have you ever had a person call, and because of the "questions" you wonder if it is a PETA person posing as a puppy buyer? Then they want to visit the kennel...

what "red flags" would you watch for?
What questions would you ask prior to letting them visit?

Not that I have anything to hide, I just have no interest in wasting my precious time on someone just wasting my time...you know?

Yep, especially when they say they want to see my facility I correct them and say, Oh you want to see my "house"???

I say that I can send them my questionnaire. Of course I would want to check references. I would note where they mailed it from if they mailed it by snail mail. My address is not on my website also.

A few hurdles, anyway. If I don't feel good about them over the phone, I don't have any puppies available anyway!

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Replying to:

have you ever had a person call, and because of the "questions" you wonder if it is a PETA person posing as a puppy buyer? Then they want to visit the kennel...

what "red flags" would you watch for?
What questions would you ask prior to letting them visit?

Not that I have anything to hide, I just have no interest in wasting my precious time on someone just wasting my time...you know?

Same here! That "I want to see your facilities" statement kind of puts me off. So, you want to see my bathroom? We don't have "facilities."

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Replying to:

Yep, especially when they say they want to see my facility I correct them and say, Oh you want to see my "house"???

I get the caller that asks to see my kennel. I respond that my dogs live with me in my home. I go on to say I do not invite people to my home unless I am considering them for a puppy that is on the ground.

it might just be people thinking of buying a puppy and seeing all (good eye opener for many puppy byuers) recent programmes on petshoppuppies, and using a new aproach (better for puppies)to contact the right breeder, the honest breeder = YOU.

the info they share your home should be enough, and any more up to the 2 of you.

i have had many families visiting my home, shared by our labs and my husband and i. they phone, they know i live close and they are interested in a labrador, they don´t know the breed and no freinds have labs...all ended in them visiting us several times, learning to know my labs, and all have labs today. i have even helped them to find their puppies. my labs love all the visitors and i had no problem with it. we often take our labs together into the woods for nice runs now.
i got new lab friends here in finland. i´m also very proud for the diplomacy of my labs, they are true representatives for our breed.
best
ritva

All prospective clients here are welcome and asked to visit, a lot easier screening in person than by a written questionaire. They will not get to visit the kennel itself but will meet the dogs for that litter plus whoever is in the house at the time. I find with the number of different nationalities word selection can at times be confusing.