Breeder Waitlist Policy

Most breeders run a waitlist by feel. They know in their head how pick order works. They know which buyers are active and which have drifted. They know when a deposit gets refunded and when it doesn't. None of it is written down anywhere a buyer can read it. The result is that every time something goes sideways, the conversation starts with "but I thought."

The Pick Order Policy ends those conversations before they start. It's the operational rulebook for your program's waitlist, written in plain English, published publicly, and linked from your website. Every prospective buyer reads it before they fill out the intake form. By the time any decision matters, they already know the rules.

What this document does:

It defines, in writing and in priority order, how the waitlist works at every stage. How a position is created. What turns a position into a reservation. How pick order is determined. What causes a position to move or be lost. What communication windows apply at each stage. How refunds work after deposit. It also defines what the policy does not cover, so buyers know which documents (the application, the deposit agreement, the sales contract) govern other parts of the placement.

What is included:

• A 4-tier pick order definition with explicit fit-adjustment language, so you can adjust pick order based on buyer preferences without being accused of favoritism.
• Communication windows for every stage of the lifecycle. Monthly, mid-pregnancy, pick day, go-home.
• Refund philosophy across pre-deposit, post-deposit, pre-litter, post-litter, pre-pick, and post-pick scenarios.
• Position movement rules, including the exact conditions that cause a position to be removed. Missed updates, declined offers, requested pauses.
• An explicit "what this does not cover" section mapping to the other documents in your stack. Application, Deposit Agreement, Sales Contract.
• Edit and version control language, so changes apply cleanly going forward without retroactively affecting existing reservations.

Format and how it works:

Includes a Word version for editing and a PDF version for publishing. Customize once with your specific numbers. Deposit amount, refund windows, response timeframes, communication cadence. Save as a PDF, host on your website, and link from your intake form and welcome email. Update annually, or whenever your program rules change materially.

Why this version is different:

Generic waitlist policies are usually three paragraphs about "we do our best" and "refunds are at our discretion." This one is a complete operational policy that addresses every scenario buyers actually ask about. It's structured to remove ambiguity, not to perform legal coverage. The point is to eliminate the arguments, not to win them. The version-control section at the bottom is the part most policies forget, and it's what protects you when you need to change the policy without breaking existing reservations.

Who this is for:

For breeders who want their waitlist to run like a program instead of a series of one-off conversations. Especially useful for breeders who have been bitten by a buyer disputing pick order or refund expectations and want to make sure it doesn't happen again. Also useful for newer breeders setting up their first program who want to start with a published policy instead of writing one from scratch after the first dispute.

Get the Pick Order Policy on its own, or pair it with the rest of the Waitlist Kit at the kit price.