I’m GETTIN' A PUPPY!!!!!!!!!!! You want to shout it to the heavens. Let the whole world know!!!! Soon your barista, your bank teller, the guy at the dump, your uber driver - they ALL know your big plans, whether they asked or not. And the search begins. You start with
the Google and Facebook. Maybe some instagramming. Maybe that Tic tok thing I still
know nothing about (still have to look up the spelling on that one). And boy oh boy, just LOOK at all those beautiful blue-eyed beauties! So you start rapid-firing inquiries. “Price?” “How much?” “Interested!” “Is he/she available?” STOP!!!! I know we live in the world of instant clicks and buys, but let’s take a brief moment to discuss puppy-buying etiquette, beginning with the premise that you are buying a living thing, NOT a toy or any other inanimate object. So please adjust the inquiry accordingly. Here are some thoughts:
1) Be serious. Don’t inquire if you aren’t serious. And I don’t mean serious about how cute you think puppies are. What does serious inquiry mean? Well, it doesn’t mean “I seriously wish I could have one of your puppies but I seriously can’t pay.” “I seriously need help figuring out how to ask my spouse if they are up for a puppy.” “I seriously wish my landlord allowed dogs.” “I am seriously going to be 18 next year.” Those things are serious, but seriously, they are your serious issues, not ours. Our time is valuable. It’s at a premium. Please don’t waste our time! Make sure that all members of your household are on board with committing to a puppy and the budget is established. If you have questions about the breed, I’m more than happy to discuss, but let your intentions be known!
2) Ask the right questions. If you write “price?” To me….. I will not respond. Ask the questions that matter - I need to know that you understand what you are in for. Blue eyes set in a husky mask are indeed gorgeous. But if that and price are the only things you mention, I’m skeptical that you actually know what you want in a dog. This is not a commodity market and one puppy is not as good as another. I certainly understand that price is important! I get that many people are on a budget, but if price is your foremost consideration, head on over to Craigslist and prepare to pay a few dollars for a gremlin in a pomsky body with skin allergies, hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, ear infections, eye cataracts, unstable temperament, food aggression,….. and on and on we go. Ask about health. Ask about temperament of pups and parents. Ask for the breeder’s input on selecting the right puppy.
3) Tell me about yourself. I want to know for the sake of my puppies, but I also want to have some measure of certainty that this breed and one of my puppies is indeed right for you. I want YOU to be happy just as much as my pups. Have you owned dogs in the past? What breeds? What issues came up in health or temperament? What are you looking for in a puppy? Why are you considering a pomsky? What DON’T you want in a puppy? (Few think of asking that question to themselves and they ought to!)
4) PLEASE READ! I’m a farmer through and through . I abhor the culture of instant gratification. I know in this day and age it’s an old-fashioned notion. But in all honesty, dogs are old-fashioned animals. They require prolonged attention and consistency to thrive. If you text me “pics please?”, I’m going to direct you to my website. EVERYTHING is on my website. Read through it - it will take 20 minutes but it’s very thorough, enabling you and your family to process information at your own pace and discuss things BEFORE you contact me. Once you have perused our site, feel free to ask away! If you are too lazy to bother reading through our website, then you likely will not have the discipline and work ethic to raise a puppy.
5) Be honest. Don’t tell me you want a pet when you want to breed. Don’t tell me that your parents are cool with a puppy when they’ve told you since you were 5 they didn’t want a dog in their home when they’re spending all their time cleaning up after you (my mom used that one on me A LOT!)
6) Do not impulse buy. If a breeder responds to your one-line e-mail/text asking if a pup is available by trying to goad you into instantly sending them a deposit to “hold your dream puppy” - run away. If they don’t take some time to get to know you and encourage you to take a little bit of time to think it through, they’re not helping they’re hurting. It’s a big decision that has consequences for years to come. Think things through carefully, and let it marinate a bit before and after you inquire about a puppy. A good breeder will like this quality in you because it is less likely that you will regret the decision and the pup ends up on a shelter website page.
7) Don’t be a Google parrot. If you are inexperienced, don’t act like you’ve figured everything out from your Google research. I love introducing new people to the breed and I’m happy to give you the good, the bad, and the ugly. Google can be a basic introduction at best. On google you will find people that believe the earth is flat and Elvis is still alive and living on the moon. Take general “dog breed information” websites and people’s anecdotes with a grain of salt.
8) I’m here to help you. I will be honest and frank, but respectful and kind. We spend a good portion every day overthinking how to best serve this breed, the dogs themselves, and the people who buy our pups. I will always be honest and respectful (unless you are dishonest and disrespectful, then all bets are off). Remember, dogs are animals not products. They are living things that have been bred for ages to be devoted companions to
people. Respect that fact and understand
yourself as a potential loving steward. Are you up
for it? If so, you have years of joy and affection ahead of you to look forward to, and I’ll help you along! If not, don’t be discouraged and find the thing that will fit your life, it’s out there waiting for you!
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