Visiting Policy

Excitement is here, you've decided the timing is right and you want to add a furry friend to your family.    I often get asked why we don’t allow families without deposits to visit our pups. This is not surprising given the number of ‘what to do when buying a dog’ websites that advocate for visiting the breeder and meeting the pup’s parents first. The problem with these sites is their priority is the buyer, not the pups’ or breeders’ health and safety. Below are the reasons we don’t allow visits from families that have not placed a deposit. Please remember that our pups are home raised which means you can’t come visit the adult dogs or me, without also ‘visiting’ my pups and their Momma and the entire clan that makes up our farm life!.  In the event a visitation is authorized, it will only be after the pup has had the first round of vaccinations at 5 weeks, washing, sterilizing hands will be required.   

First Priority is the Safety of the Pups:

1. Pups immune systems are very immature and allowing visitors opens the door for diseases (parvovirus, distemper, etc) with them when visiting pups, the result of which is the death of the entire litter, and exposure to may entire breeding program.    I personally know several breeders that have lost entire litters to parvovirus brought in by visiting families.

2. A calm environment for my nurturing mothers is my utmost concern.  Stressed out Mothers create stressed out pups especially in a new mother who is already in protective mode for her young ones.  She is emotionally charged and in hyper protective mode.  As a stranger comes to visit, Mom becomes stressed causing her body to create cortisol which flows into her milk, as the puppies consume this cortisol rich milk they become stressed themselves, magnifying the situation.   Stressed out puppies are more likely to have stressed out immune systems complicating the early weeks and healthy growth.  

3. A mother that is hyperactive or panicked runs the risk of accidentially hurting her pups. When a stranger comes to visit or enters the property, the mothers state of mind changes rapidly.  She immediately feels threatened and moves quickly to assess the threat, which many mothers have unintentionally stepped on or crushed a pup in their urgency to get out of the whelping box.

4. I don’t ‘own the pups, all the pups are sold to families. I am simply the guardian in the early stages  entrusted with the care of these pups for the first critical weeks of their lives. As guardian of other peoples’ dogs, I must do everything I can to protect them, keep them safe and as sterile of enviroment as possible. If one of the pups was yours, I’m certain you would expect me to do that for your pup.

Safety of my dogs and family

1. Although I immediately feel like family, all people who email me are strangers. I don’t know anything about you other than the fact you emailed 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 which creates a threat to the safety of my dogs and my family.

2. We live a normal family life, with active children in sports and yardwork to tend to on the farm.. We have family activities, responsibilities and commitments. Many times inviting strangers into our home happens during the caring hours and takes me away from the safety and nurturing of my mothers and our pups. 

3. Time spent with visitors is time not spent with my pups and dogs. From the outside, raising puppies and dogs seems like it's all fun and games.  It is extremely rewarding and I love my mothers, however it is a very demanding 24/7 job. Every minute I spend with visitors is time not spent working with and caring for your pup or their mother, so that you have the best pup possible.  

4. We are not a petting zoo. Some people think visiting pups is a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I will not compromise the health and safety of my pups, my dogs and my family so someone can snuggle with pups. Only serious and committed buyers are worthy of that compromise.

We thank you for your understanding that we will not compromise on the health and safety of our pups and hope you see this as a positive quality of a reputable breeder.

Please read our testimonials (Facebook page - @millersburgpaws)