I noticed a trending thread for people currently on waitlists, and even though I'm not in the market for a puppy yet, it did make me wonder:
How soon is too soon to contact a breeder to inquire about applying for his/her waiting list?
How long can one expect to wait from between being accepted for the waitlist to being eligible for a puppy in a particular litter or being matched with a pup?
Does/should the timeline change if the person inquiring is unable to predict his/her exact living situation (where they might live, day-to-day schedule, family situation, etc) in the not-so-distant future?
For instance, I'm considering going to grad school in 2013, and would consider raising a pup during that time, but I wouldn't be certain which school or where I'd be living until early-to-mid 2012. Should anyone unsure of their exact living situation wait to nail down the details before speaking with a breeder?
I included my situation only as an example of a type of circumstance that may arise for many people, whether they're considering a job change, relocation, etc -- I am mostly interested in how the timeline works for anyone researching a pup, and how it might change based on the person's situation.
Any thoughts? What was your personal experience during the research/applying/waitlist process?
How soon is too soon to contact a breeder to inquire about applying for his/her waiting list?
How long can one expect to wait from between being accepted for the waitlist to being eligible for a puppy in a particular litter or being matched with a pup?
Does/should the timeline change if the person inquiring is unable to predict his/her exact living situation (where they might live, day-to-day schedule, family situation, etc) in the not-so-distant future?
For instance, I'm considering going to grad school in 2013, and would consider raising a pup during that time, but I wouldn't be certain which school or where I'd be living until early-to-mid 2012. Should anyone unsure of their exact living situation wait to nail down the details before speaking with a breeder?
I included my situation only as an example of a type of circumstance that may arise for many people, whether they're considering a job change, relocation, etc -- I am mostly interested in how the timeline works for anyone researching a pup, and how it might change based on the person's situation.
Any thoughts? What was your personal experience during the research/applying/waitlist process?