I read on another forum recently about someone staying for half an hour when visiting their puppy at the 6 week mark to choose them from the litter. It got me thinking, that seems like such a short amount of time, I know that with our litter the new owners stayed for well over two hours when choosing which puppy they clicked with, what with talking paper work and answering questions too. How long do you, on average, find the puppy choosing/initial meetings take? (When I say choosing I mean out of the remaining puppies that you have already ruled out from show homes).

Well.... Last weekend was the initial visit for all my PPPs ( Potential Puppy Purchasers ) and the average was 2 hours , some staying longer and others less. They are booked to return in two weeks to  see how chosen puppy is developing. They are all lovely people and I had been in email correspondence for ages. But it is/was absolutely exhausting and my family, dogs and humans get neglected. I find myself reaching for the wine bottle long before the sun sets over the yardarm ( whatever that is  !) In fact, on Saturday ,the first visitors arrived at 10.30 and the last left at 7.15pm. My husband was particularly p....d off this time because it was our wedding anniversary weekend plus our eldest's 30th birthday. So, I am now failed wife and mother ( again !!!) But the PPPs are most appreciative and I know the puppies will have great homes.

30 mins is no where near long enough....makes you wonder if they really have the commitment!!??
We have just visited 2 litters, of which I am not having a puppy from. One litter was my own breed & we stayed 3 hours, the other was a breed we once had & it was a flying visit but still stayed 1.5 hours.
Depending on how much has been disgused before a visit& how much of a choice there is, I would say a minimum of an hour...it is so easy to loose track of time when cuddling puppies...well it is for us anyway!!!

I think it varies depending on how far they are travelling to get to you, I travelled 200 miles one way to get both my original girls and I got to meet all the dogs,plus 2 of Lois's pups that had been kept back for me to see what quality she was producing, Rhuari was put up on the table to be assessed and given the green light as being of breed quality, I think we were there about 3 hours in total, I frequently asked if we were in the way as I didn't want to over stay our welcome. A couple of years later went to drop off Chase for a mating and was invited to stay for Sunday lunch which was very nice, had a photo shoot in the garden, met the pup now 10 months old that she got from me

When that breeder came to pick up one of my pups she stayed a couple of hours, we took pics of all 3 pups, prior to this pics were hit or miss trying to get them by myself.

Local people only stayed an hour but came more frequently, it is tiring and thank goodness my litters are only small.

Anything from 2 hours to almost 4 hours.  And I would never have more than one family visit on the same day.  It isn't fair to take such a huge amount of time away from my normal dog time.  After all, spending time with my dogs is what gives me pleasure.  And it's people who wear me out!  :-)

However, time spent with the potential new owner is the time to decide if your decision was right.  Over the years I had one lady who came with her children, after ticking all the boxes, and speaking lots on the phone.  She spent almost 4 hours here with the most brattish kids I have ever met in my life.  While I am in a quandary wondering how on earth I can say what I feel.  At the end of the day my responsibility is to my dogs.  I had to say that I realised she had come a long way, but she had been less than honest about some things, and I was not at all happy that a puppy would be safe with her children.  She was not happy about it, as she had set her heart on a pup, but she let 5 kids run wild like they were on speed, and they were out of control.  I only felt uncomfortable about it for a nano second.

The next 4 hour visit was a real pleasure.  The enquirer lived alone, worked full time, and lived in the same village as her parents.  She had recently lost a 15 year old Yorkshire Terrier, who was dropped off at her parents house on her way to work.  They were active retired folk, and Dad loved walking the dog.  She came to visit the pups with her parents in tow!  In the end she had to say Dad, get up off the floor and get in the car, or we'll never get home at this rate!  He was having so much fun with all my gang jumping on him that he said he wanted to stay with me!  He said that he honestly didn't want to go home.  The photos that I receive are a real pleasure to see, and the home choice was a no brainer.

You certainly get to know the real "them" if they stay a good while.

Remember going to look at puppies from someone I had not bought from before, we were shown into the kitchen and given a coffee and she (the breeder) let one of her dogs in, he came straight to me and stood with his front feet on my knee, I spoke and stroked him then continued talking to the breeder whilst fussing the dog. "OK, you can have a pup you passed the test" asked her what she meant, she said some people do as you have loved my dog until he has had enough, if you had stroked him then pushed him off and brushed your trousers off I would not have offered you a puppy.

Guess for her if someone was more interested in a dog they did not know than the state of their trousers then that person was a suitable owner, she had met me before but it only took half an hour to get to see what she had available.

2 hours is the norm but had up to 5/6 hours.  I ask to meet all members of the family and when you have a fair sized litter it can be a bit of madness being able to talk to everybody properly, though I do usually meet most before a litter.  I have my pups at my parents house because I wouldn't be able to cope in a small terrace with lots of people with only one downstairs room LOL.  Just the pups cage and playpen would take over my living room.

never timed it, but as most are coming a fair way then they want to make the most of their visit.

It is exhausting and OH has on occasion got peed off with so many visits, but then ti's not that often, and when breeding a litter everything else comes second.

We had almost the opposite, one of my first breeder's young dogs was desperate to come out for a fuss, and I had to talk her into it as she said the dog would gallop around like a total maniac. But we didn't mind that! I think we stayed a good hour and a half, probably 2 hours, with all our dogs.

I sometimes have mine for days and have to take them to the airport afterwards.

I had a couple and their two children stay the night over the Christmas New year period as a B+B would have been so expensive.

I keep the day free as its usually hours.

My puppy buyers both stayed for around 1-2 hours, the third went to a friend so a bit different but she even stayed quite a while.

Pups mum is very very full on with visitors and I did use her as a sort of test as to their reactions to her, the buyers that had the 3 children was very very hard work when my bitch appeared as as soon as they realised she would do anything for a toy the children were very excitedly asking her to do things do I did have to put her away after a while as it was giving me a headache!!! Lol.

Glad I'm not the only one who has them over for a while then! Especially ones that have travelled six hours each way and are probably grateful of the break from driving.

I love the doggy test, we had a family similarly who were so disinterested in my dogs and even the puppy that they left without an offer to return...!

One of my buyers travelled 10 hours... Could hardly push them to leave lol... And its great as after buyers have left the pups slept for ages which gave me a rest!!!

Hahaha but we established that your litter were always much more work than mine and so much larger!

Average time 4 hours.   Sometimes (quite often)  it flies past.    With others it's hard work, then I reconsider if they are going to have a pup.

Jo

Hours and hours and several times

Dog test - we had potential puppy owners round the other evening, my diffident dog gave them a big cuddle, the future mother lay down and went to sleep on one of their feet and my boy jumped onto their laps, don't know but I think the dogs liked them :)

Yep got two being picked up today and another visiting her pup (again) for a puppy fix, before they go on holiday as they won't have her until the end of the month because of it.

People come at 4 weeks if they can to meet their pup, and they generally stay for approx two hours, I always give a 3 hour slot for each new owner often they have travelled a long way, we talk and you need time to talk to go over all the negatives and positives of puppy - adulthood and it gives time to bond with each other although that has generally happened long before, breeder/owner must have time to bond. They have refreshments and get to spend plenty of time with the pup/s and my girl.

I always tell new owners after 4 weeks they can come as often as they like until collection time, I always encourage that, I'm up at 5am  so pups are always clean and fresh and the house spotless for any visitors even if they wish to turn up at 9am, the only exception I had was when someone called at 10pm and wanted to pop in as they were in the area I very politely told them I was already in bed. :-D (I wasn't really, but to me that was pushing it and pups are always sleeping by 9pm)

As a breeder which others may not agree with, my philosophy is the more you make a new owner welcome the more they are likely to turn to you and stay in touch as you become a friend and they don't feel they are bothering you with 'little things'. I sacrifice my time and sometimes sanity during those last 4+ weeks to have a good relationship.

I think a bare minimum of two hours each time we went to visit (including before puppies were even born or indeed, conceived) - it was a fair trek, over two hours drive (mainly because our only transport was a beaten up old transit van belonging to a friends band) but we stayed for ages and had tea and butties and biscuits - not sure if feeding puppy visitors is the norm?

not sure if feeding puppy visitors is the norm?

It is here, especially if like you they have travelled a long way........ :-)  It looks like most of us on here go above and beyond what is expected from a breeder. Brainless that was lovely that you put them up.

But, I must admit I don't expect it myself......... whenever we have had a long distance to travel I always book into a hotel and we stop to eat beforehand, not everyone enjoys entertaining, so I wouldn't let it put me off, it's the experience of the breeder and the quality of pups which is most important. But I am partial to a cup of coffee, I'd probably have to leave to get one if not offered.......... :-D

> But I am partial to a cup of coffee, I'd probably have to leave to get one if not offered.......... :-D

I am dreadful putting the kettle on several times and the poor visitors tongues hanging out, as so busy chatting and refereeing the dogs, so the visitors aren't smothered.

today was mad, I had two collecting and one visiting as they can't pick up theirs until the 29th as pre-booked holiday.

Just as the first collectors arrived there was a crash in next door, and a feeble Dean help.

I got every one quieted people in (already had the visiting couple in garden playing with pups), took about a minute.  I thought next doors planters had fallen off the fence or something.

Turns out next door neighbour had been standing on the top of the platform on a wooden ladder, and it had collapsed an he was hanging upside down in the remains of the ladder.  His wife couldn't get out to him as it was blocking the door.  OH, and the husband of one of the collecting couples rescued him by going through back gate.

Oh wow, so you provide entertainment as well. :-D

Glad everyone was alright, sounds like a carry on film. :-D

Honest next door is not a peeping tom, he was just wanting to clean his pergola roof.  Now how do I write that up in the 'Puppy Plan' one of 7 scary noises or 7 experiences???? ;)

Already got pictures of the two boys in their new homes.

This is one aspect I adore of new technology being able to share pictures almost instantly.

I remember taking photos of pups where one was going to Australia 13 years ago.  I took photos at 5 weeks, took a week to get them back and two weeks for them to get to Australia for the people to choose one!

the most recent one that went down under, the new owner was able to say can you just pop out and get some more and had them in minutes.

I do that! Put the tea on, have it all laid out, fresh posh biccies... then get so busy talking with them that I completely forget to get them a drink!

I have just spent the most amazing weekend with my breeder and pups. I travelled to meet her (we live in different countries) and she collected us from the airport, we then spent the next two days together, say 10am to 8pm. I was very conscious from the start that I didn't want her to feel like she had to take care of us and we wanted her to her own time but we had been in touch for so long and then clicked when together so had a fabulous time. I met the pups, the parents, brought mine out the market, another long term (40 years plus) breeder came to visit with her dogs so I got to see even more top examples of our breed, we stacked all the pups, and the adults, and just discussed everything to do with our breed possible and had an amazing weekend. We met one of the other buyers who is from about 7 hours away and he visits monthly and spends the day with the pups so maybe that is more typical of someone who is in the same country. I feel my breeder went out of her way and above and beyond what was required and this only shows me more that she is the right breeder for us. :)

My puppy buyers are due to visit this weekend ( 2nd visit ) I'll have to postpone the visits because I am really ill  ( just a viral illness) and don't feel up to it. Hope they are not too disappointed.