Show Quality Dogs
Customers who want a dog to show in the conformation ring must meet certain criteria before an intact animal with full registration will be delivered. Show homes are particularly important since the on-going success of Black Rock dogs in the show ring is the only independent guarantee breeders and buyers have of the quality inherent in Black Rock dogs.
We have developed this system after seeing a few too many Black Rock dogs sold, intact and with full registration papers, to both show and pet homes used for breeding either before acquiring a championship, in the midst of completing a championship, and most disturbingly when the animal is not of breeding quality. These breeches of trust devalue the Black Rock name and reflect poorly on the Black Rock dogs who are competing for championships.
Experienced conformation ring homes whose ongoing participation in the sport can be verified qualify for delivery of intact dogs and full registration papers. In these cases, we trust the many years of experience typical of such a home will guide the new owners to exhibit the dog to a championship of record, at a minimum, before carefully and responsibly selecting a mate for the Black Rock dog.
Potential conformation ring homes whose participation in the sport cannot be verified or who, in our opinion, have insufficient experience in the sport (as indicated by a lack of champion of record individuals) will be offered co-ownerships with Storey on any show quality dog. Co-ownerships are intended to allow the new owner extensive access to training, coaching, shared travel expenses, a variety of show venues, and general mentoring prior to receiving full registration papers. In general, once the co-owned dog has completed, at a minimum, a champion of record title, full ownership papers are turned over to the co-owner at no additional cost beyond the original purchase price. We believe the successful completion of the champion of record title is sufficient experience for new owners to understand the responsibility associated with breeding quality dogs.
On occasion a customer will select a show quality puppy and want to try their hand at developing a winning show dog. We welcome new participants and offer the same conditions as would apply to a show home whose participation in the sport is either insufficient or not verifiable. Frequently these pups will be sold with a limited registration. This limitation gives the pup time to grow up, the owner time to develop handling skills, and Storey time to assess the future contractual relationship. Once the pup and handler are competition ready and a co-ownership contract has been negotiated, Storey will petition the registry to revert the registration to full status, freeing the dog to participate in the conformation ring.
