I have just been chatting to a friend of mine who has some bulldog pups at the moment, and she was saying she has had a lady come to visit last week, she spent about an hour and a half looking at all the pups, handling them, asking lots of questions and showing a real interest in the pups. She then left without having made her mind up and said she would be in touch within a day or so but never did. In the course of the conversation it came up that the lady had short red hair and as soon as my friend said this I realise the same woman came to look at some pups I had about 6 months ago and she did the same thing with me! Now we have come to the conclusion that this woman just likes going to look at litters of pups : a "puppy tourist" because she had said to my friend she had looked at a couple of litters the previous week and was going to look at another litter later that same day
im stumped why she would want to see so many litters but then i had a thoight, with all the recent bulldog thefts etc and general dog thefts, could it be something sinister behind it? maybe looking at all these pups to suss out if they could be stolen? :-( I hate thinking like that but I did noticed that when i told her all my puppies were tattooed as she asked what the green staining was on their ears as they just had it done, she seemed to lose a little bit of interest in them and left shortly after, which i didnt think much of at the time but when me and my friend got chatting we started to put two and two together, my friends pups are also tattooed and microchipped and the woman was asking questions about that and whos name they were regstered in etc
has anyone else had an experience like this? are we being paranoid to think like this or just over cautious?

Did both of you get her name etc was it the same? Maybe contact yor breed note writer and asking him/her to mention it in the notes.  I take it both of you would have got a land line number from the person? was it the same?

Perhaps it was just a coincidence about the hair and different people,   perhaps she decided against both you and your freinds puppies. 

Hope you got some details from her though just incase.  

yes she had the same name, im not sure about the number as It was 6 months ago she came to see my pups so I doubt I would still have it written down. I cant see her not wanting one of my friends pups they are absolutely gorgeous, really well reared, vet checked, wormed, tattooed, diet sheet, puppy pack, collar and lead, the works, I cant understand why she would want to see so many litters and not buy a puppy, remember she had been to see several before she went to my friend and didnt buy, its very puzzling.
If anyone else thinks this woman has been to view their puppies please Pm me for further details just incase it does turn out to be anything worth worrying about, but lets hope its not :-)

Maybe she works for the Inland revenue. ;-)

lol well theres something I didnt think of :-)

The worrying thing is that if she's viewing more than one litter during a day you could be the unlucky person who she comes to see after visiting a litter with parvo!!  Does she not consider the health problems to pups that this could cause?

i totally agree perro - it is worrying as there seems to be new cases of parvo springing up across the country every day :-( :-(

Seems like a good buyer that wants the right puppy , it takes a long time to find the right breeder you know!

I dunno!! Ya moan when people buy a pup at first glace and then ya moan when they take their time, people cant win! ;) :p

Or (here I go, ever the optimist!) maybe she can't really get a dog right now but the thought of playing with puppies is just too gorgeous to resist!  There used to be a woman who lived near me when I was younger, never spoke to her, never really noticed her.  Then one day her golden retriever had puppies and suddenly, EVERYONE in the neighbourhood was always in her garden, rolling around on the floor, smothered in puppies!  Bliss! 

I would think it wise for breeders of desirable breeds such as bulldogs to ask to see/be given a copy of a photo I.D & proof of address as part of the visiting/purchasing contract.

I know if I was breeding i wouldn't just let anyone come & view the litter.  I would want to know who they were & where they lived.  Asking for proof of(photo) I.D & proof of address would not only cut out time waters but those with other motives. 

As for the health aspect, thats also a question I would pop into the conversation.  Maybe in this time of increased parvo, breeders should communicate more listing names of people who have viewed their pups so that others can see where the expected visitor has been before.