Litter waitlist question

Domestika

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#1
Another thread just gave me a thought...

Would you breed a litter that you did not necessarily have good homes for?

Is it the smart thing to do to wait until you have already found good homes that you know and trust for the pups before you even bring them into the world? Or is it reasonable to produce the litter and find homes before they're due to go home?

Just wondering what the general concensus is amongst small, household breeders (ie. breeders breeding one litter a year or so).
 

Romy

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#2
Another thread just gave me a thought...

Would you breed a litter that you did not necessarily have good homes for?

Is it the smart thing to do to wait until you have already found good homes that you know and trust for the pups before you even bring them into the world? Or is it reasonable to produce the litter and find homes before they're due to go home?

Just wondering what the general concensus is amongst small, household breeders (ie. breeders breeding one litter a year or so).
Never bred a litter, but I think for me it would depend on the breed. Some are known for 9+ pups in the litter, and some like Chi's have more like 1-4 in a litter. Personally if I was to breed at all, it would be because I wanted to keep one or more pups from a breeding. In the case of a borzoi, I'd at least want a few interested people. They can have a lot. I wouldn't wait for 9 concrete homes to pop up though. To me I think it would be more important for puppies to be born when both parents are ready to be bred, and you as the breeder have the time and money to handle a litter. For example, if I was the breed a litter of large breed puppies, waiting on homes to breed them when the litter would be due in December would probably not be the smartest thing. Or if the female was getting older and was an animal that I really wanted a litter out of for myself.

From what I understand it's commonplace for folks to disappear once puppies are on the ground anyway, even with a deposit. If I was planning on the breeding I would go ahead with it and if that meant I needed to keep 9 borzoi puppies, well then I'd just be a busy gal. :D

That also means that I wouldn't do a breeding without being prepared to take on 9 more dogs.
 

HoundedByHounds

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#3
I have never had an issue placing puppies. I do not breed "for" other people (aside from other breeders who might want to collaborate on something)...I breed for myself, my breeding programme, and my goals. Pet puppies happen in every litter...and when I have done a breeding I post it and keep an interest list. I mean you have two months....four if you count the day of breeding....to find homes. That is plenty of time, at least in my breed.

I like to take my time assessing and having a ton of people emailing me daily about "is puppy A a pet? I reaaaally want that one..." is annoying LOL.

I am sure with huge littered breeds it's different...but I consider my plans and goals...and those of perhaps another breeder when I do breedings. Anyone else can wait til I am done deciding LOL.
 
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#4
I think waiting lists are fine but not a guarantee that someone will get a puppy from you. People will get on your waiting list and then find another puppy elsewhere sooner, or decide on a different breeder, or decide they dont want a dog, etc.

So while I think it is a good idea if Breeders want to make waiting lists... I never agreed with those here who say you SHOULD NOT breed until you have a full waiting list... because that can easily fall through.

You shouldnt breed however, if you NEED all the pups out of your house at 8-12 weeks. You should be flexible to keep them as long as necessary to find good homes.
 

bubbatd

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#5
I only bred every 2 or 3 years and had a waiting list . I either knew the people or they were through former owners .
 

Domestika

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#6
From what I understand it's commonplace for folks to disappear once puppies are on the ground anyway, even with a deposit. If I was planning on the breeding I would go ahead with it and if that meant I needed to keep 9 borzoi puppies, well then I'd just be a busy gal. :D
9 Borzoi puppies! Fun!

I say you just...go ahead and do this. And video tape all the puppies. And let me live vicariously through you. :)
 

Domestika

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#7
I think waiting lists are fine but not a guarantee that someone will get a puppy from you. People will get on your waiting list and then find another puppy elsewhere sooner, or decide on a different breeder, or decide they dont want a dog, etc.

So while I think it is a good idea if Breeders want to make waiting lists... I never agreed with those here who say you SHOULD NOT breed until you have a full waiting list... because that can easily fall through.

You shouldnt breed however, if you NEED all the pups out of your house at 8-12 weeks. You should be flexible to keep them as long as necessary to find good homes.
That sounds like very good advice.
 

Zoom

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#8
I think it depends on who you and your dogs are (i.e. how well known) and how large your breeds average litter is. A lady on another board of mine just had an oops litter bred (otherwise a fantastic breeder, it was a combination of several factors all occurring at once) so she hadn't had a reason to really have a waiting list up and going. But because she had been planning on breeding this bitch in the near future anyway, there were interested people, the sire is UTD on all his health testing and is from great lines himself and so there are plenty of people waiting for this litter to drop now.

I think it's a better idea to know that there are people waiting for a pup from you before you breed, but I don't think it's absolutely necessary to have concrete homes lined up. People's lives can change drastically, especially nowadays, and they may not be able to take the pup they reserved. Myself, I've been on a waiting list for a pup since 2006, in the hopes that the bitch will turn out as nice as her mother so she can be bred and I can have a pup from these lines.
 

Beanie

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#9
I think most breeders breed for themselves first - when they are ready for another dog, when they're pursuing a goal, et cetera. The wait list comes second... and as others have noted, even if somebody is on your wait list it doesn't mean they're taking a puppy this go around. There's a particular stud dog I'm waiting to get a puppy from, and I REALLY like the crossing that's likely to occur this year so I really, really hope there's the right dog for me in that litter... but he might not be.
There were also people ahead of me on the wait list for Auggie's litter, but they weren't ready for a dog yet. So a wait list isn't a sure thing... even if you have deposits. I think you HAVE to think about your wait list second rather than first, really.
 

bubbatd

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#10
I had someone on my wait list once but I felt that they weren't ready for a pup . I talked them into waiting for a litter that Bubba would sire down the road ( not my female ) and I would let them have the pick of the litter . Yes, my gut was right ! 2 1/2 years later they were moving and having a third baby and would I rehome ! I had just lost my IB so I kept him as Bubba had never been a single dog . That dog was Chip ! Hawthorn Hill's Chip of Bubba !
 
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#11
I have a list of 10 (was 11) for IF or WHEN i have a litter. Will i take deposits, nope, will i guarantee anyone a puppy nope...

Personally i breed for ME first. I am super picky about my puppy homes, and if i don't think you cut it, you don't get one. It isn't first come first served, it is right puppy right home, or nuttin! They can stay as long as needed too!

I dunno, waiting lists are great, but in the end they are just that!

S
 

AllieMackie

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#12
I think waitlists are good, but certainly not required, necessarily. In Finn's case, his breeder is well known in herding circles. She had deposits down for four puppies, and when seven came, she had no issue placing the other three into homes doing working or sport.
 

Fran101

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#13
I think it discourages alot of poeple, but put on a HUGE waiting list and waiting and waiting and waiting

HOMES should be screened and carefully interviewed but BIG waiting lists have always been a turn off for me..
 
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#14
I view waiting lists as more of an, I"m interested, call me when you have a litter on the ground or planned. But I wouldn't commit myself to getting a puppy or giving a puppy (if I bred) to a certain litter or a certain person on a list just because they were on a list.
 

bubbatd

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#15
When I was breeding there were only a few around that did occasionally breeding and we all knew each other . We all basically bred for ourselves and spread the word . I never took deposits as I knew those on the list . One family through the years bought 3 generations and through them their friends and family members bought pups . I must have had at least 10 sold in Ohio over the years . I went into OFA and Cerf. as soon as they were available . Many didn't . I loved my breed and wanted the best home for them ! Even though I didn't show , their pedigrees had many Championships . Most just wanted a wonderful Golden !
 

adojrts

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#16
I don't do waiting list per say, but I do have a list of people that want to be informed when a litter is planned. I also don't breed to fill 'orders', I breed for myself and to perserve my lines.
Like the litter I have planned for this year, as soon as word started to get out that I am planning a litter the phone calls, emails or being approached at trials started to happen.
If people are serious and they have passed the screening, then yes I will take a small deposite.
 

LauraLeigh

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#17
When I get back involved on a breeding level, it will be like starting all over... I have lost many of my contacts and will need to re-establish myself that way. I have a couple of possibles, but nothing serious. I will be breeding for myself and then placing the rest as I find suitable homes. I am hoping my new pup when old enough to breed will give me a more average JRT litter than Mindy did.. LOL
 

FoxyWench

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#18
I think most breeders breed for themselves first - when they are ready for another dog, when they're pursuing a goal, et cetera. The wait list comes second...
I think you HAVE to think about your wait list second rather than first, really.

i agree with this...when i bred vixie it was because my mother wanted a pup from the litter as did i...
when i decided to follow through i then took names for the waitinglist and had 5 names that passed checks...
of that list 4 pups were born, not one i was looking for...mum got pick, then of the 5 names 2 backed out...
 

YodelDogs

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#20
For me, a waiting list is more like "Let's keep in touch and I'll let you know when I have a litter coming". There is no commitment from myself or the potential buyer until I am certain I will have a puppy for them. After the litter is born and I know how many I have, I will then reserve pups for pre-interviewed homes. Since the pups are not graded until 7-8 weeks old, I do not promise a specific puppy to anyone until after I have made my selection. I have never had any problems with this method.
 

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