Breeders often get a bit of a bad press sometimes justified and sometimes not.However often wondered how the breeders on this forum feel about the potential puppy buyers who take up hours of their time and pull out at the last minute.I acknowledge that its better that they do so rather than take a puppy that they are not fully committed to but it must be incredibly frustrating.Incidentally the subject title 'Timewasters' may not apply to all but it does to some ! 

I think the name 'timewasters' is very unforgiving and harsh.  Taking on a puppy is a huge commitment and very daunting for many people (as it should be, if they are thinking about everything involved!).  It's unsurprising that these are the people with a lot of questions and worries beforehand, and also the people most likely to back out. 

When we bought our first dog, we spent ages choosing a puppy and a breeder - and talking to her beforehand.  When the litter was about 4wks old, we pulled out - because the task of puppy parenthood seemed so daunting and I just didn't know if we were up to it, as the going-home day got closer and closer and everything became a reality.  Luckily we changed our minds and even more luckily, the breeder took us back again when we did (most wouldn't have trusted us after that). 

Out of the whole litter, we then went on to be the owners who drove all over the UK to champ shows, competing in gundog events, health-tested our dog (which we never bred from) - we ended up being the sort of owners most breeders would love to have.

Calling these people 'timewasters' is just seeing things from the breeder's perspective, not the perspective of the buyer - who is making a huge decision.

Hi rabid as I said it does not apply to everyone but it does to some however harsh it may sound.It happens in every other walk of life so why not when buying a puppy. Anyway my post was addressed to breeders unless you come into that category and can actually answer the question posed.

There are people out there that can only be described as time wasters... they are not prospective puppy owners and should not be labelled as such.

Prospective puppy owners may need our support and guidance to ensure that they are fully educated in all aspects of the breed and ready for their new arrival. They may not always end up having a puppy from you, but their intention was always genuine and therefore the time invested with them is worthwhile.

Time wasters take up valuable time that I could be spending with my dogs, family and friends. They do not show up for agreed visits, they do not call to cancel, they do not give an explanation, and although they have sent numerous emails and made numerous calls for several weeks asking for references, pictures and pedigrees they vanish at the point that you have a girl confirmed in whelp.

Yes, it is harsh ... but they are out there ...

Thank you for answering the question posed.

I agree, there are time wasters out there.

Last time I had puppies I had two separate visitors one of who spent hours with their children playing with the puppies, choosing which one they wanted, asking the children which one they wanted, then finally left saying they were going to discuss which one they wanted because the children and adults liked different ones. Two days later they phoned to say they had decided not to bother, they were going to wait a while.....the afternoon was completely wasted. If they really did feel it was the wrong time that's fine, I just didn't get that impression.

The second ones came, they asked lots of questions which was good, they asked to see all the paperwork asking me to show the bits that were important, asked what else came with the puppy and could they look at it, then said they weren't actively looking for a puppy because they couldn't decide where it could sleep. They wanted it in the kitchen but thought it might be a bit lonely in the evenings, they would be in the lounge, which might make it noisy because of the crying....they wasted my whole evening.

I know people are better not to have a puppy if they are unsure, but to let children of 6 and 9 choose a puppy then say you're not having it to my mind is downright cruel.

When the second lot went, I felt like my brains had been picked about what to look for when they'd decided where a puppy would sleep.

Total time wasters!!

Personally I find I do not get such a thing as time wasters for puppies -but plenty for kittens. (With kittens it is typically people arranging to come to meet kittens then never turning up.) I think this is because I would never let anyone come to visit before we have had a fair amount of contact, and then a visit usually follows before puppies are even born. Every now and then people visit just to meet the breed, and then either go on to have a pup off me OR somebody else later, or decide the breed is not for them. That's not a waste of my time, that's working for my breed. It's not the right breed for everyone. Much the same applies to phonecalls and e-mails, I'd rather spend a few hours answering questions and talking about my breed only to have the person enquiring decide the breed is not for them after all, than go ahead and get a pup and then realise the breed is utterly wrong for them.

> I know people are better not to have a puppy if they are unsure, but to let children of 6 and 9 choose a puppy then say you're not having it to my mind is downright cruel.

Something similar happened to myself and my sister when we were 10 and 6 years old respectively, and yes, it did feel cruel. I lost a lot of trust in my parents after that.

>Time wasters take up valuable time that I could be spending with my dogs, family and friends. They do not show up for agreed visits, they do not call to cancel, they do not give an explanation, and although they have sent numerous emails and made numerous calls for several weeks asking for references, pictures and pedigrees they vanish at the point that you have a girl confirmed in whelp.<br /><br />Yes, it is harsh ... but they are out there ...

I don't mind any of the ones that drop out right up to whelping time, and by me providing my time and knowledge, if it means the people realise a pup of my breed is not for them, then all the better.

It's those who drop out just before pups are to be collected and you have sent away potential good owners thinking your pups are spoken for that are the real 'time wasters'

Not even so much for the breeders, but the puppies, as the pup then has to be readvertised and  wait longer for it's home, when it should have started on it's new life journey.

I know some people disagree with deposits but since my second litter ( I had three people back out on only two pups in the first) I have always taken a deposit of around 10%, enough for people not to throw away willy nilly, but not large enough for people to take a pup they don't want.

After all £50 - £75 is what buyers in my breed are likely to spend on fuel for the visit and pick up.

My main commitment is to my puppies, not some prospective puppy buyer, they will get the support if they pass muster and show commitment once they are a puppy owner.

In many breeds the right kind of owner are not forthcoming every day of the week.

> xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Every now and then people visit just to meet the breed, and then either go on to have a pup off me OR somebody else later, or decide the breed is not for them. That's not a waste of my time, that's working for my breed. It's not the right breed for everyone. Much the same applies to phonecalls and e-mails, I'd rather spend a few hours answering questions and talking about my breed only to have the person enquiring decide the breed is not for them after all, than go ahead and get a pup and then realise the breed is utterly wrong for them.

Quite I consider this a very important part of being a breeder, and one reason I have a website.

Before I had my first dog of the breed but different variety that Marianne has I went and visited owners of the breed whose details I was given by the breed club.

Long term it was not the breed for me as my circumstances changed, but I was happy I knew what I was taking on with my first dog.

When I had my litter 1 of the pups was booked to go to a lovely family, they had a holiday booked so the puppy would be 12 weeks old when they returned, I said that was no problem, agreed I would get him vaccinated and start socialising and training etc, then 2 days before the holiday they phoned and said they'd decided they wanted a younger one and were going to look elsewhere when they returned. I'd turned away loads of people in the meantime!! Luckily another lovely couple phoned a few days later and my puppy was exactly what they were looking for, and they were great owners!

I had a couple come to view my puppies at 4 weeks, they spent 2 hours with them and I gave them all the information they needed, cups of tea, biscuits. As they were leaving they told me they had already booked a puppy from another breeder but just wanted to see 4 week old puppies.

I've never experienced that Lynneb but I've been dealing with a ditherer recently.
Her " heart and her head don't agree" so I made the decision for her.
Nice lady and she will get another when they agree :-)

I have never agreed with big deposits as I think it is just wrong for a variety of reasons.However the more you hear and read of breeders being messed about it may encourage puppy buyers to focus their minds.

>I have never agreed with big deposits

Agree, around 10% though seems enough to give people pause.

I have never agreed with big deposits as I think it is just wrong for a variety of reasons.However the more you hear and read of breeders being messed about it may encourage puppy buyers to focus their minds.

Would you really want somebody who wasn't 100 % sure have one of your puppies?

>Would you really want somebody who wasn't 100 % sure have one of your puppies?

but a small but not inconsequential deposit will prevent unsure people not being honest about it and tying up a pup preventing the breeder letting someone else have it who is sure.

But I WANT my buyers to be able to change their mind right up to the moment they collect their puppy -and I tell them all so. They have to be absolutely certain and must feel at all times they can change their mind for any reason whatsoever -even if that reason is they have found a different puppy. I want them all to be 100 % sure it is MY pup they want, with me as a breeder, and then there is no need for a deposit.

Well I think it unfair of someone to think there is no consequence to them letting down my puppy at the last minute, if they don't want to leave a deposit then they can't be sure of getting the puppy, if they leave a deposit and change their mind before collection then they stand to loose the money, which will offset my additional costs and time waiting for a new potential owner for the pup.

Generally I have found people trying to give me deposits before pups are born and I won't accept anything until the pups are born and viable, and at that point I know I will usually have to disappoint several people so want to get them onto another breeders list ASAP, not hanging about on a maybe someone will drop out.

We have to agree to disagree on this one. :) I would never take a deposit for a puppy, I would for a kitten because there is a lot more choice out there for kittens and you do not have to take the exact same care when selling a kitten as a puppy, because it is not an animal that will need training, walking, and should not be left alone at home. Far more leeway.

I have only ever had one person pull out of buying a puppy by the time they were old enough to leave, and that was due to a change in family circumstances with sudden unexpected illness -which you cannot blame anyone for. Other than that nobody has ever pulled out once they have been in contact for several months, visited and pups are born. The buyers I have pull put always do it before pups are born or at the time I contact everyone to let them know the litter has been born safely. So for me a deposit would never have made any difference at all, and the majority of my buyers have been very happy to hear I don't want a deposit in order to allow them to change their mind and never feel pressurised. I trust them and so they trust me.

One of my enquiries was very pushy, kept saying he wanted to come up and bring all the cash and 'take the dog' (his words) when they were still too young too go. Eventually made him understand and booked a visit to view the puppy, he never turned up. Phoned him and he said the wife wasn't well and they'd call the next day to fix something up....... never happened!

>The buyers I have pull put always do it before pups are born or at the time I contact everyone to let them know the litter has been born safely

I don't even count those as pull outs, as I expect to loose a proportion from my waiting list, before they commit themselves, but for me the 10% deposit is a sign of commitment and good faith. 

After all I often have the other potential owners to consider too, who may be more committed and also been waiting a fair time (we are talking well under a 100 pups registered a year these days, often less than half that).

To me being asked for a deposit would indicate not being seen as trustworthy, so would sour things instantly. The one and only time I have been asked for a deposit for a pup (not counting imports which is slight different as they have to be kept for longer due to pets passport and so the breeder will have extra outlays) the pup actually died. Nobody else has ever suggested it.

I wonder if breed makes a difference, once again, as my buyers are usually ones already into dogs in quite a big way, either showing or competing in agility or obedience? Not all but easily 90 % are.

Probably Marianne as most of our pups go to purely pet homes.

I think we are in a "I want it now" situation, where people will not wait for a puppy. So difficult to educate people that going to reputable breeders is the way to go. I have been accused of being a snob because I asked someone to go to a reputable breeder. What a crock...

I have had "just on my way to see the pup"....never turned up. E-mail...I will be there tomoro at 3pm, waited till 5 pm and phoned "she has gone shopping" husband says. WTF. There are so many timewasters and photo collectors I sometimes wonder why we bother. Another one was "can I send a deposit?" my answer was "No need to meet you first" no contact after that. So YES they are a million timewasters out there.

It's possible (indeed perfectly likely) for a potential puppy buyer to be an excellent dog owner, but rude, capricious, selfish and thoughtless in their dealings with a breeder. That somebody treats a breeder badly is not evidence that they would have treated a dog badly (the two are quite different), and therefore not a "lucky escape". There is therefore no reason why breeders should put themselves in a position to be treated badly.

The question is whether the buyer is properly prepared at the point of commitment. Logically, the point of commitment should be the point at which the buyer pays a substantial deposit, not the point of final sale and transfer of ownership. I just (last week) paid a 45% deposit on a puppy from Italy. As said above, it's obviously a slightly different case: we won't pick him up till he's 6 months, and he had to have his tail not docked, so making him much harder to sell in Italy (working gundog breed) if we pulled out.

Nevertheless the principle is the same - that was my point of commitment (actually not so much the money, but the fact that not docking the tail was very clearly committing the puppy to me). That was the point at which we double checked for one last time - do we definitely want this dog, is it the right breeder, right lines, the right sex, the right time, will the other dogs be ready etc etc etc). We made sure that we were absolutely sure, took the final decision, sent the email and sent the money. Even though we won't get the dog for another six months (though we will go and see him), the decision has been taken.

If we pulled out now, it would be equivalent to giving the puppy back after 6 months because we changed our mind. In both cases the buyer loses a substantial amount of money (which is the price of changing your mind after giving a firm commitment), and the breeder faces possibly considerable inconvenience.

In the current usual UK system, though, the potential buyer just walks away with no penalty, and is thus not incentivised to behave decently.

As a buyer (and not a breeder) I would be perfectly happy to pay a proper deposit on a puppy I had expressed a firm intention of buying. It is not logical for breeders to accept less. Let people take as long as they like to make their minds up, for sure, and give them every help and every chance to change their mind after long conversations and consideration. But once they have made their decision and asked you to take x pup off the market and reserve it for them, they should be paying a substantial deposit.

>asked you to take x pup off the market

That is exactly the point, that this puppy already born, for whose future wellbeing I am responsible, has been taken off the market, so there needs to be something to show this commitment.

Totally different to someone saying I may have a think about it and have a puppy off you if they haven't all been homed by 8 weeks.  In practice with someone like that I would say have a proper think about it and then when you are certain ask to be put on a breeders waiting list, get back to me and I may know who ahs a litter or planning one.

I look on the deposit as an incentive to people not to mess me about.

In the current usual UK system, though, the potential buyer just walks away with no penalty, and is thus not incentivised to behave decently.

But NOT buying a puppy you are not 100 % certain about IS behaving decently! I would MUCH rather be left with an unsold pup at last moment than have one go to a home that was even only 99 % certain this is the pup they want. To me the buyer feeling ABLE to change their mind means everything. If even a one pound deposit made them think twice about staying with you even when unsure than that is NOT what I want.

I'm not suggesting that anybody should commit to buying a puppy unless they are 110% certain. I'm saying the point of commitment should be the point at which the puppy is taken off the market.

Excellent posts well put BeagleBaggie

I'm saying the point of commitment should be the point at which the puppy is taken off the market.

Sure, but there is no reason whatsoever for that to involve a deposit.

Yes, I am a breeder.  And I think my answer was implicit in what I said, or do I need to say it more explicitly?!  Clearly, I don't think anyone should be labelled a 'timewaster' if they back out - no matter at what point.

I think it's for each breeder to decide whether they want a deposit and there's no right or wrong answer.  I would love to be confident enough that I could home all pups at 7-8wks without taking any deposits, that would probably be ideal.  However, I do worry, without deposits, that people say they want one without having really thought it through, knowing that they can pull out if they want to at any point.  I've even heard of people doing this to several breeders at once - ie - the pups being on the ground and people being on more than one person's list, and waiting till nearer the pick up date to decide which litter to go with!  Then I end up with 8wk old puppies, which is not great.  So, because I worry, I do want deposits.  But I don't think there's a right or wrong answer.

As a breeder, if one of my potential puppy owners was "rude, capricious, selfish and thoughtless in their dealings" with me, I would drop them from my list so fast they wouldn't know what had hit them!  I want to have an ongoing relationship with my puppy's owners and that requires as a minimum, mutual respect.

Sure, but there is no reason whatsoever for that to involve a deposit.

There are several. Without a deposit you have a big commitment from the breeder (taking the puppy off the market), but no commitment from the potential buyer. i) this is unfair on the breeder; ii) it gives the buyer no incentive to behave fairly; iii) locating the buyer's commitment point at the very moment of collection makes for a more pressured and emotional decision than if it were taken at the same time as the breeder's commitment is given.

Without a deposit you have a big commitment from the breeder (taking the puppy off the market), but no commitment from the potential buyer.

And that is EXACTLY what you want! The buyer MUST be able to pull out at any time for any reason whatsoever. Who on earth would want to sell a puppy to somebody you would not trust to not behave badly unless they paid you in advance? We are not talking about buying/selling an object but a living puppy to be cared for for years to come.

However, I do worry, without deposits, that people say they want one without having really thought it through, knowing that they can pull out if they want to at any point.

So do you really want a buyer to commit to buying a pup they may eventually realise they don't want after all?

I've even heard of people doing this to several breeders at once - ie - the pups being on the ground and people being on more than one person's list, and waiting till nearer the pick up date to decide which litter to go with! 

Surely you know who else has pups in the breed and talk to other breeders and quickly find out if the same person has put their name down for more than one litter. And if they go to a back yard breeder instead, then you wouldn't have wanted to sell to them anyway as clearly then they don't understand or care what's important.

Who on earth would want to sell a puppy to somebody you would not trust to not behave badly unless they paid you in advance?

It's not in advance. Once the puppy is taken off the market, the breeder is acting as though the puppy has been sold. So that is the logical time for a reasonable portion of the price to be paid. Paying the entire sum two months later is paying in arrears

That is my point. The transaction (or at least a substantial part of it) logically should occur when the buyer takes the puppy off the market. Not months later if the buyer still happens to feel like it.

You wouldn't do that with anything else that is offered for sale and there is no reason you should with a puppy. The issue of people needing to be able to change their minds is equally salient whenever the transaction point occurs. It is not relevant at all to the point I am making, which is about when that transaction point occurs.

You have decided that it is at the point of collection, which is not just arbitrary, but illogical as it doesn't match the buyer's point of commitment.

Anyway, sorry to go on. It's charming that breeders don't take deposits; it's just not logical.

(A logical reason for not taking deposit would be that you wanted to preserve right till the moment of release your right to change your mind and keep the puppy in question).

>(A logical reason for not taking deposit would be that you wanted to preserve right till the moment of release your right to >change your mind and keep the puppy in question).

For me, this is the other reason for not taking a deposit.   Should something come to light that worries me, I can also refuse a pup if a deposit hasn't been paid.   

I also wouldn't want anyone to be influenced by having paid a deposit and feeling that they must take a pup despite not being 100%  for any reason.

In practise, this has meant that I once refused a pup to someone who had lied about wanting just one pup - they had bought one from another breeder and wanted me to hold on to mine for another 8 weeks while they got the money together.   The other breeder told me they had been upfront about buying two pups at the same time !    There were also other lies that became apparent during the last conversation.   I felt that it wasn't a suitable home for one of mine as I'd been lied to.

On the other hand most puppy owners have been worried about me pulling out and wanted to ensure that they got a pup.  However once I explain that they can change their mind right up to the last minute, they are a lot happier, since they realise it's to their benefit.

I do think this is breed specific though.   In more numerous breeds, where there are more litters to choose from,  they may also be a bigger risk of being left with half the litter, or more...

Barbara your non refundable deposit, is that just one way? I mean if a buyer pulls out they loose it? What if you pull out too? What happens to the money then?

I don't know, in the UK I'd rather not put money on any animal as a deposit, pet wise I mean.. It then gives both sides opportunity to change their minds if needs be for any host of reasons.
Does it secure a pup of their choice or do you choose for them?

I am very fortunate I am in a breed where on the whole if a buyer drops out someone is waiting to hear. I don't take a deposit although I do find that buyers often want to hand one over as they feel more secure.
Other than that I like to build a bond of trust and that is one of the ways I feel I can do that. Yes a couple of times people have dropped out in the weeks after they were born, for a genuine reason. If I had a deposit I would be giving it back so not really sure what the point of one is. I just cannot see a point where I would take a deposit and keep it.
My view has always been that if you don't ot can't have one of MY pups then so be it.

But also agree nothing more annoying when you feel you have turned down a perfect home !!! A breeders lot LOL

>What if you pull out too? What happens to the money then? <br />

Then of course I refund, for inability to hold the pup for them.

My receipt says:
Have Received the Sum of   £....................... 
From:  ..................................................

As *Non-Refundable Deposit/Outstanding Balance/ Payment
IN RESPECT OF A NORWEGIAN ELKHOUND PUPPY DOG/BITCH

Date of Birth:  ........................................

PRICE:       BALANCE:

£.........................    £.........................

Signed:  ...........................     DATE:  ...............

*Unless I am unable to supply a puppy for some unforeseen reason

It's mainly to stop people messing several breeders around at once.

Because availability of pups is low sometimes people feel they better book with several breeders.  In my very first litter another breeder felt I had poached a buyer (the buyers friend had enquired about a pup, so it was a mix up), and as a breed we co-operate with puppy placements so need to keep good will with each other.  I am for example not god with names, often one of a couple will contact one breeder and maybe the other another (so many people these days have different surnames or don't marry).

I sure am not going to ring every breeder to see if Mr x or Ms y is on their list, as it could be someone with pups or just a planned litter.

I do make it clear that if I can't sort them out with a pup due to lack of numbers/wrong sex, then  will put them onto someone who has a spare pup (larger or sex biased litter) or get them at them onto another waiting list ASAP, which is another reason to take deposits so I know who is going ahead, and the others are not then left hanging, and perhaps missing out on another puppy.

As for being able to back out at any time, if a person can't show commitment after pups are born then might want to back out later, they could just as easily feel unable to commit after pick up, where if they are certain and willing to give a deposit of around 10% at  6 - 7 weeks before, then good, if not then they don't get one of mine and will have to wait until they are certain, and probably need to wait longer for a pup to become available. 

Our registrations in the last 10 years have not topped 80, and have been as low as 29.

So there are good reasons for people wanting to be sure of a puppy, and equally ditto for the breeder to be sure whose on board so they can be fair to others who may have been waiting a long time.

I keep people on my waiting list posted right through the process, from bitch in season, mated, confirmed in whelp, and my emails state if I do not receive a reply I assume they are no longer interested.

When pups born I will still have my core of folk that have replied and kept in touch.  These are then given the option of reserving a puppy, with a deposit.

It does help that to the casual observer all pups in the breed are the same, so sex being the determining factor (they will have already been happy with Mum, and perhaps met Dad too).

I must admit as  Novice I read the book of the Bitch when it first came out and the authors advised taking deposits, which I did not do for my first litter and it ended up with a more established breeder thinking I'd poached a buyer (and they had an unsold pup on collection day), and being let down for the two remaining pups by three people.  So since 1996 I have taken deposits and it ahs worked for me and my puppy buyers.

.

Thanks for your explanation, I can see why you do it in your breed and how it works for some from what you've typed :-)

Must admit I am flabbergasted when I hear of substantial deposits, in very high priced breeds, and deposits taken even before birth of any pups.

I think the loss of a deposit of £50 - £75 is enough to stop people trying it on with several breeders, but certainly not enough for someone to want to take on a pup they didn't really want, what with the cost of travel to visit and collect (puppy buyers are very rarely local).

I totally agree - if you don't want so-called timewasters, then take a significant deposit - non-refundable!   Much as I preferred not to take deposits at all - it usually made no difference to me as I tended to always have a waiting list.

However, and this is a biggie for me, far rather somebody acknowledges that perhaps taking on a puppy isn't for them after all and backs out rather than taking on a puppy and find it's not for them - and then instead of bringing the puppy back to the breeder, selling it on.   It happens.   Happily not to me but maybe I've just been fortunate.   I did have one I placed, a slightly older puppy, that didn't work out and I had to go rescue her which was heartbreaking at the time but she then went off again to a super home.

And another thing - I love talking to people about my chosen breed, so even if it were to end up as a waste of time, I didn't really mind that.

ps -  re taking deposits early on...... I was once visiting another breeder who had just had a litter, literally just.  Her husband was fully involved on the phone calling in deposits!!  And they didn't at that point know for sure how many puppies might make it to the time of sale.   I suppose people get away with what the market will support.

A logical reason for not taking deposit would be that you wanted to preserve right till the moment of release your right to change your mind and keep the puppy in question).

And that is it just as much. Both parties should be able to pull out. The puppy should never be fully sold until it is collected.  It's just not safe.

>So do you really want a buyer to commit to buying a pup they may eventually realise they don't want after all?

I don't think that for £100, anyone is going to go ahead with a decision they really don't want to make.  And if they did, I'd be there to take the pup back again.  At some point, people need to commit - whether when they collect the puppy or when the puppy is born.  Why not let them take the pup home for a few weeks and trial having a puppy, before they pay you and commit?  After all, why make someone own a dog for life when they might not really want to, just by charging them when they collect the puppy?  Why not let them own the puppy for several weeks, so they know what they're taking on, if that's your argument? 

>Surely you know who else has pups in the breed and talk to other breeders and quickly find out if the same person has put their name down for more than one litter. And if they go to a back yard breeder instead, then you wouldn't have wanted to sell to them anyway as clearly then they don't understand or care what's important.

Er, yes, it's really easy in one of the most popular breeds registered to 'quickly find out' if the same person has put their name down for other litters! NOT!  I'll just quickly phone around several thousand people, whilst raising a litter of puppies...

Not to mention the breach of confidentiality involved in that - there's no way I would disclose who's on my list to other breeders, nor ask them who is on theirs.  That is private information, and if my prospective owners found out I'd given out their details to other breeders, I think they'd be in their right minds to walk away.

As a buyer, I've done this both ways - paid in full on collection and paid a deposit early and then the balance on collection.  I felt much more confident knowing that the breeder was holding a puppy for me, when I'd paid a deposit.  When I hadn't paid anything, I was always worried the breeder might just sell the puppy to a family member who'd decided they wanted one, or something else.  Knowing that a puppy was held for me enabled me to develop a closer relationship with the breeder over the weeks of raising the puppy, feeling secure that one of those pups would be mine, and instead of feeling competitive towards other people on the list (who you are often in touch with via Facebook) over who gets a puppy and who doesn't, you all know that your puppy is there for you, and can get on forming 'sibling' relationships with some of them.  There is more security for everyone and less anxiety.

Sorry Goldmali, there's no right or wrong way, as I keep saying, but you seem to think there IS a right way and everyone who takes deposits is doing it wrong...

I had a strange timewaster several years ago. A couple had a pup from me previously, kept in regular contact and when the dog died asked for another pup from my next litter. When it came to choosing their pup they arranged a time and date and just didn't show up. He sent me a text saying sorry let the pup go to someone else. I never did find out why.
I frequently get offered deposits but don't take them, however I did send payment in 3 stages for a pup I imported as I wanted to show I really was genuine and didn't want to put the breeder to any extra expense re keeping the pup for extra time, booking flights etc.