If it isn’t hard enough to even find reputable breeders, it’s even harder to actually get a puppy from one. This sucks, it really does, but there’s good reason for it. For one, most of them don’t breed very often (as explained in Part 2). Therefore, the supply is low and the demand is high. For another, reputable breeders also want to make sure their puppies go to the best possible homes. Each breeder’s definition of “best” is different, but it doesn’t mean perfect. It hopefully doesn’t mean only upper middle class folks with a big yard.
Despite the difficulties, you’ve made a shortlist of reputable breeders anyway (after reading the previous posts in this series). I know you checked their health testing practices on ofa.org and deemed them to be ethical, right? You found them by doing one of the 4 things from Part 3 in this series. Now it’s time to get on ”The List”.
Reputable Breeders and “The List”
Before your hopes get up too high, you should know that every reputable breeder has their own way of doing things. Some take deposits and make a list well before the puppies are born or maybe even before they are conceived. Others don’t take deposits until the pups are born, some wait until the pups are 2-4 weeks old, and still others don’t take deposits at all.
Most do provide an application that is either directly on their website for you to download or they will send it to you after initial contact. Some breeders maintain a pool of approved applicants instead of a true waitlist and they pull from the pool to match homes with their puppies. The breeder may maintain the pool constantly or they may require reapplication for new litters. The latter is likely if they only breed every couple of years. Circumstances change for both them and you, so reapplication is necessary in their minds.
Phase 1: Getting Your Foot In the Door
Before you get on The List, you need to get a foot in the door. The initial contact is how you do that. There are essentially three avenues of initial contact: 1) in person, 2) via phone or email, and 3) through social media.
Step 1a: In Person Meetings
The best way to make a good impression with reputable breeders is to meet them in person. Hopefully you can go to a dog show or a local breed club meeting. You really can’t beat in-person networking for many things in life.
Here’s a real life example for you: someone recently contacted me through The Canine Chasm’s Facebook page. I’m a millennial, so of course I did a little creeping and realized that they live in the same city as me. I invited them to come to the next Golden club meeting and they did! At least three different club members were immediately impressed by this person (including me) and they will be able to pick between several litters. All because they came to the meeting and met people.
Step 1b: Send a GOOD Email
If you found your shortlist breeders on the internet, you should assume that many hundreds to thousands of other people have also found them on the internet and contacted them. So how do you make yourself stand out? How do you separate yourself from the “how much?” guy? Here are some suggestions to help you get on that elusive wait list – if the breeder even keeps a list.
First and foremost, follow the breeder’s instructions. If their website or Facebook page says “don’t contact me until 2025” then don’t contact them until 2025. That’s a bit of hyperbole, but still. If they ask you not to contact them, don’t. You are not an exception. If you think you’re an exception, then I guarantee that most other people think the same thing. And if everyone thinks they are an exception, then guess what? No one is.
If the breeder’s website says “Please call or text during so and so hours”, then DO THAT. Trust me, they will greatly appreciate that you could follow instructions.
Rules for Emails to Reputable Breeders
If the breeder is accepting contacts, then your email to them needs to impress, so here are some general suggestions to help you get past that first step:
- DON’T send reputable breeders an email that says “Do you have puppies? How much?” Breeders aren’t used car dealers and your email needs more information than that.
- DO:
- tell them about yourself and your lifestyle, why you chose that breed, what sort of things you want to do with this future puppy.
- tell them why you contacted them specifically
- Like most things in life, moderation is key. Don’t write them a novel when a couple of paragraphs will do.
- DON’T copy and paste the same exact email to each breeder. Make your emails personal.
- Drop names in the first or second sentence of your email. If you were referred by another breeder, say so!
- Be honest. I also cannot stress this enough.
- Don’t ask about about the cost in the initial contact. Or at least not in the first few sentences.
- Don’t talk to reputable breeders like they are a business. Most of them don’t think of themselves that way because they aren’t selling puppies to make money in the traditional sense. The money they make is invested back into the dogs.
- For the love of dog, DO NOT say “I just want a pet, not a show dog” to a breeder with show dogs. If you are thinking this to yourself right now, go back and read Post #2.
That feels like a lot of rules, but if you want a puppy, follow these rules.
Step 1c: Follow Reputable Breeders on Facebook and/or Instagram
Another great of way of connecting with reputable breeders is to follow them on Facebook and/or Instagram. In this digital age, social media is extremely important. These folks may not keep their websites up to date, but you better believe they brag on Facebook every time they win. Many also announce breedings and confirmed pregnancies on social. Sometimes it’s on their personal page, sometimes on a “business” page. Either way, if you follow them and regularly comment your congratulations, your name will stick out when/if you finally email or call them. Multiple channels of contact lets the breeder know that you’re serious about getting a puppy. But don’t be a stalker about it.
Also, it is much easier for them to post an available puppy on Facebook/Instagram than it is to update their website. It doesn’t occur often, but life happens and sometimes a puppy will suddenly become available. If a reputable breeder decides to let an older puppy or a retired breeding animal go to another home (this is known as “placing”), they sometimes post those dogs on their Facebook pages. It’s seriously worth it to follow them on social media.
Step 2: Follow Up
If you send a thoughtfully worded email that is neither too short, nor a novel and they don’t respond within a week, send a follow up email. Just reply all to your first email and ask the breeder politely and professionally if they had a chance to read your first email. Reiterate your interest in a health tested puppy and their program, but keep it pretty short this time. If they still don’t respond, then put on your big girl pants and call them.
If you called first or met in person, you should still send a follow up email – especially if you hit it off. Thank the breeder for talking to you, and tell them a little more about yourself and your family. You can also give them a little detail about what you’re looking for in a puppy. In addition to other information, in my first email to Rocket and Eevee’s breeder I said,
“We’re looking for an energetic, loving dog with lots of personality as a family companion.”
Little did I know he would end up being my first competition dog. I sent the email after calling her and having a lovely conversation. Details about you, your life, what you want in a dog, etc. add up to the breeder first deciding whether they like you or not, and second they help the breeder place the right puppy in your home.
One More Contact Suggestion
Whether it’s your initial contact or a follow up, try to mention something personal that you learned about the breeder on their website. One reason I hit it off with Rocket and Eevee’s breeder is that we share a mutual love of science. Which I learned on her website and mentioned when I called.
Step 3: The Application
Most reputable breeders require potential buyers to fill out an application or questionnaire. Make sure you follow instructions: if the breeder says on their website to fill this out and send with your initial email, DO THAT. If they send it to you after initial contact and ask you to fill it out, then do that. This section includes some general rules for filling out applications/questionnaires.
Rule #1: FILL. IT. OUT.
Recently, a friend of mine had a potential buyer refuse to fill out her questionnaire. His excuse was that he didn’t want to waste his time if she didn’t have puppies available. Her normal process (and the process of the majority of breeders) is for the buyer to fill out the questionnaire before she discusses availability. When this buyer wouldn’t fill out the application, she refused to discuss availability.
Y’all, don’t do what this guy did. And for fluff’s sake, don’t call a breeder a “sanctimonious asshole” for asking you to follow their normal process. That will get you blacklisted faster than you can even say “sanctimonious asshole”.
Rule #2: BE HONEST.
Being honest is extremely important. So, please, tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. If you tell the breeder you own your home and live in the country with a big fenced-in yard, but you really live in an apartment downtown, they will find out. Thanks to the scummy BYBs out there trying to lie their way into getting a well-bred puppy, breeders have EXCELLENT sleuthing skills. They will know if you’re lying, so tell them the truth.
And anyway, you might be surprised how many breeders don’t actually mind if you live in an apartment and/or have a full-time job outside the home. Heck, a lot of breeders have their own full time jobs, so they get it. I run an engineering company for dog’s sake.
For your own sanity and the wellbeing of your future puppy, don’t overstate your experience with a breed or your understanding of a breed. If you want a Golden Retriever, for example, don’t tell the breeder that you understand what it takes to raise a Golden puppy if you don’t actually know.
Side Note on Golden Puppies
I know Goldens have the reputation of being lovable goofs, but that’s how they are as adults. SO MANY people overstate their experience with Goldens, get an 8-week old puppy and then call the breeder within a week crying and bleeding and wondering why the puppy bites them all the time. Spoiler Alert: They are retrievers. They explore the world with their mouths. Y’all, Goldens aren’t born like Comet on Full House. That takes years of training.
And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming…
While you’re telling the truth about your living situation and your experience, tell the truth about personality traits and energy levels. Don’t say you want an ”active family companion to take hiking in the mountains” if what you really want is a low-key couch potato. Don’t say you’re looking for a future agility partner, if you have no intentions whatsoever of getting into agility. Basically, don’t say things that you think the breeder wants to hear in order to get a puppy. It won’t be fair to anyone when you get a puppy that you can’t handle and have to return it by the time it’s 6 months old.
Phase 2: Getting on The List
So you got your foot in the door in Phase 1 and now the breeder wants to know more about you. The next step is usually an interview (phone, virtual, in person). This interview is similar to how an employer/employee interview should be: BOTH parties ask questions and get to know the other party. Don’t panic, it’s time to knock it out of the park!
During your interview, the breeder will go over your application with you. You’ll talk about things like:
- where the puppy will sleep
- what the puppy will eat
- how long it will be alone each day
- your plan for training
- your long term plan for exercising your dog
- vaccination schedule
- heart worm, flea, and tick prevention
- when to spay or neuter
- what will happen to the puppy/dog if you can’t keep it
- the health history of the pedigree
- the breeder’s goals for the litter
- your goals for the puppy if you want to do dog sports
- the list goes on…
The following sections include my advice for increasing your chances of getting a well-bred puppy from your breeder of choice. Several of these points are inspired by real people who didn’t know what they didn’t know.
1. Tell the TRUTH
Clearly, I cannot stress this point enough. Your breeder needs to know the real you. Don’t pretend to be something you’re not in order to get a puppy and don’t say things just because you think they want to hear it. Remember what I said earlier about not overstating your experience? It’s OK if you don’t have any – everyone has to start somewhere. Most breeders aren’t going to automatically reject you as a potential home just because you’ve never had that breed, depending on the breed of course.
Real talk, if you have literally never owned a dog before and you call a Belgian Malinois breeder and ask for a working line puppy, you’re probably not getting a puppy. The American Belgian Malinois Club home page even says:
This is NOT Your Typical Pet Dog.
ABMC
Malinois were bred to WORK. If you can’t give them a job, you don’t need one. Period.
2. Listen to reputable breeders!
Also, please listen to their advice. If they tell you that their upcoming litter might not be a good fit for you, listen to them. They know their dogs. Listen to the breeder when they tell you what to expect from one of their puppies and what that dog will probably be like as an adult.
I’ll use myself as an example here: Eevee puppies will not be good fits for people looking for a laidback dog. If that’s what you want and I reject you, it’s not because of who you are as a person, it’s because you won’t like the puppy you get from me. Most breeders can and will direct you to someone that has dogs that are better fit, so don’t get discouraged.
You also need to listen when your breeder tells you not to feed a grain-free boutique kibble. Or when they tell you not to use a harness to teach your dog to walk on a leash.
3. Be adaptable.
A lot of Pet People go into the puppy buying and raising process with unfounded confidence and preconceived notions about how they are going to raise their future puppy. However, there are some puppy raising philosophies that might get you off the list before you ever get on one. For example, if the breeder tells you to crate train and you strongly believe in free range puppy raising – despite never having raised a puppy – you’re probably not getting a puppy from that breeder.
Remember, a lot of reputable breeders have been doing this for a very long time. They are experts on their breed and puppy raising. This goes hand-in-hand with the previous section: you need to listen and adapt. Reading a bunch of articles on the internet written by fur moms about how they raised their puppy to be the perfect human isn’t going to get you a puppy from a Dog Person. And yes, I see the irony in saying that in an article on the internet…
4. Good things come to those who wait.
Look, I know waiting sucks, but if you truly want a responsibly bred puppy, you need to be willing to wait. Most reputable breeders have waitlists 6-12 months long in normal times. Because of COVID (even 2 years later!), those wait times have increased significantly. Breeders know that there’s a shortage of well-bred puppies. They get it because most reputable breeders have waited on puppies of their own. So wait with grace. Your puppy will be worth it!
The waiting is made a little easier if you plan ahead. Remember, reputable breeders are not like commercial breeders and other high volume breeders. Most of them only breed 1 or 2 litters per year. A few have more litters than that, others breed once or twice every 3 or 4 years. So if you are not currently ready for a puppy, but you will be next year, then go ahead and make those contacts.
If you are ready now, but the current litter has no availability, make sure you follow the breeder on social media. This is worth repeating because I have seen SO many puppies become available last minute on social. So if you follow breeders on social media, then you might be one of the lucky ones that gets a puppy earlier than you thought.
5. Be kind and understanding.
There is a saying that “breeding is not for the faint of heart” and this is so incredibly true. Things can and do go wrong, even in responsibly bred litters. The potential mother might not get pregnant or she might have a very small litter. She could be forced to deliver early, which will probably result in the loss of puppies. The litter might be all boys or all girls. Or, the worst thing of all, the breeder might lose the entire litter and/or the mother if something really serious happens.
The first time I tried to breed Eevee, she didn’t get pregnant. I was devastated. It felt like such a loss and I had to grieve for the puppy that I didn’t get to keep for myself. It was also horrible to tell a whole list of people that she wasn’t pregnant.
Any number of things can go wrong that are outside of the breeder’s control, so if something does happen, please, please be understanding. And if it’s the worst that happens, please give the breeder the space they need. They just lost their beloved pet and all of those precious babies. They are grieving for multiple reasons. And then they have to call everyone on their list and relive the horror of the loss each time.
If you are waiting on pins and needles to hear about whether you made the cut or not, follow up, but be patient and kind.
6. Be flexible.
What I really mean is: Don’t be demanding. Puppies aren’t made-to-order products. Breeders don’t have control over sex and color distribution.
It’s ok to have preferences in color, sex, size, etc. but you will greatly increase your chances of getting a puppy if you are flexible. Like I said above, the litter could be all boys or all girls and if you are steadfast on getting your preference in sex, you might not get a puppy. BUT, if you say “I prefer a boy, but I will take a girl if she is a better match for us” you are more likely to end up getting the puppy of your dreams.
Most people have a color preference. Even breeders have color preferences. It’s normal and human. However, if you are dead-set on getting a blue merle Collie and the litter is all tri-colors, then you probably aren’t getting a puppy. For one, reputable Collie breeders don’t breed for color. And for another, demanding a specific color over the right temperament is a good way to get off the list completely. Besides, dogs are so much more than their coat color.
7. Don’t insist on picking your own puppy.
Yep, it’s true: you do not get to decide which puppy you get. You do not get first pick, the breeder does. The vast majority of reputable breeders match each family to the best puppy for them.
Just as an extra clarification: I’m not talking about field/performance litters in this section. The majority of puppies from show breeders go to pet homes. This is not true for a lot of field and performance breeders.
In any given well-bred litter, a minimum of 1-2 puppies will not be available to pet homes. Usually, one is the breeder’s own keeper puppy. The second puppy goes to either the stud owner or a co-owner. Occasionally an extremely consistent litter might have multiple show prospects. The show homes take priority over the pet homes. Proven performance homes also have priority over pet homes for most breeders. However, even the show and performance homes don’t always get to pick their own puppy.
Puppy placement is a huge reason it is incredibly important that you are honest with the breeder about yourself and your life. They literally spend 8+ weeks with the puppies and know them intimately.
The breeder knows that the puppy that snuggled right up to you during the puppy party and wrapped you around her paw was just wreaking havoc for two solid hours before you got there. That sleepy ball of chaos probably isn’t going to be the best match for a lot of homes, but the laidback easy going boy might be perfect for you. Sure he was playing and not paying attention to you at the party, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be the best dog you’ve ever had. The breeder knows these things. Trust them to give you the best puppy for you.
8. Don’t treat responsible breeders like a business.
I’ve mentioned this before and not just in this article. Puppies are not commodities. You can’t order what you want from a breeder like you can Amazon Prime. The way to get the perfect dog for your family is not to shop for a puppy, it’s to shop for a breeder. Do your research and find a breeder that is a good match for you. Then be patient.
Remember: Responsible breeders don’t breed for you, they breed for themselves, and they typically don’t produce puppies as a way of making personal income. Even though they ”aren’t a business” they should not be expected to be in the red for every litter they produce. Being in the red is not what makes someone responsible. Being in the black doesn’t make someone irresponsible. What they do with the money that they make is what makes them responsible: investing it back into their dogs.
Making the Final Cut
If you take all of my advice to heart and act on it, you are much more likely to bring home a wonderful, healthy puppy. When I say “all of my advice”, I mean everything in this series up to this point. Really and truly, the best thing you can do to impress a reputable breeder is to be kind and polite. Kindness makes all the difference.
Like always, I genuinely hope that this helps. There are so many well-intentioned and deserving families out there that get themselves knocked right off of breeders’ lists because they commit an unknown faux pas.
Pingback: How To Make The Cut – Reputable Breeders, Part 5
Pingback: 5 Essential Skills to Teach Your New Puppy