I've seen a lot of fairly experienced Akita breeders who don't take deposits up front either--they're doing what Lindsay and Claire are talking about--no deposit til they know what they have. One specifically said she hated handling the money up front (like the escrow account thing) because why should she hang on to it if she ended up not having a puppy for the person? So a lot are waiting to take deposits (though plenty of equally good breeders DO ask for deposits up front).
I just sent all the $ in once I knew there was a puppy for me....that solved the whole deposit issue!
Not only are people flaky but they also keep looking during the deposit process. This is what I have done in the past and it seems to work quite well.
I start taking applications right when Kaede goes into heat. About 31 days after the first breeding, I take her in for an ultrasound. I drive all the way out to Riverside but the lady is spot on. Two years running she has called the exact number of puppies and the due-date within a half a day.
At that point, I email the same number of applicants that matches the number of puppies seen in the ultrasound. I ask for a $300 deposit and they get a pick. Example would be brindle female #1. So if I have only red and brindle males that person gets the deposit refunded or another pick(if one is open.) Other factors that would result in a refund - Moku or clearly a pet quality dog. Anything outside of that is up to me to refund or not.
What I was doing was not asking for a deposit until I knew I had a pup for them. So what happens? They get on another wait list or just back out when the pups are born. Now I have to find homes for pups I thought were placed before the female was even bred.
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But your statement compliments my original statement that breeders are not usually in it for the money.
I just sent all the $ in once I knew there was a puppy for me....that solved the whole deposit issue!
But it really sucks when people back out.
I start taking applications right when Kaede goes into heat. About 31 days after the first breeding, I take her in for an ultrasound. I drive all the way out to Riverside but the lady is spot on. Two years running she has called the exact number of puppies and the due-date within a half a day.
At that point, I email the same number of applicants that matches the number of puppies seen in the ultrasound. I ask for a $300 deposit and they get a pick. Example would be brindle female #1. So if I have only red and brindle males that person gets the deposit refunded or another pick(if one is open.) Other factors that would result in a refund - Moku or clearly a pet quality dog. Anything outside of that is up to me to refund or not.