Concerning Puppy House Visits
We often get asked why we don’t allow visits. This is not surprising given the number of “what to do when buying a dog” websites there are that advocate for visiting the breeder and meeting the puppy parents before purchasing a puppy or getting on a Waiting List. The problem with these sites is their priority is the buyer, not the health and safety of the puppies or the breeder. Below are the reasons we don’t allow visits. Please remember that our puppies are lovingly raised in our home; which means, you can’t come visit the adult dogs or me, without also visiting our puppies and their Mom(s).
We often get asked why we don’t allow visits. This is not surprising given the number of “what to do when buying a dog” websites there are that advocate for visiting the breeder and meeting the puppy parents before purchasing a puppy or getting on a Waiting List. The problem with these sites is their priority is the buyer, not the health and safety of the puppies or the breeder. Below are the reasons we don’t allow visits. Please remember that our puppies are lovingly raised in our home; which means, you can’t come visit the adult dogs or me, without also visiting our puppies and their Mom(s).
*Safety of the Puppies: Puppy’s immune systems are very immature. Many unsuspecting visitors have brought disease (parvovirus, distemper, etc) with them when visiting puppies, the result of which could be the death of the entire litter. I personally know several breeders who have lost entire litters to parvovirus brought in by visitors.
*Stressed out Moms create stressed out puppies. A new mother is emotionally charged and in hyper-protective mode. When a stranger comes to visit, Mom(s) becomes stressed causing her body to create cortisol, which goes into the milk. The puppies consume this cortisol-rich milk and become stressed themselves.
*Panicked Moms can hurt puppies. When a stranger comes to visit a mother dog’s state of mind changes rapidly. She feels threatened and moves quickly to assess the threat. There’s been accounts shared where the Mom has unintentionally stepped on or crushed a puppy in their urgency to get out of the whelping box to assess the threat. We are not willing to take that risk and so we put our Moms and their offspring’s safety first.
* I don’t own the puppies. Usually all the puppies are sold to families. I am simply the guardian. However, I have been entrusted with the care of these puppies for the first critical weeks of their lives. As guardian of other peoples’ dogs, I must do everything I can to protect them. If one of the puppies was yours, I’m certain you would expect me to do that for your puppy.
*Safety of my Dogs and Family: People that email or call me are strangers. I don’t know anything about you other than the fact you have contacted me with basic information (which may or may not be true) about yourself and your family. I am inviting you, a stranger, into my home. This creates a threat to the safety of my dogs and my family. I enjoy caring and playing with my own dogs, which is why I breed to begin with.
*We are not a petting zoo. Some people think visiting puppies is a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I will not compromise the health and safety of my puppies, my dogs, and my family to someone so they can snuggle with puppies. Only serious and committed buyers are worthy of that compromise. So, how can we help you have confidence we aren’t a puppy mill or a fake website asking for your $400 deposit? We are very happy to provide references of families who have our puppies (many of whom are “repeat families”), our veterinarian’s information, and there are also several reviews (from our puppies’ families) here on our website and also on our Facebook Page - Kristins Snazzy Schnauzers - that others may read. We thank you for your understanding that we will not compromise on the health and safety of our puppies and hope you see this as a positive quality of a reputable breeder. I’m very active on social media and will provide many pictures and videos as the puppies grow. For families, who have paid their deposit, we give the families up until the puppies are three weeks old to give us their final decision (based on the order of placement on our Waiting List(s)). After, the families have committed, we allow others (that we’ve approved) to place a deposit on the puppies that may still be “available”.
We hope you have a great day and God Bless,
Kristins Snazzy Schnauzers
*Stressed out Moms create stressed out puppies. A new mother is emotionally charged and in hyper-protective mode. When a stranger comes to visit, Mom(s) becomes stressed causing her body to create cortisol, which goes into the milk. The puppies consume this cortisol-rich milk and become stressed themselves.
*Panicked Moms can hurt puppies. When a stranger comes to visit a mother dog’s state of mind changes rapidly. She feels threatened and moves quickly to assess the threat. There’s been accounts shared where the Mom has unintentionally stepped on or crushed a puppy in their urgency to get out of the whelping box to assess the threat. We are not willing to take that risk and so we put our Moms and their offspring’s safety first.
* I don’t own the puppies. Usually all the puppies are sold to families. I am simply the guardian. However, I have been entrusted with the care of these puppies for the first critical weeks of their lives. As guardian of other peoples’ dogs, I must do everything I can to protect them. If one of the puppies was yours, I’m certain you would expect me to do that for your puppy.
*Safety of my Dogs and Family: People that email or call me are strangers. I don’t know anything about you other than the fact you have contacted me with basic information (which may or may not be true) about yourself and your family. I am inviting you, a stranger, into my home. This creates a threat to the safety of my dogs and my family. I enjoy caring and playing with my own dogs, which is why I breed to begin with.
*We are not a petting zoo. Some people think visiting puppies is a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I will not compromise the health and safety of my puppies, my dogs, and my family to someone so they can snuggle with puppies. Only serious and committed buyers are worthy of that compromise. So, how can we help you have confidence we aren’t a puppy mill or a fake website asking for your $400 deposit? We are very happy to provide references of families who have our puppies (many of whom are “repeat families”), our veterinarian’s information, and there are also several reviews (from our puppies’ families) here on our website and also on our Facebook Page - Kristins Snazzy Schnauzers - that others may read. We thank you for your understanding that we will not compromise on the health and safety of our puppies and hope you see this as a positive quality of a reputable breeder. I’m very active on social media and will provide many pictures and videos as the puppies grow. For families, who have paid their deposit, we give the families up until the puppies are three weeks old to give us their final decision (based on the order of placement on our Waiting List(s)). After, the families have committed, we allow others (that we’ve approved) to place a deposit on the puppies that may still be “available”.
We hope you have a great day and God Bless,
Kristins Snazzy Schnauzers