8 Tips for Contacting a Breeder
Introduce yourself
When you first contact a breeder, introduce yourself. Responsible breeders only place their puppies with people who will provide excellent homes for them. Tell them about yourself and your lifestyle so they can get to know you and find out what you are looking for in a puppy.
Don’t treat buying a puppy like you would buying a car
Your puppy will be your new family member, he’s isn’t just an object. Don’t treat this as a transaction, like you would for a car. Don’t expect to show up with the money and pick out whatever puppy you want. Breeders spend a great deal of time with their puppies and do testing to decide which puppies will go to which homes. They know the puppies better than anyone else and will know which homes will be best suited for each puppy.
Don’t try to barter with the breeder. Breeders work hard to raise their litters. They put a lot of time, love and financial investment into each litter that they produce. If you cannot afford a puppy, ask if they have an older dog that they are retiring. Often the older retired dogs are sold at a lower price than the puppies.
Show the breeder that you have researched the breed
Responsible breeders only want their puppies to go to homes that are suitable for the breed. By showing the breeder that you have researched the breed, it will show them that you understand what the breed is like. Let the breeder know why you are interested in the breed, what qualities drew you to this breed of dog. You can also mention some of the challenges with the breed so that the breeder knows that you realize exactly what the breed is like to live with.
Don’t ask what the price of the puppy is
Of course, you are going to want to eventually find out what the price of the puppy is but don’t let that be the first question that you are the breeder. Introduce yourself to the breeder first, let them get to know you. Ask some questions about the breeder’s dogs and how their puppies are raised. Once you have talked to the breeder a few times, then ask about the price of their puppies. Breeders are turned off when the first thing that the family wants to know is the price of the puppy.
Show the breeder that you would like to develop a relationship
Responsible breeders want their puppies to go to homes where they will get updates during the life of the puppy. They love their puppies and want to have a good relationship with the families that adopt them. This is also a good sign to watch for. Breeders who want to have a good relationship with you and stay in touch, will be there for you to give you advice and guidance for the life of your puppy.
Ask questions
Don’t be afraid to ask the breeder questions. Responsible breeders will be happy to answer any questions that you may have about the breed or about their dogs. Of course, you still want to be respectful so if you have a lot of questions don’t bombard the breeder with them all at once. Ask a few questions each time you talk to them.
Be prepared to answer questions
Responsible breeders will have a lot of questions for you. Sometimes they may have a puppy application so that they can find out the answers to their questions. Other times they may schedule a phone call or visit to have an “interview” to ask you questions and find out about your lifestyle and what you are looking for in a puppy. Responsible breeders want to make sure that their puppies all go to homes that are prepared to give their puppies the homes that will be the perfect fit. They do this by asking lots of questions so that they can get to know you.
Don’t harass the breeder
I recommend making the first contact through an email, if you haven’t already met the breeder in person at a dog show or a dog event. If they do not respond back the same day, wait a few days and try again. Breeders have busy lives and don’t always have time to respond to every email they get right away. Do not email them every day asking for a reply. This is not necessary.
If you do not hear back from the breeder after the second attempt, try calling them. Sometimes emails end up in the junk folder or they just get lost in the breeder’s inbox. When you call, though, be considerate and don’t call bright and early in the morning or late at night. If you email and call with no answer and no returned communication, move on. You want a breeder that you can develop a relationship with, so if the communication is bad from the beginning find another breeder.
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Devine Weims takes extreme care in placing a puppy into its new home. Each perspective puppy owner is required to complete the questionnaire in its entirety and we may have follow up questions. Just as we want to ensure the puppy finds the perfect forever home, we also want each new puppy family to know that they're just that, we are available for advice and help for the life of the puppy, or just to receive any and all photos you want to share with us!
We do require a deposit to hold puppies once we have confirmed there is a puppy available for you. This deposit is only refundable in the case that something were to happen and the puppy is no longer available, we are serious about our weims and we expect that our future puppy homes are as well, so once you decide to make a commitment we want to know that you are fully on board.
Please note that a completed questionnaire also does not guarantee a puppy, we do have a waitlist and spots open up usually because the timing is not right for the families on our list. We always welcome applications to join our waitlist and you will be notified if puppies become availalble.