I’ve had a lot of questions about the Waiting List, so I thought I’d give a quick update on how it works.  It is simple and complex all at once, which can sometimes be very confusing!

For starters, a name is added to the waiting list when a $250 deposit is on the way in the mail.  Names are added in the order that I speak with people about getting on the list, and we are VERY LOYAL to the order of the list.

If the list gets deep, it is a waiting game, as I will not get into detail about puppies until your name moves into the top 3 positions on the list.

When a litter turns 5 weeks old, we start getting serious about puppy selection.  I try to do new photos and a few videos so you can see the puppies in action.  At that point, I will contact whoever is #1 on the list and we will talk about all the available puppies.  We talk details, behavior, temperament, size speculations, etc., to try to match the best puppy to each family.

Once a puppy is matched to a family and/or selected by that family, their name will be moved OFF the Waiting List, and added to the Matched Puppies List.  Both of these lists are found on the right side of the blog, in the sidebar.

When a name is moved off the Waiting List, all the other names move UP the list, and #3 becomes #2, and #2 becomes #1, etc.  I then contact the new #1 person and we have the same detailed conversation, and so it goes till everyone has made some type of decision about that litter.

If someone on the list doesn’t want a puppy from that litter, they simply “pass” on the litter, and their name remains in the same position, but I move down to talk with the next person.  So someone might sit in position #1 for a while, waiting for a specific size/gender/color, while I match puppies to others on the list that do want puppies from the current litter.

If your name is down at #4 or #6, etc., I probably will not be talking details with you just yet, simply because if we talk details about a certain puppy, it is very likely that someone else will choose that puppy, and I have to ration my time because I am a mom of 3 children, and I work part-time substitute teaching!….plus all the normal dog work!  So when we do talk, I want it to be about puppies that actually might end up in your home!

If I work all the way through the waiting list, and there are puppies from the litter that were not selected, those puppies will be posted on the “Available Puppies” page on the website, and become available to anyone that contacts me, whether they are on the waiting list or not. We currently (at the time of this blog post) have a 13 week old Bichon that is posted and available to anyone that contacts us about him.

After matching puppies for 10 years, we feel this is the most efficient way of handling this complicated process, and while we know the wait is often painful, your time WILL COME where your name moves into the top 3 positions, and you will be getting a phone call or email from me, and we WILL talk in detail about the available puppies.

I hope this helps clear things up for anyone thinking about getting on the waiting list.  The $250 deposit required to be on the list becomes part of the purchase price for the puppy.  It is also totally refundable up until the time that you actually choose a puppy and have your name moved to the Matched Puppies List.  If we are unable to produce a specific color/size/gender, and you find a puppy from another breeder, we understand your desire to have a puppy in your arms, and your deposit will be shredded and your name removed from the Waiting List.  However, if you choose a puppy, and then decide to go with another plan, the deposit is non-refundable.

If there are any more questions about this process, please leave a comment below, and I will answer all questions that pertain to this post.  I definitely want this to be understood by everyone thinking about getting a Silver Paw Cavachon!