Selecting Buyers For Your Puppies

It can be a great deal of fun to breed your bitch and raise a litter of puppies. Helping your bitch through the pregnancy process as well as assisting in the labor and delivery of the puppies are all very rewarding. Once the litter is finally born the breeder has the opportunity to watch the puppies grow and develop. From tiny little things at only a few days old with their eyes still closed that sleep 90% of the time and only wake for feedings to fearless, independent puppies at the age of seven weeks that attempt to play with adult dogs and relish in their own surrounds it can be quite an adventure nurturing and caring for a litter of puppies. However, there comes a time when these little bundles of joy must go to their new homes. A responsible breeder will have suitable homes picked out for each puppy long before this time comes. This article will provide information on selecting buyers for the puppies in your litter.

The first step in selecting buyers for your litter of puppies is finding people who are interested in purchasing one of your puppies. There are a number of ways you can find potential buyers. One of the best ways is through word of mouth. Becoming involved in breed organizations enables you to network with a group of people who share your interest in a particular breed. Buyers from this pool are ideal because they are likely already knowledgeable about the breed and are dedicated to providing great homes for dogs of this breed. Advertising in newspapers, breed magazines and online forums is still another way to attract potential buyers for your puppies. You may also want to develop a website so you can post information relevant to your breeding schedule.

Once you have a number of individuals interested in your puppies it is time to begin the screening process. A responsible breeder does not sell puppies on a first come first serve basis. Instead a responsible breeder will only allow individuals who can provide a suitable home to be on the puppy or waiting lists. The best way to do this is to create an application that will enable you to gauge the applicant and determine whether or not he can provide an appropriate home for a puppy. A more experienced breeder can help you to create an application but you should feel free to include any additional questions which will help you to determine whether or not you are comfortable selling a puppy to an individual.

In addition to having prospective buyers fill out an application you may also want to interview each of them and do home visits. Home visits help you to determine if the home is appropriate for the breed. For example six foot fences are a necessity for breeds that are known to jump shorter fences. Similarly a secure area is ideal for breeds known to be escape artists that follow there noses such as hounds.

Finally, as the temperaments and personalities of the puppies start to develop, the breeder may deem some puppies to be better matches for a certain type of home than others. For example submissive puppies may thrive in a home with older dogs while more dominant puppies might be better off in a home without any existing dogs or with older dogs that are very submissive. This will help to minimize conflicts in the new home. Also, more outgoing and fearless puppies are better suited for homes with small children while more timid puppies may prefer a home with only adults or older children.