Last Modified: 1/19/08

When is a puppy old enough to start life in it's new home? Well that depends on a few things.
Are you going to provide 1st shots and if so how many?
The very first puppy shot is administered at six weeks. If you do not plan on supplying this, I suggest you have them sold within the sixth week so the new owners may take them to the vet. If you supply the first shots, they can leave anytime after the shot has been administered. If you want to provide others you will have to keep them until they have been administered at the correct intervals or you may have the new owners bring them back; but if you are adamant that they be fully vaccinated, you might rethink releasing them early. No matter how much interviewing you do, some new owners may still avoid fully vaccinating their puppy. Once you have sold the dog and allowed it to go home, there is no demanding the dog back and I don't care what anyone says, you cannot make a new owner vaccinate their puppy.
Did a particular puppy have a hard time with weaning or have an accident, even a minor one?
The second consideration is whether or not a puppy had a hard time adjusting or had a minor accident. If a puppy is delayed somehow or has weaning problems or has been to the vet for minor or major accidents, I would suggest you hold the puppy until the puppy is truly behaving normally and completely recovered. It wouldn't hurt to ask the advice of your vet.
What are the opinions of the new owners if there are any?
Consult the new owners if a deposit has been put down on the puppy as they should at least be allowed a say even though you have the final word. Their beliefs just might make your decision making easier but do not allow a persistent owner to talk you into letting a puppy go too early. They will have more respect for you if are willing to stick with your previously set rules or personal beliefs.
What are the rules of the club you are apart of or trying to gain access to?
Consulting the rule book of any clubs you belong to or would like to join will keep you from breaking any rules or potential rules. No club will allow admittance of a breeder who is not already following their laws. And most of all do not forget to consult yourself. If your own feelings contradict those of others, lean more towards your own ideas. But if that makes you nervous, start researching and asking the advice of as many breeders as you can contact. The more you know, the more educated and smart your decision.
When do you feel comfortable with releasing a litter?
Preparing a litter to go home is the least complicated of everything you have done so far. Although, there may be some emotional difficulties involved! If nothing else, keep your puppies as long as you can. Do not let anyone talk you into letting them go early and dismiss owners who put you down for doing so. Holding onto your puppies is beneficial in at least three ways. First, they are gaining most of their social skills at this time and they use these skills to handle changes and stress, such as moving to a new home. Second, This will allow them to gain all of their necessary teeth and give you enough time to watch their progress with hard dog foods to make sure they do not have trouble consuming the chunks. Some new owners will insist they are capable of watching their puppies from problems with consumption and digestion of the new solid foods but no matter who the owner is you can rarely trust anyone to be as observant and careful as yourself. Third, if I have not said this before, there are two periods in the first nine weeks that a puppy may have serious health issues. The first time is in the first week and the second time is between 6 and 8 weeks. By keeping them until they are at least 8 weeks, I recommend 9 weeks, you can be better sure of your puppy's health.

No matter what you decide, when your litter is ready to leave home you will at least know that you are giving that puppy the best life you have to offer. Don't let others tell you what to do unless you are comfortable with it. If you breed once and find it is not for you, no one should think the less of you and just because you do not breed using the standards of The American Shih Tzu Club does not mean you are cruel and worthy of punishment. Just be sure that your conscience is clear when you are dealing with nature and your fellow man.

It's time to decide if you are going to legalize the sale in one way or another or just take the money and send them on their way. Some breeders feel that once the puppies are out the door everything is over and done. I have in the past bought a dog that, once I had walked out the door, I was no longer in contact with the breeder, in fact I think they preferred if I would never call them again unless I wanted to buy another puppy. Others want to keep involved during their first week in a new home or longer. I once bought a dog where the owner offered a one year guarantee on my puppy as long as I kept a journal of feedings, bowel movements, interaction, play and stress levels. I was also asked to call her once a day and discuss whether or not she was adjusting well. If the breeder felt the puppy was not doing well enough, I would be instructed to return the puppy to her for a period of calming. Some of you may think this is a wonderful idea while others may think this utter nonsense. That is the starting point. What do you want to offer with your puppy and what conditions will apply?

You may offer one or more of these things and even elaborate and change them to meet your standards. One offer is a type of guarantee like the one I talked about. It can last anytime between one day and the puppy's lifetime. A guarantee usually comes with a list of conditions the new owner must follow but there is nothing wrong with offering it unconditionally. Some conditions may be that the owner must complete the puppy's shot record, see a vet within a certain time frame, show valid proof of the puppy's medical condition or reason of death, owner must train the puppy in a certain way (for instance, crate training ), or/and keep in contact with breeder for a certain amount of time. These are just a few, but I believe you get the idea.

You may also offer puppy supplies (this does not have to mean you give them free with the puppy) like a bag of puppy food you recommend, or a dish set that meets your standards. You may offer to groom them for free for a certain amount of time or be available for advice and instruction. You might offer a gift certificate somewhere that would aid the new owners with the present care of their puppy. Many breeders offer the first shot or a paid vet visit with a recommended vet. These are only a few suggestions. You don't have to do everything the same for every litter. Everyone lives, learns and changes with the times.

Finding good homes for your puppies can be just as stressful as keeping them in good health. First you have to let prospective buyers know you have an available litter. You can start a new website, add your name to internet breeder listings, search for free online ad listings, have your name added to a friend's web site, advertise in the newspaper or other publishing, post on bulletin boards, or set up a sign in front of your home if you think it will get enough traffic.

If you decide you want a website there is free space available with sites like geocities.com or you can pay for an amount of space through a service provider like godaddy.com. If you are running on a macintosh, Apple offers a program called .Mac that gives you a fairly large amount of webspace for a site and you pay a yearly fee. If you are as blessed as I used to be you know someone who has an existing site and will either let you piggyback with them for free or for a fee. If you know another breeder with a site they might be willing to add your contact information to their site.

If you do not want to have to maintain a site you can add your kennel to breeder listings. Some, like puppysites.com, charge a fee and others are free. You can find the free listings by searching under "free breeder listings". There are also some local news sites that allow you to post ads. One, for instance, is azfamily.com which is an independent news station in Arizona. To check if this kind of service is available in your area search the local NBC, CBS, TBS, ABC, WB and PBS sites. Look for a classified link.

If you choose the newspaper route try with the biggest paper in the state and with your local paper. If you do not get calls you know to cancel the ads and try another paper. Your best bet is to start your ad on a Friday and make sure it plays through Sunday. If you do not have much activity on Sunday it pays to know that many people do not read the Sunday paper but wait until they have time to search it in the middle of the week, so do not dispair.

Many times I have called on ads in the paper and get an answering machine. I will warn you that many people are like me and hate to leave messages. If you have caller ID it is very rude to call back the number listed if you fail to answer the phone in time or if they fail to leave a message. You are more likely to do business with someone who feels they are not being pushed. Having someone call you when you did not leave a message feels like pushing. Be patient. If they are serious they will either call back another time or they will leave a message. I know I do.

If you are unable to be at home constantly to take calls or are not able to forward to a cell you can change your message on your service to ensure better communication with buyers. Add to your message that you have puppies so buyers are sure they did not dial a wrong number; don't forget to keep it updated. Also encourage everyone to leave their name and number slowly and clearly to ensure that you will be able to return the call. Finally if you know you will be available to take calls during certain hours be sure to leave those hours on your machine. You may not have messages but they will call you back. If you happen to have a horrible memory there is nothing wrong with a message that simply says you have available puppies. Then you only have to change it when all your puppies have found homes.

When you do return messages do not be afraid if you have to play a little phone tag. If this happens it is okay to leave a little more information about the puppies, but don't run their service down with a long message. When you answer phone calls keep your voice inviting. It may not be a puppy call but you may lose a customer if you sound suspicious. If you have caller ID, do not assume that 800 numbers and business IDs are automatically sales calls. I have had many people call me from work and their lines will not register a personal line, but the business line. Remember to be polite when you talk to everyone. Most people will ask if they have reached the correct number or if they are speaking to the correct person. Answer with a very inviting yes and encourage them by asking how you can help or if they are looking for a puppy? They may say they saw your ad and then wait. You will sound much more professional if you either ask them how you can help or start talking about your dogs, rather then sit there waiting for them to ask you a question. Do not interrupt their questions. This can very quickly turn buyers off. Ask your own questions. If the person you are talking to is obviously not the type of person you would want to sell a puppy to, tell them so as kindly as possible. Offer to help them find another breeder. If you come across as rude you are very likely to lose business in the future and gain a very unfavorable reputation.

If someone would like to make an appointment to meet with you, make sure you are able to give clear and precise instructions to your home. Ask if they would prefer directions from you or your address to search maps on the internet. If you know that a Mapquest search will only help a little or not at all, be sure to tell them so. If they do not ask for your address or directions, do not forget to ask them if they are needed. Do not be disturbed if they choose to get those directions at a better time. Do not force one or the other on them as you want them to find you as easily as possible. If you are afraid to give them your full address then you need to rethink breeding.

When running a website or placing internet ads, be aware that potential buyers are more likely to email you than call. If you do not want to hand out your email, you are welcome to leave a phone number, but I suggest going to one of the millions of free email sites and starting one just for this purpose. If you would like to know where you can advertise, please visit Additional Reading under Classified Listings for a list of sites that post pet ads and under Breeder Listings for places to list your website.

When answering emails, be as courteous as when answering your phone. If someone asks questions that are too general and you know it would take a disgustingly long email to say everything there is about your dogs, feel free to politely ask if they had any specific questions in mind while also giving the usual particulars. Be prepared to email photos. It is very necessary to have a digital camera or have access to one. If someone lives a distance away they, usually, want a picture to determine if they want to take the time out of their day to visit in person. Do not be afraid to write back to a person that has shown interest before and then stops writing. Emails give more leniency than phone calls. Just be sure that you ask in a way that does not sound desperate, worried, or angry. You will be surprised at the emotional meanings between letters and talking in person. Before hitting that Send button, reread your email many times to be sure it comes across as you wish. Put yourself in the receiver's shoes.

Depending on which sites you advertise with, you may very well find yourself with an Inbox full of potential buyers with nothing more in mind then to scam you. They will have all the following characteristics: Written in very poor English (especially not in normal email shorthand). Ask the condition of the pet or the item your are selling. Sound as if they did not read the ad. Ask if a Cashiers check is acceptable. Or suggest that a shipping service or a friend will be handling the transaction. These buyers are looking to either resell your puppy for a higher price or send you a fraud check and request funds in return. The way I see it, if they have the money to by a cashier's check for several thousand, they can afford to travel to my home and pay me cash in person. Do not let them fool you. On the other hand, if someone simply has many misspelled words, assume they were in a hurry and sometimes buyers are too excited to read the ad in full or they may miss one or two keys points.

If really a scam, you are very welcome to be rude or even ignore them. I will normally answer with a simple no or I will explain why their terms are unacceptable. Once or twice I have noticed several emails from the same person and I will get angry and warn them to leave me alone. Once I answered no and nothing more. I received the question of why. I am afraid I let loose my anger and told them exactly why. This particular person had asked me the condition of the pet. I do not offend easily, but that is a fast way to make me angry. An animal is a living thing and not a package to be passed from person to person. If you receive only these types of emails, discontinue the service. Not many of us are that patient and have that much time to waste.

Whether or not you choose to interview buyers is entirely up to you. If you rather they interview you that is fine just be ready to fill in any gaps in the conversation so they continue to feel comfortable. If you want to do the interviewing be sure to leave them the chance to ask questions of you. I suggest the interview not be one-sided. The best ways to find good homes in buyers is to allow for questions from both sides and be yourself. You won't get far by lying. Here are some questions you may want to ask. The more you talk with people, the more you will gain more questions of your own.

Does anyone in your home smoke?
Do you live in an apartment, house, trailor?
Do you own or rent?
Are there any tenants that only live there occasionally?
Do you have permission to have a pet?
Have you ever owned a dog?
Have you ever owned this particular breed?
Do you own other pets?
Have you thought about the compatibility of this breed with your other pets?
How much do you know about this breed?
Do you understand this breed's personality?
Who will own the dog?
Are you prepared to train it?
How often is your home empty?
Do you have a yard or do you plan to walk your dog?
Will you be cage training?
Do you understand this breed's diet?
Do you have children?
Are you going to use a groomer?
Have you chosen a groomer?
Have you chosen a vet?
Do you travel often?
When you travel will you take your dog, kennel, or use a sitter?

Again these are examples to get you started. I have no doubt once you get going you will find out more you would like to know about who is buying your dogs. The best advice I can give you is to use your instincts. If you have a problem with the people sitting across from you please do not be afraid to tell them no. There is no law that says you have to sell your dog to them.

Interviewing potential buyers does have one downfall. It leaves you open to an occasional, rather rude or upsetting question. I have listed possible questions below in the hopes that you will be prepared and not caught off your guard; few are rude but I want you to be prepared. I also want to stress again do not lie. Do not lie about anything; and I mean anything. If they ask you a question that you feel is none of their business please politely tell them so but do not lie. Be open about all previous health care and health concerns of the puppy they are interested in, whether or not it has been resolved.

How long have you been breeding?
Why did you choose to breed?
Do your dogs see your vet often?
Why did you choose this breed?
How old are your dogs?
How often do you breed your dogs? or Why do you breed them as often?
Do you have another job? If so how are you able to properly take care of your dogs?
Have you tested your dogs for defects? Why?
Why do you register with one registry and not the other? or Why do you register with many registries instead of just one?
Why do you kennel your dogs? or Why don't you kennel your dogs?
Are you a backyard breeder? or Do you really care about your dogs? or Are your dogs just money or are they loved?
What do you feed your dogs? Why?
How exersized are your dogs?
What comes with the sale of the puppy?
Will you take the dog back if there is a problem?
If I cannot breed my puppy, why?
Why do you charge the amount you charge? or Do you ever lower your price? or Will you lower your price? or Why are you charging the same amount for a puppy that has needed extra care as the ones who have not?
Why might you charge more for a certain color or a certain sex?

These are the questions I can recall being asked in the past. Check back every few months as I may have some to add! As I said, some are a little rude depending on how they are asked and how you react to them. I have had two angry customers in the past. One, whom I told they would not have full registration of their puppy before the puppy was old enough to go home, became angry and swore when they came to pick him up and I re-explained the paperwork. And the other was the mother of one of the couple who had bought a puppy and she said she was wary of her child buying a puppy from a backyard breeder. The first was a couple I met back when I first started breeding and the only reason I am not beating myself up about not kicking them out of my home without the dog was the fact that the gentleman's wife was sitting down completely engrossed by that puppy and I could tell there would be love. But I was completely unprepared for someone swearing at me in my own home and I was too shocked to dismiss him from my home. In future I have prepared for another attack and next time it happens they will be dismissed; without their dog. The second incident, I was very much offended but the mother would not be the owner and the couple were wonderful to apologize for her the next time they came for a visit. The thing to remember is to always keep your calm and treat others better than they are treating you. I would not, however, give them a second chance. Remember this is a life and not some trinket you are selling. If a buyer cannot control their anger or does not trust you they show they are incapable of treating the puppy better.

If you choose to interview your potential new owners rather than just say, "yes", to everyone who walks through the door wanting a puppy, there will be some screening involved. As nice as it would be to assume that everyone entering your home or calling on your ads has good intentions it is not often true. If you are like me and do not intend on charging the full worth of your puppies for the benefit of the buyers you wish to provide for you leave yourself open to those who believe they can make a profit by purchasing your puppies at your price and then turning around and selling them for twice or more the amount. If you sell your puppies in the higher priced bracket you stand the chance of selling your dogs to those who might not show the puppy as much love as those who cannot afford your price. I have heard breeders say that if a buyer wants their puppy bad enough they will save towards the price of the puppy. Others have felt that if a buyer cannot pay the price of the puppy they will be unable to pay for it's future healthcare. You may feel similar or you may be protesting. Personally, I feel that anyone who wants to own a pet and has made their lifestyle conducive to one should be given the opportunity. The price that I have set for my puppies helps to cover all my costs without placing my puppies too far out of reach for those in smaller income brackets.

With all this explained, you have a better understanding of what the buyers are thinking when they are making phones calls and searching websites. It may also explain some of the questions you may be asked in future about your practices. The first rule of finding the best home for your puppies is always to follow your instincts. They may be wrong on occasion but they can be a great comfort. Before you interview, take the time to consider what types of people to whom you are willing to sell a puppy. Next, consider the circumstances surrounding certain sales and whether you are willing to accept those circumstances. Some buyers may ask you to ship, you may have a buyer who is not keeping the dog but giving it as a gift, one may not be able to meet with you until they come to collect the dog. Others may try to intimidate you to bend your own rules once they are in your home. I recommend first, that you don't sell to anyone who is set against the way you care for your puppies. Second, don't sell to anyone who would be sending that puppy into a situation that is not very safe, in your opinion. Third, I would not sell to anyone who tries to intimidate you, make you uncomfortable, change your price or services offered, or accuse you in any way that is unjust and unfounded. These are your puppies. No one has the right to treat you rudely and if you are wrong it should be broached with the utmost politeness on their part. Since they are guests in your home you have the right to refuse them.

Some of the rules I strictly follow may not seem necessary to you, may seem too much to ask, or that I am not asking enough. Whatever you feel, I tell you of my guidelines to give you a better perspective of what you may not realize you already expect for your puppies. I do not expect you to agree with me or have the same standards as I do. I received so many emails asking for help that by giving you myself as an example I hope to give you a clearer idea.

I never lower my price. And I mean never. If I have a puppy that is not well bred I will give it away without paperwork and strictly as a pet. If the puppy is not, in my opinion, breedable I will still sell at the normal price as it is healthy and I breed mostly to provide pets and not breeders, even though I wills ell to breeders. If I have a puppy that seems to take longer to sell, I tell myself to be patient as my puppies always find good homes before they are 12 weeks of age. This is not bad when I let them go at 9 weeks and I start advertising at birth. If it ever happens that I cannot sell my puppies before this time, it is time to stop breeding.

I will sell to smokers as long as they do not smoke in their home or around their pets and I do visit their home and talk with their vet. Shih Tzu generally have trouble breathing which cause the snorting, sneezing and other funny noises that flat faced animals are famous for. For this reason they should be treated as anyone with asthma and given clean air to breathe. Though I have friends who smoke, I am also a firm believer that second hand smoke is a health hazard for people and pets. You may not feel that way or you may not be looking to breed the Shih Tzu and if you do not believe second hand smoke is harmful you would definitely want to ignore me here.

I never ship a puppy. When a puppy is shipped it is put onto an airplane and left for the entire process of check-in, flight, and baggage claim. During the flight they must place their care within the hands of busy flight attendants who may or may not be anmal friendly and may ignore the puppy for the duration of the flight. At the end of the process it enters the arms and home of a stranger. I am sorry, if you do not agree with me, but I do not classify shipping is humane or healthy.

I never sell to a household that is not home at least 40% of the time. I have had one puppy die after it has left my home and it died because of stress. This is certain, as the buyer used my vet whom had taken this puppy home with him after work and it died in his arms. The owner of the puppy worked 6 days a week and lived alone. When she was gone the puppy was alone. If you do not already realize, Shih Tzu need a great deal of attention. Without it they will stress and some lose the will to live.

All my other stipulations are open to compromise if I feel the puppy will be well loved and cared for, but are things I normally will not do. With that in mind, I will not except a deposit from an owner I have not met in person. If I cannot meet a possible owner then I will not be able to determine what kind of home they are offering the puppy they have chosen. I will not sell to a parent who plans on giving sole ownership of that puppy to a child under the age of 18 yrs. Although there are some exceptions, most children do not have the time or the attention span to properly care for a Shih Tzu puppy. If the emotional owner of the puppy is not able to provide his complete care the puppy will stress and become sick or misbehave badly which is what lands many puppies in the pound or out on the streets. I will not sell to anyone who plans on giving that puppy as a gift to a person I do not know. You could argue that I know the person giving the gift and the recipient must have a good home if the giver has been approved, but not always the case. Puppies do not make good surprises. A buyer will purchase a puppy because of a compatible nature. That puppy may be compatible with the giver but may not be compatible with the receiver. Most of this pretty much boils down to me having met the person in my home or theirs before I will allow a sell but there have been two circumstances where I have been willing to change those rules and not worried about the future of my puppy. The first was the sister of a very good friend of mine who I would trust with my children. Her sister lives in California and owns a rescue Shih Tzu and wanted a puppy. My friend vouched for her sister and I did have the opportunity to talk with her over the phone. I also had my friend's promise that she would safely deliver the dog and take the dog herself later if anything happened to her sister. The second time was a woman in Tucson, AZ, near my in- laws, who had adopted two children from abusive homes and had learned that the Shih Tzu not only made a wonderful companion, but was a wonderful source of therapy. I agreed to hold a puppy for her and then planned a trip to my in-laws where I delivered the pup in person and had about a week to make sure that she and the puppy would do well with each other. I hear from the first instance every now and again and I get a call from the second woman about twice a year and she sends me pictures of her puppy following her girls about.