Breeder MIA

[jeannettemcgarr]

Hi,
After two years of research my family decided a Basenji is the right dog for us. A little over a year ago I contacted a breeder near by with a stellar reputation. Seriously, she’s even mentioned in a number of posts on this forum praising her and her dogs. I reached out to her and asked if we could visit to make sure we were making the right decision and to introduce ourselves to her. We visited last February and spent about two hours with her. fell in love with her puppies and her adult dogs and we hit it off with her.

We kept in touch with her and in May she said she would start taking $200 deposits in June for the next litter. I sent her a check on June 1. It was never cashed and I reach out to confirm she received it. Two weeks later she responded and said she didn’t receive it. I send another check immediately certified mail. It was cashed a few weeks later. Then end of July she said she found the original check. I didn’t hear from her again until I emailed in early November. She responded quickly and said the litters were due mid December. That’s the last time I ever heard from her.
After the due date came and went, I decided to wait until after the holidays so I didn’t seem like I was bugging her. I emailed last weekend to inquire about the puppies-no response. I called today, voicemail.

I now have a bad feeling about everything. Is it normal for breeders to not contact buyers after the litter has arrived? I’m guessing the litters are about a month old. I will be heart broken if we never hear from the breeder again, and knowing we will have to go through the process again and wait another year is going to crush my daughter.

[DebraDownSouth]

Either reach out to a breeder here of them to see if they have any information (such as lost litter; some personal issues, etc). Unless something terrible has happened, you have every right to hear from her.

[CrazySenji]

I’m sorry you are going though this. It’s so stressful waiting to know if there is a puppy for you.

A few things:
The breeder might just be busy with the puppies or their regular job\life. Puppies are a LOT of work! Not all breeders give constant updates either. Some post on Facebook a lot and some never do. Maybe look her up or her kennel on Facebook? also, if you are buying from a show breeder you need to understand that they have to wait until the puppies are old enough to evaluate before they pick home. They need to pick the best puppies to continue their program and might not be responding until they know for sure they have a puppy for you. I don’t know where you are on their waiting list but it could happen that they don’t have enough pups for the amount of people on their list.

I don’t know if I know the breeder but if she’s one who was recommended maybe try reaching out to the person who recommended them? They may know them personally and be able to contact them on your behalf.

Good luck ️. I’ve been in your daughters position. She will get her perfect puppy someday just like I did.

[jeannettemcgarr]

Thanks for the response. I am assuming (hopeful) she is just too busy to respond to my emails and voicemails. I did try and find her on social media. She has a page but it hasn't been updated since 2016. However, while searching I found another woman who posted a photo of herself 2 weeks ago, holding a newborn puppy, in this breeder's kitchen. The woman posted she was so happy to meet her basenji puppy, so clearly some people have been notified.

The breeder wasn't directly recommended by anyone I know. I don't want to post her name because again, she has an amazing reputation, and I don't want to appear like I am sullying her reputation - especially if it is just a communication hiccup. Is there a way to message you privately to see if you know her?

Supposedly we were at the top of her list when I made the deposit. Maybe there won't be a puppy for us after all, but I would just like to know one way or another so we can start researching/reaching out to other breeders.

Thanks for the response, though. It does give me a little hope that all may not be lost.

[CrazySenji]

Sure you can message me. You deserve to know if there is no puppy for you this year. Keeping you in limbo isn’t right. I’m hoping the breeder is still evaluating puppies and just hasn’t contacted everyone yet.

[jeannettemcgarr]

I just sent her flowers with my name and contact info on it - hopefully it will prompt a response!

I'm new to this forum, is chat a direct message option?

[tanza]

@jeannettemcgarr - Chat is not private on this forum.

[tanza]

@jeannettemcgarr - Sorry you are going through this... I do find it odd that you have not received any responses from her... even busy with puppies it take only a minute to advise potential puppy people that the litter had arrived, number and sex at the least. That is my favorite part of being a breeder... is letting people know that pups are here and what they can expect next, especially for people that might be lower on the reservation list and there may not be a puppy for them. Just another note, I don't and never have required a deposit. I never wanted to put people in the position that they felt they "HAD" to take a puppy because they gave a deposit and would not get it back.
Wishing you good luck

[jeannettemcgarr]

Thank you for the response. I'm hoping the flowers will do the trick and she can at least give me a quick update. My husband was nervous about the deposit, especially since it was 6 months before a litter was expected, but it was refundable until the birth of the puppies. I sent it as a show of good faith that we were serious. We told her we didn't have a preference on sex, coloring, etc. She does breed show dogs and after meeting us suggested we should consider a show dog. She said she was impressed with how well my daughter followed her instruction and how well she interacted with all of the dogs. But we just want a new member of our family. I figured with our early response/deposit and our flexibility on preferences, we would most certainly get a pup. In my mind, knowing basenjis are only available once a year and knowing how popular they are, the deposit seemed reasonable. I don't even really care about the money at this point, I just want to know what's next. I'm trying to remain optimistic and hopefully I will hear one way or another soon.

[starbrightva]

I am a breeder, and I find it odd that you have no response. I know breeders are swamped with work and then raising a litter, but communication is part of the job of being a breeder. Keep trying to reach her! Just another note, I do require a deposit, so the request for one is normal. Each breeder is different on whether deposits can be refunded.

[DonC]

Agree with Tanza that this doesn't sound good. Puppies are a tremendous amount of work but that shouldn't prevent a short note to buyers who have put down a deposit. Sometimes it's nice to deal with humans!

Hopefully this will work out for you.

[Zande]

As a breeder - my priorities are : Make sure the last pup is out, that the placentas are accounted for; put clean bedding (newspaper for the first couple of days) in the bed box; pour a gin and tonic for me; PHONE THE PUPPY PEOPLE !

Obviously there are odds and ends to do along the way - but telling the owners their puppy is safely whelped is very important. I start taking photos and making sure all the new people feel involved, especially if it is to be their first Basenji. They are encouraged to visit as soon as eyes are open and Mom is getting jaded enough to accept visitors.

I'd be worried too, if I hadn't heard - and, btw, I've never taken a deposit. Price is agreed and payment made when the pup if handed over.

Good luck,

[jeannettemcgarr]

Thanks everyone. I guess the flowers didn’t work. Still no word. I tried calling again, no answer.

[tanza]

@jeannettemcgarr - would you care to share privately who this breeder is? I find it very, very disturbing that you have not received any response.... that is not the way that a responsible breeder does things.... You can email me privately, email can be found on my website, link below.

[DebraDownSouth]

@jeannettemcgarr

Do a google search and find out what clubs she belongs to. No breeder with a "stellar reputation" would need to mention posts on any forum as a boost to reputation. Furthermore, the posts could be plants... did others agree? Well known "stellar" breeders are known by other breeders. Also " said the litters "... how many litters?

It could be a death in the family, sudden illness, something. But at this point, if you see nothing in her local news, it's time to contact the local breed club. Say you are concerned, wonder if someone knows if there is an issue. Or send to Pat who will pretty instantly know if you've hooked up to a scam or if there could be some legit issue. I just can't imagine it though. It takes about 5 minutes tops to email the litters status and explain if she won't be in contact for a week or so.

[tanza]

@debradownsouth - I would not suggest to contact a local club. You can however check at www.basenji.org and see if this person is listed as a breeder (you can search by state) and if so then they are a member of the Basenji Club of America parent breed club. Only members can be listed.

[jeannettemcgarr]

Hi Tanza,

I will send you an email soon.

When I say stellar reputation, I mean a significant portion of show dogs are bred with a direct lineage to her kennel. I'm not sure she has actually posted here, but a number of people have discussed her dogs and their experience with her. She was anticipating 3 litters when I last spoke with her in November.

She is a member of the Basenji Club of America.

She has been doing this a long time, and after visiting her, I do believe she is incredibly good at what she does.

I just feel like we fell through the cracks somehow.

[CrazySenji]

I’ve worked with breeders that aren’t great with communication but this is crazy :(. If she cashed that deposit check that means she has a puppy for you and should be in contact.

Most of the breeders I know personally are in the Midwest.

[Katzmeow]

@crazysenji said in Breeder MIA:

Sure you can message me. You deserve to know if there is no puppy for you this year. Keeping you in limbo isn’t right. I’m hoping the breeder is still evaluating puppies and just hasn’t contacted everyone yet.

That seems odd to me, especially after putting down a deposit?

[jeannettemcgarr]

She cashed the check in July.

I did speak to someone on here privately. They do know the breeder and said this isn’t typical at all, leading me to believe there might be something personal going on. I hope everything is okay with the breeder. I’m going to step back for awhile unless I hear something else. If she is dealing with personal stuff I don’t want to add to her stress. Just taking a deep breath and praying everything works out for the best.

You are all an incredible group of people. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me about this and trying to provide a little guidance.