Group of breeders were having a disscussion at a show about "deal breakers" when choosing a family for their pups. There were certain things that would stop the deal right away.
Some said that things like: number and ages of children, no fence on property,owner away from the home too many hours, not wanting to spay or neuter, other animals in the family, etc.
Just curious as to what other "deal breakers" some breeders have run into.

References not checking out; cheques bouncing, having multiple dogs in the past few years who have "disappeared" without reasonable explanation and sometimes, just that "feeling". JMO

Dogs riding in the bed of a pickup truck.

Also, once we had the mom finally show up with the rest of the family on a "visit" when Brie's litter was 4 weeks old. Brie walked into the kitchen with her tail wagging, took one look at this woman decked out in black everything (including makeup) and did something she had NEVER done before. The hair on her back came up, and a low rumbling growl started - and she would not allow the woman into the puppy room. That was it - call it gut reaction, but that family came off the list. Something about it bothered our bitch, and I believe they know things or can sense things that we can't.

Having no fence should not be any deal breaker depending on the circumstances. I would rather have a puppy living in an apartment with a work-from-home person who is with that pup 24/7 who takes that pup everywhere they go, than to have that pup in some fenced yard with no social interaction.

Each puppy is different. Each set of circumstances should be weighed on their own merit.

To each their own I say - it's your pups, your rules. JMO

Lies.. that'll do it for sure.

One time had a family who told me their last Labrador died of cancer. At time of in person visit, teenage son let it slip that "Dad" ran over her in the driveway.

Another time, couple was after a black female. On in person visit, two things happened... the wife slapped a puppy on the nose as it went after a leaf on a bush. The other thing was that in earlier conversations, she told me their male Labrador was neutered... after the slap on the nose incident (where I scolded her, and she came back with a remark that "they're never to young to learn", and my husband escorted them to their vehicle (more in an effort to get them leaving, not that they needed help finding their vehicle!), hubby noticed their dog in their car and asked the husband about him, somehow in conversation with the husband it came up that he was NOT neutered.

In neither case had I taken an earlier deposit, no apologies here when I told them I didn't have a suitable puppy for them.

Your restraint is admirable...I'd have been tempted to smack her on the nose with the comment...YOU are never too young to learn....or are you??!

Not having a fence does break the deal for me. ,000.00 worth of surgery left a blind and cripple dog that was hit by a car because of no fence. Sorry but that does break the deal for me. And now they want another one? Not!!!

Sorry that is .000.00.

"Your restraint is admirable...I'd have been tempted to smack her on the nose with the comment...YOU are never too young to learn....or are you??!"

Tell me about it... hubby said I went white and he thought he was going to have to hold me back!

I don't require a fence-I have found all too often that a fence equals a puppy sitter. Too easy for families to not watch what the pup is eating in the yard, and an excuse for that puppy never to leave the yard and enjoy a walk in a park (once vaccinated).
I agree with above poster-the dam's instinct and how the families react to the adult dogs, not just the "cute" puppies. Also, if the kids are well behaved during the visit than I have a better feeling the puppy will be trained the same way.

Families with kids that don't listen to parents or me when instructing them how to hold puppies.

Fence does not ensure they will USE it!!

Recently had a buyer call me asking for another puppy because his was killed by a car after he let the 2 dogs out his FRONT door for a late night pee.
"but he never wandered before, we have 50 acres...." he said about his 8 month old male puppy from me who was now DEAD.

He did NOT get another puppy. Sorry, you can't keep the first one safe, you DON'T get another one!!!!

I don't want to ever bawl my eyes out like that again.

Children that don't listen in general or scream repeatedly when told not to. If the parents have to keep repeating a direction to a child over and over again chances are they won't be able to train a puppy either.

The biggest I have to say is gut instinct. We had a man come a few weeks ago and my girl kept nose butting to get him away from the puppy pen, needless to say he didn't get a puppy, if my bitch doesn't like you then neither do I!!!

I have a funny story about kids ,we had a contractor that had refinished our floors call us for a reference for a possible client and the women actually wanted to come over to see our floors. No problem except that her daughter who was about 7 couldn't keep her hands off of anything and proceeded to unfold the afghan on the back of the couch, touched my hubbies collection of cars, touched my taxidermied goose when I saw her looking at it "you can look , but don't touch" well I did tell her not to go into the living room and well she didn't listen. Unfortunately we were using those shock scat matts to keep the dogs off the new couches and this girl sat on one!!! they sure left in a hurry after that!!!

THAT is too funny about the scat mat!! I also pay attention to not only how children act around the pups/dogs but how they take direction from not only their parents but me, as well...

Another thing I pay attention to besides many things already listed, is if someone goes to 'brush off' their clothes after one of my dogs brushed against them or a puppy did. Goodness, can't have a hair or two on the pants now! Or after one has taken a drink and then went to nudge you and you have a nice little wet spot... This is a deal breaker for me.

Love my prospective families who get down on the ground w/ the dogs/pups either in the house or in my yard. Love it too when the men get mushy w/ them.

ps: first reply for me since new format..Can someone share w/ me(privately is great)how to insert a pic like I'm seeing others do? Thanks

I have turned 2 families away when money was given to a child to purchase a pet. I always ask who will take primary responsibility and how pup will be trained. With both of these a child was expected to do all the training. The grandmother who gave the $$ was going to come with child to choose puppy. I gently but firmly said a puppy is an adult's responsibility and I did not feel comfortable with their family situation.
Another situation where I learned the hard way was when a family stated they decided on another dog "just last week"; well 6 months later I had the puppy back, jumping on everyone and totally untrained in any area. Thankfully I found an excellent new home - a work collegue of my husband's. Saw grown pup last Christmas at a work Holiday party, properly trained and beautiful. So thankfully that situation turned out fine.

The family that put their last 4 year old lab to sleep(bloat), because they did not want to pay for the surgery, but 5 months later are ready to invest over $2,000+(purcase price and first year exp.)for a new pup.

If they are renters it's an almost deal breaker. If they won't let me talk to the landlord forget it.

Greeted mother & son at the gate. Before I let them in, I said "No throwing anything for the dogs. The puppies mother will get excited and run over the puppies." Five minutes later, mother and I are talking when I see something fly by out of the corner of my eye. Darn kid is throwing apples. I repeat the speech.

Now he starts focusing on the puppies and reaches for one. I tell him politely that he must sit down if he wants to hold a puppy. I explain that puppies squirm and can surprise you and have a bad spill. OK A couple of minutes later, there he is standing up & holding a puppy. He looked right at me and said, "I can hold onto a puppy."

Well he wasn't about to get one of my puppies!!!! Later that night, his father called me and read me the riot act for his wife & son having made the trip to see the puppies for nothing. Amazing!

I just have a bee in my bonnet about turning away buyers for number of children. I have 7 precious, responsible, well behaved children, we get comments all the time on their adult like maturity. I have several friends with 8 children. Mine and their children are much better behaved and trained than many families with 2 kids who do not spend any time together and where kids are "institutionally raised" (constant daycare and babysiters, etc). These same families spend no time training children or dogs for that matter. All my children do 4-H, some show in Jr's or obedience and know more about dogs and training than most adults.

If a family is looking for a puppy, I do not cross them off of my list just because they have a couple of children. A nice family with nice children can be a wonderful home for a Lab.
Having said that: I had a family once that came to look at pups and the mother said that she had priorities and the children came first and if she had time she would look after the dog.
She also was wearing a white pants suit and did not want to be anywhere near the puppies. Only wanted to look at yellow pups because they had white carpets.
The children also let it slip that the previous dog they had used to always get out because no one ever shut the gate. That dog got run over. (The mother failed to mention the previous dog.)
Going with my feelings, I told them I did not have a dog for them. I heard that they did get a dog from another breeder and six months later it unfortunatly got hit by a car and had to be put down.

Just received one of my puppy questionnaires filled out and I will say that I have never in my life experienced what I just read for this person's answers. Red flags everywhere. No, not interested in a limited registration. He wants pick of the litter - his choice and wants no input from me about what puppy will work best for his situation because he doesn't know me and he has been taken by others. Refused to give me vet's name for a reference check. He may be a nice guy but I am very uncomfortable about this application.

Last year I sold a puppy to a family with 5 children, 2 of which were 1 year old twin girls. When they first came to see the puppies, I required that the entire family come so that I could meet them all. I have to say that those children were extremely well behaved and I had no problem at all selling them the puppy. I knew that the husband would be in charge of the training, etc and so far, it has worked out beautifully.

I agree that I have seen single children cause more trouble than multiple children (I am from a family of seven...)

Yes, there are deal breakers, but no one thing as each circumstance is a little different.

Question: How do you handle the angry, dissappointed family when you tell them you do not have a puppy for them?
You determine that there are very good reasons not to sell them a puppy and they come back at you with threats, etc.
I told a family no on getting a dog from me. It was a poor judgement safty issue with their past dogs. I really did not want to worry that some day I would hear that my precious baby died because of their actions.
Well I am getting emails and phone calls from them AND their friends telling me that they will never recomend me to anyone and how can I tell them No when they have already told lots of people they were getting a dog that week! How dare I insult them and insinuate that they are bad dog owners! Etc.
I have tried to politely explain my reasons to them.
It is almost like they are trying to blackmail me into changing my mind which of course I will not.
I have been polite, have not raised my voice, have answered their emails courteously but have stood firm in my decesion.
My husband said to just stop responding to them but the emails continue.
Any other thoughts on how to handle this situation?