Ad Posting Disclaimer

Happy Trail Chihuahuas is not a go between, agent for, or partners with any of the advertisers or the buyers using our free Chihuahua want ads or rehoming ads. All negotiation, agreement and arrangements are made directly between the interested parties. We are not responsible for any posting errors, spelling, grammar, etc. or emissions, check your copy before submitting. We reserve the right to reject and not display an ad for any reason. We do not guarantee the accuracy of any ad. This is a free service that you may use at your own risk; Happy Trail Chihuahuas, its owners and affiliates assume no responsibility of any kind for any and all consequences that may arise if you chose to use our site services.

Ad Posting Tips For A Successful Ad

Example of a bad ad (that will not be posted):

Wanted, puppy under 6 months old, must be house trained, must be neutered, AKC registered, up to date on shots, Willing to pay up to $75.00, Comment: I think Chihuahuas are cute!!!

You would have a better chance of winning the lottery than getting a response to the above ad. First, young puppies are the easiest to sell and rehome. It would be extremely rare to find some one willing to part with a healthy pure breed registered Chihuahua puppy for only $75.00. The price range for such a dog from a reputable breeder is $400-$2,000+, add to that the cost of neutering, $100-$250 plus the vet visits and puppy shots, another $150 and registration fees $35-$75 and you are only willing to pay a $75 rehoming fee to reimburse them… What is the saying about snowballs in hell. No one cares that you think Chihuahuas are cute. What they are looking for in placing a puppy is a responsible, committed person to be a life long friend to the dog that has an understanding of its needs and knowledge about the breed. Nothing says you are not qualified to own a puppy more then when you require a young pup to be fully house trained. It can take as long as 9 months to fully house train a Chi pup. We don't waste our time or free ad space with such ads.


Tips on how to get the most out of your classifieds

Writing a good description

Having a good description can be the difference between making the sale or not making the sale.

It's important to try and put yourself in the position of the kind of person you're trying to attract to your ad and ask yourself what information you'd like to see in the ad if you were the person looking to rehome your loved pet.

Short ads with little information rarely perform well while the most successful ads are the ones that include lots of information and descriptions and clear photo's which answer people's questions before they ask them.

It's important to include as much information as possible and include details such as the total cost, when the buyer can expect to receive dog, any health issues etc.

Generally speaking, the more information the better as this helps the buyer make an informed decision without having to contact you for clarification on anything that you may have overlooked when creating your ad.


What makes a good ad?

The most successful ads are usually ones that have a clear concise title, a thorough and accurate description with good punctuation, clear pricing, excellent images and any other information which is relevant.

When writing your ads it's important to try and put yourself in the position of the kind of person you're trying to attract, and ask yourself what you'd want to see if you were interested in buying, and write your ad accordingly.

Generally speaking, if there were two ads advertising the same item and one of them was clear and concise with lots of information and the other ad was basic with little information, the ad with more information will vastly outperform the basic one.

When creating an ad you should avoid adding any irrelevant information that doesn't relate directly to the content of the ad as this can confuse buyers.

Ads with little information or bad punctuation send 'bad vibes' to buyers who will look elsewhere to buy. Remember, your ad will run as you sent it. We do not correct spelling, phone number formatting or capitalization. Ads with all words in caps or no caps are not posted.

Grammar, spelling and punctuation are also important in all aspects of your ad and you should be careful not to write in all capital letters as it looks 'spammy', unprofessional and can be very hard for people to read.

The performance of your ad depends almost entirely on how well your ad is written, just the same as if you were advertising in a newspaper, a billboard, a magazine or anywhere else.


What makes a bad ad?

Spelling and punctuation are important because an ad filled with typo's sends the wrong impression to buyers who will move on to the next ad and buy from your competitor if they have a better written ad.

Ads with short descriptions such as "call me for details" rarely perform well because the ad isn't describing to the customer what's being offered and they're unlikely to call you or send an email unless they know what they're going for, so having a full accurate description is vital.


Using appropriate images in your ads

The images of the dog you're advertising allows you to show potential buyers exactly what you're offering and can be the difference in finding a new home for your loved pet or not. Rehoming ads without photos are not posted.

Ads with photos get a lot more attention than those without, because photo ads are shown on our high traffic gallery pages and photo's are the best way to describe something as they clearly show the potential buyer exactly what it is that you're offering.

You should only send images which directly relate the dog being advertised in the ad. Photos should be clear and close up without distracting surroundings in the background. A photo of 3 children playing with a puppy in the back yard taken from 50 feet away does little to show the buyer what the dog look like. A picture of a dog tethered to a dog house, taken from behind a chain link fence looks more like a prisoner on death row then a loving family pet.

We no longer post rehoming ads without a good photo.


Your ad may get a lot of views but not many replies

If your ad is not getting many replies, that's a good indication that there is something in your ad content is making them lose interest once they read it.

It can also mean that your pricing is too high (if selling) or too low (if buying), but the most common reason is either a poorly written description or a short description being listed. Ads usually get a higher response rate when they display a clear photo , clear and thorough description, and reasonable pricing.

When writing your ad description, it's important to try and put yourself in the position of the kind of person that you're trying to attract and ask yourself what information you'd like to see if it was you interested in the ad.