ive been asked to put a deposit of £250 for a pup (half the price) is this normal.
the pup is a boxer with symetrical facial and body markings . with an excellent square head. kc registered etc.
em

I paid a deposit. I trusted my breeder 100% and didn't question it all. If you have doubts about the breeders integrity then perhaps you shouldn't be using them? I would be more surprised if a deposit wasn't requested.

I agree if the pup is as nice as it sounds why are you worried ?just make sure you get a receipt some people order pups and then back out later leaving the breeder then with the task of finding another buyer so the deposit sounds reasonable to me

sorry to sound paranoid but ive never gone through a breeder before and there is certain eticet that isnt emposed when buying a border collie from a farm (my only experience). so im a bit like a child taking its first steps.
thanks for the advise though
em

Hi Em,
Have you been to see the breeder and your puppy yet?
Hazel

hazel
no not yet he said it would be best to leave it a couple of weeks so the pup can develop a bit more charector etc, my paranoid moment stems from friends and family saying why are you parting with so much surely it should be 10% of the final price not half. BOOM theres the seeds of doubt. im very confident in the breeder as he has been offered alot more money for the pup than he is charging me. but because ive paid an interest from day one he is letting me have first refusal. im just unsure of the protocol, its a bit like going abroad unsure of strange enviroments
and situations. i have no experience to draw from.
em

How old is the pup now?

Don't part with any money until you have seen the puppy - go visit, check the mum, the breeder, the house, talk and stay as long as you feel you need before parting with any money. If you are then happy, agree a deposit - and get a receipt (most important bit).

Remember, this is not the only puppy in the world, you must make sure you are happy and that you are confident you are going to get a lot of after "sales" help for the life of your dog.

Don't be pushed into handing over cash - my breeder let me go every week to see Willis (well, the whole litter cos I couldn't choose lol)

Chloe :)

hello chloe
the pup is currently 2 weeks old on sunday, i was going to visit this saturday but defered it by two weeks 24/5 because the breeder said he has opened his eyes but not doing to much and he doesn't want me to be put off. fair point. he said at four weeks he would have developed more and we can see if his personality suits our enviroment. i do trust the breeder im worried that my excitment will cloud my judgement.

Emma - is this puppy for show or a pet? If the former then although the characterstics you quote may be desirable in a boxer, at only two weeks of age so much can change that would make him undesirable for show. If you want him for a pet, then you need to be looking really closely at his personality and general health rather than specific show attributes. Keep that in mind when you go to see him is it can be hard to let the head rule the heart.

As for the deposit - I think it depends on how much you trust the breeder and how much you want a puppy from that mating and breeder. If he's for pet, then you can always find another puppy from a reputable breeder. If it is for show and the lines etc are really important to you, then that puts a different emphasis on it and makes 50% perhaps seem reasonable. You need to make sure that if you do want him for show or pet, that if at 8 weeks, or whenever you will pick him up, he does not come up to your required standard, that you will get the money back. All you are looking for the deposit to do is really give you a guaranteed first refusal on him when it's ready for him to go to his new home. You don't want a deposit at this early stage to tie you into a puppy that might not be right for you.

hth

Pam n the boys

Hi Emma
We always take a 25% deposit when the puppies are born and have been checked by the vet. but all our prospective puppy owners have already come and met mum and spoken to us and been vetted.
But the main thing is you need to be completely confident with the breeder you have chosen he/she will be one of you best sources of help and advice throughout your dogs life if your not 100% happy look for someone else!
good luck

We went to see pup at 5 weeks old . Met the other dogs in the household and met our breeder . We ended up staying and chatting for 3 and a half hours :)
We were already convinced she was the breeder for us through a number of phonecalls prior to pups birth and we fell in love with the little fella . We paid in full on that day - through our own choice I might add . We have never for a moment regretted choosing pup :)
As long as you are quite happy with your choice it should make no difference what percentage you pay as deposit . You will be paying in full sooner or later
Good luck
Lel

I would look at it first. I went to see a puppy last week. I had talked to the lady on the phone for quite a long time and had explained that my last dog had had a hernia. She asured me that none of her dogs had hernias. I drove 3 hours to see the puppy, and it had a hernia! She assured me it must be new as the vet had seen them and she had not noticed it (they were 6 weeks old), so if she was telling the truth then hernias can develop later?

Hi Blossom
I'm just interested to know which breed you are after, regarding hernia's, as they seem to be very prolific in certain breeds and some of the breeders don't seem to be too bothered by it. Which isn't necessarily right.
Annedee

The dog was a bichon frise.

We paid a deposit for our dog (half the cost). The breeders have to safeguard themselves so as not to have puppies left on their hands. We went to see ours when she was 2 days old. We chose the one we wanted and as she was a pet it didn't matter if she changed too much. We went every week or so untill it was time to bring her home at 9 weeks. We got to know the breeder and everyone was happy when we left with the pup. She was a bit slap happy and obtaining the registration papers and didn't seem to bothered as we were not showing her but we got all that sorted out. Good luck with your new puppy

maggie

I must be very odd, because I never take a deposit, but there is a very good (in my mind) reason for this. If I accept a deposit for a pup, legally I have agreed a sale, and cannot change my mind. And in all my litters there have been people who seemed very genuine on their first or even second visits, but have let details slip which rules them out from having one of my pups.

For example, I always stress that they must be housedogs, and when I hear that the concrete base for the kennel and run is ready, I withdraw from the sale. When one of the family members of a prospective owner drops other pups and is generally rough, then again, the sale's off. If I have accepted a deposit the sale must go through.

With you all the way on this one Jean, so you are not the odd one out :-D

I to never take deposits, for exactly the same reasons.

In my last litter a purchaser and family came to see the pups at 4 weeks, and although on the surface everything seemed fine. I had one of those funny gut feelings and just wouldn't have felt happy letting them have a pup. They are our babies after all and we have to feel that they are going to the best homes possible.

Jayne

god i hope my breeder does not feel like that about me. ive done my home work on the breed so we can have an informative discussion about the boxer. also im 3/4 way through the dog whisperer by jan fennell which is giving me a greater understanding of the dog. then next book the perfect puppy. obviously not forgetting this foram

It has only happened twice, but in this situation I have returned the deposit with a note to the effect that I don't think they and an Elkhound will be suited to each other.

I can't see how you can be obliged to sell if you return the money???

It does save on timewasters and squandering nice prospective homes, if people are not really serious. I take a £50 deposit which is now 10% of the price, but have taken this amount since Pups were £350 - £400, it is a nice round figure.

Hi Brainless,
It just removes the possibility that some people may get bolshy, refuse to accept the returned deposit and demand the puppy. Unlikely, but even the possibility horrifies me! Legally, the law would be on their side.

thank you , you all have put my mind at rest. i will just have to try and be patient until i see him in 2 weeks. he does sound perfect.
em

Emma
I am a little confused here , do you mean you ae expected to pay the £250 prior to seeing the pup or when you have been to see pup and you have made your choice ??
Lel

lulu what did you mean about your breeder being "slap happy with the registration papers?"mine has also made some major cock ups eg giving me a 5 generation pedigree instead of a transfer of ownership form-in her name!!!- , but i have been in touch with the kc who have been brill and have sent the transfer from out to me in case it never appears at the breeders.

emma-----im not sure how much your breeder knows re boxers, but i thought the breed standard asked for brick shaped heads -not square, -------other boxer judges please let me know, ??????
if she has this fact wrong about her breed then how good can she be at assesing your puppy so young?
i too take a deposit but only when the persons have been to my home, seen the dogs and puppys and were happy with each other, and i like brainless have returned deposits to them if along the way something crops up that makes me fell theyre not right for a puppy, i just word the reciept that a deposit has been taken should a puppy be available,

I certainly would never pay a deposit until I had met the breeder and seen the dogs/premesis. I personally would not mind that the pups are so small and difficult to asses, at this young age what I would want to know is that the breeder is friendly and helpful, the premesis where the dogs/mum and pups are kept is suitable and they are all well looked after etc. There is no way I would part with £50 let alone £250 after a couple of phone calls. I would go and see what you think of the set up in general first, rather than to actually pick an individual puppy. Most breeders will accept visitors (even if its just a short and sweet peep at mum and babies) from 3 weeks.

My last pup came via from a friend of a friend who knew I was looking. She called me the day after they were born.

Myself, Christopher and my husband all went to see the litter at 2 weeks, 4 weeks 6 weeks and brought him home at 8 weeks. I also took the other boys on one visit so she could see us all. I met Mum, Auntie & Granny.

She was quite clear that if I didn't think the puppies were right for me I was to say and at no stage was a deposit requested.

I think you need to see the puppy(s) as much as possible, if the breeder is happy that it won't cause upset. That way you get to know them and they you.

Hi,

Same question as before are you to pay the deposit before you see the pup?

Also I assume you have seen the pups dam already and know the breeding behind the pup's pedigree, even if only a photo of the sire? It just seems a lot to me £250, but either way until you pay you don't get the pup and does it matter when you pay. As long as you are HAPPY with the pup and breeder.

My own experience is looked at dogs at shows etc saw breeding I liked contacted the breeder.
Spoke a couple of time on the phone, he sent photo's of his dogs. Went to a local show meet him. Also the pup's half sister he was sowing that day. He brought along photo of the bitch and the sire (on the day of mating, as there aren't many recent ones of him since he retired from showing)Also he brought along photo's of pups from bitchs previous litter; from pups through to their age then 18 months.

Mating confirmed (bitch in whelp) He then invited us to see the bitch at his home, also her dam (pups gran) and daughter (pups half sister) plus an unrelated bitch of his breeding. Happiness all round, many phonecalls on both sides. My breeder then contacted stud dogs owner (with my consent to give out my address etc) and he sent photo's and lovley note about the stud dogs character! Offering support if I decided to show or otherwise,also giving his email address and mobile number for any questions and the offer of seeing the stud dogt if I wanted to make the journey down.

Then meet my breeder at another show and meet the owner of my pups great gran. Lel's breeder as it happens. She offered support and still speaks via email supporting and just enquiring as to pups health and progress.

At No point in all this was a deposit asked for although I did offer.

Had frequent updates on pups and visted twice 5 weeks and 6 weeks (had holiday last one abroad before pup) collected pup just before 8 weeks because she was 8 weeks on a Monday we collected on Friday.
Meet a couple who had travelled from Wales to collect a pup also, spent almost 4 hours at house tea/cakes/coffee/photo shows.

Paid for pup and went home, result. The best Stafford I have ever owned loved and cherished from before day 1 by everyine she has been in contact with. Breeder still phones to enquire and we phone and tell him to also exchange photo's using him as a go between on the other pups in the litter.

I would not hesitate to reccomend him to anyone, but I don't think he needs my reccomendation at all.
His dogs do it for him.

Karen