Have been breeding for a few years. Maybe one or two at most litters a year.
Have been very fortunate to place my guys in wonderful homes.
BUT! This year for some reason I am having the most problems ever!
Folks calling me up and wanting:
-pick of the litter,
-full registration,
-asking for a lower price (mine are $900) ("after all labs did not cost anywhere near that much when they bought their last one 14 years ago!"),
-complaining that they will be getting the leftovers if they don't get first or second choice,
-wanting a five year health guarantee and in writing that I will pay all the costs if other than regular check ups,
-refusing to agree to my "right of first refusal clause" in case the dog needs to be rehomed
-wanting to pick out a name and not include my kennel name ("said that they have the right to name their dog anything they want after all they are the ones spending the money")
-telling me they will sue me or tell the world I am a bad person because I told them I did not have a puppy for them
-arguing when I tell them a dog in a car needs to be either crated or at least have a harness to protect them, etc.
I could go on and on. I find it easier to spend 24/7 raising a litter than dealing with puppy folks this year.
Thanks for letting me vent. Now going to pet my beloved labs.
Any suggestions dealing with these buyers would be welcome.

You cannot be taken advantage of unless you ALLOW someone to do it.
Take charge of the situation from the first phone call /email. Perhaps they are walking all over you , because you are not giving off that "I'm in charge" vibe , that you must.

Maybe I am being too nice but I do want to help people find a nice dog for their family.
I talk to them and answer all of their questions.
I send to them a copy of my puppy buyer questionaire and my selling practices ie. limited registration, etc.
They still try to bargin and change the rules.
I do not want to be rude but they are wearing me out.
One buyer asked me lots of questions and we talked for an hour. She then wanted to come over that day and pick up a puppy. I told her she had to fill out my questionaire and she said that "she did not have the time" and I told her they were only 5 weeks old and would not be going to their new homes until at least 7-8 weeks. She called me a jerk and slamed the phone down.
I will still try to be nice but firm but they still wear me out!

Thank them for their interest and wish them good luck in their search elsewhere.

I can usually tell if I am going to click with someone within the first few minutes of speaking with them, if I don't I blow them off. I used to want to save the world and make sure everyone was educated and got a quality dog, but realized, the world does not care. If someone is worth my time I will talk to them all night, but if they are jerks then they are not worth my precious time and our conversation will end immediately.

You know really , those questionaires are a waste of everyone's time. Time better spent by a one on one interview, anyone can do or say anything either on paper or not.

You know what, I can't figure out how you got that looooonnnnnngggg list of goofy buyer requests. If I have a buyer who balks at ONE SINGLE THING, I say sorry, I don't do that. Then I say I hope you have good luck finding what you are looking for. Then it is good-bye. If you are truly getting all this stuff, you are letting people argue with you. Don't ever do that. Remember Nancy Reagan. Just say NO.

Maybe that is so but if they don't have time to fill one out how will they have time to take care of a puppy? If you get a bad feeling from someone don't go any further with the conversation. Say I don't think this will be a good fit for me, good luck in your search. Sometimes no is hard to say but it is better than living with the feeling someone has run all over you. If they insist on the price or terms being different tell them they will need to look elsewhere because this is how I do business. You are in the catbird seat.

I use my questionnaire as a first tier screening tool. Next is an in house interview, and if they can't find the time to come to my home and meet me face to face, then they are not that serious. I would NEVER sell off my written questionnaire alone, and I doubt many reputable breeders do.

So though you are entitled to your opinion, for the record my questionnaire helps me weed out potential families from the very beginning and helps keep me organized

I just spent 1/2 hour taking with a person that wanted pick of the litter with an open reg, and most of the conversation was about his terrible experience he had with previous "show" puppies (from different breeds)since 1970. I could feel he was already mad and stressed out about getting a new puppy, and the possibility that it would not work this time either.
I need no more problems in my life. I told him that I don't think it would work for this litter. To please contact me in the future for upcoming litters.
I choose who gets my puppies. If I don't like the people, then they ain't getting a puppy from me. No compromising at all.
Another strategy is to tell them after a few minutes that a deposit just came in and the puppies are not available anymore.
If someone is putting on the table the word suing, run from them. It is extremely rude and risky too.
Oh yes, and I use the useless questions questionnaire to scare breeding people away. Most don't feel comfortable giving their full address and personal info.

I like my questionnaire
first off I know they buyer is somewhat serious. They were willing to spend the time to fill it out.
It gives me a brief idea of what they are looking for in a dog so when I talk to them on the phone I don't waste their time or mine.

I also staple mine to contract and health cert of the buyer so I always have full information on the pup. then I use the same page to write notes to myself, price paid, deposits given, issues that may come up, etc.

So not a waste of time for me!

My last litter was a bit like that. I had to refuse a family. The man got very man, but didn't want to send a deposit. Tryed to tell him that everyone else does, sight unseen of the puppys. He wanted to come over pick out a pup first. Duh. Not here. And they go from breeder to breeder and get smarter and smarter with the questions. Most of the time they really have no idea what they are really talking about. I love to educate but think sometimes we tell them to much. I like the questionaires. Don't have one but others send them to me when they send inquirys over to me if they don't have a litter. Gives you an idea of the family.

How do these people find you? I sell mostly to repeat customers, referrals, and a few requests from people who have seen my website, which is very factual about what my dogs are like, and I hardly ever have these issues. I did have my kennel listed on a website (not Wiscoy) and get mostly junk calls from that- people who want chocolates, which I don't have, and people who are not willing to meet my prices or are unwilling to wait for a litter. I won't renew it when it lapses. Perhaps you need to look at how you are advertising.

Thats interseting you are having trouble. I find that 95% of the people who call me about a puppy are very sincere and educated already. They say they have learned a lot from my website and thank me for all the info posted there. It's all spelled out, no question unanswered. If I do find one I haven't covered, I add it.
Guess I have been lucky
I am very forthright regarding my terms and expectations and I don't sell on full reg.
It's just easier that way.
If someone I meet at dog shows wants a show prospect, I will consider it if I know them already, otherwise, no way.
Been burned already by newbies who want the world in a basket.
Not going there again just not worth it

I agree also, we are very clear, all our puppies are sold on Limited, we pick the puppies for the families, and we don't ship under any circumstances. We just don't have issues with puppy buyers and while we do get some that our prices are little higher than they want to pay, I can't remember the last time we were asked to reduce it.
If someone asks about a certain puppy pick, the answer is "I'm sorry we don't do it that way", if they ask about Full registration, "we only sell on Limited unless it is an established breeder who we know or know of", there is no discussion or attempt on our part to have them see it our way as I don't feel I have to justify what or how we do things to a puppy buyer.

From all ... am waiting for my first litter - due mid July - and this is all good info to know.. what to look out for etc.

I've had my share of *interesting* puppy people recently too. I had to turn away 4 families (who, BTW I did not even take deposits from) and one person cried, one screamed at me, one bribed with me with $500 to knock someone else off my list, and one actually had the nerve to tell me that the news I was giving her made her feel like she had a miscarriage. I was speechless!

Most of the people that contact me has already red my web site, and know how I work. I keep all the info they need up to date.
Limited registration is a need, and real good owner understand and appreciate that.
If you are a good breeder, price your puppies right (and I don't sell cheap by any means) you should not have any issues placing puppies. It is not even a matter of how many Champions have you bred or own, it's a matter of how knowledgeable you are, and how you keep the dogs and puppies.
Get rid of people you don't like, another one will come your way.

Boy people can be nuts! The woman obviously has never actually had a miscarriage before or she would know it feels a lot worse then not getting a puppy that you want! Sheesh!

Usually a person who has bred or owned zero champions makes a statement like this

Boy how rude are you. How many of yours have obedience titles, field, therapy. Something to show they are an all around Lab. I say who cares if they are a champion. Some, not all champions are pay for. Some don't have that kind of money and enjoy showing their own Labs for whatever reward come. Lots of us might not have champions but well known and thought of in the Lab breeders ring. And I agree it is how we take care of this great breed. Keeping them to standard, keeping the great temperament, keeping them going to familys who treat them as another kid in the family. You need to rethink what this is all about.

To all:
Thanks for this great information
I have really enjoyed reading the threads
Very informative ... I am hoping to have my first litter in March 2010

I find the responses to my original question very interesting.
By the way, not all of the "crazy" requests came from the same potential puppy buyer. It just seems that each call has something new!
I will add some more info to my web site. Perhaps that will stop some of this. I do not advertize at all.
Last litter was not even on my web site. I try to just rely on referals from past puppy buyers and breeder friends. Sometimes though, one person tells another person and you end up getting a call from a person that "heard about you" from "someone".
Sometimes this works out and sometimes not.
I Thank all of you that have responded. Sometimes just sharing an experience and knowing that others are also dealing with the same problem is enough to help.
I will continue to be polite, try to educate and will be firm when the red flags go up!

I take control of the situation from the start. They have to read my info, sign a questionnaire that says they understand my requirements...blah, blah...if they don't like it, they can go to the next breeder...period.

People are just mean, sometimes. That is the long and short. Everyone once in a while I run into someone that is just miserable, and you happen to be in their way or "not giving them what they want" (like big babies), and they are a pain the the you know what.
Miserable people make people miserable (is that quote original???? LOL ! )

You are soooo right, its the dogs we love, the people are the ones that are the hard ones.

I'd say about as equally rude as you! :))

For the people that do questionnaire first. Have you ever had some one said: they do not own their house, they do not have a back yard, they work 12 hours a day, They won't train the dog, they plan to breed the dog until it drops dead, etc?
I wonder how honest people is when answering those questionaires.
Just asking

Surprisingly, I have had some pretty honest responses on my questionnaire, which did make me feel the people were not ready for a dog. One family lived in a rental house where the pets were only allowed to be kept outdoors. I want my puppies to live indoors with the family, as my own dogs do, so I did not sell them a puppy.

Just as honest as they are over the phone or to your face!

This breeder must receive alot of inquiries. The best breeders I know of have 30-50 buyers for their average litter of 8 twice yearly.

So the list is compiled from all of her contacts is what I am assuming.

If this continues, she will get tougher. I learned how to, my family never understood why I didn't accept more than 60 percent of the callers & emailers.

OP, try to be firm. I think you're doing just fine and understand you're frustration.

I get those same questions. I don't advertise anywhere, not even on my website. The litter isn't shown on it until all pups are spoken for.

I too have repeat buyers, referrals and no advertising. My current litter is all spoken for, $1600 for new buyers, $1500 for repeat buyers. In between the good ones I got the bad ones too. Demanding people. I politely told them I did not have a puppy for *them*, it's my puppies, my way or the highway.

I guess you've been lucky Peggy. In this economy people are growing larger testicles. You'll see it eventually.

OP I would raise your price just for the aggravation you're experiencing. Maybe the buyers think because you are lower priced they can mess with you. Don't allow it and feel free to tell us about your frustration. No one should be passing judgement, you haven't been in the OP's shoes, yet.

I use the adoption questionnaire like many of you do. It is a first step to see if they will take the time to fill it out. Sometimes they call you when they feel like talking - not when you have the time. I think that most people are fairly honest about what they write down, as they know I will be talking to them after it is returned. It also gives me a chance to zillow their address to see what the area looks like. The questionnaire helps me stay organized and I use it for notes.

Actually, what ever pet puppies I've let go at a lower price, those are the owners that will complain for anything.