Buyer interview question set

A set of themes to work through with every prospective buyer, with a note under each on what a useful answer sounds like and what a non-answer sounds like.

Household and daily life

• Who lives in the house, and who else is in and out of it regularly?
• Talk me through an ordinary weekday, from waking to bedtime.
• Where will the puppy sleep, and where will it be when nobody is home?
• Does anything in a tenancy or lease affect keeping a dog?
• Who will do the daily care in practice, and who takes over if that person cannot?

Useful: times, rooms and named people, including the awkward parts. Non-answer: “there is always someone around”. A child can help with care, but cannot be the one responsible for it; an adult needs to be.

Experience and expectations

• What dogs have you lived with, and what happened to them?
• Why this breed, and where did you learn about it?
• What do you expect to find hardest in the first six months?
• What do you imagine this dog doing with you in five years?

Useful: named difficulties — coat, noise, adolescence, size — drawn from something other than social media. Non-answer: only the breed’s good points.

Time and work patterns

• How many hours will the dog be alone on a typical day, and what is the longest stretch?
• What is the plan for holidays, hospital stays and a change of job?
• Who covers the days when the usual arrangement fails?

Useful: a number, a named person or service, and a plan for the exception. Non-answer: “I work from home” as the whole answer.

Other animals and children

• What other animals live in the house, and how have they met a puppy before?
• How old are the children, and what have they been told about how this will work?
• Who keeps the two apart when the puppy needs to sleep?

Useful: awareness that the resident cat or older dog has a view, and a plan for separation. Non-answer: confidence that everyone will get along.

Exercise and training plans

• What sort of exercise did you have in mind, and how will it change while the puppy grows?
• Have you found a class, and what methods does it use?
• How do you plan to handle house-training and the first nights?

Useful: a named class or trainer, and some grasp that a growing puppy’s exercise is limited — see age-appropriate activity and exercise and house-training and daily routines. Non-answer: plans that describe an adult dog.

Veterinary care and insurance

• Which practice will you register with, and have you spoken to them?
• How would you meet an unexpected four-figure veterinary bill?
• Do you intend to insure, and have you read what cover excludes?

Useful: a named practice, and a straight answer about money — savings, insurance or both. Non-answer: “we would find it somehow”.

What happens if things go wrong

• What would you do if the dog developed a behavior problem you could not manage?
• What circumstances can you imagine in which you could no longer keep it?
• What would you expect from me if something serious came up?

Useful: a willingness to name real scenarios, and to come back to you first. Non-answer: insistence that nothing could happen.

Questions the buyer should be asking you

Note what they ask, and prompt if they do not. A prepared buyer asks to see the dam with the litter, asks about both parents’ health screening and temperament, asks what socialization the puppies have had, asks about the contract, endorsements and the puppy pack, and asks what happens if they cannot keep the dog. Kennel club guidance for buyers sets out much this list, so anyone who has read around the subject arrives with it.

What not to ask, and how much to write down

Ask about circumstances, not about the person. Income, health conditions, relationship status, religion and immigration status are not your business; the useful question is the practical one behind them — what happens to the dog when work changes, who covers the walks if someone is ill. The practical version gets a better answer and keeps you clear of territory where, in many countries, discrimination and data protection rules apply.

Keep the notes short and factual: date, who you spoke to, the substance of each theme, and anything either side promised. You do not need a transcript, documents about people’s finances, or a file on applicants you turned down.

Using it well

Work through the themes as a conversation rather than a form, and resist grading. The useful-answer and non-answer notes exist to show you where to ask a second question, not to score anyone. Plenty of good homes answer badly the first time because nobody has ever asked them; what matters is whether the detail arrives when you ask again. Take the notes into matching puppy to home, and use what the buyer said about their expectations as the starting point for communication and setting expectations.

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Sources & further reading

1. American Kennel Club — Screening Puppy Buyers: How Top Breeders Find the Best Homes. akc.org
2. American Kennel Club — AKC’s Guide to Responsible Dog Breeding. akc.org
3. The Royal Kennel Club — Questions to ask the breeder. royalkennelclub.com
4. American Veterinary Medical Association — Selecting a pet for your family. avma.org
5. Canadian Kennel Club — Code of Practice (September 2017). ckc.ca
6. UK Information Commissioner’s Office — A guide to the data protection principles. ico.org.uk

Where evidence is limited, recommendations rest on established practice and expert judgment, and may be updated as knowledge develops. This is general information, not legal or financial advice: requirements differ between countries and change over time — have your own documents reviewed by a qualified professional in your jurisdiction.

Next steps

• Read next: Communication and setting expectations.
• Related: Matching puppy to home.
• Return to the area hub: From first inquiry to settled puppy.