Puppy Questio nnaire
Thank you for taking the time to fill out my questionnaire, helping to facilitate the first step in our interview.
Puppy Buyer Etiquette
STOP LOOKING FOR A PUPPY. The Classic mistake buyers make is thinking they need their Aussie puppy now, or in the next couple of months, it has to have these specific markings and eye colour, and start inquiring immediately to purchase said puppy from my current litter on the ground. Unfortunately puppies are not made to order nor can breeders order up coat and eye colour. We are breeding for different reasons than what pet buyer are looking for. What is breeder X’s perfect puppy is not Breeder Y’s.
Stop looking for a puppy and look for a breeder. Make a personal connection with a breeder who you feel shares your criteria, and then wait for a puppy from them. They may have a litter on the ground, or maybe they’re not planning a litter for another few months, or even a year. If that is the case as for a referral to a breeder they respect and shares their same priorities and has similar personality and support ethics. Either way screen your breeder first then inquire about a puppy.
EXPECT TO WAIT FOR A PUPPY. It is extremely rare to wait less than a few months, four to six months is normal. Even we breeders have to wait when searching for a new addition to our breeding program. We all have to wait, and we all have to get matched up by the puppy’s breeder. Introduce yourself thoroughly. Fill out any required questionnaires completely and in detail, providing any additional information in the spaces provided. Block out at least an hour of uninterrupted time for the first phone call. Specifically describe your plans for this puppy, be truthful. Be prepared to answer questions about your understanding of the breed, and what is required in raising said breed. Do your research beforehand and know what you are getting into with your breed of choice. Bring up the price either at the end of the first contact ( if it has been successful and you feel a connection to this breeder) or in a follow-up contact. Phone calls or emails with “I see you have puppies on the way, how much” this kind of query will not get a very positive response from a breeder.
PLEASE DO NOT GET ON MORE THAN ONE WAITING LIST unless you are very honest about it. We spend a great deal of time and effort with potential puppy buyers. From posting pictures, sending you educational material about the breed , spending time on the phone or in person with you, all in the hopes that this amazing creature will be in the best possible home, and bring you more joy then you ever imagined a puppy could bring into your life. Finding out that you have had your name on four other waiting lists shows that you don’t realize that puppies/breeders are not all created equally, and wastes not only the respective breeders time, but potentially costs a deserving puppy buyer a new best friend from our waiting list, as we are turning away buyers thinking you are buying one. Just be honest. If someone tells me they are on a list with so and so, but they are unsure they will have a puppy for them, and would love to be considered for one of my pups, and can let me know asap whether they will be getting one or not. I am fine with that. Just understand that it requires a deposit as do all approved buyers and you will be at the bottom of the list until you can confirm positively you are buying from me, and possibly bump you off completely if I don’t hear back from you saying you are definitely confirmed with me. Should you then get a puppy elsewhere, your deposit is mine.
PLEASE DO NOT EXPECT TO CHOOSE YOUR PUPPY. This one drives puppy buyers crazy. I know this trust me, I have been there myself. My responsibility is not to make you happy, but my puppy happy. While I do care about your preferences and take them into account, do not expect to walk into my puppy room and select any puppy you want. Do not expect to be given priority pick because you contacted me first and had the first deposit, conversely do not expect that because you came along late in the game you won’t get a “good” puppy. You will always get the right puppy. It is my job to ensure the best match possible between puppy and buyer. Do not fixate on colour and sex, trust that I know what I am talking about when helping you select the right pup. I spend a great deal of time with my litters and get to know the temperament, drive, biddablilty, and energy levels of all these babies. (this is why you shopped for a breeder first). I cannot tell you how many times a buyer said they wanted a blue merle male puppy, and left with a black tri female. Aussies are extremely sensitive and intelligent animals, the right one will bring immeasurable joy to your life, the wrong one will make it la living hell.
Lastly, every puppy is unique and will be the highlight in your life. Do not get hung up on colour and sex of the puppy, they are all beautiful in their own way, and once you get that puppy home, you will not know how you ever lived without him or her. It is the personality of the aussies that makes it so unique. The uncommon bond and devotion of this breed is unmatched. This is what makes your puppy your next best friend.
