Finding And Dealing With Puppy Buyers
Finding good homes for your puppies should be one of your highest priorities. This is not usually an easy task but it is a rewarding one. Responsible breeders try to have a list of interested buyers before they do the breeding, or at least before they whelp the litter. We implement a waiting list and screening. Because of serious pet overpopulation no litter should be bred without a purpose. That purpose should include providing wanted puppies to good homes.
The most effective way to find homes is by connecting into the network of breeders in your area. This is best done by finding a breed or kennel club in your area, joining, becoming active, and taking advantage of their resources. Some clubs publish litter listings in their newsletters to enable other club members to refer callers to those litters. Another way is your active participation in showing, training, and working your dog makes you a better breeder. By building a network of resources doing these activities, you open yourself up to puppy referrals.
Advertising can be useful but should be done with care. Many breeders advertise upcoming litters in breed publications. Newspaper ads should be considered a last resort as you should have homes lined up before the puppies are born.
When word gets out that you are doing a breeding, you'll probably start getting phone calls or e-mails from potential buyers. You should carefully screen these buyers over the telephone and ideally in person before putting them on your puppy list. The type of information you should be trying to get from the buyers should focus on their potential as dog owners. Try to evaluate their intentions and their understanding of what is involved in raising, training, and caring for a Yorkie. You should try to evaluate their home. Do they have a fenced yard, will they will be able to provide the type of exercise and socialization appropriate for a Yorkie, are they willing to groom a Yorkie on a daily basis?
Make sure the buyer understands all the health concerns for Yorkies. If they don't ask the right questions, you should be prepared to let them know, and explain what you have done to avoid these problems. Also, make sure that a puppy is the right choice for them. Some people don't really have the time or energy to raise a young puppy.
Most breeders provide a "Puppy Pack" with information with their puppies. These packs include the bill of sale or contracts, details on what the puppy should be fed with a sample bag, details on what shots and worming the dog has been given, etc. Puppy packs can also include descriptions of the breed, pedigrees, photos, information on training, and other items of interest.
A breeder should be willing to make a lifelong commitment to the puppies they produce. They should be willing to answer any and all questions or concerns the owner may have at any time in the dog's life. Many breeders make a further commitment to take back a dog at any time in the future should the owner's be unable to keep the dog, which is what we offer at Annwn. People's lives can change with little or no notice and the pets sometimes suffer. Rather than seeing one of their puppies end up in the pound, breeders often put a "right of first refusal" into their contracts.
The CKC has a non-breeding contract. This is a great option for breeders who want to help ensure that the puppies they produce can't get used in the future to add to the pet overpopulation problem. This ensures that any off-spring from the puppy cannot be registered with the CKC. The breeder can change the registration in the future should the owners and breeder agree that the pup should be bred. The breeder is the only one who can make that change. If you go with this a non-breeding contract you will need to explain this carefully to the buyers so that they don't misunderstand or have a problem with it when they come to collect their puppy. Our contract states a mandatory spay/neuter clause. Always ensure that the buyer knows what is expected of them when adopting one of your pups. Assuming that a buyer has read the contract leads to misunderstandings.
Information gathered off the WWW, books, experience and advice.