Totally agee with this. i always ask families that want to go on our waiting list around for a visit normally long before we have our babies. talking with a new owner over a cup of coffee and watching the way they interact with my dogs is always a big part of whether i'll add them to my list. it also gives them the chance to meet mum, dad and the other girlies in our family. we ask families back each week to see their baby once chosen. loads of question get asked over this time and it never seems like an interrogation, on either part.

Here is an excellent article by Shadowboxer,it covers just about everything , why not print it out ...
http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php...+ask+a+breeder

I would love to get another collie but not for a few years,

right now we're between Malamutes, GSD's and NI's, i think my mum really wants to get a Mal though, i believe the Mals need hip and eye tested? and the GSD's need to be hip and elbow tested, not sure what other tests these breeds should have done.

however we're still looking to see if there's any other breeds we like and would be sutiable for our family, but i think it will probs be between those 3 breeds.

Thanks to everyone for replyin

I waited 18 years for a Mal.. they are challenging.. and Yes they need a eye tested each year and hip scored..

Oh meant to say.. if you want to meet my Malamuttleys you are welcome to..

oh thanks Louise i will tell my mum and maybe we can arrange something

VERY different dogs - what do you plan to do with it?? GSD are the breed closest to my heart although I currently have 2 Mals (who get on GREAT with my Border Collie)

Yeah thats fine.. be prepared to be jumped on, licked, woo wooed at, bounced at, cuddled (Lola gives fab cuddles) and covered in hairs though

While depends on what you mean, we dont plan to breed or show, mainly it would be a family pet, but a few breeders we have conversed with said they have started doing agility with their Mals and that they love it, i've looked a lil into rig pulling(need to read some more about it though) and may do that with it, basically we aren't looking to compete with it(whatever breed we get) and whatever we did with it would be for fun and the dogs benifit.

GSD are the breed closest to my heart aswell, but my mum really wants a Mal, and they seem like really nice loving loyal dogs, even though they are quite independent dogs so would require consistent training and handling from all the family

Great, none of that bothers me lol, ive got to go just now but ill pm you later on