Go to wikipedia and create links to your websites- thats free!
That is a great idea. When I was researching which breed of dog I'd like to get, I was on wikipedia A LOT as well as the other more "professional" sites like AKC.
My two cents about responsible breeders vs byb/pet stores. These are the reasons I was afraid of breeders and went with rescue instead.
First- they are easy to find. There are TONS of pet stores, and those sites like nextday pets, etc. (I found Jack of Petfinder.com- rescue site, but you see what I mean) Find ways to advertise yourselves that are consumer-oriented. People that want companions are afraid of sites like the AKC or BCOA. They figure those are for people who want to breed or want to show. I did. Go to wikipedia and create links to your websites- thats free!
Second- there are fewer questions asked, which I know is bad for the dogs, however, when I was looking I saw a few sites that said that home visits would be made. I am a really messy person- my house is not dirty, but it is messy. Shoes everywhere, clothes unfolded on the bed, things are never put away. I didn't want someone coming to see that….it just scared me! I am not saying that you shouldn't do home visits, I think you should. Just don't make a huge deal about it. When you talk to someone, tell them what it is that you are looking for in a home visit. I mean, knowing what I do now....if you are a messy person before getting a B, you learn real quick to clean up after yourself!
And third- price is a factor. Or, I should say that the assumption of price is a factor. People assume that breeders will cost more, so when they find a "deal" at a byb, they buy there figuring that they are getting a quality bred puppy for a lower price. But, like Sharron said, there is a fee for a rescue pup, too. You don't need to lower your prices- I know that you aren't making money, and I know that you have to cover costs. Make sure your potential buyers know what they are getting: Shots, good breeding, (explain why- mom and dad have great temperment, etc...) endless resource for behavior and breed questions from you, puppies are socialized and exposed to different stimuli...I've even heard that breeders will often board the pup if the owners are going out of town. Sell your service!Anyway, that is my opinion. I would love nothing more than for all puppy mills to be run out of business, and I never ever had to adopt from a shelter again. I would run happily to my nearest breeder and ask to be put on a waitlist. In the meantime, I am happy when a B finds a happy home, as I think everyone on this site has, whether he came from a pet store, byb, rescue, breeder, or if he just dropped from heaven.
I hope I don't offend...
Not offended at all, it is great to hear comments from people on what they do or do not preceive about breeders. It is important….. and it is important that breeders listen to these comments. I have tried to make my site user friendly.. and get the message across that not only do I have show/performance Basenjis (because I want them) but that I raise wonderful family companions.
As far as "questions", yes, sometimes people are put off by the questions asked, however... if you look at the questions that you as a buyer should ask they are pretty detailed... So it works both ways. As far as home visits, I hear you about "messy"...ggg... but I would not hold that against someone.. and would find it difficult to think that a responsible breeder would also... other then to make a comment "you will, if nothing else, learn to pick up your stuff with a B puppy"... In fact I always tell people that. What I think is really important is that anyone considering a Basenji visit with Basenjis.... most breeders if you are not local to them can find someone for you to visit with...
Great idea about Wikipedia....
And that is also why I wanted the "how to select a responsible breeder" link front and center on the site also, not embedded in the "is a basenji right for me"… as all those questions are there for people to use... Take some time to read it (my link is the same as what in on the BCOA site) and see if that would have made a difference to you when you were searching.
Not to criticize, but to respond to the request for input...
As a print and web writer and editor, my first reaction is that this is simply much too long. A much-shortened call-to-action version would hook people, then could lead them to a link to this complete piece. Most folks will glaze over and not even start this long a text section - the length overwhelms them and they tune out.
I'd volunteer to edit this if you'd like.
<>
Ha, ha....well, you could ask to see the entire facility, but I probably won't show you my messy bedroom, or our garage that hasn't had a car parked in it since we built it (too much other cr@p).
In all sincerity though, a good breeder should welcome you into their home as a guest, and you should be able to see how all the dogs live, and for the most part, how the breeders live.
As LVoss menitoned, often time the sire of the puppies may not live with that breeders, as it is uncommon that the best match for the bitch happens to live under the same roof (although it certainly can happen!)
And that is also why I wanted the "how to select a responsible breeder" link front and center on the site also, not embedded in the "is a basenji right for me"… as all those questions are there for people to use... Take some time to read it (my link is the same as what in on the BCOA site) and see if that would have made a difference to you when you were searching.
Not to criticize, but to respond to the request for input...
As a print and web writer and editor, my first reaction is that this is simply much too long. A much-shortened call-to-action version would hook people, then could lead them to a link to this complete piece. Most folks will glaze over and not even start this long a text section - the length overwhelms them and they tune out.
I'd volunteer to edit this if you'd like.
This is from the Basenji Club of America, not even I can edit… gggg... I will pass along all comments however and hopefully we can get it in a "better place" and somethink that will "hook" a reader
I would love to see what a "hook" page would look like that could be used as a preface to the "How to Select A Responsible Breeder" from BCOA or something members could use on their website with a link to the BCOA material at the end.
Even if BCOA will not change several of us get a large number of hits on our websites or are members of local clubs that have websites that get a lot of hits so anyway we can hook people looking for information the better.
I do have to do home visits for BRAT rescues.
I always tell them I don't judge dusting or clutter…but I do want to see the fence and I will point out areas that will be "basenji" arranged, if they don't get it out of reach.
We all have a different level of "clutter" comfort.
Mostly, we just want to check out that what the ap says is true and point out areas of concerns...
These pages on BCOA are great hooks:
http://www.basenji.org/learn/
Unfortunately you have to hunt for them - they're very novice-friendly and would make a good home page intro. Or a direct jump from Is a Basenji right for me? They should lead (instead of directly to the very long Select a Breeder piece) to a short piece specifically on choosing a reputable breeder, with links to longer pages geared to folks who click answers to questions like: Do you want a puppy or an adult dog? Do you want a pet/companion or do you plan to show or breed your dog? Are you interested in Rescue? Different audiences need different info.
I'm not sure that BCOA is really trying to be friendly to the novice basenji owner/buyer though. They seem to be appealing to their own audience, which is a more sophisticated basenji owner involved in showing and/or breeding. Though those folks probably like cute basenji pix too - that main site is pretty darn dry.
Someone who works with Karen did a home visit when we first started considering a rescue. In the end, we didn't go through Medfly, but I found the home visit very helpful, informative and reassuring - though the idea of it felt sort of intrusive when it was first brought up.
Don't know if Sharron would have approved my "fence" 
but the urban basenji owner who did our inspection didn't find a problem, which eased my mind, and we haven't had either pup escape (or even try, actually).
Catt..your too funny.
Approve means that when you say the yard is fenced its not fenced on 3 sides and "left open" on the 4th…
Course, some folks don't rehome dogs without a fence.
I do. I have to be assured the owners are in it for the nice days as well as the wet ones.
Its the ones with the BIG holes in them that make me concerned...laugh.
Hugs
These pages on BCOA are great hooks:
http://www.basenji.org/learn/Unfortunately you have to hunt for them - they're very novice-friendly and would make a good home page intro. Or a direct jump from Is a Basenji right for me? They should lead (instead of directly to the very long Select a Breeder piece) to a short piece specifically on choosing a reputable breeder, with links to longer pages geared to folks who click answers to questions like: Do you want a puppy or an adult dog? Do you want a pet/companion or do you plan to show or breed your dog? Are you interested in Rescue? Different audiences need different info.
I'm not sure that BCOA is really trying to be friendly to the novice basenji owner/buyer though. They seem to be appealing to their own audience, which is a more sophisticated basenji owner involved in showing and/or breeding. Though those folks probably like cute basenji pix too - that main site is pretty darn dry.
Many of us have always said that…. site is way to dry... and not user friendly at all... but the more comments that we get from people, many the better luck we will have in getting it changed....
Sharron, I bet you're a great screener, and a big help to the folks you visit, helping them make the right decision to go ahead and adopt a B or not.
Thanks Catt…I try to be honest and kind with folks.
Say they have kids who are small, I try to get them to realize that rescue b's are often like kids, and sometimes dealing with a breeder would be the better way to go...
Or they have a cat...cats are tough, because basenji folks are often cat folks and a b who doesn't know cats can do major damage...so that is to be avoided.
But really, I think if you share what these wonderful dogs are about..the good and the bad...really make them see that b's do require work, but with the right work and right attitude, they will have a charming dog who will love them and give them lots of laughs..
Sorry to go on and on..but I do like doing rescue and I do love this breed.
How is your boy doing???
He's doing well, thanks for asking. He is more of a challenge than Fiji was. She came from one home where she'd been all her life, though I think she'd been passed around to family members a lot while transition was happening. She was perfectly house trained - never had an accident. She did chew some pillows, but overall was very easy from the start.
Bongo is very sweet and loving - more affectionate than her, actually. He's more of a chewer, but happy to trade contraband for hooves. He startles occasionally - it feels to me like he's been treated roughly in the past.
He has some house training issues. Inconvenient ones, like going on the deck instead of waiting for walks - but he's gotten much better about that already. I'm guessing he was left outside a lot. More frustrating is his marking - couch, floor, walls, our bed :eek: I don't know if he's testing or nervous or what. At first I was afraid maybe he had a UTI or something, but he can hold it all day. He does this stuff right in front of us, most often in the evening, not long after a nice long walk. Aaargh.
I got some dog odor neutralizer - works so so - I'm heading out to get some Nature's Miracle tomorrow. I set him outside as soon as I catch him in the act and try to ignore it. I praise like heck when he goes while we're walking. Hopefully it's just a matter of time. Any ideas are welcome.
He and Fiji tussled a few times the first week, but they now play, chew on, and chase each other very happily. Bongo's been sleeping on the fold out with our visiting grandson who goes home tomorrow - I think Bongo and Fiji may get even closer after Ru goes home. Of course, that's one more change in families, so hopefully Bongo won't relapse into anxiety, but he seems pretty bonded to me and DH. We just love the little guy, warts and all!
OK, this response goes way back to a post Tanza made in this thread about shipping an 8 week old pup to someone you've never met…
Many, many years ago (16 years, OMG!), we were in "negotiations" with Susan Coe and slated to get a lovely little girl, a Nate daughter, from her. We had been vouched for by Barbara Naddy, who owned Gala Celebration. At the last minute, Susan's husband decided he couldn't part with the little girl. Susan recommended us to Iris Craven, who had a girl of the same age, also a Nate daughter, who closely resembled the one we had been discussing. We got in touch with Iris, and wound up deciding to take her girl without even seeing her. We couldn't travel all the way from CA to MD, so Iris shipped her to us just a week before Christmas. "Holly" was an October baby, so she wasn't much over 9 weeks old... She traveled like a trouper in her little 100 Vari-Kennel, and we loved that little girl desperately until she finally crossed the Bridge at age 15 1/2. We were so glad that Iris was willing to do that. So, yes, responsible breeders do sometimes 'break the rules.'
Terry
Your right, Terry, sometimes they do break the rules… or some breeders are willing to ship... I am just not one of them...
