When should I start advertising my pups?

Question

My cocker is due in about 26 days. I want to make sure I have homes for them before theyre old enough to leave. I'm expecting brown, black, and brown and white, black and white. Shes expecting 7 puppies. My two dogs don't have there OFA or Cerf yet since they aren't old enough should I just send them a copy of the results when they hit two. The sire will turn two in november and the dam will turn two in december. This breeding was a total accident. I already have my contracts, Return Only Contract and a spay/neuter contract. Iwant to make sure the puppies find a good home. What questions should I ask? Would it be to much to ask to see the dog at least once a year to make sure they are taken care of? I don't want these puppies to end up in shelters. BTW after researching more about breeding I decided to get Charlie neutered he is too tall and his eyes aren't shaped right

http://picasaweb.google.com/Darkangel4214/Charlie(Sire)
http://picasaweb.google.com/Darkangel4214/Lady (Dam)

ITs accidental because they were spearated for a good 10 days without incident but when I was getting ready for work I had charlie upstairs with me. Jason let Lady outside and when he brought her in I was coming downstairs. Jason was on the phone and I was trying to rush and I didn't notice them both being out until it was too late. I've got a preliminary evaluation by my vet on their hips but I wanted to wait until I got the OFA certification to breed

I know all the stuff about whelping and puppy rearer. My cousin who breeds and shows siberian huskies is going to help. My dogs do have a Good Citizen certification. Charlie just turned out to be 1/2 inch to tall to show.

They are AKC registered

Answer 1

Questions you should ask the buyer
A. Why do you want a dog?
1. Breeding
2. Showing
3. Pet
4. All of the above
B. Are you aware that this is at least a 10 year
commitment?
C. Remember: This puppy will be an adult longer than it
will be a cute puppy--do you like the adults of this
breed?
D. Have you considered rescuing an older dog rather than buying a puppy?
E. Have you researched this breed and what do you know
about the breed's characteristics?
F. Were will the dog be kept? Indoors or outdoors most of
the time? In a kennel, the back yard or staked out?
G. What hours do you work? If married, does your spouse
work?
H. Do you have children? If so, what ages?
I. Do you have other pets? If so, what are they?
J. Describe a typical week day at your house now. Weekend
day. It is important for me to learn about the daily
routine for this household.
K. Project a typical week day at your house after you get
the puppy. Weekend day. This shows whether or not
they have considered the impact of a new puppy on their
daily routine.
L. Project a typical day once he is an adult. Once he is
no longer a cute puppy, will they still pay attention
to him?
M. Have you ever owned a dog? One of this breed?
N. What happened to your last dog (or pet)?
O. Where will the dog go when you go on vacation?
P. What would you do if you could no longer keep this dog?
Q. Will this dog be spayed or neutered?
R. If you intent to breed this dog, why?
1. To show the children?
2. To recuperate the money you are spending to buy a
purebred dog?
3. To attempt to produce puppies better than their
parents?
4. If you do breed this dog, outline the process you
will follow--from choosing the stud to whelping
the litter.
S. You should ask the buyer to sign a contract stating
specific terms and agreements of the sale of this
puppy.


You should start advertising now, so you can start interviewing some possible homes. And state when they will be born, and when they will be able to see them (8 weeks). I wouldnt suggest people over until they have had their first set of Vaccinations. Just to be on the safe side! Also, do house checks to make sure they have a good home. And also, tell them if for any reason they cannot keep the dog at any given time that they should return it to you and not bring it to a shelter.


About seeing the dog, I would just ask them if after a year you can make a check up to see how they are doing. Too much and you might scare them away LOL

I wish I could adopt one from you! They sound like they are going to be very cute. I love cocker spaniels.

Good luck with everything!

Answer 2

You know, he has a point. If you didn't OFA or CERF, or show etc., how do you expect a buyer to react to your demands? I don't think you should be announcing that you did not do these health clearances, and simultaneously saying that the buyers cannot breed. If everyone did that what sense would it make? The truth is that they can breed, they can take those AKC papers to any other registry and get some sort of paper. Another truth is that overpopulation of smaller breeds is non existent on both costs of the US. If there was an overpopulation in shelters of small, young adoptable mixed breeds than how would this shelter be able to get $400 per these small mutt puppies?http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7866742

They wouldn't be able to. So if they breed your puppies it isn't the end of the world is it? After all that is precisely what you did. Don't worry it is OK, Your puppies are a lot better as far as I am concerned than the ones at that rescue that are mixes for $400 and they have no idea what the parents are or what they will grow to look like, Because there is a shortage of young small adoptable puppies. People don't want older, larger dogs as much and shelters in densely populated areas LACK young small adoptable dogs or they wouldn't be getting $400 each for them.
---------------------------------------------
Redefining pet overpopulation: The no-kill movement and the new jet setters
By Patti L. Strand
Fewer and fewer dogs are entering shelters every year, and shelter deaths are down and continuing to fall. This steady decline in intakes and deaths pays tribute to the tireless efforts of shelter employees, responsible dog breeders and rescue volunteers who have worked, prayed, and bullied their way to a future when the demand for pets would equal or exceed the supply and they would no longer be forced to euthanize healthy, adoptable animals.

That future is now! Nationwide, studies show that during the last 30 years shelter intakes and euthanasias have decreased by 70-90 percent or more in many cities, particularly those located on the east and west coasts. One consequence of this remarkable development is a steep decline in the number of shelter dogs available for adoption in many parts of the country. In order to deal with their newfound success, some shelters and rescue groups have had to realign their efforts, sometimes with surprising results.

Faced with fewer small dogs and puppies to offer the public, a handful of shelters and organizations have swapped their traditional mission for a new bottom line strategy aimed at filling consumer demands. Simply stated, they have become pet stores. Some are importing stray dogs across state lines and from foreign countries to maintain an inventory of adoptable dogs. Other shelters are misapplying no-kill shelter principles by adopting out seriously ill and bad-tempered dogs. These practices might be well motivated but they create significant new problems for the responsible sheltering community and the public. To name a few, they sustain rather than solve the "overpopulation" issue; they effect an end run around responsible breeders; they open a door to potentially devastating diseases and parasites not currently found in our country; and they ensure a future in which the supply of healthy, well-bred dogs and cats will be severely limited.....

More at second link bellow

Answer 3

you can start advertising now as long as the pups DONT LEAVE YOUR HOME UNTIL THEY ARE 8 WEEKS OLD.
a cocker usually goes for between 250 and 600 depending on your area.
look in your newspaper and find out what others are charging.
you can add the part about wishing to see it once a year in your contract, but be aware that will make the selling a little harder.
did you add a return clause in your contract?
a "if for what ever reason the buyer no longer wishes to retain the pup it should be returned to the seller for half the purchase price (or what ever)"
it is becomming standard fare in most good breeders contracts.
but be aware that people will be UNWILLING to return a pup for free, if they can sell it.
so you need to get it in your contract that the purchacer cant sell the pup to a third party with out written approval from the breeder (you).
you are going to get an ear full at this sight for an accident, but accidents DO happen, that is why they are accidents.

i wish you luck.
and hope you find GOOD homes for all of your pups.
it is a VERY hard thing to do.

you might also want to ask for refrences from potential buyers.
one from their vet and a few from their friends.
refuse to sell to ANYONE who doesnt have a vet.

good luck.

Answer 4

There are some really good questions here to ask your perspective puppy people. I have asked them all at one time or another. I do not show the pups to anyone until they are 6 weeks old. When client contact me about my pups I ask which they prefer a male or a female. I only show the pups to each client that they are interested in. If a person is interested they place a deposit at that time with the balance due upon pick up of the puppy. No pups leaves my kennel unti it is 8 weeks old! At the 6 week viewing I give each client 1 hour with me and looking at the puppies. I dont allow any child under the age of 10 to handle my pups. I ask all the question I want and they ask all the questions they want. This give me a good feel if they would make a good puppy owner. Before any decision is made by them I make up my mind if I will sell a pup to them. If it is no then I tell them I don't think one of my pups is right for them.
It is unreasonable for you to want to see your pups after they have been sold to your clients. You can put into your contract that if for any reason they should decide they can no longer keep the pup or then dog than you have first right to take the pup back.
You have to decide what will you want to return to the owner if any for the dog.
I do not return any monies to the owner upon spray or neuter verification.. I feel it's their duty to do this for the health of the dog and being a responsible dog owner. I also do not sell any of my pups with full AKC registration only limited registration. I do this to protect my lines. You may not care about this for your litter but I do for mine. It also makes the clients think twice before breeding them because with a limited registration they can't register any subquent litters with AKC.sorry for being long winded but you did ask :)

Remember these are your puppies so dont sell to anyone if you get a bad feeling about them.
P.S. You bet my clients jump thought hoops for one of my puppies. I worked very hard to give them the best Golden I could.

Answer 5

Hooray! Someone trying to be a responsible breeder. What a rarity. Once a year for a lot of years may be a bit much. I know of breeders who call you once a month and expect you to fill out forms they send you with every imaginable question on it and have you sign a form that you will return the dog for any reason if you can't keep it. They also refund your purchase price in part as your dog earns any titles and you get it all back if they win champion. It is so refreshing to hear of someone who is trying and is concerned about what they are putting out there. I would provide the OFA certification when you get it.

Answer 6

You can start advertising anytime now. Just state the date when the pups will be available for viewing and then for adoption (usually about 8 weeks). Prepare a list of callers, first come first look. And a secondary list of alternatives should those on the first list decide to not take one. You can have the mom x-rayed when she is closer to the due date to determine how many pups are on the way.

Answer 7

Dog's can be CERF'd AT ANY AGE. You need to advertise your puppies AFTER they have had at least one set of vaccinations against diseases. You should sell them all on limited registration ( assuming the two parents are AKC registered and you planned to register the litter) and if you are truly concerned about these puppies then you should have a clause in your contract that the owner can return the dog to you at any time they can't keep it.

Answer 8

Always put an ad in before the puppies are here!! interview potential owners etc.
and to the person who said they can be hip tested anytime.. NO they cant they have to be 2yrs old.

Answer 9

well 4 to 8 weeks and when people come to buy them ask what type of environment will they be going home to.personally cause i am a breeder too i think 8 weeks is good.

Answer 10

Advertise the pups when their at least 7-8 weeks old.