Greyhound purchase guidelines:
- Only (4) pups from each litter will be available for advance reservations
- Once the litter is whelped, more pups may become available for sale
- If there are less than 4 pups, then the reservation list will be shortened from the bottom up (i.e. those with their reservations in last will be eliminated first)
- Pups will be drawn by tattoo. Be sure to view the “Drawing Procedure“
Your greyhound purchase within our farm development program includes:
- The best feeding program in existence
- Vaccinations
- Medicine
- Supplies
- Equipment (collars, muzzles, lead, feed pan)
- Hauling
- Training
- Everything necessary to produce top quality athletes for the racetrack!
Our greyhounds school at Abilene Greyhound Park and we post our schooling results online for our owners to see. You will be able to compare your greyhounds to other top breeders in the industry that school at this same training track.
If you are interested in purchasing a pup, complete the Purchase Form. Also, be sure to contact us if you have any questions at kherty@gmail.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pay monthly until age 18 months when it starts to race?
Yes, that is how the payment plan works. You pay $175/month for 16 months.
What all is included with your part of things.
Training, feed, vitamins, supplements, worming, medication, vaccinations, schooling fees, etc.
What happens once it is race age? Does it go to a kennel?
Yes, we work with you to select the best track that suits the running style of your pup.
Do I owe the kennel money monthly or do they just take some of the purse money that the dog wins?
No, it costs you nothing to lease your dog to a racing kennel. You agree on a commission % of the purse money that you receive. Usually this is anywhere between 35-50% depending on what track you are racing at.
Will the dog eventually race? Or, are injuries common? Or, if it does not want to race? Or, if it is too slow to compete? What is the plan for those possibilities? Or do most dogs you raise end up earning some money on the track?
Most dogs have a chance to race somewhere. That is the good thing about racing in this country. There are many different tracks that host racing with different levels of competition. It’s how good of a track that the pup makes that will be in question. If the pup doesn’t chase at all (and sometimes this happens but not the norm), it’s usually placed into an adoption program as most greyhounds make fine pets.
Is there insurance if dog cannot race or gets hurt?
I do not know of any personally.
What is the cost to purchase from you? Is everything included from birth until 18 months when it can race?
There are (2) options for purchasing pups and it includes everything to get your pup to the track:
Plan A: Non‐refundable deposit of $200 which reverts to the purchase price of the greyhound. The balance of $800 will be due when the litter is whelped. Normal board rates will apply at this time – $110/month for 9 months and $140/month for 5 months for a track‐ready price of $2,690.
Plan B: Non‐refundable deposit of $175 which reverts to your first monthly installment our farm development “payment plan” at the time the greyhound is born. A total of (16) monthly payments of $175 will be due for a track‐ready price of $2,800. 5. Who determines where it will race? Do I have a say as the owner? You as the owner ultimately determines where your pup races as you own the pup. But we can offer you suggestions and opinions about what type of track and caliber of racing the pup might be suited for.
Do you currently have any good dogs about to be born that would be a good fit for a first time owner like myself?
We offer pups from litters that we would be happy to own ourselves. With the economic situation today, greyhound breeders are not guaranteed to be able to sell their pups so they need to be satisfied with the quality of the breeding in order to keep the pups in case they do not sell.
I would like to hopefully make a few dollars on my first dog and then buy some more.
Sure, that is understandable. We have owners that we have finished pups for and they are just breaking in now at the tracks and making the owners money. They are now breeding and buying more pups with this new profit so their greyhound “business” is growing.
Is the selection fair when the pups are born? How would I know that I do not get stuck with a dud, since I am new to the business.
The tattoo selection process is completely random. Since we sell the pups, we tattoo them at the 2-3 month age. It’s a procedure that is just us grabbing the first pup we can catch and tattooing them with their right ear number and letter. The litter has the same number (month and year code) and the letter is what designates one pup from another. 1st pup in the litter = A, 2nd pup in the litter = B, etc. So if you have a pup that is whelped October 2009, it would be the number/letter combination 109A or 109B, etc. Well, we tattoo the pups and then we tell all the owners that have a pick that is is “drawing” time. The reservations for pups are in order of the deposits received. So if you bought the first reservation for a litter, then you would have first choice of tattoo letter in the litter. None of the owners are able to see photos of the pups with their tattoo letters, so it is a random process. You would email me “B” and you would get the B-pup in the litter. The next person sends in their choice, etc until all the pups are selected. So as breeders, we try and make it fair for all owners to pick randomly.
Can the owners visit your farm in Kansas to see the dog?
Sure! We welcome visitors to come and see their pups. The NGA Nationals are a great time as many of the owners come out to the farm to see their pups and enjoy some BBQ. We have a BBQ every meet for our owners at the farm here.
Do you have some auction coming up a few times a year that people buy dogs at?
Yes, the NGA Nationals are in April and October of every year.
Am I better buying a pup or a dog that is proven and can win races?
Some people prefer to buy race-age dogs, but we find it a risky proposition. You need to make sure the pup is sound and you also have to be sure that if the pup is leased to a racing kennel, that it can be released if you want to move it.
I guess this would be a business as far as taxes? Although, I know you are not a tax person, I was just wondering if this is something I can use on my taxes since I would purchasing a dog for profit purposes.
Sure, many people are owners write the boarding/rearing expenses off. Once the pup is track ready, then you can start depreciating it as well.
Can I keep the dog after the racing career is over?
Yes, of course. It’s your dog!
Do you fix the dogs? My guess is not because it could be used for breeding down the road?
If you are keeping the dog as a pet, we recommend having it neutered or spayed. If you plan on breeding the dog, then obviously you wouldn’t have to.
Do you keep track of the dogs you raise and the percentage that make decent money racing?
Yes, we post dogs that are finished/raised here at our farm on Facebook. We track all of the dogs that come off of our farm. We haven’t calculated an exact percentage, but we have a pretty good track record as we both have pretty extensive expertise with both bloodlines and training.
How long do the dogs run until? What age do they stop racing typically?
Usually anywhere between the ages of 4-5 years old depending on the dog. Many dogs have lengthy racing careers and do fine at the track.
Is it preferred that the dogs being bred were successful at Grade AA at wheeling and in Stakes races?
Wheeling is a great track and it pays better than anywhere else, so if you can find dogs that run AA at Wheeling, you are breeding class greyhounds. However, there are tracks that’s points pay less, but offer more stakes race money (i.e. St. Pete/Derby Lane), so dogs that run at that track (especially a few years back) are also quite talented.
The Signature Farms web site seems to list other litters that may be available? Is one litter better than the other, or is it all just luck of the draw as to which pups make it to Wheeling?
You never know what you are going to get. To have a greyhound race top grade at a major track usually includes: Wheeling, Tri-State, Bluffs Run, Southland, Orange Park/Jax, Palm Beach and Derby Lane
What is the next step toward ownership? Are there contracts?
All you have to do is submit the greyhound purchase form on the website with your pup selection and mail us a check (for either Plan A ($200) or Plan B ($175)) Once we receive your check, we mark the reservation on the website with your initials and you are all set. When the pups are whelped, we send you a purchase agreement that states that you do not get full ownership of the greyhound until it is paid in full. I also send you out an installment schedule if you select Plan B. You can keep track of your monthly payments with this.
How soon would you know if a dog does not chase as you mentioned? How often does that happen?
We try the dogs in the field with a jack-a-lure around 12-13 months old. That is when we will know if your pup won’t chase. However, there are other techniques that can be used to try and assist them. All dogs are different and some require more time than others to learn. This can take another month or as long as you would like us to keep trying with the pup. If there is no hope — at that point he/she can be adopted. It doesn’t happen that frequently. You can go several litters and not have a problem, or sometimes you might have 1-2 in a litter that might not chase. It just depends. It is usually avoided with good training techniques and breeding the right bloodlines. There are some bloodlines that are more prone to produce non-chasers. If you are an experienced breeder, you know which lines to try and avoid crossing. There is still no fool-proof method, but since greyhounds are instinctual chasers as sight hounds, it’s not that common.
Would I still owe the full amount if it turns out to not be interested in racing? Does it have any value at that point other than as a pet?
No, if your pup is a non-chaser, you would only be required to make payments until the pup was determined to be a pet. That is a decision that both the owner and farmer would make together. We will continue to work with your dog until you are satisfied. If it is a nice bloodline, you might be able to sell the pup if it’s a female as a brood, but most likely it would be best to adopt out at this point.
How do you know everything is legitimate with the breeding and frozen samples, etc?
The National Greyhound Association has a complete frozen semen and DNA program where dogs are identified by their tattoos, samples collected and DNA’ed for records. When breedings occur, the frozen semen is registered with the NGA and all vials are tracked.
If you want to discuss legitimacy in breedings, feel free to contact the NGA at:
National Greyhound Association
P.O. Box 543
Abilene, KS 67410
785-263-4660
nga@ngagreyhounds.com
http://www.ngagreyhounds.com
