How much contact can you expect from breeder in advance?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here, thanks again. I’ll call tomorrow and see what info I can get.

Ask for a picture and information on the litter and ask for a specific date/time/location to pick a puppy. Ask when they are going to the vet, what food they are on and what toys they like. Ask for the vet paperwork if they went and when the follow up should be.

[Anonymous]

When you put down your deposit, did you get confirmation from the breeder that you were on the list for this specific litter?

[Anonymous]

When you say you did extensive research what did that look like realistically?? Because it sounds to me like this is a scam or a puppy mill.

[Anonymous]

I've had my dog for a year and a half and we're still in contact! She just had a litter and asked if I wanted one, but we're in contact aside from that--on social, occasional texts etc. I'm taking my dog to some bike riding in her area soon, and we'll meet up so she can see the dog and how she's doing. My dog is a retired breeding dog and the breeder had had her since she was a tiny puppy.

[Anonymous]

Very sketchy. I purchased a puppy in March and breeder would respond to my questions quickly. They also posted regular updates on their social
media. If I paid a $500 deposit I’d be emailing AND calling. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

It’s not uncommon that breeders who show in conformation that are selling to pet homes don’t let you pick your puppy and don’t tell you about the rest of the litter once they do show you a puppy. This is generally because they know they might keep 1-2 as show prospects and haven’t always decided yet.

So I don’t know what kind of breeder you have, hopefully a breeder that does health testing but I would say in my experience with top breeders in my breed they assign you a puppy at some point and you can say yes or no but that’s about it.

If you get a slightly older puppy that didn’t turn out for show and gets offered at 12-16 weeks or so, then you may get to know more about the puppy beforehand.

[Anonymous]

I definitely think this is sketchy.

We visited our breeder and paid a deposit/signed the contract when the puppies were a few weeks old. We got to see a few of them (she put like 3 in a basket and brought them to us). She wasn't completely consistent in updating social media but there were individual photos of all the puppies and a clear procedure for choosing your puppy in order of deposits placed.

All that said, I knew I was choosing a less involved breeder with more litters. She has a kennel on her property; these weren't puppies raised in someone's living room. The price reflected this ($1200 for a doodle just before the pandemic hit). But we still knew there were actually puppies and based on our order in the list we got to pick out of three.

Does this place have any online reviews or BBB complaints?

[Anonymous]

OP here. We got out on the top of the litter list and watched as others got added. No BBB reviews or complaints online. I hate to admit it but it sounds like I did not do adequate research. I appreciate all of the input here.

[Anonymous]

OP maybe try going to the AKC website and doing a search for breeders that way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We got out on the top of the litter list and watched as others got added. No BBB reviews or complaints online. I hate to admit it but it sounds like I did not do adequate research. I appreciate all of the input here.

What did she say today when you contacted her?

[Anonymous]

Last time I put a deposit down on a puppy (over a decade ago) I was periodically emailed photos and emailed the vet health and vaccine reports as they got them. I was also allowed to visit if I wanted and the breeder was very accessible as it was her full time job. This is an AKC shih tzu with champion parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not uncommon that breeders who show in conformation that are selling to pet homes don’t let you pick your puppy and don’t tell you about the rest of the litter once they do show you a puppy. This is generally because they know they might keep 1-2 as show prospects and haven’t always decided yet.

So I don’t know what kind of breeder you have, hopefully a breeder that does health testing but I would say in my experience with top breeders in my breed they assign you a puppy at some point and you can say yes or no but that’s about it.

If you get a slightly older puppy that didn’t turn out for show and gets offered at 12-16 weeks or so, then you may get to know more about the puppy beforehand.

They might not let you pick but they should advise you about the litter as the birth gets near.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not uncommon that breeders who show in conformation that are selling to pet homes don’t let you pick your puppy and don’t tell you about the rest of the litter once they do show you a puppy. This is generally because they know they might keep 1-2 as show prospects and haven’t always decided yet.

So I don’t know what kind of breeder you have, hopefully a breeder that does health testing but I would say in my experience with top breeders in my breed they assign you a puppy at some point and you can say yes or no but that’s about it.

If you get a slightly older puppy that didn’t turn out for show and gets offered at 12-16 weeks or so, then you may get to know more about the puppy beforehand.

They might not let you pick but they should advise you about the litter as the birth gets near.

I agree you should get some communication. I personally wouldn’t give any deposit until puppies were actually born, might indicate interest in upcoming litters. But I know with some breeds or breed mixes you may have to give a deposit even to get on the list for upcoming litters. I think I’ve seen that, but it’s not a thing in my breed and I would probably advise avoiding it. My last puppy, who’s a couple of years old now, I got a pic of him at 5 weeks and one at 7 weeks. Pictures just of him, nothing about the other puppies. I probably committed and got him assigned when he was around 4 weeks old and she told me she would get a picture of him in the next week and did.

[Anonymous]

OP here, wanted to followup. Messaged breeder yesterday with my concerns and got a response including photos that was both reassuring and satisfying. Got all the details/pix I asked for and we are moving forward. Thanks again for helping me work through this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, wanted to followup. Messaged breeder yesterday with my concerns and got a response including photos that was both reassuring and satisfying. Got all the details/pix I asked for and we are moving forward. Thanks again for helping me work through this.

Glad to hear it, OP!