So you found the "perfect" litter from a reputable breeder, or maybe a future litter that you "just have to have" and you want to make sure that you are on The List to get the sex or color (or both!) of your desire. Hopefully after doing your homework and not on a whim while scrolling through websites and social media. If this is your first dog purchased for a purpose- be it a show prospect, hunting companion, or competitive sport dog, there is a lot of information and aspects of the purchase that you may not have ever encountered, even if you have had pet dogs in the past.
One of the things that you will find with most reputable breeders is that there is often a waiting list for one of their pups, especially if you are wanting a specific "type" in regards to color, sex, and size. In fact, the most specific you get, the fewer available pups there will be to choose from. I tell our prospective clients/buyers that they should choose the sex that they want, because some folks may already have experience with males vs females or have another dog at home that only tolerates a certain sex. Next would be speed and temperament along with previous experience with the breed and training, plus of course for what purpose they were going to use the dog for. Everything else is just a "bonus".
So how do you pad the odds of getting the pup of your dreams? In order to get in on a litter with a strong chance of getting your "pick", you will need to place a deposit. That deposit will be a portion, anywhere from a set amount or maybe a percentage of up to a third of the total cost of the puppy. We typically set our deposits to 1/3 of our lowest priced litters. The amount paid down to hold a puppy comes off of the total amount.
Some serious considerations that you really need to think about BEFORE placing a deposit is: Are you ready for a puppy now or in the time frame in which it will be ready to go home? By that I mean financially, physically, mentally, and everyone in the household is on the same page. So if you know you are moving, starting a new job or school, having a baby, redecorating, or having surgery, please consider waiting or have a plan involving a family member or trainer. If something "comes up" after you send your deposit, contact your breeder immediately! Many breeders consider deposits NON-refundable, others might allow moving the deposit to a future litter or will refund in certain conditions.
Our deposits are NON-refundable except if we do not produce the needed amount of pups to match the number of deposits taken, produce the needed amount of pups in the "correct" sex, or if the pups unexpectedly die. We do allow our clients to move the deposit to a future litter, especially if they are looking for a pup from a specific dam or sire, or looking for a specific sex/color combo. Keep in mind, that deposit is toward a puppy and does NOT "lock in" a certain total price on a puppy, as that could change over time due to costs of producing the litter, the titles of the sire/dam, and size of litter. So if you decide to move your deposit it could very well land on a litter that costs more than the original litter.
So why do breeders ask for deposits if they do not know how many of each sex, if they even know the number of pups due to be born? Every breeder has their reasons, but here are some of ours.
1. Deposits weed out those folks that only have a passing interest in a puppy, those that look to buy on a whim or impulse without thinking things through. People who are window shopping often spend an extraordinary amount of the breeders time with questions, requests for information on the litter, parents, and requesting photos and videos that they would have already found out by doing their own online research of the breeder and their dogs. This time cannot be replaced and takes away time from the breeders dogs, family, and from other clients. That old adage of "time is money" is true. And it is a cost that the breeder does not recoup if the buyer then backs out or suddenly disappears. Asking for a deposit gauges the true interest that a prospective buyer has in the litter.
2. Deposits are often used to help defray those incidental costs of raising the litter. These could include food, toys, treats, medications, vet visits, and cleaning supplies. No matter how prepared a breeder is for a litter, there are always costs involved that cannot be planned for, plus not many folks in the 'business' have $6000 socked away in the bank BEFORE embarking on breeding and raising a litter. Especially if all "profits" go back into the breeding program, because a breeder has expenses year round, whether they have a litter or not.
3. Deposits let a breeder know whether or not they need to continue advertising the litter for sale, or if all have been spoken for. Advertising has it's own expenses whether it is professional ad services, memberships for gun dog sales, and the absorbent amount of time spent answering requests for information on litter. Time they could be actually spending with the puppies preparing them for their new homes.
4. Deposits also give the buyer a sense of security knowing that they have made the cut and are one of the lucky few that will be getting a well bred healthy puppy and that they can stop the search.
Some of the simple rules for deposits include only placing deposits on a litter(s) that you are serious about getting a puppy from. Unless you plan on buying more than one puppy, please only place a single deposit with only one breeder. If you think that there is a real risk of not getting a puppy due to number of deposits taken and potential size of the litter, than get on a couple of "waiting lists" without placing any money down. Because if the first deposit works out and you have multiple deposits down, you will not only lose those monies but also you are wasting those breeders' time.
Once your puppy is born, please contact any breeders that have you on their list and let them know that they can remove you. That way it offers some else the opportunity to take your place on the list for their own special pup.
When contacting a breeder and agreeing to send your deposit- please do so in a timely manner...like ASAP! With the current state of the U.S postal system, it might take almost a week to reach the breeder. If they had to wait on you do to procrastination or forgetfulness, that adds to the time they are waiting and wondering if you were serious about buying a puppy. If they have others that also show interest in the litter or same puppy, you very well could lose out by delaying getting your deposit to the breeder.
Let them know when you put it in the mail and when to expect it. The breeder should contact you when they receive it. You could spend the extra money sending it expedited or with proof of receipt, but I have found that paying for "next day" delivery is pretty much a waste of good money when regular mail is almost just as fast these days.
Make sure that the check will clear the bank as it WILL be cashed by the breeder. A check returned due to insufficient funds is a hard NO with us. We contact you to let you know it was received, thus you have time to make sure that the check is good. If you are sending the deposit electronically, please make sure that you include any necessary information on the transmission so that the breeder has that info for quick reference.
When sending a deposit it is best to include the following:
Name, address, phone, and email exactly how you want it to appear on the AKC registration and micro chip registry information. Also include what you are looking for in a dog, basically your "ideal" dog. Include any experience you have with the breed, with training, or who you will be sending your puppy to for training. List your expectations and wants and wishes. This is to help the breeder match you with the perfect pup in the litter.
Once the deposit arrives, know that you can now relax, enjoy the updates and photos of the litter, and start planning on how you will be getting your new puppy home...to be continued!
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