A: Early deposits help finance the astronomical costs involved with the litter. The “interest” for putting the money down is getting choice of a pup. In addition, this isn't like choosing coins from a dish. In that case the quarters would go first, then the dimes, the nickels and finally the pennies. Both the dogs and the people choosing them are much more complicated than coins. The puppies are all individuals and people select them for different reasons.

The person with the last choice has a very good chance of getting the puppy that they would have chosen if they selected first. Some folks are attracted to the rambunctious pups, others the reserved ones. A lot of dogs are chosen based on their color and markings. Other folks are looking for just the “right” size. Color, markings, size, and how much the pup ran around the day you came to look. None of these mean much in terms of whether or not the dog, as an adult, will hunt. Each and every pup is 50% Luke and 50% Dove. I don’t think anyone from my first litter took home anything less than their second pick, and about half got their first choice.

Pictured here is Drake, the last pup chosen from my first litter.  If everyone put the dogs back in and we picked again, Drake might very well be the first selected.  This was the "please take me home photo" taken after all the rest of the pups were sold.  Drake is big and stylish, a really nice dog.  Of course, his owners had a lot to do with it.  They planted birds in the snow to train him.