Re-homing your puppies

It is extremely important that you make sure your puppies go to a good home. If you are unsure on the buyer do not sell the puppy.

Advertising your litter

Once your vet is happy with the litter you can start to advertise. You can do this on the dog-breeds site completely free of charge. You can personalise your homepage, (all accessed by a secure password), change your listing, add details of new litters plus add those very important pictures to show off the cute new additions! Visit www.dog-breeds.co.uk to log onto your breeder page. You can also advertise in dog magazines, newspapers, local newsagents and post offices etc.

The best time to start introducing the puppies to their potential owners is at about four weeks old. They then can be sold at eight weeks. Preparing the litter to be re-homed is crucial, you have to wean, inoculate, worm and socialise the pups before re-homing them.

We have prepared some points to think about when re-homing your litter:

Have the people wanting to buy the puppy done research on the breed? Do they have a competent understanding on the breed and know what is required as an owner?

Try and meet the whole family including children and ask about other pets – it is crucial to check that the puppy will be well looked after and get on with other pets.

Decide whether you want the puppies to be purely pets and not used for showing, breeding etc. If you do not want the puppies to breed then it is important to put a breeding restriction on them. You need to do this on the puppy’s registration certificate.

You may want to find out more about the potential owners house, garden etc.

Tell your new puppy owners about the BreederChoice Insurance which gives them 12 weeks of insurance free! There are two cover levels to choose from, Essential and Essential Plus. Remember you gain commission for every policy taken out.

It is best to ask for a deposit from the potential owner if they confirm that they would like a puppy. This will deter time wasters. They can then pay the remaining balance when they collect the puppy.

Discuss the puppy’s requirements such as feeding, exercise, training, and breed requirements etc with the new owner. Explain to the owners that they can call you as their breeder at any time whether this is in a few days or a few years.

It is not uncommon for a dog to be returned to the breeder at a later date. It is your responsibility to take him back and care for him, re-advertise and re-home. It is not unreasonable for the dog owner to ask for a refund in this situation, you are not by law required to give them it. If you do give a refund it is advisable to ask for some money towards food and re-advertising costs.