Breeder guide

Buyer screening records: how to keep puppy applications tidy

Forty applications and no system means forty phone calls. One short questionnaire, scored the same way every time, filters out most bad fits before you spend an hour on the phone.

Ask every applicant the same questions

Use the same short questionnaire for everyone and keep the answers on file. The essentials: living situation, who is home during the day, previous dog experience, why this breed, a vet reference, and whether they understand the exercise and grooming needs. Five minutes to fill in, and it filters out most bad fits before you spend an hour on the phone. A standard form also keeps things fair: every applicant gets judged on the same answers, not on how charming their first email was.

Score simply, file carefully

Score each application as yes, no, or maybe, with a one-line note. Keep the maybes on a separate list so you are not re-reading forty applications when a puppy becomes available. Keep the rejected ones too, briefly noted, so you do not accidentally reconsider someone you already ruled out. One folder per litter, applications inside, decisions on top.

The rule that saves endless trouble: never promise a specific puppy to anyone before the temperament evaluations, usually around seven weeks. Promise "a puppy from this litter, matched to your home" and put that in writing. The number of breeder headaches caused by promising "the red collar girl" at three weeks old is enormous.

Paper now, peace later

Screening records are not just for choosing buyers. If a placement ever goes wrong, your notes show you did your due diligence. And when the next litter arrives, last year's scored applications are a ready-made starting list instead of a blank inbox. Ten minutes of filing per applicant beats ten hours of drama every time.

Buyer waitlists, handled properly

WhelpWise is being built to keep screening answers, waitlist order and deposit terms in one place, instead of scattered across email threads. Join the waitlist to get early access.

Join the waitlist

Prefer paper? The Breeder Records Pack has printable litter sheets, weight logs and checklists for $17.

This guide is for informational and record-keeping purposes only, not legal advice. Buyer agreements and consumer rules vary; get proper advice for your situation.