Genuine Question For Breeders

[kelpiecuddles]

I don't have any issue at all with breeders advertising anywhere they see fit but I like to see in the ad something that indicates that the pups are registered(and not just with the council!!) and something that indicates 'to approved homes only'. That tells me that the breeder is most likely looking for good homes and not just whoever is first with the money.

As far as deposits I could only ever see myself accepting a deposit after puppies were born and I had a good idea of what would be available. i'm not sure if deposits would be more of an issue for breeders of breeds that are fairly common such as labs for example, because buyers may feel they have lots of options available to them. For those of us who keep less common breeds buyers may be more willing to wait as they would have realised going in to their search for a breeder that options were fewer and therefore they are less likely to disappear half way through the purchase process. I gave a deposit for my basset when she was about 4 weeks old from recollection.

Edited September 16, 2013 by kelpiecuddles

[Trisven13]

I currently have two litters of Fauves - I had a reasonable waiting list before they arrived and have added a few more puppy homes to it since. My last litter I had no homes before I bred them but they were all in fabulous homes by 4 months of age. With a rare breed if you waited until you had enough homes you would NEVER breed :laugh: . You breed knowing that you may have to run pups on for a little while until the right home comes along. It is one of the many risks associated with breeding.

[Little Gifts]

Thank you everyone for being so open as I know this thread could've gone belly up.

It has certainly opened up my thinking about how breeders 'advertise' and 'sell' their dogs and how regular people 'find' a dog to buy. The realities are different to what I thought in that regard. As for dogs becoming available for a new home around the Christmas period, I certainly don't have any issue with that. You can't make a bitch pregnant when you want her to be or get her to whelp when it is convenient. I just don't like the idea of someone thinking a live animal would be a great Christmas present unless it was already in the planning and you had decided what breed of dog and were perhaps even on a waiting list with a breeder or six. Actually I didn't realise that either, that by the time you have pups available the people on your waiting list may no longer be interested. Plus you can't guarantee the number of pups you are having, that they will all survive and thrive or that they will all even be suitable for new homes. Breeding is a tricky business!

As for the Christmas thing, as a buyer I can imagine it would be great for you to be able to bring your new pup home at a time when you might also have some days free to settle it in, so it works both ways I guess. But all that needs to be said is pups will be available from say 20 December. Santa or the Easter Bunny don't need to personally deliver them!

The person who gave me several serves on FB was given a serve or two himself by another person who has owned two rescue pei and comes from the same country. She has since contacted me and referred to him as a woman hating red necked BYB! Apparently he deleted all his nasty comments to me but she saw it before he did. She took offence to his original post about the AKC as well as to what she believes is his interest in selling rather than matching his dogs to new homes and what that might then mean if the dog is no longer wanted. So at least it wasn't just me who found his approach off.

But thank you all for sharing about your breeding approaches and experiences. I will certainly be less dismissive of any form of advertising based on what you have shared and hopefully the dodgy breeders/money makers are still easily spotted based on how they are marketing their 'product' rather than that living bundle of wonder.

Edited to add something that might make you all feel good about being breeders - we were at Woofstock yesterday on the north coast and we saw so many amazing examples of so many different breeds! I saw breeds of dog I have never seen before or at other doggy events and they were well bred and healthy and the owners were proud and responsible souls. Very few oodles, a couple of those super rare blue staffies, a couple of truly ugly things that only a mother could love and some Heinz varieties, but the pure breds definitely took front seat on the day. It was wonderful to see (touch, kiss, cuddle, you get the picture!).

Edited September 16, 2013 by Little Gifts

[Angeluca]

Yes not sure i mentioned it but I am for any advertisement a breeder wishes, how else would we compete in the market, I sorta feel obligated to, because some of those homes could be the best home. And not all people who know to look at a pedigree have the pups best interest at heart. Where do some of these byb and puppy farms get their dogs from.

Unbelievable how many times I've seen the purebred X with ANKC papers cross with purebred Y with ANKC papers.

And just recently with updating my knowledge of a bitches season (due to my girls split season which didn't really present as one and the vets were at a loss too)So I did my google to find other experiences, books I don't have access to or wouldn't know to read and I come across the 'I brought my lab who has great pedigree parents to breed with my friends spaniel' (for example) there are hundreds of these out there, seeking online vet advice cause something hasn't gone right.

It was sad and frustrating to have to sift though these stupid and careless 'intentional breedings' to find relevant information by vets and experienced breeders, because they had the same key words in them.

[kelpiecuddles]

Very easy to get almost any dog breed you wanted for breeding purposes if you don't mind being a little shifty about it. Unless breeders desex every pet home puppy before it goes they really have no guarantee that the person won't decide to breed from it. My basset comes from a fabulous breeder and wasn't desexed and I have no doubt if I wanted to I could find a pedigree poodle puppy from a great breeder that wasn't desexed and breed 'bassetoodles'.

[Little Gifts]

There is someone on the shar pei FB page asking where he can buy shar pei Labrador crosses (Sharadors?) in America like it was a really common breed. No-one has responded.

[BlackJaq]

There is someone on the shar pei FB page asking where he can buy shar pei Labrador crosses (Sharadors?) in America like it was a really common breed. No-one has responded.

A little part of me died when I realized there was an actual thing called "Weimadoodle"

[minimax]

There is someone on the shar pei FB page asking where he can buy shar pei Labrador crosses (Sharadors?) in America like it was a really common breed. No-one has responded.

A little part of me died when I realized there was an actual thing called "Weimadoodle"

You could make yourself feel better by realising there is no such thing, and it's actually just a crossbred?

[BlackJaq]

Well it is a deliberate cross that is willfully being produced and sold. Ignoring it won't make it go away.

[Angeluca]

funny thing is the person who started it all regrets the whole experiment.

http://www.globalanimal.org/2010/12/02/man-who-created-labradoodles-regrets-the-cross-breed/25768/

[Sares]

funny thing is the person who started it all regrets the whole experiment.

http://www.globalanimal.org/2010/12/02/man-who-created-labradoodles-regrets-the-cross-breed/25768/

Thats a very interesting read!

[sandgrubber]

I don't have any issue at all with breeders advertising anywhere they see fit but I like to see in the ad something that indicates that the pups are registered(and not just with the council!!) and something that indicates 'to approved homes only'. That tells me that the breeder is most likely looking for good homes and not just whoever is first with the money.

As far as deposits I could only ever see myself accepting a deposit after puppies were born and I had a good idea of what would be available. i'm not sure if deposits would be more of an issue for breeders of breeds that are fairly common such as labs for example, because buyers may feel they have lots of options available to them. For those of us who keep less common breeds buyers may be more willing to wait as they would have realised going in to their search for a breeder that options were fewer and therefore they are less likely to disappear half way through the purchase process. I gave a deposit for my basset when she was about 4 weeks old from recollection.

I don't like the 'approved homes only' clause. I have met people, who are perfectly good dog owners by my standards (eg., last dog lived to 15 yrs, dogs live in house and are family members, good fencing, large yard) and have been dis-approved by AR-oriented shelters because they have done such sinful things as failing to desex a dog or not crate training their pups. People don't like to be judged, and the dog world is full of people who make severe judgements based on criteria I don't agree with.

If someone went to buy one of my pups and, after talking with them, I found out they don't believe in letting dogs in the house, I'd simply tell them I'm sorry . . . I intend my pups to be members of a family and I don't sell pups to outside only families. (It gets very hot here and my breed is not comfortable in hot, humid weather . . . also very people oriented). This has yet to happen. People looking for quality pups in my breed seem to self-select. One of the main reasons I've continued to breed (labradors) is the high quality of buyers looking for pups like those I produce.

[minimax]

Of course your only selling to approved homes ... if you didn't approve of the home you wouldn't be selling the pup. You're just not stating it, because it's a bizzare thing to write that perpetuates the exclusivity of pedigree dogs.

Edited September 17, 2013 by minimax

[Angeluca]

I don't say 'approved homes only'. it is not an application and It sounds to dictator like. And that the puppy buyer has to jump though hoops to be 'Approved'.

I say suitable homes only. I start with a detailed first contact email that i copy and paste. I wrote in the other 'buying a puppy thread'.

In that email has 5 questions that will give me an Idea of the sort of lifestyle they have (in a ballpark) they are basic questions and not very intrusive. The first questing is their stand on desexing. I ask it in a way for them to explain why yes or no and not in the assumption that they have to ect 'will you desex' or 'do you desex'. Some people have very reasonable ideas. And if they are unsure they ask my recommendation.

You need to approach puppy buyers is the same respect and consideration as you the breeder wants to be approached. Anything Less is Rude and not worth anyones time.

[Steve]

I dont write my ads to suit people who have no interest in anything more than looking at ads and judging whether the ad says its a good breeder or a bad breeder based on their perceptions or what has become some social revolution to control absolutely everything associated with dog ownership. I let people know I have puppies available and take it from there when they make their enquiry. This not only gives me a chance to educate people on the breed but I talk more out of getting one of my breed from me or anyone than I accept for homes for my puppies. If you do this long enough you learn it makes no difference to how or where you advertise which affects the end result. If you think for one minute that idiots don't come from ads on dogz as much as they come from anywhere else you're dreaming.

[Dame Aussie]

Of course your only selling to approved homes ... if you didn't approve of the home you wouldn't be selling the pup. You're just not stating it, because it's a bizzare thing to write that perpetuates the exclusivity of pedigree dogs.

Yeah I agree.

[Dame Aussie]

I don't say 'approved homes only'. it is not an application and It sounds to dictator like. And that the puppy buyer has to jump though hoops to be 'Approved'.

I say suitable homes only. I start with a detailed first contact email that i copy and paste. I wrote in the other 'buying a puppy thread'.

In that email has 5 questions that will give me an Idea of the sort of lifestyle they have (in a ballpark) they are basic questions and not very intrusive. The first questing is their stand on desexing. I ask it in a way for them to explain why yes or no and not in the assumption that they have to ect 'will you desex' or 'do you desex'. Some people have very reasonable ideas. And if they are unsure they ask my recommendation.

You need to approach puppy buyers is the same respect and consideration as you the breeder wants to be approached. Anything Less is Rude and not worth anyones time.

Totally agree with the last bit, we need to be respectful and friendly in order to ensure people feel comfortable to contact a breeder. So many people still think that's "only for people who show etc".