Hi,
How can you properly vet the buyers of your puppies.
Experience with the breed!! Home env. but!! how would you know?
Certain questions asked! and the response!
Or some other ways!!
Regards
Denese

hi there
i am very good friends of someone who breeds utonagan, and she vets homes very thoroughly. she will not let a puppy of hers go to a home that does not feed BARF and who do not use the Jan Fennell method of 'Amichien Bonding'. she and i both believe that if you breed a bitch, you are not only responsible for using a bitch and finding a male who both have exceptional health (hips, elbows, eyes, etc) and who have brilliant temperaments, but are responsible for finding the best homes for life. she will also take back any puppies for any reason if things do not work out. (this has not had to happen yet because of the vetting process)
so basically, if you vet right, you wont have to have as many returned to you, or find them in rescue centres.
if your good at reading people, that would help, because you can see who is genuine and who wants the pup for the wrong reason. (toy for child, extensive breeding purposes, macho image)
asking questions will help (such as how long will the puppy be left at home, owned the breed or any dog before, how it would be trained [that one should catch some people out], any children or pets at home, if they have a garden or yard.)
also, the people should not be taking it lightly, they should have researched not only their breed carefully, but also you as a breeder, they should ask you as many questions as you ask them!
i hope any of my rambling helps, the above is what i have learnt from years of looking into things like this and from my friends experiences.
good luck!

Hard question. I'm lucky in the sense that I have a rare breed, also a large and high energy breed, so I can turn round to people and say I will NOT under any circumstances sell a pup to a first time dog owner, as the breed is not suitable for them.  I don't know how I'd cope if I bred a popular bred normally  mentioned as suitable for first time owners, I've thought of that a lot -it must be so hard. Anyway, so my first requirement is that they already have experience of large energetic dogs, and have an interest in training. Wherever possible I like to get a reference from somebody else, say a breeder of a previous dog of theirs, somebody in dogs who knows them etc. I found this works really well but again of course it will only work for people that are NOT first time owners.  I've had some people offer me their vet's phone number as well, although I've never taken anybody up on it.

Marianne

out of sheer curiosity Marianne, what do you keep/breed?

BSD Malinois. :)

Marianne

Oo, lovely!  I am partial to Malinois, though I must admit the sheer amount of energy required to keep one convinces me I'll probably never have one :D You must be a very devoted (and patient) person!

I thought finding homes for my pups would be a nighmare. I went on gut instinct, very lucky every last pup got fantastic homes.

Hi,
Do you have a check list when they first telephone!
Regards
Denese

Yes! :)

One tip keep talking to them!  I had one person who seemed perfectly fine in the first conversation then all of a sudden we got into another conversation when he said he was coming over to visit and he asked when he was due to go as he needed to build a kennel!!!  I was absolutely horrified but it has taught me to keep going on a conversation as sometimes they are not so up front at first as they are later.  I also had another one who seemed ideal then she said she was thinking of using a electric collar to stop the dog barking. 

I suppose one of the things breeders cannot guard against is a change in the owners domestic circumstances.  These days there are so many family/relationship breakdowns which, inevitably lead to dogs either being  placed in rescue centres or being left on their own for very long periods each day.

This is when the pups come back to the breeder they should not go into a rescue center.  In fact I have had dogs back from the homes I least expected to have a problem, twice from people expereinced with the breed. 

You just can never be sure if the home will work out no matter how you vet them.

The breeder is responsible morally for them for their whole lives nd should expect to make provision for taking them back and getting them into new homes.