How To Get A Response From A Reputable Breeder?

[wimaly]

I’ve been on the lookout for a puppy for some time now (over a year) after narrowing down to a few breeds (I won’t mention which because there might be people here who know these people), I’ve researched the reputable breeders, compiled lists of ones which are closer to me and even ones who are far away who I really like ethically/looks/recommendations etc… would consider getting a dog from interstate.

I’ve filled in puppy application forms/wish lists. Answered all the questions. I’ve provided details of lifestyle I can provide the dog, a bit about myself, my dog ownership history, I’ve mentioned what I like about that particular breed and breeder.

I don’t think I have any of the typical deterrents: there is someone home for most of the day, have a large fenced backyard, never relinquished a dog before, looked after dogs until old age, wanting to provide many walks and obedience training, no children and financially secure.

However the response has been terrible, I’ve submitted the forms online, followed up a few days later with a call or email, and then maybe a week after that. From two breeders it’s been months (2-4) before I even got a “we have litters coming up in April” type of email…

I haven’t submitted these all at once, as I assume most breeders know each other. I get really set on reputable breeder and if I hear nothing back after two to three weeks then Id move on to contact another breeder.

In the course of a year, I’ve ended up on waitlists twice – from breeders who picked up their phone (never a call or email from completing the puppy application form). First one had two many people on her waitlist, not enough puppies. Fair enough.

Second one said that they would contact me when pregnancy confirmed, and they did not. Found out from their website that the pregnancy is confirmed, contacted him, he said I’m at the very top of the waitlist. Now puppies have been born and its been 4 or so weeks and I’ve still heard nothing. (on their website it says they will contact you when they're born)

The breed(s) (I've got three breeds which in my mind are a tie) I'm after aren't rare, there are so many dogs on gumtree from BYB without genetic testing (not many in rescue). I've put in a lot of time and effort into this...any advice would be greatly appreciated! Am I doing something horribly wrong? At this point I can understand why people buy from pet shops (after all this research i'm not going to!)

[*kirty*]

Breeders are busy people and especially when they have puppies. :) I would call the breeder with the pups again. Remind them you are still keen.

I would also suggest going to a few shows and meeting some breeders in person. And perhaps decide which breed you want and focus on that.

[Rebanne]

I wish I knew why so many breeders seem so hard to get an answer from. I just don't understand it. The polite thing to do is to respond within a timely manner. If you're not going to respond why bother putting the litter out there?

[GoldenWei]

You sound like you would provide a great home for a puppy. As others have said, breeders are busy... but, as a breeder, I always respond if people have put in a lot of effort such as giving me a detailed email about their lifestyle etc or filled in a puppy application form. Its the ones that send a one line email of how much or do you have puppies available that I mostly ignore.

[Eza]

When we (my husband, son and I) picked our breed I emailed 2 breeders local to me and had 1 recommended to me from a local acquaintance in another state.

The 2 I emailed didnt respond and the 1 interstate added me to facebook. I was in regular contact with the one of facebook who was happy to answer breed related questions and was very helpful.

1st email never answered me.

2nd answered my email about 1 month later and after a brief discussion we arranged to meet at a dog show (in my state), which we did. It confirmed my breed choice. I emailed the breeder thanking them for the opportunity to meet them and their dogs but never received a response and at this stage havent followed them up.

The interstate breeder has by far exceeded my expectation, in response to questions and offering information.

I believe its a process of elimination, you just have to find someone that suits you and can offer what you need (a pup in this case).

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I’ve submitted the forms online, followed up a few days later with a call or email, and then maybe a week after that. From two breeders it’s been months (2-4) before I even got a “we have litters coming up in April” type of email…

I don't know why they advertise online if they're not prepared to respond to an online enquiry.

But quite a few breeders I know are technophobes and while they might have a basic online page - they don't keep it up to date and if it's a puppy enquiry and they're not planning any or all potential puppies are spoken for - they might not think it's important to respsond.

They get a lot of tyre kickers and time wasters and scammers so sometimes a real enquiry might get lost in the crowd of crappiness.

Which doesn't happen if you go meet them face to face.

Is there a breed club for this breed? Do they have social events - maybe go to one of those or find out when they will be all at a breed show and show up at that.

This is an article from a breeder's point of view. I'm not saying what they say is right but bearing in mind how much stuffing around they get... this might clue you into why you've not had much response. It's a bit like online dating or job applications - the faster you get off the net and on the phone or face to face, the better.

https://rufflyspeaking.wordpress.com/2009/04/26/puppy-buyer-ettiquette/

[Dogsfevr]

I would say 50% of emails we get are sent to the junk folder most due to the wierd Hotmail/gmail type names,a lot have no headings so like many we don't always open those as we don't now who it's from and what its even about ,

We try and reply as soon as possible but then we have had the issue of responding and the email bounces back so it's not always the breeders fault .

We then get the multi ones from various family members that obviously have no clue or they do there emailing the same person and it starts to send signals.

Or in our case no Telstra for 3 weeks due to Telstra issues and not all emails being received.

We get those that email who then email again 3 hrs later asking us to reply asap ,hello haven't sat down to do emails yet ,

We ask all our people to phone and only ask for emails after the phone call with correct current details and outlining what they wanted in the phone call.

Got Ng to shows to see what's out there is great but I suggest phoning and not a Friday night or weekends as that's show time ..

I will be the first to admit we are finding puppy emails stranger and stranger ,we respond back and then you don't hear back from them for a week or so it be omessuch a drawn out process that is covered in a phone call

[juice]

Last time i was after a particular breed i had the same problem, no replys no response to phone messages etc, its really frustrating, even if you get a no, at least you can move on!

This time the breeder called me back and supported me after she arrived with calls aswell.

TBH its a bloody lottery with breeders, not answering calls and emails is rude, no excuses, don't put pups out there if you cant be bothered to speak to people.

[JulesP]

Have you tried giving the breed club of the dogs you are interested in a call? That has been my starting point each time I've wanted a pup.

[Salukifan]

Agree with going through breed clubs - that's going to put you straight into the ball park of breeders who have, are expecting or are planning litters.

I went through precisely the same thing looking for my first Whippet. In the end it came down to word of mouth. If you name the breeds, some of us may be able to help you. Sometimes it does come down a bit to who you know.

[Agility Dogs]

Sometimes it does come down a bit to who you know.

Sad, but true. When I got my first registered boy it was a struggle to find a dog from a breeder I was happy with. Now I've got and bit of a name and I am frequently offered dogs even though I'm not ready for another. I kind of get it, but it's also hard for people trying to do the 'right' thing when they are just starting out.

You just need to be persistent.

[wimaly]

Where do you find out about breed shows? I've never been to one...

Should I go to one with all the breeds or breed specific shows?

Reason I’m not 100% set on a breed is cause I just love dogs in general, while there are many breeds I don’t really want to own (bully ones, the ones with breathing problems, drooly ones, aloof ones) etc. I like most dogs, purebred, cross breeds, big ones, little ones. :) The breeds I've narrowed down are, I guess, more practical for my lifestyle. And I think I should be able to maintain their exercise, grooming and all other needs for over 15 years etc.

[juice]

Time and time again we see these threads, i wouldn't have time nor inclination to go to a show and try and approach breeders while they are showing.

No wonder joe public goes the easy petshop route!

Good on you for sticking with it, perhaps naming the breeds you like might be the way to go, i had to get help here last time and it worked.

[Sezy]

It can be frustrating. Once I had narrowed down the breed I started to attend dog shows and a particular line kept being mentioned so I found out what shows that breeder would be at and essentially stalked them lol. Doing that actually put me in contact with a breeder who bred the same lines.

[The Spotted Devil]

I try to respond to enquiries within 24 hours. Mostly I get no reply back. Word of mouth is certainly how I've found my dogs - in my Dally's case I chose the breeder first, breed second!

[Tor]

I must have been really lucky, when I was looking for my boxer puppy I contacted two local breeders who were wonderful, one requested an email as first contact, one a phonecall, so that's what I did. I visited one breeder but due to two missed pregnancies, ended up getting my puppy from an interstate breeder who had puppies on the ground right when I was looking. One had had his buyer fall through and he's turned out to be our perfect puppy.

I wouldn't have had time to visit shows really and I would be too shy to approach people who were busy showing.

It's hard to know what to suggest, you seem to be doing everything right. Do you know anyone who has a dog you like of the breed you want? Maybe you could go through them. There are also lots of Facebook groups that often have breeders participating .

[*kirty*]

If you name the breeds, some people might be able to point you in the right direction. :)

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

too shy to approach people who were busy showing

I would not approach people who were busy showing or about to enter the ring. I go round the gazebos and when you see them having a coffee and a chat and all the dogs are relaxing in crates or pens... that's when you have a chat with them about what their dogs are like.

I've not met one who wasn't pleased for an opportunity to talk about how great their dogs are. Once you get them started - trick is to get a word in edgewise about what it would take to get a puppy :)

[sandgrubber]

It may depend on breed. In my experience, breeders in breeds where demand far outstrips demand, like Bostons or Frenchies, tend to be overwhelmed with puppy requests and may be very bad about responding to people they don't know. On the other hand, breeders of breeds where pups may be harder to place, like Afghan hounds, rough collies and setters (list based on personal acquaintance . . . may not be representative), may be looking to add names to their puppy-buyer lists, especially if they are relatively new to the breed and/or haven't owned a Gr Ch and gained prestige in the breed. Price may be a rough guide to the balance of supply and demand. Reputable breeders who charge high prices for pups are likely to be oversubscribed with puppy requests -- though this is far from universal.

[drewob]

I think some of the problem with the contact/response time is that a lot of the breeders do it for the love of the breed and as a hobby. This is great for the dogs and the breed - but it means it isn't a business and they most likely don't have the best IT support or website. This is also possibly further compounded a lot of breeders being retired/semi retired - hence not fully up to speed with websites etc.

This isn't intended as a criticism, I love looking at the photos on breeder's pages - but often the websites are a little unloved and out of date.

I would suggest phoning where possible then using email as a back up.