Here's a sample puppy application. Feel free to copy whatever portions you feel are useful for your doggery/kennel.
Permission to use this application is for individual doggeries/kennels only. Permission is expressly denied and prohibited for resale or other commercial use beyond individual doggery/kennel use.
You can place this on your website using your platform "forms" function.
Another way is to use Google Forms, then connect the form to a Google Sheets spreadsheet. That way all of the application contents are automatically entered into the spreadsheet for you.
Contact information
First name
Last name
Street address
City
State
Zip
Phone
Your family and home
Please tell us a little about your family and home situation
RESIDENCE
House
Condo
Apartment
HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS
Please let us know if there are any children and/or pets in your household. If so, please let us know numbers of and ages for children, type of animal, and age of pet(s).
Who in your household will be the primary caregiver for the puppy?
Is there a person in your household who is
Elderly
Disabled
Has special needs
Allergic to dogs
CHOOSING A BREED. Please let us know why you have decided on a [INSERT YOUR BREED] puppy (versus any other breed).
CHOOSING A BREEDER. Please let us know why you want a puppy from us as a breeder specifically.
Your puppy experience
Please tell us about your prior experience with puppies and dogs. (First time puppy families are welcome to apply.)
How many dogs have you owned in your lifetime?
0
1
2
3
4
5 or more
Have you ever raised a puppy? (Please do not include your parents raising a puppy when you were growing up)
Yes
No
Have you ever surrendered a dog to a shelter or rescue or taken one back to a breeder?
Yes
No
If yes, please explain
Plans for your puppy
Please tell us a little bit about how you plan to integrate your new puppy into your family
LIVING SITUATION FOR YOUR PUPPY. Please describe the living situation for the puppy. Is someone home during the day at your house? How many hours daily would the dog be left alone? If no one is at home during the day, would you plan for someone to come into your home to let the puppy in and out during the potty training stage? (A doggy daycare if run properly, can be an excellent choice for working new puppy parents as well once your puppy has had all of his/her vaccines.)
SLEEPING. Where do you plan on having your puppy spend the night? (Please be specific, e.g., in a kennel in the garage, in a playpen in the kitchen, in a crate in my bedroom, on the bed with my kids.)
TRAINING. Our contract requires training, whether structured classes or your own training. What type of training will you and your puppy participate in?
Structured in-person classes
Private lessons with trainer
Self-training
Online classes
GETTING PUPPY HOME. How do you intend to get your puppy home? (Pick up by car, fly to our local airport and take the puppy in-cabin, etc). Please note, we do NOT ship puppies and you must have a reliable and safe way to take your puppy home.
SOCIALIZATION. Socialization with humans and other dogs is critical to the healthy emotional development of a puppy. Because of covid-related social restrictions, socialization opportunities are limited. How do you plan to properly socialize your puppy given these circumstances?
PLANS FOR NEW DOGS. Are you or anyone in your household planning on getting another puppy during the next year? If so, please provide details on the breed, breeder, and goals for that puppy.
MANAGING PUPPYHOOD. Puppies often have a lot of energy and can chew, dig, bark, soil the house, and cry at night. They can play roughly and scratch your skin with teeth and nails, they can get sick on floors, furniture, and in cars. Please tell us your patience level and how you might deal with the challenges of puppyhood.
PLEASE TELL US MORE. Is there anything else you would like us to know about your preferences, you, your family, or your living situation that relates to having a puppy?
Preferences
• Please keep in mind that the more flexible you are about size, sex, color, etc., the more likely you are to find a suitable puppy.
• The more specific you are about aesthetic requirements, the longer you should expect it to take to find a puppy to 'match' your requirements.
• Breeding is a complex endeavor, and our first priorities will always be health and temperament, not color or other aesthetic traits.
• We are not the breeder for you if you want to "order" a "customized" puppy that is within a very restricted criteria list.
• If you want a specific coat type, color, and gender, we are not the right breeder for you. We specifically accept applications from families whose primary interest is a well-bred and well-raised puppy.
• That said, we will, of course, do our best to match you with the puppy you find most visually appealing; however, we do not guarantee availability of superficial traits such as coat or coat type and we do NOT accept applications from families with highly specific aesthetic criteria.
COLOR. I am interested in these coat colors (select all that apply). Please see our Pinterest page for color examples. [INSERT PINTEREST LINK] **Please note that we do not guarantee availability of any particular color. We try as hard as we can to satisfy the aesthetic preferences of our clients, but temperament, health, and structure are always our primary goals and color comes after that. NOTE that we DO NOT accept reservations from families that require specific colors
[Insert a list of your color choices if they apply for your breed]
Sex. I prefer
Male
Female
Either
TIMING. When is your ideal time to take a puppy home? For example, Spring 2021, only during the summer, not before October, etc. Note that we do NOT have any availability for 6-12 months. Please abandon this application if you are not prepared to wait 6-12 months for your puppy.
ENERGY LEVEL. The energy level in my household is:
We are a very low-energy household and need a dog that shouldn't be expected to do or get out much beyond potty breaks and the occasional short walk.
We are sporadically active and want a dog that is more interested in lounging than playing.
We lead a moderately active life and are frequently busy and want a dog that we can do things with on weekends.
We are a very active household and always on the go and want a dog that is energetic enough for daily physical activity (this includes families with kids that will play daily with the dog).
We are energizer bunnies and need a very active dog that can keep up with multiple daily activities.
PUPPY PLANS. My puppy is intended to be (select all that apply)
A pet and a companion
A Service Dog or Assistance Dog candidate (provides specific tasks for one individual)
Emotional Support/PTSD/Anxiety Dog candidate (I have a referral from or am under the care of a health professional for this)
A Therapy Dog candidate (provides comfort in facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes for a variety of individuals)
A breeding dog
If you checked anything other than "A pet and companion" in the question above, please elaborate on your needs.
Spay/Neuter Requirement
• I understand that this puppy is not to be bred and is required to be spayed/neutered (unless stated in the puppy agreement I sign), and I am subject to significant fines and other damages as stated in the contract if not spayed/neutered and/or bred.
• I understand that the contract requires spay/neuter between [INSERT YOUR S/N TIMING] months of age, no exceptions.
• I understand these requirements are in the purchase contract for the puppy and will not be changed after you sign your contract. For this reason, we recommend you discuss this with your vet PRIOR to making your reservation.
Yes, I agree to the spay/neuter and no-breeding condition of this contract.
No, I do not agree to the spay/neuter and no-breeding condition of this contract.
I am a breeder and am purchasing breeding rights
Fine Print
Where did you hear about us?
MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICES. We need to be sure you have a basic understanding of what is involved with taking home a puppy.
• We provide as much guidance, support, and education as we can about each of these topics, but ultimately it is your responsibility to be an educated and informed puppy parent. • Your application will not be responded to and will be rejected if you do not select each checkbox.
Please read and agree to the following
- (1) I understand that I am getting a puppy and that no matter how well prepared and trained my puppy is, it is still a baby and I should expect my puppy to have accidents in the house and crate, to cry and bark, to nip and bite, and to require a great deal of patience and attention. I understand that these are NORMAL puppy behaviors and that I expect them to happen.
- (2) I understand that dogs have grooming requirements. [ADD SPECIFIC GROOMING REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR BREED]
- (3) I understand that the ears of my dog will need to be cleaned weekly or more if my dog swims or is in a humid environment.
- (4) I understand that while you provide Foundation Puppy Training that I need to learn how to train and maintain my dog's training and that may require the assistance of a dog trainer or behaviorist.
- (5) I understand that puppies have delicate digestive systems and that changing the food my puppy goes home eating can cause severe gastric distress. I agree to use the same dog food my breeder sends my puppy home on until the puppy is at least 4 months of age.
- (6) I understand that while you screen your breeding dogs for hips health, canine hip dsyplasia is multi factorial and that it is equally important that I maintain my dog/puppy at an ideal weight, provide quality nutrition, don't over exercise my puppy, and provide a safe environment to do my part in maintaining my puppy's joint health.
- (7) I understand that while the COVID pandemic is present, selections will be done virtually ONLY (not in person).
Reservation application terms
(1) I understand that my Reservation Fee gives me a place on the reservation list in order of acceptance.
(2) I also understand that the breeder, however, has the right to select breeder choice puppy or puppies from any litter.
(3) I have chosen this breeder because of her expertise and experience. Therefore, in the best interest of the puppies and of my family, I agree that the breeder also reserves the right to not offer a given puppy to a family if she believes that the puppy would not be suitable for that family for whatever reason.
(4) I have read and agree to the Reservation Policy. [INSERT LINK TO YOUR RESERVATION POLICY]
I agree to the terms of my agreement
Signature
(1) I have answered the above questions truthfully and understand that if any false statements have been given, [YOUR DOGGERY/KENNEL NAME] reserves the right to refuse to sell a puppy to me and my reservation fee is forfeited.
(2) By signing this application, I acknowledge that the reservation fee will not be refunded if I am given the opportunity to receive a puppy within 12 months of the date of reservation fee payment or 6 months of my decision to "pass" on a puppy/litter, whichever is sooner.
(3) By entering my name in this textbox, I agree that the signature is the legal equivalent of my manual signature.