How to Match the Right Puppy to His Forever Family

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You’ve got a darling litter of babies.

You are an honest, responsible dog owner, so you are raising them to be quality pets.

Someone saw your ad, and they’re interested in purchasing one of your fur babies to join their family! How exciting!

Remember, finding a puppy a home is not the same as finding a sale. In our business, it’s all about matching temperaments, which will result in long-lasting matches. We want each pup to be loved FOREVER, not rehomed because they did not fit into the family.

Here’s how!

Step 1: Prove Your Claims

In the ad, you have claimed that your puppies are extraordinary. It’s time to PROVE it! 

What were your claims? Do you conduct ENS exercises? If so, be prepared with documentation to show the family how each puppy reacted to ENS.

Do you keep a clean and sanitary home environment for the puppies? Show off the puppies’ living space to the potential customer! (Check out our Whelping Kit for helpful documents to track your puppies’ skills and health)

Are your parents titled and registered and health tested? Have the paperwork ready!

Gather everything you need- be ready to blow past the competition by providing indisputable evidence that your puppies are as incredible as you know they are!

For more information on how to raise puppies to be TOP NOTCH, read here!

Step 2: Maintain Professionalism- with a Hint of Love

Interacting with a potential customer is a dance.

On one hand, you need to be very professional- have documents, have facts and information to share.

On the other hand, you need to show how much you love and care for the babies!

Here are my top tips for handling interactions with a potential customer:

• Set your policies on how and if a family can meet a potential puppy. This is one of the first questions asked, so it’s best to have your answer prepared.
  • Do you allow in person visits to your home so that customers can meet the puppies? Risk: spread of germs to your pups, Pro: This is the best way for a family to make the best selection based on temperament.
  • • In order to decrease the risk, some breeders set policies: some breeders ask customers to remove shoes and wash hands, others provide disposable booties to cover shoes, others require video chat meetings only, some invite visitors with no particular cleanliness requirements. What will you do?
• Have respect for yourself. Your own confidence will go a long way. (Respect the customer too. But you already knew that.)
• Puppies are not products (especially in the eyes of the customer). They are looking for a forever companion, so speak with that in mind.
  • Don’t focus your words on money or sales or profit- focus your communication on the dog.
• Look for temperament matches over color preferences. It’s silly for a person to select a puppy based on looks. Don’t let that happen to your puppies or your buyers. Guide them to what matters most- temperament and personality.
• Listen to their needs. Don’t push a puppy on anyone if he/she isn’t the right fit. You want a long-term match just as badly as they do- it’s what is best for your fur baby!
  • Don’t be upset if the customer isn’t the right fit for your dogs. In this case, it is best to know it now and send the customer on their way to find a better fit. If the wrong home selected one of my dogs, I would be in a worse situation later- the pup would not work out with the family, the pup would be rehomed or preferably returned to me, I could lose money, the pup might need retrained, and I would be back to square 1- needing to find the right family for the puppy. Don’t force a match to be made. The right person will find the right puppy.

Step 3: Understand the Sales Funnel

For those of you who are not business majors, the sales funnel refers to the steps that a customer takes from first exposure to your ad, all the way to the purchase. For a breeder, that often looks like this:

1. A customer clicks on your ad and reads all the information that you have provided about your litter,
2. A customer may save your information, click to your website/social media, or google your business name (be sure they will like what they see by setting up quality social media and business website),
3. A customer may text to ask a question or two (this is your time to be proactive- lead the customer to the next step),
4. If you handled the initial contact well and the customer seems like a good fit, invite the customer to visit your pups- either in person or via video chat,
5. If the video chat or visit went well, the customer may be ready to place a deposit to reserve a particular pup,
6. If the customer reserves a pup, you’ll be responsible to maintain consistent communication until the pup is ready to go home,
7. when the pup goes home, the customer pays the remainder of the balance.

What’s the point?

Take advantage of the steps in the sales funnel where you can have the most influence!

When a customer asks me questions, I like to have all my information handy and ready to respond in a confident way. Be sure I am calm and focused- not distracted by other things. Give the customer all my attention and be sure I am communicating well with each response.

I create a document with all the following information (I can send it to the customer or use it as reference):

• Puppies’ Info- Birth date of puppies, Go home date of puppies, Puppies’ expected adult weights, Temperament traits of each puppy, My policies of transportation/holding a puppy for extra time, List of services I provide to the puppies
• Parents’ Info- Titles, health testing, genetics testing, size, age, amazing characteristics, how they fit their breed standard
• Price of puppies (especially if the price changes based on desirable traits or breeding rights)
• My policies and procedures throughout the purchase process

Step 4: A Visit that will Knock their Socks Off

Meet the family in person or over video chat whenever possible (zoom, Facetime, whatever) and allow them to see the puppies. (We are at Sales Funnel Step #4 here- after the initial questions have been answered and the customer is ready to meet the puppies!)

Texting is no good, there’s no falling in love over a text.

A phone call is fine, but you can’t see anything over a phone call.

Get on a video chat or visit in person!! Show the puppy more than you show yourself. Let the family fall in love!

This is a major event, the last step before a puppy is reserved. Here are a few things to prepare for:

• Explain the WHY behind every bit of your breeding program.

• Families like to see documentation about the pups. (See the Whelping Kit for helpful charts!) You can show them the aptitude testing results, the ENS results, ESI responses, etc.

• Don’t let the customer go too early. Some families take a sec to look at the pup, then assume they’ve seen all they need to see, and say “well, we’ll think about it and reach out soon….” BUT WAIT! You didn’t get your chance to share! Don’t let them go yet- say something like, “I would love to show you my program, facilities, and to explain how we have given these pups a quality start to life. Do you have just a few more minutes?” 9 times out of 10, they’ll want to hear what you have to say, and you’ll be grateful you didn’t end the call because that info is what defines you as a responsible breeder!

• Highlight all the great qualities of your pup that you mentioned in your ad- it’s time to show the real-life version! Prove what you have claimed!
  • Are you like me and freeze up when you’re in the spotlight? Come to the meeting prepared with notes of talking points to keep you focused.

Step 5: The MOST IMPORTANT Part of Matching A Puppy to His Family

The most important thing I can share is this: Ask questions of them, don’t just answer their questions.

This interview gives you the information to decide if this is a family that will give your puppy the home he/she deserves. It also shows the family that you care about finding them the best match and that you care about your puppy’s future.

Consider asking the following questions:

• How long have you been looking for a puppy?

• What drew you to my breeding program?

• What research have you completed prior to purchasing a puppy?

• Are you prepared for training?

• Are you prepared to exercise the dog consistently for his/her entire life?

• Are you prepared with enough time to devote to the dog?

• Are you prepared for grooming?

• Are you prepared for financial expenses, such as vet visits?

• Are you prepared to be patient as the puppy adapts to a new environment at your home?

• Do you know about the breed- common health issues, temperament traits, energy level, unique needs, etc.?

• Is your home suited to raising a puppy?

• Does anyone in your home have allergies?

• If you have children, have they been taught/prepared so that they treat the puppy well?

• If you have other dogs or animals, how do you plan to introduce the new puppy to them?

• Are you prepared to commit to this dog for his/her entire life without rehoming?

Overall point: Be smart. Be top quality. Use proven sales methods. Seek the best financial situation you can… but when push comes to shove- look out for the best interest of the pup, not the best interest of your wallet.

Step 6: Watching for Red Flags

Do you get a positive vibe from the family, or does something seem off? Listen to your gut!

Dealing with some people is not worth the money- and could even put your puppy in danger. If you encounter any of the following warning signs, consider carefully before moving forward:

• People who want 2 puppies at once. They often can’t give the babies the individual attention and training that the pups deserve.
• People who want a puppy despite a family member who has allergies. This often isn’t sustainable, and the pup is rehomed.
• People who want the puppy on a whim. We are looking for forever homes, not temporary shelter.
• People who want the puppy because of its looks, not its temperament. This is not a forever match; this is surface deep. They might like the picture, but when push comes to shove, most people will not stick it out with a dog whose temperament is not right for their preferences. That pup is likely to be rehomed unless by pure miracle the puppy happens to have the right temperament AND the right looks for the family.  
• People who have unrealistic expectations of puppy training or behavior. They’ll be frustrated with your baby for, well, being a baby. That’s not fair to the pup. But this can be taught- if you educate the family in advance, you may still be able to find them the right pup.
• People who have not researched. You see this a lot with “fad breeding”- when a breed is popular, and people choose it just because that’s the breed that the neighbors have. Not a good reason. Sometimes you can educate the family, see if the breed actually does fit their needs, and consider placing a puppy with them after education.
• People who don’t care about responsible breeding. Usually, these people only care about the money- they are low ballers who don’t want to pay for quality. They assume that every dog is the same, or at least that every dog in one breed is created equal. They often message you to ask for you to drop your price. They can even be demanding and frustrating to work with- more effort and stress for you than a quality family who pays full price! I recommend avoiding them.
• People who don’t want to share info about themselves. This is a two-way street. Not only do the families need information about me and the pups, but I need information about the family to decide if they are a good home for my babies. If a family doesn’t want to share with me, I can’t verify that they will be a good fit. Game over.
• People who don’t want to stay in contact with you after they bring the puppy home. You never know what the cause could be- maybe they are just private, but they could also be involved in sketchy behaviors such as breeding without breeding rights, reselling the pup, or just providing a poor home. This one is tricky because you can’t always see it coming in advance.
• People who don’t want to sign contracts. Very similar to the above: This could be a sign of sketchy behavior.
• People who are wishy washy or noncommittal to the pup. Again- we need forever homes. This is why my deposits are nonrefundable- I don’t want people changing their minds at the last minute and abandoning a pup without a family. I want to know that the family is 100% serious- just like I am. I find that requiring a deposit goes a long way towards helping families think through their decision before reserving a pup.
• People who are scammy. There are lots of scammers out there who take advantage of electronic sales in any form. Puppy sales are no different. There are many red flags, but the one SURE sign that I always rely on is this: a scammer does not want to video chat or meet you in person. What family wouldn’t want to meet the puppy that they are considering adopting?? If a family won’t meet with the breeder, it’s a scam.

My Closing Statement

Breeding is different than most jobs or side hustles- we are not dealing with a product. We are dealing with life! Energy! Intelligence! Personality!

Our job is not simply sales…. And yet sales are necessary.

Our job is forever homes. Loving families. Smiles and fulfillment.

Don’t let money get in the way of your true purpose!

Yes, we need to get the sale… but only as a means to find a perfect home.