If you can its always nice to go and meet the sire/dam as it gives you a good indication as to what you might end up with temperaments/build wise. Its also a good way to check out the breeder before you get your heart set on a puppy. My breeders had a waiting list, and we were told roughly where we were. We put down a £50 deposit for a puppy, as our breeders found it stopped people from making impulsive decisions and meant they were not messed around as much. We were happy with this, unfortunately her bitch didn't deliver the numbers required to satisfy the list (they had a first come first served policy, so if the little didn't produce what you wanted you would go to the top of the list for the next one) but he next two litters did, we had asked for a black dog, but when the litters arrived she had more chocolates than expected so were were given the choice as we had said we were flexible with the colour.
If you have a good chat with the breeders about what sort of dog you want they can help narrow the choice down for and making it easier to pick the puppy which is perfect for you. Failing that if they don't have what you want they can often recommend a littler that their stud dog has fathered.
Hope all goers well
____________ Gemma, Lee and our lovely little George
Jez, I think you will have helped a lot of people who are like you in the process of finding their ideal pup.
It is a minefield when you start the search wading through the options available and your question has brought so many helpful tips for future puppy buyers.
Hopefully most would have found out they want health tested pups before diving in. Some would have been shy about asking breeders the questions they want answers too, incase they offended, or the breeder may think they are nieve that they don't already know the answers .
I wish when I started looking that I had done the same thing as you before spending hundreds of hours on the internet, making loads of lists and getting in a complete muddle with it all, fortunately I eventually plucked up the courage and rang someone whose information on here had given me a clue as to the sort of dog I wanted to own, and they pointed me in the right direction to find our girl.
So good luck with your search, I look forward to your future posts and pic's of your pup.
As a newbie breeder we too were unsure on the best course of action regarding waiting lists..our scan estimated around 7 pups but naturally this could have been more or less. We decided to line up 3 carefully vetted buyers each for bitches/dogs and advise them whether they were 1st, 2nd or Third on the list. I did ask for deposits from people who were some distance away, or if I didn't know them but otherwise didn't ask at this stage.
Maddie had 8 pups on 10th December: 2 bitches and 6 dogs! So I did have to disappoint one family who wanted a bitch and return their deposit. Next time I would not ask for a deposit until the pups are born. I have also talked one family out of having a pup at this point. Am now working on homes for the other 3 dogs!
I think it is a balance between securing the best homes for the pups and getting a commitment from people, which is hard (and a bit unreasonable) to do before the pups are born. We live and learn! Jillx
I booked my GSP pup a month before they were born but didn't have to pay a deposit. I knew exactly what lines I wanted and when I heard about this litter, knew I had to book one - the breeder was recommended to me after another breeder who I had booked a puppy with was unable to go ahead with a litter due to other commitments - neither of them took a deposit from me.
I was open to a dog or bitch and because of that was top of the list for a dog due to when I got in contact so I got pick of the boys once the show dog had been picked!
I would actually go through the breed club rather than the KC, thats how I found my two Labs. Also apart from hip scores and eye tests, look for a litter where both parents are elbow scored - its not a guarantee but having got a Lab with severe elbow dysplasia, I would now only ever buy another Lab pup where parents had elbow scores of 0.
I keep a waiting list - but NEVER take deposits before the pups are at least 4 weeks old, when I meet the family - I like to think during this time we build up a relationship and I am comfortable with the prospective owners - but I advise them I still reserve the right to say no when I meet them (just as they retain the right to walk away) - so a sort of 'no obligation' waiting list.
I actively offer to help them find an alternative litter if they don't feel they want to wait - as I would rather they buy responsibly than rush into something.
I know some breeders take deposits well in advance - it's not something I do, and its not something I've ever done when buying in a pup - in fact - I think I've only ever paid a deposit once and they were slightly exceptional circumstances where we couldn't get to view the litter earlier on.
Welll done you for doing your research Good luck with your search for a pup.
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Good luck with your search for a pup.
