After looking for a long time I found a breeder I liked with an ethos I liked. We have corresponded for ages at length now and they have always been there to answer my many and varied questions and so on and so forth. We will be visiting (this in a different country due to my breed being numerically tiny) soon and I want to bring her a small present..... is this mad? Just for me in our family whenever we visited friends in other countries, it was typical to bring a present as a token of manners, I guess, and i truly feel she has been above and beyond helpful and far more engaged with her new puppy parents than most would be.....but then this is my first 'bought' dog as an adult so maybe I'm wrong but my correspondences with other breeders didn't lead me to think so!!

I never ask for anything but I usually get flowers, or something for the mother of the litter which is nice.

if another country it's nice to take something of your own country as a gift - I asked the breeder and then took beer, chutney, a book of my locality for her, some shortbreads and a calendar for her mother, plus I took some shortbread for the sire's owner...  in UK I'm afraid I've merely given the cash :-) but then the import breeders had put me up for a week end whilst I went to see the pup - fetched from airport and fed me etc and then when a friend and I went to collect the pup we stayed the night and again they looked after us, so a different scenario....

I take treats etc for the dogs when I visit breeder friends including any studs I have used.

Exactly how I feel. If I were buying from someone an hour away I would maybe feel differently but at least bring flowers or something. i'm conscious that while it's an amazingly happy time for us, it's sad for the breeder. I'm too soft!!!

I've always taken gifts when visiting breeders or stud dog owners abroad, for all the reasons that have been mentioned. Gifts range from club magazines and polo shirts to glassware with breed hand painted on, mugs with breed picture, beer and wine always and we try and make sure it's from our locality.

I think that's a lovely idea. I got a beautiful bottle of champagne from one of my puppy buyers when she picked up her pup, we had become good friends by that point and it was a really warming gesture.

I have had a fair few boxes of chocolates from puppy and kitten buyers and REALLY appreciated that. Something indulgent and totally for ME! :) I think there may have been the odd bottle as well but as I don't drink I forget, bottles tend to get passed to somebody else. Hence when I last collected a pup myself I brought a big box of Thornton's.

Lovely idea!

I've always been given flowers and I am always over the moon,  I always think they are a lovely gesture, once had a plant too which I had for years. I don't think you can go wrong with flowers, if there is a flower or plant significant to your country an even better gesture. :-)

I always think it is good manners to take flowers, chocolates or a bottle where ever you go I was brought up that way too.

I don't think you can go wrong with flowers, if there is a flower or plant significant to your country an even better gesture. :-)

Need to be careful when going abroad as it isn't always legal to bring plants and similar into other countries.

I sent a dog to the US earlier this year and  received in the post, a lovely necklace made from unusual polished stones from her region and a silk scarf in the exact colours of one of the jackets I wear to show the dogs.
She had trawled the internet and found photos of me showing at Crufts and matched it up..... I was so impressed :-)

I'm beginning to feel rather bad now.  I didn't take a present for my breeder and now I really wish I had.  To be honest I was thinking so much about the puppy and getting her home that I didn't even think about it.

If I buy a pup next time rather than breed one I will make sure I think of something.  The lady giving the jewellry & scarf sounds especially thoughtful.

I think a lot does depend on how you 'connect' with the breeder. Not everyone does it and it seems more people don't than do. My last dog I sent the breeder flowers in the post, she was very chuffed, but then she was a friend to start with, lol.... I personally wouldn't worry if you haven't, surely it's down to how you feel at the end of the day, previously it's been a thank you card and a photo of puppy at home :-)

AS a breeder, it would not worry me at ALL if I was given nothing  (I wouldn't even think about it) -it's just a nice surprise when it does happen! After all, the main thing is the pup is going to a good home and the new owner's excitement means a lot!

I agree with Suejaw,

depends on how you 'connect' with the breeder

My overseas buyer was especially grateful that I had kept him and shown him successfully for her all through minor puppy.

I dont usually get such thoughtful gifts, a card maybe and sometimes flowers sent but as long as they keep in touch Im more than happy :-)

When I went to the states I took two breed books signed by Ann Roslin Williams to the ladies I was going to be staying with.

Ditto that, the other homes didn't give me anything but I didn't even think of it, to me the best present is the best home.

I had a family from france have a pup from my last litter, when they visited they brought me some champagne and truffles....amazing!
I didnt expect it at all, but it was so lovely of them.

Should add...it didnt enter my head to expect anything and I would not have given it a thought had they not brought me anything.

I've had some people bring things for the children, which is fab and so sweet of them...however then you get the diplomatic 3yr old telling the next family how they were given sweets by 'the last people'  ....argh!!!!!  red face time!

Same as others though, I am more than happy that my puppies are going to great homes and live for the little updates I get from time to time as to how 'my' babies are faring. 

It's always enough for me that puppy has gone to a lovely home and that I have yet another 'extended family '. The money they pay for the puppy is a bonus and recompenses for the time and expense of rearing the puppy. Nevertheless, I have been over whelmed by the generosity of my puppy buyers. One Dutch family brought buckets of fresh cut flowers from Holland plus edible goodies and have continued to supply us with socks ( we have a particular problem in this family with socks), edible goodies for humans and dogs and more besides. This really touches me because I was the eldest of a large family and am not used to receiving. This is still true ! I now feel guilty that I haven't been more forthcoming in the prezzie dept. towards breeders I have bought puppies from . Sorry guys !!!

I don't think anyone expects presents, I think in this scenario as a new buyer I have connected well with my breeder who has been kind enough to answer my millions of questions, and keep the pup longer etc etc as well as driving out of her way to collect us from the airport late at night so I'd like to show my appreciation. So, with that in mind I have two gorgeous martingale collars for her (just love the beautiful things you can get for hounds!), a 2000 edition of our breed handbook which is quite hard to get and hopefully she doesn't have and a bottle of Bailey's from my other half....cos you have to have something Irish in it don't you? ;) At least then if she doesn't drink you can use it to bake..... nom nom nom :D