Thinking about the bank holiday & spending time with people that we love, visiting family members, enjoying time with our dogs, and generally doing things that are maybe out-of-the-ordinary got me thinking about our puppy families. I mean they fit into an unusual category really when you think about it – I may become a friend of theirs over time but initially: I’m neither friend nor family but also not a colleague nor boss but am totally different than a faceless corporation. To them, and likewise to me we start in an odd place. We are strangers yet these people see me weekly (often) for a number of weeks and leave with a puppy that I love.. (Yes, I do cry but that’s a whole other thing totally).
Today I’m giving an opinion about we like to get to know our puppy families. I can’t speak for every breeder out there, nor for every puppy breeder. But I can let you know how it is for us.
Questions – questions, why ask questions?
Right from the start of looking for a puppy you’ll be wanting to find out key things, like for instance:
1. Which breed is right for you
2. What your puppy is going to need once you have one
3. How much to feed him or her
4. Where to go to a puppy socialisation training class
5. How to find a puppy breeder – where to look
Likewise, a caring puppy breeder will want to know about you. They’ll be curious about things like:
1. Do you work full-time (& do all the adults in your household)?
2. How many hours will puppy be likely to be left alone in the day?
3. Do you have a secure garden?
4. Have you had a dog before?
5. What do you know about the breed you’re interested in having?
6. Do you have children / elderly people in your household?
7. Do you have other pets?
And no, it’s not because they haven’t got anything better to do. And no, it’s also not because they’re trying to be nosey for the sake of being nosey.. It’s to try and ensure if a puppy of theirs, that they have cared for, love and want to find a good, decent, happy home is likely to find that home with you – or not.
Through the asking of questions, for instance, ‘do you have a secure garden?’ may not actually be a deal-breaker for the puppy breeder concerned but they’re trying to ascertain whether you have thought about how puppy will play outside and go for toilet breaks. Perhaps you don’t have a garden, or you do but it’s in the middle of being landscaped so it’s not secure YET.. Perhaps a family member does who’s round the corner & you have a balcony with a potty setup for example. Caring breeders will be all ears wanting to hear that you too care, and you too have, or will take steps to give that puppy a good, decent & happy home.
Of course, you could lie in order to get that puppy you’re craving for (or your child is) but that ultimately wouldn’t be the right option; not in an ethical sense & also most probably not in logistical sense. The chances are, through lying would put puppy’s future with you at jeopardy and things may not end well for all involved. Placing puppy into what the breeder believes to be a decent and harmonious home is something that’s super important to us & is a main point for why we ask questions & talk with people even before joining our waiting list.
Why else do we like to get to know our puppy families?
A good while ago now, I talked on the phone at great length to a lady who was adamant that she wanted a Cavalier & ensured me through email that she knew all about the breed. From that following relatively long conversation however, it turned out that she lived in a flat, with a housemate who was happy with the idea of a puppy & they both worked full-time (albeit nearby). So, I asked whether they had considered toilet breaks etc in the day and when they would take puppy for walks? I also asked about where puppy would be taken to the toilet? Another conversation topic was discussing Cavaliers and Cavapoos as companion breeds & who would keep puppy company during the long working days of her & her flatmate? Companion breeds were initially bred & still are to be companions, not as working dogs. They crave love and affection, attention and especially human time and interaction. From those probing questions & by us talking, the lady decided that she needed to change her lifestyle first to fit having a companion breed. It was important that it came from her & not me to be that driving force I felt. She did & all is well.
We also like to get to know our puppy families so that we can stay in touch once puppy goes home. Even if it’s just a case for a few months to be able to help with questions, and be a support network for new puppy families. We find that our families don’t tend to ask that many questions once puppy goes home because we have talked when families have attended our bonding / training sessions at our home. But nonetheless, it’s me the other end of a phone and email for our families once puppy has gone home. I can also say though that I personally very much enjoy seeing photos & videos of the puppies growing up. I haven’t ever put these out on social media for the world to see. Maybe I should (obviously asking the families first of course), because we really do receive some wonderful up-to-dates from our families. Recently, I was sent the most gorgeous image of a puppy that left us a few months ago in a garden restaurant named the same as his name! We have such lovely families with our puppies (some dogs now of course) and on our waiting list. I’m honoured to work (if you can call it that since it’s really a way of life) with such gorgeous human beings.
Wrap-Up
Sometimes in life things really are worth waiting for & changing our lifestyle. I mean if you get into a relationship with someone, get married, have a baby, adopt a child or become a carer for a relative, you don’t expect things to remain the same that they were before. And nor should you expect them to remain as before. As they say life is a journey not a destination. It’s about the experiences that we encounter, the shared experiences and everything in between. So, it really is worth talking and being genuine with the puppy breeders out there who are willing to talk and listen & offer any advice or ideas. It may well be the case that from talking you can get that puppy you’re craving to have in your life.
Have an amazing bank holiday weekend if you’re in the UK. If not, have a lovely weekend.
All the Best,
Suzie x
Update 18th May 2024 – since initially writing this blog post I talked with some of our puppy families & have shared a couple of images on our instagram. The gorgeous Blenheim Cavalier puppy on his walk within this post & also the stunning Ruby Cavalier puppy with his sprout toy are from families – with much gratitude and thanks from me.
