Hi,

I am planning a litter and would like some good questions to ask people that may call about the litter. I am going to be advertising them through the breed club and am also considering registering with the Kennel Club ABS, however I am paranoid about puppies going to unsuitable homes etc??

Thanks

Here's the list I plan to ask mine

Why a *** (my breed)
Have you experience?
Have you ever met one?
Breed/Show/Pet?
Do you work F/T?
Do you have the time to devote to a puppy's house training?
How long do you think it takes to house train?
Do the whole family agree?
Do you have any children/other dogs? other pets?
Do you have a secure garden?
Do you plan to crate your puppy?

I'm sure I will think of more

Thanks! That is a great start.

My first contact email usually says something along the lines of:
A breeder will need to know a lot more about you to determine if you and
your circumstances are likely to be suited to Elkhound ownership.

What previous experience do you have of dogs and what kinds.  As the saying
goes one mans meat is another mans poisons, and this is very true when it
comes to dogs which apart from their looks vary greatly in their mental
traits, which may make one breed your ideal and another a nightmare for you
to live with.

Is there someone home for a greater part of each day.  If not what day-care
arrangements have you in place for rearing a puppy and providing company for
a pup and older dog?

It would be very helpful if you could tell me more about yourselves,:D

This usually weeds out the totally unsuitable.

General questions posted on my website along with links to pages that give more details on living with the breed, breed character etc.:

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU CONSIDER BUYING A PUPPY:

ARE YOU PREPARED TO...

* Take full responsibility for this dog and all its needs for the next 12 - 15 years? This is NOT a task that can be left to children!

* Invest the considerable time, money and patience it takes to train the dog to be a good companion? (This does not happen by itself!!!!)

* Always keep the dog safe; make sure you have secure fences, no running loose near roads or livestock.

* Make sure the dog gets enough attention and exercise? :-
Elkhounds need to spend time with the family and need and love to go for a jog or a long walk. Be aware that this breed barks and needs to be trained from an early age not to bark without good reason.

* Live with shedding their coat once/twice a year.

* Spend the money it takes to provide proper veterinary care including but certainly not limited to: vaccines, worming, neutering if required and annual check ups?

* Become educated about the proper care of the breed, correct training methods? (There are many good books available, invest the time to read a few.)

* Keep the breeder informed and up to date on the dogs accomplishments and problems?

* Take your questions to the breeder or other appropriate professional before they become problems that are out of hand?

* Have the patience to accept (and enjoy) the trials of puppy hood, which can last for two to three years, and each stage afterwards?

* Continue to accept responsibility for the dog despite inevitable life changes such as new babies, kids going off to school, moving or returning to work?

* Resist impulse buying, instead have the patience to make a responsible choice?

* If you answered yes to ALL of the above you are ready to start contacting breeders. Start early because most responsible breeders have a waiting list ranging from a few months to even years. Remember, the right puppy or adult dog IS worth waiting for!

Hi Gema, for those who already have another dog and are planning to introduce a puppy to the household, it might be worth mentioning to them that they could end up having to house train both dogs. My older dogs' reaction to the new puppy ranged from delight, mild distaste to "if he can get away with it, we can too!" That last reaction was pretty short-lived but needed checking and gave endless opportunity to the rest of the family to lecture me on the rights and wrongs of having any dogs at all. That's when I use the WSS deadly weapon to my own advantage: selective deafness. I learn a lot from my dogs :)

And then when you think you have the new owners sussed you have to weedle out the PPO's who have owned the breed previously which sometimes makes them "experts" but your lines may be different to what they've had before. If your breed needs major grooming will they keep it up? I'm thinking of an aquaintance who has had 4 dogs over the years, heavy coated breed, and STILL has no clue how to groom properly/regularly.

Sometimes it's a nightmare to seperate the 'dog owners' from 'owners of dogs'.

Another thing to ask about is finances, apols if someone's already listed this, I couldn't spot it in any replies.  Many people only think about the cost of a pup, and a bit of food, maybe leads, bowls etc, they don't take into account insurance premiums, other items like a crate, vets costs where it isn't worth paying the excess, and of course the cost of replacing everything that's chewed if you don't want your household insurance premiums to go sky high. 

I've never bred a litter yet myself, as I've spent the last few years researching in preparation, having my girls health scored, and preparing everything like puppy pack, pedigree paperwork and contract of sale documentation.  As part of the puppy pack, I included a table of costs that shows the purchase and ownership of a dog can easily reach £2,000 within the first 18 months to two years, if you spend approx £500 on a pup, and of course this isn't the same for all breeds, and it's gone up for my breed too. 

My first questions are WHY do they want this breed, and what previous dog experience do they have. Have they got any other dogs, other pets? For Malinois also what they plan to do -selling as a pure pet is a big no no, they have to want to be really active. With Papillons you don't have to think of that. Then ask if somebody is at home during the day, and usually it all just continues from there with general chit chat. Oh and what training methods they use -those that say Dog Borstal or Cesar Millan get told nicely but firmly that I do not condone those methods at all.

I find that, like Barbara, asking loads of questions will get rid of a lot of unsuitable people.

After I've asked for information on the home offered, and what canine experience they have, why they want the breed, what research they've done on the breed etc.  A lot of folk won't even reply.  It does save a lot of time wasting if you have a list of questions that you send out as standard.

Only recently I had a telephone call from a man, who, after my first 3 questions, said oh forget it!  :-)

When you ask the questions and get the prospective puppy owner into conversation about puppy owning...really listen to their replies and especially that of their husband/wife.
That is very illuminating.....stuff that the one who really wants the pup has said often gets contradicted by the partner....

eg I had a couple come round for a chat about dog ownership and from previous conversations the wife seemed ideal, but her husband ( new to me) came out with some extrordinary statements which made it clear that he was totally unsuitable. The wife kept throwing him daggers but I saw the problem, only one of them was a suitable owner but the pup would live with that man too.

That is why I have little time for questionaires, people often tell you what you want to hear.

Gema, I agree with all that has been posted & also agree that questions can weed a lot of people out quite quickly.

I also ask my potential owners if they have looked into training classes & if they have visited that training class.  Whilst it's not the first thing people think of, even basic obedience & ringcraft teaches puppies a whole range of social necessities (being handled by people & being safe out & about).  Sometimes it takes a while to find a good training class. 

A lot of folk won't even reply.  It does save a lot of time wasting if you have a list of questions that you send out as standard.

I've had a lot of this recently. What is VERY worrying is that Malinois is split into two types, show and working, and even the show type MUST have very active homes -they cannot be pure pets like a Labrador or similar. The working type -well you need a lot of dog experience to cope and a burning interest in training, or being a professional wanting a police dog, security dog or similar. So with the enquiries I've had recently, I've asked my usual questions as to why they want the breed, what their experience is, what form of work they want to do -and EVERY single person has got back to me saying don't worry about it, they have now booked a puppy elsewhere. From a breeder with working dogs, who obviously asks no questions.......... I know exactly who it is as well and can see an epidemic of very badly behaved potentially dangerous dogs appearing in rescue in the next 6 months or so. :( :(

Oh I had that once with a couple who came to visit,  she was a department head in a large Uni so worked many hours and he was a carpenter working from home ( actually making things rather that out on jobs). He would be the carer.    Well she did all the talking and he never once look at the dogs or pups, infact I could see he didn't like my older ones jumping up to say hello ( baring in mind they are only 11 inches so not huge dogs climbing all over)   He just had a good nosey around my house and property. 

I told them to go away and think it all through with no intention whatsoever of letting them have a puppy.  That night I wrote her a polite mail saying how I felt and that I coudn't sell her a puppy.

Touch job we have sometimes :-)

That's very sad for the wife, but fully agree with your decision. In her case I'd be packing him off and moving in a puppy instead!

Have just had a very interesting conversation with someone who has been in my breed a lot longer than me. She had seen one of my questionnaires I get potential puppy buyers to complete and was not happy!! Basically she thought some of my questions were out of order but, looking on this thread, I now see that they are no different to the ones asked by anyone who's already posted on here.

Is this a generation thing? I find my questionnaire really sorts out whose serious and who's just been surfing the net at the weekend. Once I have the questionnaire back I always speak to the person and get further information. As I have an unusual breed I'm also happy for people to visit to meet my dogs. I feel quite hurt at the moment as I felt I was doing the best for my puppies.

The other thing I'd like to ask is, when planning a litter do most people try to have serious people waiting for their puppies or do you breed and then hope the buyers come along? Do you think it depends on the breed you own?

> The other thing I'd like to ask is, when planning a litter do most people try to have serious people waiting for their puppies or do you breed and then hope the buyers come along? Do you think it depends on the breed you own?

I do believe that breed comes into it.  I have had my best bitch mated to a dog that I've admired for a long time.  She isn't old, but I really want this litter before having her spayed.  She is the only bitch that I have ever wanted a third litter from, and the decision was only made after speaking to my vet, and him checking her over. 

She is a very easy whelper, and only carries 2 pups and I don't think that she is carrying more this time.  I don't feel that 6 pups in a lifetime is over breeding.  But, with only two pups to choose from, and (fingers crossed) the likelihood of both being good, I don't have any difficult decisions to make.  Although I have a small waiting list of people that have already been vetted, the people haven't been given a timescale, and haven't been told that I have actually mated a bitch - in case I keep them both!  :-)

> Is this a generation thing? I find my questionnaire really sorts out whose serious and who's just been surfing the net at the weekend. Once I have the questionnaire back I always speak to the person and get further information. As I have an unusual breed I'm also happy for people to visit to meet my dogs. I feel quite hurt at the moment as I felt I was doing the best for my puppies.

I think it is a sign of the times and anyone who is net-connected needs to be able to deal with the strange, sometimes idiotic, responses that come from this new means of communication. In the 'olden days' breeders got strange enquiries by post and by phone instead, and dealt with them accordingly, and if anyone claims they didn't get enquiries like that in the days when it was the norm to advertise in local papers, then they are fibbing.... Sometimes people would turn up at the door! I see questionnaires as the first & best primary defence against the online nutters, the casual enquirers and the freeloaders. It's a modern means to cope with a modern mode.

"The other thing I'd like to ask is, when planning a litter do most people try to have serious people waiting for their puppies or do you breed and then hope the buyers come along? Do you think it depends on the breed you own?" quote from Biffsmum.

I would never breed a litter unless I had at least 6 or 7 firm bookings (from people I know or who have been vetted) - my breed can have large litters!

The other thing I'd like to ask is, when planning a litter do most people try to have serious people waiting for their puppies or do you breed and then hope the buyers come along? Do you think it depends on the breed you own?

I'd say breed has a lot to do with it, because in a common breed people are far less likely to wait when they can find another ten litters ready sooner. If there are no other litters anywhere else, the majority will wait for as long as it takes.

> "The other thing I'd like to ask is, when planning a litter do most people try to have serious people waiting for their puppies or do you breed and then hope the buyers come along? Do you think it depends on the breed you own?" quote from Biffsmum.
>

I would be breeding for me and so haven't given buyers a thought. With 2 to 3 in an average litter and pups changing so much I would run anything that looked hopeful on with an eye to keeping and if I had an extra pup unsuitable for showing I would hope a home would come along or hear of homes through contacts - If not pup would stay.

> How long do you think it takes to house train?

I would find this a very bizarre question to answer, a dogs bladder probably isn't capable of being properly under control until around 5 months and even then it is down to the individual dog.

I asked this, because a lot of people thought it would only take a week or so, and were quite shocked when I said it can actually be nearer 6 months

> a lot of people thought it would only take a week or so, and were quite shocked when I said it can actually be nearer 6 months

It's a bit like potty training and kids.

Nowadays most of us accept that children are not truly trained until somewhere between two and three years old as regards bladder control and asking to go/going to the toilet.

Years ago mother having to wash tons of nappies had babies sat on potties from 6 months onward and some got to be very good catchers, so minimising the amount of soiled nappies to wash.

>I asked this, because a lot of people thought it would only take a week or so, and were quite shocked when I said it can actually be nearer 6 months

Dachshund I absolutely understand the need to advise a potential owner about house training but I think to ask them "How long it takes..." is strange as it seems as if you want to catch them out.  More useful perhaps to ask how they plan to approach house training - although even this feels a step too far.

To all - from a buyers perspective I'd want my breeder to give me the opportunity to prove I can be the right home for one of their pups.  I might need questions to keep me on track but if I say something daft I'd hope that you take the time to clarify what I meant, and give me the correct information if I've got something wrong.  I'd hope that you were looking for evidence that I could be a good owner NOT looking for ways to prove I am not.  Although I quite understand that there are basics you'd want to cover first and I'm sure there are some potential owners that can be weeded out quite early!

The other thing to remember though is that most of us get to be better owners over time, each dog teaches us new things and a good breeder has an important role to play in that development.  As much as you want to maintain contact with your pups, we owners benefit from that contact too and might need a bit of shaping from time to time.  Reminds me of Sam's post about her owner with an overweight dog...

So if you have potential owners coming soon - remember to listen.  Behind the bag of nerves there could be a very good owner trying to get out :)