"The List"...and how does all this work?

What?!  Another post with no cute puppy pics?  What gives?

Well, it's about that time - a moment we encounter in every litter we've had - The moment when potential puppy buyers begin to get antsy and anxious.  

And we begin to get inundated with emails asking where you all are on the priority list, and folks worrying if they'll get the puppy they want, or if they'll get a puppy at all.

So... now for some Zen words of wisdom (we hope).

We want to remind everyone not to focus on just one puppy, but instead to sit back and enjoy watching the puppies and the whole litter (both litters!), and the whole process.

We know that waiting is hard.  And trusting the process and having patience is hard.  But it hasn't failed us yet, in 24 litters bred over the years.  

Plus - patience is a virtue that will be required of you when you're raising a pup, so this is good practice. 😉

Joking aside, we also know how easy it is to fall in love with a puppy seemingly out of the blue, just from pictures.  

We often experience the same thing - loving the look or markings of a certain pup, not to mention that we spend nearly every waking moment right there with them and their developing personalities for 8 to 10 solid weeks.  Talk about getting attached!

We often have our early 'favorites'. But we've learned to let things develop naturally, and let the pups develop to their full potential before we even think about who goes where.

We also know that while patience is a tough thing to come by, sometimes all the 'rules' of buying from a breeder can be even more overwhelming - not to mention the anxiety of the waiting!

And on that note, Jen stumbled on a really well written and informative blog post from a Cardigan Welsh Corgi breeder that really hits the nail on the head, in regards to Puppy Buyer Etiquette.  #5 is spot on.

We'd like to ask everyone to read through the post, if you will!  If the above link doesn't work, here's the address:    https://rufflyspeaking.wordpress.com/2009/04/26/puppy-buyer-ettiquette/

The one thing we differ on from the above article is that we don't value show homes over pet homes.  In fact, because of our professions as a vet and a trainer/behaviorist, our first and foremost priority for each and every pup is to be in a loving home that matches its personality to a "T" - regardless of show potential or drive, etc.  If any particular puppy owner wants to show their dog, great, but the love comes first!

We'd also ask that everyone review our own 2 pages on the concept of matching pups to homes, and how the waitlist works:  

Horsetooth Whippets Puppy Selection Primer

Horsetooth Whippets - 'The List' <~~~This page opens with a really cute pic of mama Brie as a tiny puppy, just to feed your puppy pic addiction!  :)

(Also note that the discovery of the Puppy Buyer Etiquette blog was just great timing a few years ago - not aimed at any particular person or situation!)