[Beachpup]

I’ve been in email communication with a breeder to the point of being told I can have a pup from her current litter. I haven’t filled out an application form but she said she would send previews and at that time accept a deposit. It is now over a week ago that the previews we’re supposed to be sent. So after a week I emailed her and asked if we could visit her farm and see the parents/pups. No response. I don’t understand what a normal process is. Can you help?

 

[Raindrops]

It's possible she is extremely busy with the litter and is just taking a little more time to respond to you. I do think it's odd that you never filled out an application but she may have felt comfortable enough after talking to you if she covered the same info that was on the application form. What sort of breeder is she? Some info on her could help to determine whether this is a sketchy situation.

 

[Beachpup]

That’s my concern. We have never talked on the phone. I left a message but no reply. She breed tuxedo, partie, and standard solid. She doesn’t know anything about me!

 

[Dianaleez]

How did you find her?

 

[Beachpup]

How did you find her?

Website. I emailed her and she responded right away saying she had a litter and would put me on the waiting list. Next communication was a puppy preview of 3 of the litter. Then silence. So I called. No response. So I emailed and she responded saying I would be getting a puppy and she was sending pics in two days and would accept a deposit at that time. That was over a week ago. So I emailed asking if we could visit. No response. The pups are about six weeks now. The only info she has about me is I’m retired and live at the beach. I just don’t know what to expect.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Unfortunately, you may have stumbled upon a scam. There are lots of them out there and they've skyrocketed with increased puppy demand due to covid.

Is there a phone number you can call? If not, I'd probably send an email saying I'm a little confused about where we're at in the process and would like a phone call today or tomorrow to discuss next steps. If I didn't hear back, I would move on.

 

[Beachpup]

Wow. That never occurred to me. Thanks for the advice. I’ll call her tomorrow and see what happens.

 

[Dianaleez]

If her dogs are pedigree, you might ask her which AKC chapter she belongs to.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

If you're comfortable sharing the website here, we can weigh in. Maybe they're legit. Maybe they're extremely busy and you just fell through the cracks.

But I think it's fairly rare to find a good breeder with available puppies right now. We're hearing from new people just about every day who are looking.

You also want to ensure you find a breeder who will be available to you after you bring your puppy home. So while I wouldn't specifically be looking for someone with slick sales skills (in fact, I'd avoid them), I'd definitely want someone who is a clear communicator.

 

[Beachpup]

I thought it was strange, too, that I moved up the waiting list so quickly. The only explanation I could come up with is the litter is all males. I am going to give her one more try, using the info I learned from this discussion. I have seen her name in this forum but the posts are very old.

 

[cowpony]

There is definitely an uptick in puppy scams and fraud right now. There's less likelihood of this being a scam if you are dealing with a breeder who was already well established prior to the Covid situation. Of course, disorganization, sleep deprivation, and puppy chaos were problems before Covid and will undoubtedly remain so afterwards. I saw a plaintive plea on another forum: "Could the lady I talked to the other day about my waiting list please call me back, I lost your phone number!"

 

[Thomazine]

I feel as if a lot of good small breeders just aren't having many litters due to the COVID situation. I can't blame them, but it is frustrating (we just fell off the list for the gorgeous litter we were waiting for - fewer puppies born than predicted.)

 

[Johanna]

I had planned to breed my mini but cannot travel at this time. I expect many others are in the same situation.

 

[Thomazine]

I had planned to breed my mini but cannot travel at this time. I expect many others are in the same situation.

Absolutely understandable. I also get why many breeders can't have visitors in their homes at this time.

 

[Dianaleez]

Scammers also use the names of reliable breeders who have no idea what's going on.

off topic: someone once used Craig's List to lease our house. we were living in it at the time. and not willing to share.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Scammers also use the names of reliable breeders who have no idea what's going on.

off topic: someone once used Craig's List to lease our house. we were living in it at the time. and not willing to share.

That is terrifying!!

 

[Gwendalion]

Do you have another way to contact the breeder? I reserved my puppy 6 weeks before the litter was due. Got very frustrated by unreturned calls and emails before figuring out that I always get a response to text messages!

 

[Dechi]

I stopped at the word « farm ». I would never buy from someone who breeds dogs in a « farm ». Sounds like a puppy mill or at best, a backyard breeder.

 

[Beachpup]

Oh, I’m so sorry. That’s a misunderstanding. Her website refers to a hobby farm with some small farm animals.

 

[Meisha]

Hi,
I'm new here but just wanted to let you know I just helped my nephew with getting a goldendoodle from a breeder. The pups were healthy and well-cared for but the breeder was very slow to communicate. It's possible things are still ok. The breeder I dealt with was Welcome to Abbey Acres Goldendoodles. The new pup came home Saturday.