No response from breeders

[Jollymolly]

I am getting a bit frustrated. I send messages to breeders with very specific questions as to temperament and intelligence. I ask if they are planning a litter. If I could drive to meet the parents to see if there dogs have service dog potential. and all I get back is nothing. Sorry for the vent. I get that if they are not answering my questions they are not the breeder for me.

[barry581]

I can't say this is a surprise to me. When I lost Bruce and was searching for puppies I sent emails to at least 5 breeders who never responded, and I ended up giving up. In some ways I"m very thankful they didn't and I ended up with a WindyCanyon pup. Brooks will be 9 next month, and he's been an amazing dog, I could not have asked for better.

I hope your search goes well. You may want to contact Anne, she knows a lot of good breeders and may be able to help you find someone in your area.

[Black Labbies]

Sorry that you're not getting replies back from the breeders you contacted, but like Barry, I'm also not surprised. Some may not have any litters coming soon, and some breeders are really not that good.

You may want to contact Montview Labradors, I read they have a litter on the ground now. If this breeder lived in Canada, I would buy one of her female black pups in a heartbeat!

Good luck!!!

[smartrock]

Henry's dad was a Montview Lab, although his Dad met Henry's mom by test tube (I guess!) I'm sad more of the breeders who used to be on here aren't around any more. I'm not in touch with any breeders out west, wish I could help.

[Shelley]

I am getting a bit frustrated. I send messages to breeders with very specific questions as to temperament and intelligence. I ask if they are planning a litter. If I could drive to meet the parents to see if there dogs have service dog potential. and all I get back is nothing. Sorry for the vent. I get that if they are not answering my questions they are not the breeder for me.

Hi there, perhaps you are being too specific when you email breeders? Good breeders like to get to know you, your family, and work through a relationship first, and when an introductory email starts with a list of "very specific questions" regarding temperament, and intelligence ...etc... It can be off putting, when they have a list of qualified families with less specific 'requirements'. Sometimes litters are spoken for long before they are born, and *most* breeders won't have both the male and the female on site. Asking to meet the parents to assess "service dog potential" can feel invasive, and judgmental.
When I get an inquiry, I like when families fill out my questionnaire/application, and a short paragraph or 2 explaining what they are looking for, enough for me to get a feel for their needs, and I can figure out if I might have a good placement for them. Either way, I do email back, (I try within 24 hours) that I have a litter coming, or I don't etc... Also, quality breeders shouldn't just tell you they will have a service dog(s) potential in every litter, it is a rare puppy that I have placed as a service dog, hearing dog, guide dog prospect, because those puppies are infrequent even if you breed specifically for service work. Approach a breeder with maybe a goal of trusting them to help you find what you need, or guiding you towards a breeder, or litter that might be more appropriate, instead of a bunch of perceived demands up front. As a breeder, the puppies are my first priority, and to select the best families for them, and I also choose the puppy for the family.
My best and Good Luck!

[Jollymolly]

Thanks Shelley I really appreciate your feedback. Everything you said in your post is correct. I do have a hard time trying to form words into an e mail. I truly think your post will help me. I also want to add that I was not trying to come across that way.

[windycanyon]

Hi all,
Long time no visit (sorry about that!). I'll add to what Shelley wrote. Some puppy inquiries are becoming overwhelmingly detailed lately, especially those from folks wanting a service dog prospect it seems. Some have occupied hours of my time and so I understand why so many breeders don't bother responding.

Far too often I have to redirect people back to my nursery page and ask for the basic info I request first such as location, timeline of needs, energy level desired, gender, color, etc. So my suggestion is to answer any questions the breeder has asked *first*, then address your needs in a pup as succinctly as possible, since this is likely the email I'll be referring back to in the future.

Questions about visitation (sometimes months in advance of possible litter!), puppy rearing techniques, diet, etc if not already answered on the breeder's websites can wait until you determine if/when there is a potential breeding planned that fits your needs.

I think it's also important to note that some breeders are shying away from service dog inquiries since there can be a higher "wash out" rate and therefore, a higher risk of return. Many also want to be part of the puppy selection procedure, may have specific diet or other requests (some that are not reasonable nor sound), so may not be a fit for those of us who are breeding first and foremost for our own programs.

Unfortunately most of the evaluations (and vet exams) are not going to be done until that last week, so it is much more stressful for the breeder than selecting or narrowing down picks for hunting or pet homes. I hope this makes sense but it's so much more complicated than most realize as we may have several others vying for the same litter. In the end, we really just want the best lives for our puppies so patience is vital! Anne

PS: It's amazing to me how many times I actually see the GRANDPARENTS' traits "come out" in the puppies, stronger than either parent so you may want to keep that in mind. I've been laughing hysterically over one of my co-owned boys who is quite the character/ handful, despite his mom being such an easy (and TBH... natural / self made service) dog here. What I see is Envy in her pups, more often than not, and she was a hoot and handful. So be sure to take a look at those grandparents too!!

[Jollymolly]

Thanks for the input. The realty is that not all pups even if they have the quality's will make it as a service dog. If I get a puppy from a breeder he or she would be a part of my family for the rest of its life. The hope would be that I could train the pup into my next service animal. I have heard back from one breeder and am taking the time to fill out their questionnaire. In the mean time I will continue to try find a candidate in the shelter system. This is hard enough to know that I am even starting to look and knowing that I need to retire Molly at some point. This process has become very stressful for me. There is even a part of me trying to figure out if I can manage without a service animal.

[windycanyon]

Best of luck!! That is good the pup will have a home for life... very important piece of info to share w/ prospective breeders especially if you are at a distance. Not everyone is on that same page unfortunately.