The Breeder's "Waitlist"
A "waitlist" sounds like a hurdle to many pet owners, but it's an extraordinarily useful and often necessary tool for a responsible breeder. The thought of waiting 2 or more years for your dream puppy can be daunting and it might seem more efficient to purchase a puppy now from a breeder who shares lots of fun pictures of cute puppies and doesn't keep a waiting list and will sell to the first buyer, but here's what a waiting list really does and why getting on a waiting list with a breeder that resonates with you is important...
1. Committing to a breeder's waiting list shows the community and the breeder you are dedicated to this breed and to the puppy.
In Europe and other places which may have quickly available puppies, there's a culture of thought which believes that someone who spends a lot of money on something will cherish and take care of it. This is absolutely not true in most of the primary culture of the US and Canada and many breeders and enthusiasts will take it as a "red flag" behavior to see a prospective puppy owner abandon their waitlist for the puppy which was available to them earliest. Getting on a waiting list and sticking to that waiting list or otherwise being communicative with the breeder is seen among breeders and enthusiasts to be the hallmark of a responsible prospective puppy family.
2. The year or more wait from the time you get on the waiting list to the time you get your puppy should be used for questions, concerns and getting to know your breeder.
Using the time you are on the waitlist to communicate with your breeder and learn about the breed and their specific dogs will not only help foster a relationship with the breeder you've selected to enter into a relationship with (as responsible breeders are typically involved for the life of the dog they have placed with a family, in varying capacities depending on the breeder's personal outlook), but will help you to get to know the breed. The time on a waitlist can be used prepping your house for a puppy and learning some more intricate and nuanced things about the breed and the specific lines your puppy is expected to come from. Communicating frequently with your breeder is a good way to let your breeder get to know you, as well, and really make sure the puppy ultimately selected for your family matches exactly what you are looking for in a companion among the breed.
3. A waiting list is to set up a reasonable expectation, not set in stone.
A breeder may tell you that their expected wait list time is two years - this is a common wait for many breeders, particularly among Shikoku Ken and Kishu Ken due to litter size and how long we may expect a family to wait before they move on or become disinterested. However, two years isn't always two years. Two years may be six months -- because the breeder's next litter ended up double the size they thought it would and three people backed out. It may be one year -- because someone else on the wait list backed out and the puppy wasn't a good fit for the expectations of another family on the wait list. Or maybe something unexpected happened and a puppy is born pinto colored and no one else is interested in because they need to have a dog they can show.
The point is that two years is a frequently quoted time to set up a reasonable expectation, not a time set in stone.
4. Responsible Kishu Ken & Shikoku Ken breeders in the USA keep waitlists.
Waiting lists are a staple of the responsible breeder in the USA. Responsible breeders also have contracts which protect you as a puppy owner, the puppy, and them as a breeder, by setting up a document of expectations they, their puppy, and you should fulfill. This document often protects you and your puppy when it comes to inherited/genetic illnesses, sometimes for the life of the dog, and gives you a dedicated breeder resource should anything happen or you have questions in the future. A responsible breeder in the USA will take their dogs back, no questions asked, if anything at all happens. This resource is often lacking if one opts to go for an international breeder simply to skip the wait list. Health testing of parent dogs is also made readily accessible by responsible breeders in the USA by visiting www.ofa.org.
1. Committing to a breeder's waiting list shows the community and the breeder you are dedicated to this breed and to the puppy.
In Europe and other places which may have quickly available puppies, there's a culture of thought which believes that someone who spends a lot of money on something will cherish and take care of it. This is absolutely not true in most of the primary culture of the US and Canada and many breeders and enthusiasts will take it as a "red flag" behavior to see a prospective puppy owner abandon their waitlist for the puppy which was available to them earliest. Getting on a waiting list and sticking to that waiting list or otherwise being communicative with the breeder is seen among breeders and enthusiasts to be the hallmark of a responsible prospective puppy family.
2. The year or more wait from the time you get on the waiting list to the time you get your puppy should be used for questions, concerns and getting to know your breeder.
Using the time you are on the waitlist to communicate with your breeder and learn about the breed and their specific dogs will not only help foster a relationship with the breeder you've selected to enter into a relationship with (as responsible breeders are typically involved for the life of the dog they have placed with a family, in varying capacities depending on the breeder's personal outlook), but will help you to get to know the breed. The time on a waitlist can be used prepping your house for a puppy and learning some more intricate and nuanced things about the breed and the specific lines your puppy is expected to come from. Communicating frequently with your breeder is a good way to let your breeder get to know you, as well, and really make sure the puppy ultimately selected for your family matches exactly what you are looking for in a companion among the breed.
3. A waiting list is to set up a reasonable expectation, not set in stone.
A breeder may tell you that their expected wait list time is two years - this is a common wait for many breeders, particularly among Shikoku Ken and Kishu Ken due to litter size and how long we may expect a family to wait before they move on or become disinterested. However, two years isn't always two years. Two years may be six months -- because the breeder's next litter ended up double the size they thought it would and three people backed out. It may be one year -- because someone else on the wait list backed out and the puppy wasn't a good fit for the expectations of another family on the wait list. Or maybe something unexpected happened and a puppy is born pinto colored and no one else is interested in because they need to have a dog they can show.
The point is that two years is a frequently quoted time to set up a reasonable expectation, not a time set in stone.
4. Responsible Kishu Ken & Shikoku Ken breeders in the USA keep waitlists.
Waiting lists are a staple of the responsible breeder in the USA. Responsible breeders also have contracts which protect you as a puppy owner, the puppy, and them as a breeder, by setting up a document of expectations they, their puppy, and you should fulfill. This document often protects you and your puppy when it comes to inherited/genetic illnesses, sometimes for the life of the dog, and gives you a dedicated breeder resource should anything happen or you have questions in the future. A responsible breeder in the USA will take their dogs back, no questions asked, if anything at all happens. This resource is often lacking if one opts to go for an international breeder simply to skip the wait list. Health testing of parent dogs is also made readily accessible by responsible breeders in the USA by visiting www.ofa.org.
Ultimately, the waiting list is not there to prevent the prospective puppy owner from obtaining a puppy, but to set up a reasonable expectation from the very beginning on both the puppy owner's part and the breeder's part. Puppies are not made-to-order and should not be available on demand.