. We feel we are responsible for all our dogs for their entire life and have picked you and your family carefully to give them a great life. We will take any of our dogs back no matter what, 100% of the time. There is no reason a dog from us should ever end up dumped or in a shelter, and by signing our contract/submitting a deposit you are agreeing to return the puppy to us instead of surrendering him/her to a shelter. We ask that you keep us informed on the puppy and his/her health and/or whereabouts because we truly care about their well-being.
HEALTH GUARANTEES:
All puppies bred by Labradors of the Valley are genetically clear based on parentage. This portion of the guarantee does not cover the dog coming back as a “carrier” of one of these diseases. When a dog is a carrier, their health is affected in no way. This just means that if this dog is bred to another dog that is a carrier for the same disease, that the puppies produced by the pairing have a chance of being at risk. If your dog is diagnosed with a genetic disease of the hips that is moderate or severe in its nature, we will refund you the original purchase price, or replace your puppy, if possible. To make a claim under this you must have radiographs taken by an accredited licensed veterinarian and submit your film(s) to OFA for a result of moderate or severe. The claim must be made before the puppy turns 26 months of age. All costs are the responsibility of the buyer and will not be reimbursed by the breeder. The dog must not have been bred and must be in compliance with all parts of the sales agreement. A replacement puppy can take up to a year or longer.
Puppies must be examined by a licensed DVM within 4 business days of pickup. If for any reason the puppy is found to be a poor health risk, you may return your puppy for a full refund or replacement puppy, if available. You must provide a statement from your DVM explaining the diagnosis within 3 business days of the veterinarian visit. If a licensed DVM examination is not done within 4 business days of pickup, the health guarantee portion ONLY of this contract becomes invalid. WE DO NOT PAY VETERINARIAN CHARGES. Proper medical care for Labradors can be expensive and the buyer agrees to maintain the puppy's health in good condition as well as provide yearly examinations, vaccinations, heartworm test, and any other usual procedures necessary to assure good health. Please remember that once a puppy/dog leaves Labradors of the Valley we are not responsible for parasites, protozoans and/or contact with parvo as our property is very well controlled to prevent this. It is very important to limit your puppy’s exposure to parvo by avoiding dog parks and outdoor areas until the puppies are fully vaccinated. This is extremely critical to ensure the health of your puppy.
Thank you for taking the time to understand the expectation we have for anyone choosing to own a Labrador Retriever we breed. We are very committed to the life our dogs and their offspring regardless of where they live, and we expect the same of you. Dogs, of any breed, deserve no less.