How do others deal with showing the litter to buyers who are already approved? I always have a few picks in the litter and sometime the pet people notice there is a difference whether it is more coat or a different looking head. They seem to feel like they are getting poor quality pups. Then zillions of questions ensue about what makes their pup not a show pup.

I have thought that perhaps it would be best to put “my” pups inside and only let them view what is available to them.

Any ideas?

I don't bring them out for the reasons you mentioned. I have had arguments with people because they naturally want to the one you want. I have come to conclude that nothing good can come from showing them what they can't have.

Mike

What do you say if they ask to see them? Also how do you cut down on the time people stay at your home....last week I spent 5 hours with one couple and this was the second visit..the first visit was 6 hours.

I have a few rules.

1. One visit, at or after 5 weeks.
2. Visits are not longer than 60 minutes. Mom, puppies and I get tired.
3. I get the pick.
4. I make the placements.
5. Requests are welcome and will be honored should there be no reason not to.

Everyone know from the start how things work. I am sure some potential buyers decided to deal with someone else, but that is OK with me.

A long time brilliant breeder told me this years ago, and it's just the best!!
When you have a litter you tell everyone that calls that "you have only one or only two puppies left". They know from the beginning that their selection is limited.

Shouldn't matter either way if they see or don't see. YOU choose not them. If they don't like their pup they don't have to take it. You are breeding the litter for YOUR needs (show and breeding) not for theirs, they are lucky to get a pup.

JMHO

What Jan says - I often say that certain pups are spoken for, and for general inquiries, I always say I "might" have a pup available - I'm waiting on a deposit. I've found that you get into trouble when you make final promises, especially on particular puppies.

When people come out to look at the puppies and they are sex specific, I take all the opposite sex puppies away so the people can play with only puppies that are an option for them.

I've never hidden my pick puppies when folks come out to look at the litter. This is a good opportunity to educate them on on what is pet quality and what is show quality. Most people understand that breeders are going to keep the very best for themselves and if they don't then I am not sure I want to sell them a puppy anyway.

When we plan to keep a puppy from a particular litter, we always tell people we have the first pick. There is no debate. If they want first pick from a litter, go somewhere else. Also, another rule we have is that no one gets to pick their puppy until pick up day at 8 weeks old. And we are completely straightforward with everyone from the get go and tell them exactly what pick they have so they know how many pups they will have to choose from, if any. During visits, we don't hide any of the pups, but I do only take out the male or female puppies depending on what they want, like someone else said. If it's puppy pick up day, we've already made our selection for the one we want to keep and in that case, the pick puppy is usually already separated from the litter and they don't even see it.

I pick their puppies. They don't like who I pick for them, no problem....here's your deposit back.

Plus, once the pups have their shots, everyone comes up for a puppy play day at the same time. Everyone learns who they are getting at that time. I tell them that the pups are only awake for maybe 90 minutes so that's as long as they can stay.

No I don't hide my picks. All the pups are out.I do let the client know what pups are available when they come see the pups they know what's left to choose from.If they don't like them they can leave.They come at about 6 wks.

I don’t hide any pups but do have a separate area for visitors to play with puppies. I only put in the pups that are available for them to choose from. If they ask all others are spoken for.
I only allow visits after week 5 and set up appointment times and that they have a 2 hour slot. Most buyers are considerate enough not to overstay their visit. If they do then tell them you have plans and need to wrap up the visit, usually the hint is taken well and they leave.
It is hard to draw the line of business when pups are in your home.
Try to make the visitation area outside or in a different building. Be professional and considerate but not overly inviting.
Janet

Do any of you choose, assist in the process or at the least suggest the choice of the pup let us say based on temperament or situation. For example would you give the alpha pup to someone with 3 younger children? Are there other situations of the buyer you take into account Does the personality and temperament of the future owners help you decide which pup they should have?

I used to allow people their choice but found the first person went for the alpha as that pup came flying to them to give kisses and play. It was not always the best situation for an alpha puppy or that buyer. I always help them decide having the final decision if I feel they have not made the right choice (not based on color or sex as that is their choice.)

I do not hide picks ever but do separate them during the choice process so no one falls in love with my pups. I make it clear from initial contact that the first two bitch pups and pick boy are for myself, no negotiation. Some have actually tried to offer additional money for my pick pups, others for a pet pup with full registration! I refund their deposit if pushed too hard and ask them to leave as their true intentions are showing. (I know some larger kennels do sell pets at higher prices with full instead of limited registration but I won't. It is always limited to pet families.)

If I decide to let one or more of my picks go at 8 or 9 weeks after temperament testing, ACVO exam and assessment of the litter's conformation then it free's up more pups for people on the waiting list.

Thoughts please? I doubt I am the only one that does it this way. I feel it is in the best interests of all concerned and lessens the chance of a pup not fitting in and being returned later.

"Do any of you choose, assist in the process or at the least suggest the choice of the pup let us say based on temperament or situation. For example would you give the alpha pup to someone with 3 younger children? Are there other situations of the buyer you take into account Does the personality and temperament of the future owners help you decide which pup they should have?"

Yes, absolutely. I make it clear early on that we make the final determination whether we think we have a suitable puppy. Not often, but it's happened, that on the first "in person" visit, someone falls for a particular puppy (this has only happened in litters where there were chocolates or a litter of blacks & yellows with varied shades of yellow, and it happened to be a paricular color or shade that caught their eye)... I will make note of it's microchip number at that time if I think there's a chance it might be a suitable puppy temperament wise and ends up being available for a pet home, but everyone understands that we don't make any final decisions until after "evaluations" at 8 weeks old (I stopped referring to it as "grading" when speaking with the pet folks).

When the day comes for the family to come pick up their puppy, if they don't absolutely love the puppy we've chosen for them, I don't want them taking the puppy.

Every puppy packet is individualized to an extent for that specific puppy... other than the standard stuff I put in a packet, I still have at least an hour of paperwork to fill in for the puppy that is leaving.... I like to have that all ready before the family arrives.

One suggestion. The puppy package (well, at least the bulk of it) should be given to the buyer at the time of the visit. If you send the package home WITH the puppy, chances are that adorable little bundle of love will get all the attention. The puppy package you worked on so earnestly will probably not be read.

My puppy packet is fairly comprehensive, and alot to do with after puppy is in his new home. But rest assured, all the stuff pertaining to getting ready for puppy is in their hands well in advance... for instance, a list of supplies/items recommended, article on puppy proofing the home, article on crate training, article on understanding how vaccinations work and why the need, recommended book list (because I know once puppy is home there may not be alot of time for reading),etc. etc.

How do you individualize the puppy packet? Sounds like a very good idea!

I should add, I don't even wait for the in person visit to get that info in their hands... I email it as attachments or fax it. I do this for "promising" prospective homes that are lined up for a visit... and if they don't get a puppy from me in the end, I figure it's still good information for them to have. This way too, it allows them to ask questions about any of the recommended items, just for example, when they come for a visit.

"How do you individualize the puppy packet? Sounds like a very good idea!"

My packet has an index... the first two sections are comprised of the sales agreement (contract which I have all filled in with their name/address/phone number and everything where it references the particular puppy), health certificate, vaccine/worming records, and an Exhibit page that is made reference to in the contract which basical lists all the identifying information for that puppy (individual AKC registration app number, date of birth, color, sex, microchip brand and number, name and AKC numbers of sire and dam, sire and dam health clearance certification numbers), then of course I have the AKC registration app filled out except for the Transfer section and signatures... I don't do that until payment is complete. In a addition to photos of the sire and dam, I also like to include a few pics of their puppy since birth... and while they're here picking up the puppy, we take a family photo with them holding their new puppy! It's a keepsake for them, and I put a copy in the puppy's file... it's nice years down the road to always be able to put the family's faces with each puppy! Of course some stay more in touch than others through the years, but still there's those times when I get a photo or email and I think I remember everything about the family, but it helps jar the memory even more if I can put the faces with the family's name.

Once I trust someone enough to take one of my puppies home, I feel pretty friendly with them. I encourage visits, and I encourage litter interaction (Of course they undergo the obligatory shoe bleaching and hand washing).

The most enjoyable clients I have, are the ones who come every week to see the puppies, watch them develop, and interact with them. They end up knowing the puppies almost as well as I do. As we interact, they naturally ask what makes me pick one puppy over another. I explain in detail, all of the pieces and parts that I'm looking at when evaluating a puppy. They get a good sense that the choice is based on things that the average pet owner would never notice unless it was pointed out to them, and most of them tell me that those things would not be anything they cared much about. Often head type is mentioned, but I explain that the head is just one piece of a dog, and the things they're looking for in a pet are far more important than a head. More often than not, the folks who have taken a more active part in watching the puppies grow, tell me that they'd be just as happy if they just got whatever puppy was left, as they love them all (as it should be).

I don't pick for my clients, as I believe that's an important part of the bonding process, but I do discuss the temperament and individual traits of each puppy to assist them in their choice. I can't think of a litter where the person with the last pick puppy didn't come here and say "I am so excited to find out which one we got" (I adore clients that have that unconditional love for the litter as a whole), and what do those people say when I put that last pick puppy in their arms? They say .. "You're the one we wanted all along!". It's all in how you present the entire litter to them. If they feel a part of it, they usually love them all.

I always show them my pick, as they're usually curious which one I decided on. Typically, they know which one(s)I am leaning toward anyhow. Only once did I have someone come to see a puppy that I had left, saw the one I was keeping, and offered me money for it (double the price if I recall correctly). I didn't exactly click with that guy (go figure!), and we mutually agreed that someone else probably had the right puppy for him.

Dian Welle
Blue Knight

Good answer!

One thing I say to my puppy buyers is that puppy selection is not so much ranking the puppies and picking the best and the next best, etc. as it is matching the puppies so that everyone gets the puppy that is most appropriate for them. I do temperament testing and show them the results of the temperament tests. Sometimes I choose and sometimes there are several puppies that would be suitable. In that case the people who are highest on the list can choose.
One thing that happened to some friends of mine who were having their first litter is worth describing. These people in good faith promised a female to a family who were last on the list but also promised a pick to another family, who said they wanted a male. The breeders did not specify sex, and the selecting family switched to a female. So they didn't have a female left for the last family on the list, who were very disappointed. They could have avoided this by having separate lists for males and females OR by not promising a particular sex. Fortunately, once they got over their disappointment, the last people on the list decided to take the male and are happy with him. This would not have happened in my system because I would not have promised an open ended pick like that.

I am not sure I really qualify as we have only had one litter. We had one family who were insistant on a particular puppy offering extra cash, jewelery etc., an excellent home, but fairly used to getting what they wanted. We were so new we stuck to our guns as we had been instructed by a breeder friend and after the evaluations we matched family with temperment. We were so lucky we followed the fellow breeders advice as the puppy they wanted for a 12 year old was quite independant (not mean just independant) and we matched him to a police officer, it was so the right move! They are now completely enamoured with their puppy and have completely forgotten about the "bribery". So you know your puppies the best and follow your instincts for temperment as well as looks!

I would have taken the home! LOLOLOL

I meant they were a good home, I might have considered it if they had offered the house!!!!

All I would say here is, my pups all look so much alike a pet person could not tell a pick anyway.
Thats why I have to mark them. Hard for me to tell.
I match personalitys to familys, most even ask.