Dear Missing: As a breeder I’ve had one puppy returned in such a situation. I once sold a young male pup to a couple that didn’t live together. I had the foresight to sell the puppy legally to just the boyfriend. I put his name on the sales contract and the AKC paperwork, even though during the pick-up of the puppy the girlfriend paid the most attention when it came to explaining instructions.

One year later, the boyfriend dropped the dog off at my home to be boarded for three weeks while he took a “vacation” to the Grand Cayman Islands. The boyfriend never returned. After much detective work, I found out he had skipped the country to avoid the IRS. Then I spent months getting power of attorney from a family member to secure the dog’s AKC paperwork.

The girlfriend had expressed some interest in the dog, but her life was not as stable as I would have liked in order to place the dog with her. Plus, I feared if the owner ever returned and found his dog with his old girlfriend, it might be bad news for the dog. Besides, I wanted the dog to be placed in a loving, secure home since he had been displaced once already.

The moral of this personal story is that I haven’t sold any puppies to young unmarried couples since then.

Responsibility Matters

I know there are breeders who would be more than willing to sell you a puppy, but do beware of those who will just take your check and never follow-up. But if you’d like to get one from a reputable breeder here’s what I would recommend you do.

Decide who will own the puppy. Make that person the only contact with the breeder from the start. Make the call, be interviewed and have your name on the sales contract and AKC registration papers. Be honest with the breeder about your living arrangements, don’t hide anything, but make sure you represent yourself as the sole owner of the dog. If you ever break up, you take the dog with you.

It’s important to highlight how long you have been together as a couple. If you have lived together for 10 years, say so. It tends to show a level of commitment to each other that can be seen as a positive when it comes to making a 10- to 15-year commitment to owning a dog. Also, if you own your home, rather than rent, that’s another good point to bring to the fore. Breeders can be leery about selling to renters, since the dog’s living quarters are not in the dog’s owner’s control. Landlords may change their mind about pet policies mid-lease.

I’m sure breeders are wary about what happens to their pups when couples break up. Who gets the dog? Where does it live? And who pays for the vet bills? All these considerations come into play if the dog is jointly owned. While there is no guarantee that married couples will stay together for the sake of the dog, presenting your self as a responsible mature person ready to take on dog ownership should alleviate most breeder’s fears.

Lisa’s Pick of the Litter

The obesity epidemic has caught up with the pet population. Over 60 percent of adult Americans are now overweight or obese. An estimated 30 million cats and dogs in the U.S. are also overweight or obese, that’s 25 percent of the pet population!

A dog food company, Science Diet, has conducted the first-ever, 12-month combined people and pet weight management study. The results are not surprising. The People and Pets Exercising Together (P-PET) study by Northwestern Hospital and Hill’s Pet Nutrition (makers of Science Diet and Prescription Diet) found that when people and pets exercise together they are more successful in losing weight. Visit www.petfit.com for complete results of the study.

Both overweight and obese pets and people lost weight during the study with proper caloric intake and physical activity. But all this study stuff aside, my rule of thumb has always been if your dog is fat you are not getting enough exercise! Grab that leash and take your dog for a brisk 30-minute walk twice daily and before you know it you and your best friend will see the pounds melt away.

Lisa Peterson, a long-time breeder of Norwegian Elkhounds, is the Club Communications Manager at the American Kennel Club. Contact Lisa at ask@lisa-peterson.com or Dogma Publishing, P.O. Box 307, Newtown, CT 06470