We offer 2 year guarantees but I was looking for information to provide to pet clients on why guarantees are not really "guarantees". Explination of our ability to do it all right and yet things do happen and how ownership plays in to so much. Any links would be appreciated. I believe there was a thread on this forum where long time breeders were discussing this and why they have moved into the direction of not even offering guarantees. TIA

You can't guarantee anything. You can warranty though. Big difference.

You breed sound dogs proven through genetic testing and certifications generation after generation but mother nature can still throw out crappy curves. You do the best you can but with some isses like ED/CHD being polygenic there's simply no way to guarantee that pup isn't going to be afflicted. In the hopefully unlikely event he is, you warranty for it to help them w/ surgery or whatever you deem is the right thing to do. On hips, most all of us warranty against the pup/dog being non functional.

My guarantee, up to purchase price of puppy, covers ortho issues that are not related to trauma or over-weight until pup is 26 months. - and only if surgery is necessary to improve quality of life. I will not refund any money if surgery is not an option or owners elect NOT to do surgery.

I don't offer a guarantee on my puppies. However, when it became clear a pup I sold had a problem that existed the day it left my home, I gave the buyers a full refund. The problem was ectopic ureter. I also offered to take the puppy back but the buyers declined.