I added this topic to my original one called golden retriever puppy so not everyone wouldve read it as the title was quite specific.

What questions as breeders do you ask prospective parents?

What answers put you off?

Sorry this shouldnt have come under the feeding heading

This is difficult for me to answer Julie, but since you have asked me, I will try. Most show breeders have waiting lists long before puppies are born, I have three puppies booked from a January 2006 planned mating!!!  Over a year before pups are born.

What type of home do you have, high rise flat etc.
Do you have a garden
Children, what ages, I would like to see them interact with dogs
How long would pup be left alone at any given time.
Any other pets in the home, type, ages, neutred etc.

There are many many questions a breeder will ask, but instinct plays a large part in the homing of pups too.

A pup I sold to a young couple, arrived on my doostep within a hour of phoning me, and plonked themselved down on the floor with pups clambering all over them, they eventually chose a pup from the remaining litter.( Icoulnt make up my mind which to keep) They spent more time talking and playing with pups thantallking with me.  This is the only time I have had this happen.  I would say that they have lived up to my expectations, I have watched Dino grow with e-mail photos and also turned up at a show I was competing in and Dino was in the car waiting for me to come see him.     It was just instinct. I liked them immediately and just felt right about it. .

Thanks for that.

I totally respected this ladies opinion about preferring someone to stay home all day.

I just wondered how you can put your point across that (like working parents to kids)  the time you do spend with your dogs is more precious and you make a bigger effort to stimulate them.

I'm not sure what you mean, juliemil, if you do not want to let a puppy go to a full-time working home why do you need to talk about precious time and stimulating etc, surely thats what the purchasers needs to try to put across, although I have to say I don't let people waste their time trying to persuade me :)

Isabel, Julie is purchaser, but is coming up against the obstacles, and was just asking breeders their criteria for homing pups.

I realised she was as purchaser, but only now to I realise she means "how can I put it across about....etc", well I'm afraid from my point of view you can't certainly for my breed, cockers, I could never see how anyone working full time, with the best will in the world, could find enough hours in a day to give them the excercise they deserve for start and have any kind of a life themselves.

Thanks for all your replies.

Isobel, i really understand your point of view and in my first post I respected the breeder for saying this is her preference ie to have someone home all day.

I'm in a better position that my partner & I work close to home and we work flexi hours so we do pop home at lunch.

As I work and know he's by himself for the next wee bit we ensure we are up early and take him on a very long walk in the am as well as in the evening. 

My point was that as we work and feel guilty that we leave our dog for part of the day so we try and do as much as poss whihc is more than quite a few at home all day owners ive met who just let their dogs out the back rather than walking them.

I only asked as this breeder has actually said she will come back to me rather than just saying no then and there.  I was just wondering if its no, how when talking to other breeders can I show that i would provide a good home.

Cheers

I agree Isabel, Labs are my breed, will say no more :D

Kayc, do you think it would be better if I didn't try and get another dog?

We thought they would be good company for each other but if you think its not a good environment I would take it on board.
Cheers 

Hi Julie

I'd add to Kay's list - What experience of dogs (if any)? Experience of the breed (particularly since many people have not met an adult maremma before), Why this breed?

I'm finding more and more enquiries coming via email these days which I find really helpful as an initial contact. People often volunteer a lot of this information anyway in an email and you can quickly get an idea from responses whether they are a likely bet. Easy also to weed out people this way. Also you have the emails to refer back to if you forget!

Then when the puppies have arrived and there is a possibility of what someone is waiting for this can be followed up by phone and visits. I agree with Kay though - a lot is gut reaction to people - there is an "ideal" answer to all these (you know the sort of thing - huge garden, loads of experience, home all day etc) but the reality is that such homes are few and far between and some of the most committed homes don't fit that profile.

Good luck -

Janet

Well, I work full time, my OH also works full time but he is home for 3 hours in the day while I'm at work.  We also have 2 dogs who are well exercised and looked after.    Surely a blanket 'no' if you work full time is a bit narrow minded.   Sorry, but just my feelings.  Atfer all, you don't know personal circumstances.
sarah
(Janet, sorry, not getting at you!)

i work full time & have three dogs. my dogs are my life. i work to keep them,& to prusue my obedience hobby. flynny comes to work but the girls stay at home. my mum works for a few hours middle of the day,but is often out more than that. if for any reason mum is going to be out,i will go home at lunch time or bring them all to work. although i do prefer to go home as i dont want to "push my luck" with my boss.
they are well stimulated mentally and or physically before & after work & all our time we cherish to the detriment of any type of life outside dogs!!!! but they are worth it....even if i never met a bloke!!!!!!!!

It is hard not to feel discriminated against sometimes and maybe thats why people do just buy dogs through the classifieds as puppy farmers won't care about the background.

After posting i looked into the historical posts and there was a good one posted by a breeder asking others if they thought it was too much to go and visit prosepctive breeders houses.

It truly shows how strongly they feel.

I would welcome the chance for someone to come into my house and see us instead of saying no but i also respect that if a breeder has a choice it may be more reassuring to them that it goes to the people who stay at home.  

I spoke to the breeder again today for another chat and i then followed it through with an email as suggested. Its just wait and see now! Will let you know

fingers xd for you!!! i really hope you get the dog you want,

Thank you Michelle.

Take this opportunity to point out that in my last post i wouldnt ever dream or condone in anyway soemone going to a puppy farmer under any conditions! I would do without the dog or will go to a rescue centre for an older one.
I'm sure you all know this but im just making sure! cheers

what job do you do? do you have a nice boss? might be time to start sweetening him/her up?
flynn loves coming to work & is a customer puller!!!!

not getting at you juliemil :) as clearly you do try give you dog a good life but yes I do descriminate and I'm afraid I always will because for every one of you who post on champdogs saying how much you concentrate on your dogs needs there are twenty more who set off with very good intentions but it proves just too difficult, either because they just cannot keep up the sacrifices, or they did not heed advise about which breeds would never work out or simply because they ended up with the wrong individual dog for this sort of life.  Whilst I sympathise, most breeders know from many years experience that it fails again and again indeed we have regular posters on here who are at their wits ends with the problems it can bring.
I don't particularly feel responsible for driving people into the arms of the puppy farmers as sadly there will always be a group of people wholey unsuitable for dog ownership that will never accept advise from a responsible breeder and will not care where the dog comes from, one of the reasons that despite education we can never remove the puppy farmers market sadly :(
I notice that many who claim to work full time and are posting in support of this working are infact shift workers etc. who don't actually leave their dogs for the entire working day but they do demostrate how things can be arranged to reduce the dogs time alone to something much more managable I would always urge the desperate :) to do this and explore other options like reducing hours and going without a few luxuries, its amazing was seems like essentials until you have swopped them for a loving hound :)

Isobel I totally respect your right to say no honest.  Thank you for your point of view.

Phew - glad not aimed at me! :) Actually I agree with you - both my partner and I work fulltime and we have 3 dogs living here - soon to be 4. We are lucky to be fairly flexible in our hours and able to work from home some days. But there are inevitably some days when they can be left up to 8 hours. For me it is more about how long they will be left alone on a regular basis and what the quality of the care is when their people are with them. Not working does not guarantee either that someone will be with the dog all day or that it will be well cared for - people may be out a lot even if they are not working. BUT working full time does make it more difficult for the owners - you need a huge commitment to get up before work for a walk, go out again when tired after a day's work, NOT go out in the evening if it means leaving the dog again etc.  And many people just won't do it. One of the best homes I know is a single person who works full time - dogs are walked lots, have access to large secure outdoor areas during the day, and her life outside work revolves around them. It can be done!
So I wouldn't automatically say no if someone works full time but I would ask a whole lot of extra questions!

Janet

Hey Janet, u getting one of Sue's maremmas?

Thanks for your posts, its so hard when there's no hard and fast rule!

Hi Julie

No - I co-own a Maremma with Sue - we imported her last year. She is currently in whelp but once she has had her puppies and they have gone to their new homes she'll be coming to live with us permanently.
Will also co-own of the pups (all being well) but she is going to live with a friend locally - 5 dogs at the moment would be too much!

Janet

I have lots of working freinds who have dogs.  Currently one particular freind is home die to having a baby, but when they both were otu all day it was up at 5am evey day in all weathers (I used to go with her when it was 6am and 5.30, but couldn't hack it long term at 5am), and then the other half walked them when he got home.

If they had an evening out planned they would get someone (often me or one of my kids) to come and spend the time with the dogs in the evening, the same at the weekends, but to be honest they rarely go anywhere, they are just too tired.

Now very few people are prepared to commit so much to what many view as just a dog.  Some evn with the best of intentions find car arrangements fail, or dog can't cope with the amount of time it does get, or they can't cope with the amount they need to sacrifice to make dog owning work, and then the dog pays the price.  This is why given a choice most breeders play safe for their pups welfare and won't home to full time workers, especially as first time dog owners.  With a second dog where it is obvious that the sog woning relationship is working well they may be more lenient.

One of my best owners fit into two of the taboo categories and were first time dog owners too.  They live in a flat and work!  They did a good job of convincing me how they would deal with each and every eventuality, housetraining neighbours daycare etc etc.  He had experience of large breed dogs in his parents family and she had a Mum that worked with Cats Protection League, and they had several longhair cats.

Well the oldest dog is now 7 and the younger 6 and they have been super owners.  they are some of the most obedient Elkhounds I have ever met, and they fit in here like a glove when they come to visit.

Brainless, with Murph we set the alarm at 6 and take him out for a good walk to settle him and altho hard when its cold it makes me way more energetic during the day and also has helped my bad back stuck at a pc all day.! What a good friend you are tho getting up at 5.30!

Janet, best of luck with all your clan!

Sometimes if they are looking for a second dog, Brainless, it means it is not working out with the first and they think it will prevent it getting lonely, although never always juliemil ;)

I agree with what you said but in this case its honestly not the case as you were careful to say! We really want another one and look forward to all the hours we will be spending with them both.

My animals honestly dictate what we do in our free time and i wouldnt change it for the world.

I was careful to say because I really do think you are one of the exceptions but believe me as a reason for a second dog it is very common.  I just want you to understand that when a breeder says no, not to take it personally, that because it is so hard to judge we have to opt to play it safe :)

Thank you, i hope that maybe my sincerity came across in my calls with her. But as you've said its not just good intentions I need to keep in mind its the reasons and the practicalities from the dog's point of view.

keep you all posted .

cheers

Yes but you can usually sus that one out :D  I would tend to question carefully the routine they have established.  You are right though many of the full time workers have differing work patterns from their partners or are their won bosses and dogs an be included etc.  the couple I mention the husband is a Taxi driver so works evenings, but initially he worked pa\rtly from home partly in an office, and when they wanted him to travel to a relocated offcie and spend 10 hours away from home he gave up the job for the dogs sake!!!  That is when he trained to be a Taxi driver (proper one not a minicab).

>I notice that many who claim to work full time and are posting in support of this working are infact shift workers etc. who don't actually leave their dogs for the entire working day but they do demostrate how things can be arranged to reduce the dogs time alone to something much more managable

Not "9-5" can still be full time though! But I do agree that it would be very difficult to work "standard" hours and have a dog unless one worked very close to home (ie could get home at lunch time and had minimal travelling time on top of working hours).
But I think it is definitely doable if people either work flexible hours or if two partners work at least some different hours. Otherwise one is reliant on people outside and that I think is always rather a risk (though certainly better than leaving a dog alone).

I am not saying working full time and having dogs is ideal - I would FAR rather not have to do it!! Am just aware that sometimes those who are prepared to make the sacrifices to make it work can be great homes. Agree that there are far too many who don't and can therefore understand breeders not wanting to take the risk (though I presume people are still asked how long the dog will be left - working is not the only reason to be out of the house for long hours).

Janet

Duplicate

>But I think it is definitely doable if people either work flexible hours or if two partners work at least some different hours

I agree, I might allow for up to 4 or 5 hours myself, my point was I think perhaps these people should not be classed with real full time "out of the housers" as their experiences may give a false impression so people reading a post about them, where that is not explaned, may think, well, there's another example of it working out.
Perhaps I should add when we got our first dog I worked full time but my husband worked shifts but when he changed I gave up full time and have only every worked a little part-time since with a spell at college thrown in but that was outrageously short hours ;) :)

>may think, well, there's another example of it working out.

Good point - I wouldn't want to give that impression.  Ours are probably left around 6 hours 3 times a week - occasionally 8 hours. But normally if my partner has to leave early I'll try to leave a couple of hours later and vice versa. We each normally have one day working at home a week and we make sure it is a different day. The downside is that we both have to bring a lot of work home and work several evenings and often a day at the weekend at home. But at least then the dogs can snooze at our feet!

Janet

Hi all, have been in contact with the breeder again and we're going up on Friday to see the pup!
I'm sooo excited.

Thank you all for your opinions and information.

Will keep you posted how it goes.

ps Theyve emailed me with the diet that she's on! Better fed than i am!.

Thanks again  

Thats fantastic news, you must be so pleased :)

I am thank you. I'm also a bit wiser now about the diet thing but can i ask how soon can you start to change the puppy's diet from what the breeder has had her on?

Don't want to upset her when she comes but would like to change asap.

I work full time, live alone and often have to work strange hours BUT I have a great dog walker and take my dog out a minimum of three times a day on top of the 2 hours she is out the house with the dog walker.  as i have posted in previous topics, If I didn't work full time I would not be able to afford to keep my dog (or pay for the dog walker!).  as is continually pointed out on this board, it is very expensive to keep a dog, and to be able to guarantee you can provide for the dog if it gets ill etc so I do not understand how so many people can be expected to stay at home all day AND be able to provide adequately for their pets.  Breeders must only be looking to sell dogs to successful self-employed people who work from home or millionaires!!!  Reading the posts here it sounds like anybody not fitting these categories would have to go to a puppy farm or an advert in the paper to get a dog as nobody else would sell them one.  this is quite sad as we all want to see the end of puppy farms and although I take on board what the breeders are saying about covering their own backs and not taking risks with who their pups go to, by the sound of things unless I went back to the breeder I got my current dog from, its unlikely anyone would sell me a dog despite seeing how well cared for loved and pampered my current dog is.

Your current breeder may be able to give you a good reference and this will help.  As has been said some have hard and fast rules, some gnerally agree with them, but are willing to be flexible and take each case on it's merits :D

I would have been on many people's no list.  At the time I got my first Elkhound I was a divorced parent of two small children, one a toddler of 14 months the other still not at school.  I must have impressed my breeder with the commitment I had to my BSD that had just died as I had not taken the easy way out and got shot of her when I found myself with a broken marriage, pregnant and with a young child.

Hi Julie, just to say congratulations, and I am really pleased for you. I Have replied to your PM
Kay

Some wouldn't consider it but there are many others who would - often those who have been there themselves and realise it can be done. I think it is definitely easier to convince people if you have another dog and so can demonstrate what your current routine is and what the puppy can expect. Sounds to me like your dog is cared for better than many whose owners are home all day! :)

Janet

That's great news Julie, fingers crossed it all goes well on Friday and we'll look forward to hearing about your new addition to your family! :)

-Kay

I'm another full time worker, my dogs are my life though and mean absolutely everthing to me.  Except for when I'm on this blooming site every waking moment except for my working hours are on my dogs. 

SWD's are quite a hard dog, but I've sold them to full time working people, but I've known and also told them that they have to put in a lot of time with their dogs when they get home from work, they've accepted this and it's worked for them.  Do have to say though, that this breed if the work isn't put in are hard work, but as in everything in life, you get back what you put in.  The only one in 13 years that I've had returned is from someone who was at home all day !!

Hi Julie, hows things, have you been to see the pup yet?