We Do Not Keep a Waiting List. Here’s Why.
Speaking of waitlist, we don’t keep one! Yes, you read that right, and have probably read elsewhere that “all reputable breeders have a waitlist”. Obviously, I’d argue that that’s just not true. Sure, a puppy mill probably doesn’t keep a waitlist. But there are valid reasons why a reputable breeder doesn’t keep a waitlist and I’ll go over a few of those.
We’re Not a Bank (or even a credit union)
Most breeders require a sizable fee or deposit to be added to their list. This money is sent to the breeder well before they have puppies born or even due. You may have to wait 12–18 months for puppies to become available. I personally don’t feel comfortable essentially becoming the ‘bank’ holding funds for a puppy that has not yet been born. Too many things can happen that are out of our control. Dogs bred under ideal conditions can still miss a pregnancy, have miscarriages, or a myriad of other unknowns.
Nothing in Life is Free
We previously kept a wait list with no fee or deposit required. It was a time-consuming mistake. Because it cost nothing to get on, we had dozens of families on that list. However, when we would have available puppies and reached out to those families in the order of when they were added, nearly 100% had found a puppy elsewhere or they simply didn’t bother replying. We found out the hard way that these people had added themselves to any waitlist they could with multiple breeders to stack the deck, so to speak, or they were simply window shoppers and did not have serious interest. Caring for puppies is very time intensive and spending time emailing too many people (who are not clients) takes away from that.
We Want to Match the Perfect Puppy with the Perfect Family
When you’re on a standard waitlist, you are a number. For instance, you are 3rd or 6th pick for x litter. This means you may fall in love with a specific puppy and when the families before you picked, that puppy was chosen. Now you can either choose a puppy that may not be the best match for you or skip that litter and wait for the next one. With our process, no money changes hands until you see a puppy available that you personally chose. When we open our reservation list, every single family has equal chance to pick the perfect puppy for them.
Life Happens. We Get That.
Once you pay a fee to be added to a list, you are committed. But what if meanwhile you have come across another breeder who you feel is a better fit? Or life circumstances have changed and you are no longer able to add a new puppy to your home? A lot can happen in the average 12-18 month wait.
We Prefer Realistic Expectations
As we mentioned a few times already, biology is unpredictable. And just because we have previous experience with certain actions that have been mostly successful, that doesn’t mean they will always be that way. The very concept of a waiting list is to be assured of one’s place in line. It creates a false sense of security for the client that could end in disappointment if the expected litter never happens.
A Better Plan of Action
Offering our puppies on a first-come, first-serve basis may seem a little ‘gold rush’ and disorganized, but trust me on this. It’s far better to take your chances in the short run than to think you have a lock on a particular puppy and find out after a year and a half that things won’t work out, for one reason or another. But you can greatly improve your chances of being matched with your perfect puppy by doing a few simple things.
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Complete our Puppy Application and submit it early for approval.
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Wait for US to contact YOU if you’re approved (usually about a week).
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If your application is approved, keep a watch on Facebook for our availability announcements.
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Remember, simply submitting an application does NOT mean it will be automatically approved. As much as we wish our puppies were a perfect fit for every family, that’s unfortunately not the case. In some instances, we may refer another trusted breeder.
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Once you have an approved application, you may reach out to us when there is an upcoming/current litter you’re interested in and we will schedule a phone interview. This ‘interview’ is really more of a conversation to get to know each other, and also the perfect opportunity for you to bring up any questions or concerns.
