[blueskies]

I neither agree nor disagree with this but there are many breeders (generally those with the nicest lines) that do take deposits during a breeding of a certain female, and/or while the female is pregnant. MOST return a deposit if the female does not have any of the particular sex/size requested. Some will only transfer to another/future litter. I have been on the Buyer side of that situation. The breeder had taken 2 female and 2 male deposits, she had 3 females. The male deposits were immediately returned and the female deposits were not.

I would not personally do business this way, simply because it would be much too confusing for me to keep up with puppies that hadn't arrived yet.