Why Breeders Ask Questions
Here are some of the normal questions that most reputable breeders will ask people who are interested in buying a puppy or dog, and why these questions are asked.
What attracted you to the breed and why do you want one now? Have you owned one before? Have you owned other breeds before?
These questions help the breeder determine your knowledge of the breed you are interested in as well as your knowledge of dog ownership in general.
Have you ever obedience trained a dog? Where will the dog be spending the majority of the time? How much time will the dog be spending alone? Are you willing to crate train?
These questions let the breeder know if you are looking for a backyard ornament or if you are interested in adding a new member to your family. Most breeders will not sell their puppies to homes where the dog will spend most of its time on a chain in the backyard, since this is not good for the dog’s mental or physical well being. Dogs are pack animals and need to be part of the family. .If left on their own for long periods of time, dogs can become destructive which normally means that the dog will end up in a shelter.
Are there children in the household? Is anyone in the household allergic to animals?
Children do not mix well with a lot of different breeds of dogs. The breeder wants to determine if your home environment is a good situation for a new puppy or dog to enter. It also helps to minimize the chances of the dog or children being hurt due to unsupervised play time with children and puppies.
What activities interest you?
This question is to help the breeder know which pup will do best with you. Most breeders continually evaluate their litters of puppies and keep notes on each pups energy level, conformation, drives, and temperament. That way, they won’t send an extremely active and driven pup to a home who just wants a calm pet or a sedate dog to a home where the family is planning on doing agility or flyball with the dog.
It is best to always be completely truthful when answering a puppy questionnaire. Otherwise, you might be paying for a dog you will have a hard time enjoying or be unable to handle with your lifestyle.