Hi everyone,

Just out of personal interest, at what age do you allow people to come & view your pups?
I'm talking about people who have reserved pups & are itching to come & see them. Obviously they can't take them away until 7-8 weeks old.

Tiggy

Hi I let people come around about 3 to 4 weeks as any time before that I think is unfair to the mummy and I don't think that puppies should be pulled about to much before this age.

Thanks for your input, I totally agree, although I usually wait until about 4-5 weeks for strangers, although known visitors & family can look sooner than this.
Tiggy

Not before 5 weeks. And they have to change their shoes!

Not before 4 weeks. Must take shoe's off and wash their hands before touching any of my animals :)

ttfn :)

Anytime after a week and I don't make them change a thing, the only folk I won't let in are folk on there way back from a show but then I'm a great advocate of children eating dirt, think this sterile society we have created has led to more harm than good....more asthma & eczema cases.

If I take my own dogs out for a walk, including puppies dam, and they meet other dogs as per the norm, they bring back "foreign" germs...so what do you do keep mum in isolation for 8 weeks, not feasible and really not a good idea IMO.

Wow! Your bitches must be really tolerant to allow strangers near their pups at only a week old! Mine won't let our other dogs near till they're a fortnight! People the bitches know are okay, but strangers - no chance! :)

My girls are watchful, but love to show their babies off to people, and to be told how clever they are. i don't allow the other dogs near until they are brought down to the kitchen, then Mum will decide when the others are allowed to get more involved. Usually by 3 weeks she will allow the others to hop in for a quick sniff, but will watch carefully, and any squeek and they back off! By four weeks she is pretty mellow about visits from the family, but the oplder bitches having been there and done that lose interest, except when they are being fed!

Once running about each of the adults has varying tolenrance levels, but they can all get away from the monsters so it is their choice if and how much they interact with them.

Your girls sound similar to mine, Brainless! We (the human family) are allowed to do anything with the pups from the moment of birth. For the first 3 days mum has to be dragged into the garden a few times a day to relieve herself, and dashes straight back immediately. By the end of the first week she happily abandons them to come out for short walks with the rest. Strangers are greeted by the mum at about 5 weeks, as she loves her babies and shows them off, and by eight weeks she practically drags passers-by off the street, begging them to take one of the horrors!

:)

Lovely image - dragging passers-by in off the street :D
Steph

I absolutely agree with Lily!!

Hi Lily,
I must admit I don't go for the strict disinfection regime either (within reason).
The pups have immunity from the mum already.
The reason I wait before prospective owners can visit is to give a chance for the pups to become active & worth looking at.
Who wants to travel miles to see a pup that just sleeps in the corner?
Far better to see your pup running around playing & coming up to you for attention.
Also at this age if the mum got funny after smelling someone else's scent on her pups they are old enough to survive without her.
Tiggy

Hi Tiggy,
I think people/dogs from my immediate area are safe enough to meet unvaccinated pups, but if people have come a hundred miles or so they could be bringing in something new. Do you think this is reasonable (not being picky, it's a genuine query, and I don't mind if people say it's stupid!! well I do, but not if it's said in the right spirit!)

:)

Miranda with her last litter whelped 4 days early and she had 2 pups by the time I could get the whelping box (& two helpers) constructed around her! She didn't mind and I always have people popping in & out to see the pups even though they are very uninteresting until 4 weeks old. I like to get my pups used to being handled at an early age from folk strange to them. I haven't lost a pup yet (Touch wood) to any introduced infection so my regime will stay as it is. :)

If it ain't broke, don't fix it! :)

That's fine Jeangenie.
We're all entitled to our own opinions & what works for one may not neccesarily work for another.
Far too often on this board I read people getting into a right stink with each other as both think their views are the right ones.
At the end of the day it's just nice to chat to other doggy people & maybe learn a few more things along the way.
I think we all get stuck in our ways unless something happens to change that.
Keep up your own methods & don't worry about other peoples'.
Thanks for your input, & let's keep this topic mellow!!
Tiggy

:) :) :)

Hello everyone. Just to add my bit in, just be very careful I havent had a litter for 8 years now, the reason being I lost a litter of pups to the dreaded distemper at a few days old, the adults stared a few days before the bitch whelped, even though they were fully innocualted, so bang goes the theory that they have immunity, the bitch gave birth and after a few days I watched the pups fade out and die, ie discharge from their noses and behinds, suddenly going stiff like pot dogs. they were just too young to fight this off this was the worst thing that I HAVE EVER WITNESSED it has taken me this long to mate one of my bitches again andshes due in 2 weeks, Me never would I let anyone in my kennels who did not need to be there, you dont know what they are fetching in with them unless you have witnessed this first hand you have no idea how terrible this is watching babies die like this BE CAREFUL
Janines

Same here lily Nunster, but as far as I am concerned visitors come to see the adult dogs, and they will get a peak at the pups when their eyes are still closed. Once they come down to the kitchen at two weeks, then any visitors can see them, though I won't lewt strangers handle them before 3 or four weeks, and only if I place thn in their arms.

Once over 4 weeks and running around the place it is a question of the people watching their laces and trouser legs, and standing or sitting still!!! :D

My view on infection is that in the early pre weaning days I am happy that they have their Dams naturally well boosted maternal immunity. When I worry is if I know of an outbreak of say KC is about, or once they are older and immunity is beggining to wane.

After the first two weeks Mum starts going on short walks again, as she is by then going stir crazy!

I usually ask them to wait until their eyes are open ...although some can't.They get to see piccies regularly via the internet from day one so they all have a general idea.
I make my visitors use antibacterial wipes for their hand especially if they've been near other dogs.I don't bother with the shoes as the pups don't come into contact with the area where people walk and I wash it out with antibacterial disinfctant as soon as they've gone.

having had parvo many many years ago and seeing the way it effects pups etc, im sorry, if i could strip puppy buyers naked and dip them before they come in i would!!!!! :D
i do make them leave there shoes outside though :D
as for when i let folk see the pups, as someone else said, friends and family can see them anytime, the bitch doesnt mind at all-puppy buyers however normally around 4 weeks,