Tibbiemax71 Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Just wanted some input on what to ask people if they ring enquiring about puppy's. Hopefully, some time next year I will have my first litter. It is OK to ask for a reference from them? If so, would you ask for one from their vet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Baggins Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Just wanted some input on what to ask people if they ring enquiring about puppy's. Hopefully, some time next year I will have my first litter. It is OK to ask for a reference from them? If so, would you ask for one from their vet? I think a reference is a bit over the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 No point in asking if they have not got any other pets or have not had a dog for years. Questions to ask Have they had your breed before. Have they any other pets. Maybe if they have an irish wolfhound you may not want them to have a chihuahua puppy too Age of children if relevant to breed size & type. Awareness of grooming requirements if a long haired breed. Intentions for dog, pet desexed, breed, show ? Inside or outside dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 We firstly ask what they now about the breed & what they are looking for in a pet & why the breed gained there attention. We try not to ask too much because we want to see who has done some simple research & who has done bugger all & has no idea about the breed & it doesn't fit there check list of wants Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bokezu Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 I always ask them to tell me a bit about themselves and why they chose the breed, and share a few e-mails back and forth, you get a feel for what sort of potential owners they are, then a phone call and I make up my mind. No need for a reference as anyone can get a good reference off someone, doesn't mean its true. Alarm bells for me is if they are wanting a female and they have other entire dogs, don't know anything about the breed, work long hours and seem impulsive etc....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Let them do all the talking, get them started and it's amazing about what people will tell you, about how they've treated their dogs in the past and what has happened to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ark Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 We also asked what dogs they have owned previously, and whether they had rehomed/sold/given away/returned any dogs in the past and if so, the reason for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Let them do all the talking, get them started and it's amazing about what people will tell you, about how they've treated their dogs in the past and what has happened to them. Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 You can assist the conversation to flow from one topic to another and people will naturally tell you about where their dogs sleep, how much time they spend in the house, what they feed them, which vet they use and the list goes on. If you go through a big list of questions, you will just get told what they think you want to hear, by the way of rehearsed answers or they think it's some kind of test or attempt to trip them up. Just having a chat will also highlight in many cases, what they don't know and the areas where they will need more guidance. I've just had the conversation with the new puppy owners about " how they would like to feed their puppy ". I ask this way, as it highlights straight away what they know about diet and nutrition, I can make suggestions regarding tweaking their plans and also I can introduce the pups to certain things before they leave home. If you can talk about every topic ( whilst ticking off your check list ) in this way, you'll learn so much about the potential new owners. It also makes them feel involved and they are far more likely to follow your suggestions and come back for help , if you do decide to sell them a pup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t-time Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 I think it's good to remove yourself from selling your puppies and pretend you are selling someone else's!! It seems easier to weigh up the pros & cons of dog ownership and breed ownership first and then get into the nitty-griity once you have a couple of interested parties and know your own puppies a little better I then find it a lot easier to match puppies with prospective owners depending on the owners' likes & dislikes, whether the actual BREED is right for them to start off and then whether or not you have a puppy which is suitable for the interested party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tibbiemax71 Posted October 7, 2010 Author Share Posted October 7, 2010 Thanks so much for the replies guys!! ReadySetGo, that is a great idea, to have chat with them and see what they actually tell you, T-time, I like your idea to, thanks heaps everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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