Breeder Questionnaires

[meepitsmeagan]

I personally prefer to just shoot a breeder an email. Because I'm young and have moved around quite a bit in the past year, I just think it is better to email so that I can actually explain that I know what I'm getting myself into.

Though, if I don't see a questionnaire, it makes me wonder if they are reputable. I'm strange...

I don't like finance questions. I don't like age questions. I think things should be taken case by case.

I don't know if this helps at all. Haha.

[monkeys23]

Originally Posted by ~WelshStump~

Sorry, I don't mean to go off topic, but I read that and had to laugh out loud! We have a section of 3' high chicken wire around some garden boxes, and for the life of her, Enda wont go over it! And yet, some how, that's where her ball ends up, at least once every play session. Nope, wont go over it, so she run as fast as she can around it, and around and around, maybe stop and bark, paw/dig at the fence, until someone comes to "rescue" it.
Every dog is an individual, I don't know still as I would trust her the same at an outdoor venue off leash with orange snow fence around the ring though.

Thats so cute of Enda!

Even if I had a well fenced yard, which would be really nice, I'd still have to supervise their yard time 100% because they are what they are. And yard does not = exercise for them. Scout would probably be okay with some yard play and a short walk for a couple days, but Lily would start chasing her tail and having spastic husky zoomies with that little exercise. Weirdo, gotta love her!

[Southpaw]

Originally Posted by Rach

I don't mind filling out Questionnaires. I get a bit irritated when asked if I have a fence in yard. Not that I don't understand the reason behind it. We have a run that can be put up if needed. However, I feel that when I say no, I don't have a fenced in yard that I'm automatically disqualified from getting a puppy. We do not us underground fences, nor do we have a fence up. What we do do is place hundreds of white flags around our property and boundary train. Our dogs are never outside alone, regardless of weather conditions. If they have to go potty someone goes with them. We train our dogs to know how far they can go and have never lost one due to not having a fence. I just feel that it CAN be an unfair question.

But just because they ask the question doesn't mean there is a right or wrong answer. You can say "no, I don't have a fence - but this is what we do...." and explain the setup. Sure, some breeders might think it is "wrong" that you don't have a fence, but then I'm sure there are many others that don't really care about a fence.... they just want to know how the dogs are safely contained on the property.

Also, questionnaire or no questionnaire, if a breeder feels that strongly about puppy buyers NEEDING a fence, I would think the question would come up eventually anyway (and this could be applied to lots of things, not just fences!).

[spiffy]

I'm all for answering questionnaires. In fact, I like and respect a breeder that requires potential buyers to answer questionnaires. It shows that the breeder is not one that will hand over the pup at the first sign of green bucks. Questionnaires will allow a breeder to screen buyers and to weed out unsuitable would-be dog owners.

[YodelDogs]

Originally Posted by spiffy

I'm all for answering questionnaires. In fact, I like and respect a breeder that requires potential buyers to answer questionnaires. It shows that the breeder is not one that will hand over the pup at the first sign of green bucks. Questionnaires will allow a breeder to screen buyers and to weed out unsuitable would-be dog owners.

This assumes that the breeder has no further contact other than a questionnaire with a potential buyer. I would not consider a breeder like that to be responsible.


I have always done my screening over the phone. I have a conversation with the potential buyer, interjecting questions as part of the conversation. The conversation not only serves to screen but also for the potential buyer and I to get to know one another. I take notes and the second (and third, and fourth, etc) time I speak with the potential buyer, I slide in some of the questions I already asked. It allows me to see if they "trip up" and I catch them in a lie. You can't catch a liar with questionnaires alone. My method has never failed me in the 20 years that I have been a breeder.

[rosalie]

being a breeder i like have the questionaire, although i call mine an application, it is a faster simple way to get information on a potential buyer, and help match them to the right puppy based on what they are looking for, life style ect. I find it much simplier than email, even though i will resond to emails as well

[Kilter]

The thing I like about the questionaire is I then have the 'basics' that I want to know down in one spot and I can keep that on file. There have been many times I've gone to a friend's house who has been breeding for years and she'll have a folder for each puppy owner that is waiting for a pup in a litter, with her notes on the top, and then we go through the pups and their temperament tests and notes and those files to decide who goes where. It's great to do phone interviews but it can get confusing with keeping track of who said what - I'm not that fast of a writer.

[frostfell]

Omigosh this is like the greatest topic ever. Iv been going back and forth with myself on if Im going to have one or not, and I think after reading a bit, I will. If anyone sees this can you please email me a copy of yours that I can pick over and get ideas from? frostfellkennel@gmail.com thanks!

[release the hounds]

I can't say I've ever got a dog from a breeder I needed to fill one out for. I know it's different for everyone, but I'm very involved with what we do, and thru that I get to know a lot of breeders. There really isn't a need for a formal questionnaire as we know each other already. If there were things we didn't like about each other, our relationship probably would have ended long before the idea of placing a dog or giving one a home was ever possible.

It's how I plan on doing it from here on out.