Next fall as in 2013? No way. I would not open myself up to visits until I have a litter on the way.
I'm sure people like to meet the parents and the breeder, but a lot can happen or change over that time period so I'd just as soon wait until I have something on the way.
If I get inquiries for 2013, I just politely tell people to check back in with me closer to the breeding dates.
just wondering
How far in advance do you start letting folks come to visit? I don't even plan on having a litter until next fall. I get continual e-mails from people who want to come and see "my facility" and meet me and my dogs. My facility consists of our home and my 6 Labs are inside with me and my husband. Actually it would be easier to receive visitors if I did have a kennel area. 6 "happy to see company" Labradors can be overwhelming to someone visiting so I usually put 3 or 4 in open door crates we have in the family room. But then I am asked why some dogs aren't allowed out of their crates....as if they have been confined there.
It just feels like we are being used for a family outing on a boring weekend. We have an in-ground pool and I have had people ask if their children might take a swim while they are there :/
No, this fall. 2012. I will breed my girl in August with puppies arriving in October and going to their homes in December. I feel so much can happen between now and then but I don't want to turn away good families but it feels like such an invasion. I have had people wait many months in the past but am just wondering how far in advance do most of you start visiting with these families. Maybe I am making it more complicated than it is but I get about 8-10 e-mails and calls a week and some request a visit right now. I have just been saying we won't have puppies until next fall/winter. I could be tied up with visitors from now right through next December.
I suppose it's what you are most comfortable with. Some people love to have guests over and entertain. Some, like me, don't. If you have a large pool of qualified puppy buyers to choose from, then I would just wait if you don't like having people over. I have nothing to hide as far as my "facilities" go, but I am a private person and prefer to just wait until the puppies are on the way before I start "selling" them to prospective buyers. If you don't want to have people over right now, just put your foot down and state that you are a busy person and prefer to wait until to show you around until it is closer to the time the puppies are due.
Good luck
just wondering
No, this fall. 2012. I will breed my girl in August with puppies arriving in October and going to their homes in December. I feel so much can happen between now and then but I don't want to turn away good families but it feels like such an invasion. I have had people wait many months in the past but am just wondering how far in advance do most of you start visiting with these families. Maybe I am making it more complicated than it is but I get about 8-10 e-mails and calls a week and some request a visit right now. I have just been saying we won't have puppies until next fall/winter. I could be tied up with visitors from now right through next December.
Unless they specifically want a puppy from you, most will have found one by then so to have them come over now you will just be wasting your time, as most likely they will not wait that long for your litter. I tell people when I anticipate my bitch being bred and tell them to keep in touch via email and when it gets closer we can meet. It is a good way to weed out who is serious, some will keep in touch and some will not. Then when it is within a month of when the bitch should be coming in, at that point is when I will start meeting with people.
