Running on from the stolen pups on here, I wonder what precautions you all take regarding your personal safety and the safety of your puppies and adult dogs. When you have a litter, and this is advertised (wherever you advertise) how do you satisfy yourself that the people coming to view are ok? Do you insist on landline phone numbers, and check them out, do you take full postal address and check this out, how do you handle enqs that ask...how many puppies, how many adults, when is a good time to view etc. How do you decide when its safe to give your full postal address, how do you feel when someone who sounds genuine fails to arrive and you can't contact them? Over the years there have been puppy thefts reported many times, and I have often wondered what precautions are taken by the breeders to protect themselves. Oh, and do you ensure there are at least two of you at home so you can't be distracted?

I don't give a postal address until I've already satisfied myself insofar as possible to the enquiry being genuine - that is lengthy contact over the phone and I must have a landline number.  I don't accept or entertain enquiries from withheld numbers - if a number is withheld I'm immediately suspicious and ask why it has been done.  Depending on answer they may be invited to phone back from a non withheld number but maybe not ;)

I wouldn't let anyone view pups unless I had my OH or daughter at home at the same time.  Pups are only ever outside when 100% supervised - I don't have kennels so by this I mean taken into the garden for play, fresh air, socialising etc - even then they are partially penned in as I have a very large garden and thick banks of trees and shrubs surrounding it.

Interested parties are not told the size of the litter - only what is still available re the gender they have enquired about.  A sad sign of the times I guess when we have to take into consideration that some enquiries may be with criminal intent - it's hard enough vetting prospective owners as it is.

I had a friend who many years ago had half of her litter stolen - the pups could all have been taken but the thief took only those which were wrongly assumed to be of a "rare" colour :( :( :(   None were ever traced (I think 4 pups from memory).

Many years ago I had a Samoyed bitch stolen from my back garden, she was only let out for a wee, she was six months old. I was heart broken, I rang the local police they were not intrested, I rang the local paper they were not intrested. I rang BRMB at that time the were not intrested. You didn't get your dog chipped then. I never got her back I found myself seeking for many years any person within miles that owned a Samoyed, as there were not many around then. But! never found her. I didn't even know anyone knew I had a pup.  I have before now waken out of my sleep to check that all the back doors are locked.
You hope by making lengthy conversations with people it gives you a clue.

I recently had an enquiry about a potential litter initially to my mobile and the followed up by e-mail.  One of the first questions was 'what was my address?' Needless to say I didn't give it and when I asked for further info about them - received no further reply!  So I think we all have to be ultra vigilant these days.

> I recently had an enquiry about a potential litter initially to my mobile and the followed up by e-mail.  One of the first questions was 'what was my address?' Needless to say I didn't give it and when I asked for further info about them - received no further reply!  So I think we all have to be ultra vigilant these days.

One of the first questions I asked when I 'phoned the breeder was 'whats your address & postcode' (wanting to find directions on line), now I understand why he wouldn't give me the address, we arranged to meet at a landmark for me to follow him to his place. I didn't even consider that he would be worried about puppy thefts :(

I know a breeder of my breed that had some young puppies stolen from her back garden, I think they was only 6 weeks old and she thought they would be safe out of view from the road and in a secure puppy run with a kennel.
Cut a long story short a few days after the pups were stolen she received a phone call from a man that said he had the pups and wanted a reward for their safe return, the lady paid the man over £2000 for the safe return of the pups, she also informed the police but they was not interested. :(

Since this has happened, whenever I have a phone call asking if I have or know of anyone expecting or who has a litter, I never tell them if I have a litter and or expecting a litter. And I always refer them to the Breed club to see if they can help them.

Even when I walk my dogs, I never EVER tell anyone that my bitch is pregnant as I feel you just can't trust anyone these days :(

If I feel I have 'genuine' people wanting a pup then ask them to fill out a puppy questionnaire that asks for their home address and home telephone number and lots of info about themselves, I know this is still not a guarantee of the soundness of the person, but I try my hardest to get as much info as I can about the person before I invite them around to see my dogs.

It is so sad that we have to be so careful with people that could be genuine protential owners but I suppose this if life.

Whenever I have had people come and see my dogs, I always make sure a family member is here with me and also have a friend jot down the Reg number of their car!!!

I ask them to bring some ID with their address on and then go and meet them somewhere nearby-then they can come back to the house-not before. 

i always find it helpful to speak to people who know the prospective owner too, (not saying its fool proof of course)
i like for my pups to go to experienced owners in my breed as mine have a very high work drive, so arent the easiest of youngsters, so im lucky that the agility community is reasonably small, so i can normally speak to people who train with them or compete with them around and about the country, refernces from their current vets and trainers or groomers may also help to some extent?

i dont breed often, and am lucky that when i do i have a waiting list, giving me plenty of time to meet people at shows and get to know them and their other dogs.

sorry im not sure if that was helpful or if i explained myself properly at all!

As someone who has had 2 attemps at stealing my bitch in the passed I'm very, very, careful.

Usually puppies are sold via referals and sometimes I am approached before a litter is even planned, so anyone interested in a pup, I have usually known for a long time, have their address (I always do a land search to see where they live) and telephone number and have got to know them over the phone before meeting at my home.

Always I have 2-4 people with me, I would not meet anyone alone.

But, once I know the potential owners well, which is usually over a few months, I'm more than happy to let my guard down. :-)

That explains loads when i met my breeder over a year ago for our next dog, i spoke to her occasionally on the phone/emails, but when we visited she had two family members with her who stayed the whole time we were there, no pups available but wanted us to visited  before, i can definitely see it from her point of view she didn't know us from adam, with dog/pups theft rife who could blame her guard being up, i would be exactly the same with my own.
I met up with her at crufts and we are visiting again soon with our dogs, and e-mail weekly, and we get on great and she has let her guard down with us.:) a definitely plan to stay in touch when we get pup.
Our dogs we have now was nothing like, i think that's why were a little taken back.

Having an extra person there is not always for the dogs safety, it's for the owners/breeders aswell.

You don't just inviet strangers to your home and stay on your own.  More so when you think alot of us people in the dog world are female...

Totally agree ice queen forgot to add that bit in :) :)