I have a litter of 6, medium breed. 4 are already reserved so just 2 left. I have an ad on this site and 1 on the KC site. In the last 5 days I have 5 email enquiries from the KC site and replied with a comprehensive email explaining my requirements for a puppy home ( not unreasonable), health tests, pedigree, which is excellent. Just one person has replied saying that they need to speak to the family .....Surely you speak to the family BEFORE you enquire about a puppy. What is wrong with these people?
If I have gone to the trouble of sending all the information they would require, it is only manners to reply either way. Sorry, rant over. A bit knackered as you will all know,6 puppies is like having 6 babies lol

It cuts both ways I suppose, as so many people enquiring for pups say that breeders don't reply to emails etc.

Job hunting is the same, lots of applications and very few replies, even after interviews, been same from the time I was a teen, and I am 52 now.

At least you haven't got people saying they are coming to view and then not turning up!  I haven't had this happen with puppies but it's a constant pain with sheep and horses, as if I like to spend my time waiting around. I would be thrilled if breeders replied to me at all but I suspect it's just another sign of our modern times, courtesy seems to be sadly lacking in many walks of life, maybe it's because it's not a face to face meeting or a phone call, much easier to not bother if you don't have a connection with the person.

Just had the best one ever lol. Had an enquiry for the last pup, I did get back to her to tell her that I was waiting for someone to get back to me and if I hadn't heard in a couple of days, I would let her know. Fast forward 2 days, sent this lady an e- mail with all the details. She replied saying she had bought 2 rabbits instead.......lol

phew lucky escape there. if she can swop a pup for a rabbit !

What I find tedious here where I live (Switzerland) is that we breeders are expected to take care of the people who don't even know yet what breed they want.  They call or write and ask to come, they've never seen an example of my breed "in natura", they say, and so they want to come (would the Sunday be OK?) with their three kids and mother-in-law.  They want to compare my breed with other breeds they will visit afterwards or have already visited.  While here, they ask me what to feed, how to train, groom etc. and for all other information and knowledge I can impart.  I have stopped giving out that kind of information, I explain, until people have actually placed a reservation (with deposit), and then, I say, I will be telling them more than they will probably want to know!  Well, so "the Sunday" involved welcoming 6 strangers (hopefully without infectious diseases, especially in winter or in rainy weather when we cannot be out in the garden) - including fussy children, who WILL throw that ball across the livingroom - and somewhat skeptical parents into my perfectly groomed house, all dogs - and myself - nicely groomed as well (after all, "the first impression counts"..., right?) for a couple of hours.  Then they leave, thanks very much, we'll "think about it."  Never hear from them again.  But if you say no, you don't actually invite people until they know that they want your particular breed, then you are labeled as "unfriendly".

Must day I view the 'try before you buy' visits as a vital contribution as a custodian of my breed.

In my breed we will often arrange for people to visit an owner or breeder near them, even though it will not result in puppy sales.

In this way we hope that we will weed out people for who the breed is unsuitable .

I hate to have puppies not spoken for at homing age. It means having to make quick decisions. So much better to have had a few months or even weeks to getbto know the new owners and know they have not made a hasty decision.

My husband hates the visits, but I view them as essential,  and once puppies are born they are welcome as often as they like.

I insist on visits in person before agreeing to a reservation.  It is only that I appreciate it if the people have already made at least some kind of effort to get to know my breed in advance of their visit to me.  Naturally, I accommodate more often than not.  I would never reserve a puppy without personal contact.

Not having puppies spoken for by homing age happens here quite a lot and does not mean snap decisions.  The puppies simply remain with me (or with the other breeders of the same or similar breeds) until the optimal home is found.

Yes but if pup is already at homing age you need to make your mind up about people applying for the  puppy pretty quickly.

Surely coming to meet your dogs is part of the research process for people? As puppy buyers, we are told to see examples of the breed before we commit to buying. In fact, it's good to see more than one kennel, in order to make an informed decision, as some lines may be more preferable than others. How are puppy buyers supposed to know what the breed is really like, unless they've met some actual dogs? I appreciate that it must be annoying to have people in your home, who may or may not have any intention of buying from you, but isn't this part and parcel of being a responsible dog breeder?

I'm - again - sorry I wrote, as it is so easy to misconstrue and misunderstand and misinterpret what is written. Sorry!

Nimue,

Did you mean people who had not even done any basic research on your breed, before requesting to visit? In that case, I'd probably point people in the direction of some good breed guides, websites etc, and then if they were still thinking the breed was for them, only then allow a visit. That way you'd weed out the tourists, and increase your chances of having only serious people in your home. I guess you can still be a "custodian of the breed" without being given the run around by people.

> Surely coming to meet your dogs is part of the research process for people?

Certainly, for me, it's also a chance for me to "weed out" some people.  But I always try to be helpful.

I had a phone call from a lady with 3 young daughters.  She had never owned a dog.  And, with people like this I insist on certain criteria first - read "The Perfect Puppy" etc.

Although I had a litter on the ground they were all spoken for, but still the mother wanted to make sure her girls were happy.  Pups were 7 weeks (my breed is not homed until 12 weeks) and I invited them to see my litter, but insisted that I had no puppy for them.

The 5 year old sat on the floor with a puppy on her lap, and was amazing.  She had never touched a dog before.  You get people that are ideal for dogs, and this child was one of them.  The middle girl wasn't sure, although she wasn't frightened in any way.  I offered a pup to the eldest girl, she was 12 years old.  As I approached her she stood on one of my dining room chairs and screamed, and screamed, and screamed.  She was petrified of the dogs.  Mum said she would get a pup anyway, as that way the eldest would "get used" to it.  I assured her that I would most emphatically refuse to have her on my waiting list.

Crumbs! It's a bit strange for a twelve year old to scream repeatedly at a tiny puppy. I'm wondering if the girl had behavioural issues. Also, while it's a shame for the other girls - especially the one who seemed to have a natural affinity with dogs - to miss out on the experience, putting a puppy in the house with such a frightened child is definitely not a good idea!

> Nimue,

>Did you mean people who had not even done any basic research on your breed, before requesting to visit? In that case, I'd probably point people in the direction of some good breed guides, websites etc, and then if they were still thinking the breed was for them, only then allow a visit. That way you'd weed out the tourists, and increase your chances of having only serious people in your home. I guess you can still be a "custodian of the breed" without being given the run around by people.

Yes, this is, of course, precisely what I meant.  I also remember a previous post or two on this forum, one, I believe from Rabid, who exclaimed to me:  "You mean they come to you, the breeder, before they even know what BREED they want?" 

It's a tight-rope between wanting to be understanding and helpful and to find good homes for one's puppies and being simply taken advantage of for no particular reason except to provide a family with an entertaining Sunday afternoon at the "zoo".

I NEVER reserve a puppy without having met the entire family first IN PERSON at my home.  I maintain intensive contact with the people who have reserved throughout the weeks the puppies are still with me, send weekly update photos, let them come to visit, and I enjoy this a great deal.  But initially, I DO prefer visitors to be pretty convinced that they want a coton before they come to visit and take up my time with all kinds of questions without even being all that interested in the answers.

I suppose it does help that in a numerically small breed like mine your unlikely to get people prepared to travel to a b5reedr or owner if they are not ser8iopusly considering a breed.  it's not often a person will find a breeder on their doorstep.

I also had the terrified child situation, where the child hung onto mother like a limpet.

I had been told she was nervous of dogs and only brought in one of my oldest and quietest into the room, but just the sight of a dog had her up in hysterics climbing onto Mums head and shoulders.

I told the mother that it would be totally unfair on a puppy and it's mental development, to home one in such an extreme fear situation. Depending on it's character it could either learn to take advantage of the child's fear, or be temperamentally damaged itself by the child's reactions.

I suggested a process of desensitization with dogs, attending a sympathetic training class to give exposure in a controlled environment etc.

Once child was accepting, then to perhaps approach breed rescue for an adult that was sensible around children.

She did try to get a pup from another well respected long time breeder and got a less polite response. 

She did eventually get an adult rescue a year or so later, so the message did get through.

People are a bit daft in my opinion.

When we were looking at Newfoundland's I simply looked up where the clubs were doing their rescue training and went along to watch, met some lovely owners who were very happy to discuss pros and cons. If you can love a newfie fresh from a loch then you can love a newfie full stop! Ultimately we ended up going for a completely different breed but I certainly didn't start phoning breeders to intrude just to see if I liked the breed. I suppose it's hard with numerically small breeds, as you're less likely to find them on a breed club activity/outing.

Children are a tricky one. I have a friend who's daughter is terrified of dogs and probably has autism, she would react in this way too, screaming etc.

My breeder never actually met my children, the first time I visited they all had a really horrible virus so I went myself, when we next went it was to meet/approve of our selected pup (not a time I'd involve children as I knew if it came to decision making I needed to choose with my head), when we next went it was to purchase and collect our puppy, and I didn't take them then either. When I am out and about with my children I am a carer, I can't focus on other things. The youngest especially needs constant 1:1 supervision. He wears reins the whole time which I am attached to the other end of. It would have been very unfair to take him to the breeders house on both the breeder and my son. I couldn't have gotten to know her, met and bonded with our future puppy or focussed on signing the sake contract etc. with him there. I did offer her the chance to meet them if she felt she needed to, but she couldn't check they had no weird behavioural issues since I had already disclosed their autism adhd and huge behavioural issues!

I can top the one with the lady and the rabbits...

A few years ago, before I was a member here, I helped raise a litter of all white GSD pups after the mum struggled with the huge litter (1st time mum, 16 whelped, 15 live). We did it in a way that I wouldn't dream of doing now but basically we rotated puppies by the day and I had half with me and then dropped them back to mum and picked up the other half. Back then I just followed someone's advice blindly and didn't question the methodology but thankfully all 15 made it and it was left to me to find the right homes and advertise.

I listed them as fluffy white polar bear type GSD pups. That very same evening I had a call from a woman who genuinely believed they were GSD X polar bear! She wanted to know if we had had the bitch AI'd with frozen polar bear semen, had taken her to a zoo or found a private polar bear owner! At first I thought it was a prank call but she was completely genuine. She asked how big her garden needed to be, whether the pup would need an enclosure or if a 9 foot fence would be tall enough to keep him in, whether he would need a water tank for swimming and if she should get a moat built to go along the perimeter fence. She asked about feeding and if I knew where she could buy fish in bulk but what really threw me off the chair I was sat in, was her admitting that she didn't have any polar bear experience - not even seeing one in captivity and whether we would still consider her as a prospective owner!!!

I explained calmly that she was mistaken and these were 100% GSD but 'looked' like fluffy little white teddies - thus the name polar bears. Bless her, she was so embarrassed she simply apologised, asked if we would forgive her excitement induced stupidity at owning something 'rare and freaky' and rung off....

We had a dog phobic child in our last puppy homing experience, the girl was absolutely distraught clinging to her parents and refusing to touch the puppy or adult dogs which were quiet and well used to children. Parents and siblings perfect with the puppies and we said no to them, they asked if they could come back after they had taken behavioural advice for their nervous child, with reservations we said yes and 3 weeks later she was like a different child. They had spent every moment they could meeting dogs and having an expert talk to their daughter, result, one happy family and great puppy owners so it does depend on how the parents are going to deal with the situation.

Wow gsdowner, that really does top everything I've ever heard!

There's no limit to stupid!

Have to disagree on your post Shoe dweller. My dogs and puppies are not part of a research program for anyone. Puppy buyers should have done research before deciding to visit puppies. There is lots of info out there. They should have maybe been to shows and spoken to breeders there to find out if that breed is for them. I only invite visits from people who have researched my breed and are sure that it is the breed for them. Responsible breeders do not put their puppies at risk from all and sundry and hopefully weed out the time wasters before viewing.

Well what can I say ....typical....people wanting something different, hence the designer idiocy. You should have agreed and sold her one for £5k lol

> Responsible breeders do not put their puppies at risk

I would not have 'research' visits when I had puppies, those visits are to see adults, as the whole point is that people are supposed to visit when they can't be swayed by cuddly pups, and meet whet a puppy will become.

Yes, Brainless. It's too easy to make impulsive decisions when cute puppies are involved. Seeing the adult examples of the breed absolutely IS part of the process of a puppy buyer being able to make an informed choice. Visiting dogs at shows is also part of the process, and is useful, but it's not the same as meeting the dogs in a domestic environment, and also having the chance to have a proper in depth chat with a breeder. This isn't always possible in a show environment. But yes, I agree that it's not unreasonable to expect that people would have at least done a fair bit of research before visiting.