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Puppy Buyers


DobieMum
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Is it any wonder backyard breeders do so well, when you have people who are looking to by a pup emailing

Hi

Have you got any pups available, if so how much?

Cheers

The only name or contact is the return email. This frustrates me so much, that people want "now" so much, that they can't put in any time or effort.

Vent over

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Admittedly that leaves a lot to be desired but ignoring them or replying snappily only sends them right to BYB as well. Its a conundrum!

You're right. Some people just can't express themselves and I can see why the breeders are put off, but a courtesy response could well steer them in the right direction. Sometimes these sort of buyers can be impatient, but that is where the breeder should show patience with guidance. It works both ways. I must admit I have waited for over 12 months for a pup at times but that was my choice and said pup was for us to have as a family pet, not for showing or breeding.

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I reply nicely to those emails every single time and not once have I ever received anything back.

It drives me absolutely insane.

Even worse though (in my opinion) are the people who try to bargain for a better price, or the ones who try and do a payment plan because they want the puppy now now now....

Edited by Bjelkier
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I reply along the lines of, sorry I'm not breeding this year as my bitch is to young and then usually send them to DOL to checkout other breeders.

But to me reading it, that is just someone wanting a pup this second and if you don't have one, we'll move on to the next ad.

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I have a standard reply that I send out which is fairly comprehensive. It goes out with my potential puppy owner questionnaire. Easy to do as it is just copy paste attach and gone. Yes, many never get back to me but I always feel at least I have provided them with good information on the breed etc to help them in their decision making. Some do get back to me and some are great people that I would certainly sell a pup to. We need to remember that often this is a once every 10 years or more purchase for most people and for some it may be the first time they are contemplating buying a purebred dog. They often really have no clue what to ask. It reminds me so much of the first time I made enquiries about buying a purebred. I know many of the supposed 'gaffes' that breeders complain about are ones I made myself as a new person (including, I think, the one given above). I am glad the breeders I contacted at the time were good about taking their time to explain things to me. I shudder at how clueless I was, but use that now as a reminder to take the same time and give the benefit of the doubt to all who enquire.

Edited by espinay2
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I am so glad I was never that person. I have wanted a dog so long without being able to have one (renting etc) that I did a lot of reading and drooling over dogs online, and came across several good webpages guiding me in how to approach breeders, etc. I absolutely bent over backwards to explain how we had researched the breed, we loved basically everything about them including the way they would fit into our lifestyle. I worried occasionally that we would come across as trying too hard! I'm glad my situation forced me into that research and waiting though...if I had been able to get a dog when I originally wanted one, I would have probably gone out and ended up with a dog from a puppy farm. Now, I know so much more, and I'm glad (although of course sad that puppy farms exist) that I am educated, can help others to realise that pet stores and newspaper ads are usually a really bad idea. I can also say I know I have the right breed for me, especially to those who I know will probably get cross at me for 'buying' a dog from a breeder rather than adopting.

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Agree with espinay2 - just have a standard response and it takes no time at all. From the buyer's point of view, what's the point in them writing a great long email when you may not have any pups available, so the first question to some might be "are there any pups" followed by "how much" because they may have a budget, or may not even know how much a Lesser Indian Rat Hound costs.

Yep, annoying but all part of the territory.

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It's hard, because I know I sent a couple of emails like that when I started looking. I was startled with a response from a breeder that had a brand new litter on the ground and they said there was only one pup left and we'd need to call, arrange a deposit and that's it. I had to concede maybe we weren't really ready, as I was not prepared to commit to a puppy that I hadn't met the parent/s of, and hadnt even met the breeder. I ended up going through the breed club and had contact with my breeder before my girl was born, so it all worked out.

I remember before I sent the email I had typed an essay about us, why we wanted a dog and what we could offer, but then thought it sounded too sales-y so just went with something more simple.

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I have my foundation litter planned later this year... very exciting time for us :D

I'm already receiving a lot of inquiries and have been for some time now. At this stage I am still responding to all of them individually with a lot of care, consideration and individuality. I would love to do a standard response (and I'm sure I'll eventually put one together) but many emailers ask different questions.

I am the first to admit that I am sure as time goes on and the I become more experienced and more tainted by the whole thing it is likely I will put less work into my responses and become more jaded and suspicious... but I am still trying to be appreciative and helpful.

Of course the weird and freaky people get the usual "I'm sorry but we have nothing available at this time" but I still respond to them all.

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This just floated by my facebook feed

Puppy buyer interrogation chair

I got that via FB too .

Is hard for breeders but do try to think the buyer asking minimal questions might be shy and or needs a reply before they make contact again , not wanting to waste your time and theirs if you have no pups or they do not have the asking price at the time.

as for me hell I am an open book to breeders :laugh:

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My standard reply goes something like this. If there are specific questions etc in the enquiry that it does not cover, I edit it as appropriate. It tends to cover most though and saves me a lot of time in the beginning. I can then open a dialogue based on their email and questionnaire responses. If they don't get back to me, then no problem. I have had a lot of people thank me for being so thorough and some even come back and thank me, saying that they now don't think the breed would suit them:

Thank you for your enquiry about a [breed].[breed] are a great breed. However, if you have been researching the breed you will know they are definitely not the breed for everyone as they are [i include some of the things that can be a challenge or turn people off the breed]! No exaggeration and often these can be 'deal breakers' for frustrated owners who do not think seriously beforehand about how they will manage these issues. If you think you can adjust your life enough to live with these issues, then you may just be the right owner for this breed. Those that love them can usually not imagine living with anything else, despite the challenges they present. I am happy to talk with you more about the joys and trials of owning a [breed] and their suitability to your home, and answer any more questions you may have about the breed (whether you end up purchasing a pup from me or not).

At this stage we are planning a litter [whenever it is planned, eg 'later in the year' or whatever detail]. The cost of a puppy from me is $.......... Puppies which are to be family pets are generally registered on the Limited Register with Dogs [whatever state]. A pup that is registered on the Limited Register will not be allowed to be bred from or shown in conformation shows and will be required to be [eg desexed, will be sterilised via tubal ligation/vascectomy prior to going to their new homes, or whatever you do]. The pup will be wormed, vaccinated and microchipped and come with a comprehensive 'puppy pack', 6 weeks free pet insurance, and life time support from me (among other things).[naturally here you add whatever the basics are for your own pups].

I do have a waiting list for puppies. However, the list is not 'first come-first served'. I choose puppy owners based on who I think will be best suited to an individual puppy. If you decide you are interested in being on the waiting list for a pup from me, I will need to get to know you a little better first (puppy owners become part of our extended dog 'family'). Attached is a copy of my puppy questionnaire for you to fill out (or I can post you a paper copy of the form if you need one) which will help me start to get to know you a bit more. As many prospective [breed] owners have found, it can also help you decide if having a [breed] in your life is the right thing for you and to help you think about issues you may encounter owning a [breed]. I am happy to help you with any information you need or any questions you may have on the breed before or as you are filling out the form. Please feel free to call me for a chat.

all the best,

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I respond nicely to every enquiry, and I too have a standard response to enquiries from puppy ads. "Thank you for your enquiry .............." and it continues for three short paragraphs, detailing what I am selling and asking them to contact me again if they are interested.

If they do contact me again it is time to begin asking them questions.

No buyer deserves a nasty reply. It might be my 500th enquiry, but it may be the buyer's first. Even if he doesn't want a pup right now, a reasonable response makes him more confident to seriously enquire in the future - and that helps the future of all pedigree dogs.

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I reply along the lines of, sorry I'm not breeding this year as my bitch is to young and then usually send them to DOL to checkout other breeders.

But to me reading it, that is just someone wanting a pup this second and if you don't have one, we'll move on to the next ad.

And what is wrong with that? They may not want one this second but will want one within the next couple of months. Most ANKC breeders - 70% - only breed one litter a year so there is no point wasting your time or theirs if you have nothing to sell, when there are other litters available. It is different with a rare breed that always has a waiting list but in many breeds there are puppies available somewhere, most of the time. Only experienced owners realise that one puppy is not the same as the next one. The rescue push sprout that idea all the time when they try to get people to take a rescue dog instead of a carefully chosen purebred puppy. In their mind a dog is a dog. There is also much hype now whenever their is a dog attack, blaming the owner and how they raised the dog, talking about puppies being a blank slate and the only ones that are dangerous are made that way by the owner. No wonder puppy buyers figure one puppy is the same as the next. Of course all of that is hogwash but the public don't know that. If you don't have any available, they will move on to someone that does. They also need to know before anything else, how much the puppy will cost. If it more than they can budget for, they have to choose another breed or save up until they can put the purchase price together.

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As a breeder I have more than my share of those enquiries and although I seldom get an answer I always send them a brief reply.

Recently I was looking for a new kitten to join my family and I must say it was interesting being on the other side of the computer. I didn't really want to tell complete strangers my entire life story so my initial enquiry wasn't that long. I just said that I was looking for a kitten, wondered if they had any currently or were expecting any and what colours? I did also add that I was a long term Persian owner who had just lost her two elderly cats, looking for a pet only. More often than not I didn't get a response even from breeders advertising kittens. Their loss, Indi is settling in well

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More flies with honey.

9 years ago I was one of the great unwashed who didn't understand and didn't want to know. If I'd been lucky enough to have a breeder help me see that papered dogs weren't just for show (to be fair I didn't look in the right place :( ) it would have saved me a whole heap of heartache and money.

Now I'll talk to anyone (I'm not a breeder) about the virtues of good breeding and how important doing the right health tests are. Sometimes I feel like I'm banging my head against a wall, but even if I convert one person's thinking it has been a good year. ;)

Unfortunately the 'puppy buyer chair', while funny to those on the inside is how the 'industry' is viewed by many and exactly why people end up going to places you'd all rather them not. Polite, informed conversation will always yield better results than an (perceived) interrogation where many people will just give the right answers.

FTR, my dogs now all come from people I admire and respect as breeders. It's been a fun nine years.

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