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When my GSP's had a litter we screened potential owners. I wouldn't sell to one guy because he wanted to immediately remove the micro-chip from the dog. He said it was all another attempt to have the government monitor our whereabouts.
I agree with your Hubby....Don't even consider driving all that way to waste the breeders time just because....That is pure silly.
Call and simply be honest....You've decided to hold off. Thank them for their time...And, maybe you'll check with them at a future date. Then hang up.....end of story. This is a business transaction...at least for the breeder.
Then go spend the day with your kids somewhere nice and relax...
It's way more than a business transaction for a good breeder! And a good breeder will welcome you to come at a time convenient for her in order to get to know you and for you to see her dogs before you ever decide you want a puppy from her. I happened to be in the Seattle area to visit long-distance family and met with a potential breeder of my next puppy. We spent the entire afternoon together getting to know each other, me getting to know her dogs and discussing training (we are both longtime dog trainers).
I've spent the last year getting to know a few potential breeders of my next puppy via email and Facebook and that Seattle visit. I won't be ready for a pup for about another year. All three breeders have learned enough about me that we have become friends and they are all very comfy placing a pup with me. Not saying everyone should be this thorough...I have very specific characteristics I am looking for in my next puppy since I want to do therapy work with disabled and terminal kids...but that more than just the transaction itself is appreciated, and expected, by good breeders.
That's a long drive though. Especially with two young kids in tow. Me? I would try to arrange a visit when I was already gonna be in the area. If not I'd wait until I was ready for a puppy. With the understanding that you might have to wait until the breeder has a suitable puppy for your situation.
It's way more than a business transaction for a good breeder! And a good breeder will welcome you to come at a time convenient for her in order to get to know you and for you to see her dogs before you ever decide you want a puppy from her. I happened to be in the Seattle area to visit long-distance family and met with a potential breeder of my next puppy. We spent the entire afternoon together getting to know each other, me getting to know her dogs and discussing training (we are both longtime dog trainers).
I've spent the last year getting to know a few potential breeders of my next puppy via email and Facebook and that Seattle visit. I won't be ready for a pup for about another year. All three breeders have learned enough about me that we have become friends and they are all very comfy placing a pup with me. Not saying everyone should be this thorough...I have very specific characteristics I am looking for in my next puppy since I want to do therapy work with disabled and terminal kids...but that more than just the transaction itself is appreciated, and expected, by good breeders.
That's a long drive though. Especially with two young kids in tow. Me? I would try to arrange a visit when I was already gonna be in the area. If not I'd wait until I was ready for a puppy. With the understanding that you might have to wait until the breeder has a suitable puppy for your situation.
And in case anyone thinks my puppy criteria are more specific than those for simply a family dog, wouldn't you put the welfare and safety of your kids above anything else? If so, then a breeder who is experienced enough to correctly evaluate puppy temperament and fussy enough to sell her pups to only the best matched homes is the one for you.
There are countless stories of families who've found a great family dog at a shelter or through rescue or from a backyard breeder or from a less fussy breeder. But there are way more stories of families who've had to re-home their dog acquired from such sources...or worse...because the dog was not a good family dog.
As a former breeder I Loved when people visited & talked dog! With or without a sale! Most of the time when they were ready & I didn't have a litter I would recommend them to another breeder. Go ahead & plan a visit! Don't want to drive 5 hours with kids ... have some one you trust them with watch them! But I also enjoyed kids visiting also..
There are countless stories of families who've found a great family dog at a shelter or through rescue or from a backyard breeder or from a less fussy breeder. But there are way more stories of families who've had to re-home their dog acquired from such sources...or worse...because the dog was not a good family dog.
I wasn't going to post, because there is nothing wrong with going to a reputable breeder (and nothing wrong with changing your mind about when to do it), but to say there are way more negative than positive outcomes with a shelter dog is completely untrue. The majority of adoptions stick, although that might not make for a "good story".
Just tell her you realize what an enormous commitment having a puppy is and after careful consideration you think it would be best for the puppy to wait until your life settles down a bit. Any responsible breeder will think your honesty is a breath of fresh air. Puppies are not impulse purchases; and she'll be glad you were so thoughtful. And I agree the meeting the breeder now and getting to know them and their dogs can only benefit you.
I wasn't going to post, because there is nothing wrong with going to a reputable breeder (and nothing wrong with changing your mind about when to do it), but to say there are way more negative than positive outcomes with a shelter dog is completely untrue. The majority of adoptions stick, although that might not make for a "good story".
Apparently you didn't read my post as written. That's OK...I am happy to clarify it for you. I wrote: "There are countless stories of families who've found a great family dog at a shelter or through rescue or from a backyard breeder or from a less fussy breeder. But there are way more stories of families who've had to re-home their dog acquired from such sources...or worse...because the dog was not a good family dog."
The "way more" group is comprised of shelter, rescue, backyard breeders and less fussy breeders and was being compared to breeders who are "experienced enough to correctly evaluate puppy temperament and fussy enough to sell her pups to only the best matched homes". The success rates of those two groups are incomparable.
There are good rescues and shelters...the ones who work hard to make their adoptions stick...and there are not so good ones. I've worked in rescue. I have many good friends who work in rescue and a few who work in shelters. The quality of shelters and rescues and their resulting adoption success rates is a topic of much discussion.
Millions of unwanted dogs are euthanized every year so really, in the big picture ...who cares if you changed your minds.
You wouldn't care and that's fine. But if someone is looking for a specific breed for a specific purpose or a dog with a certain inherent temperament to greatly enhance the chances of a successful match then it does matter. The phenomenon of shelter dogs too stressed to display their natural personalities in the tense confines of the shelter...nearly constant barking, comparatively minimal interaction with humans, comparatively little exercise, etc...is very well known. Once the dog has a few weeks of settling into the new home environment, he typically feels comfy enough for his true personality to emerge and sometimes it's not what was expected or desired. That's why I usually refer to a good rescue group that keeps their dogs in foster homes for several weeks before adopting them out.
The very sad plight of so many euthanized animals is a problem those of us who care about should and do work to resolve. But that doesn't mean we should not have the pets we desire especially if we have specific characteristics in mind.
There are millions of orphans in the world. Does that mean we shouldn't bear natural children? I am not saying dogs are of equal importance to kids, just making the comparison for the logic of the reasoning.
Excellent advice and that was what I wanted to do, but the breeder is over 2 hours away and DH doesn't want to subject himself or the kids to 5+ hours in the car (roundtrip) when we're not actually getting a puppy. I see his point, but not sure his the breeder will see it.
If it is just to have him and the kids around puppies, there are usually plenty at your local shelter you could visit.
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