A Pet Owner’s Fear, A Breeder’s Worst Nightmare

I often see advice online recommending that before buying a puppy, you should visit several breeders, meet the parents, and inspect the facilities. While this may sound sensible, I would like to explain why many responsible breeders have strict visiting policies in place.

In my opinion, people who write these articles have often never experienced the devastation that Parvovirus can cause. Once you have seen the effects of Parvo, you never want to face it again.

Visitors are always welcome to meet me, my adult dogs, and visit my home. However, I do not allow unvaccinated puppies to be handled. When I first started breeding, I visited several breeders myself. Many would NEVER allow visitors into their puppy areas or kennel spaces, and at the time I found it upsetting and difficult to understand.

After having my own kennel and breeding experience, I now completely understand why these precautions are necessary.

No one ever explained these rules to me when I first started, so I want to explain them clearly to help people understand that responsible breeders are not being rude or secretive they are protecting their puppies.

Good breeders who genuinely care about their dogs will usually have some form of controlled visiting policy. Protecting puppies from disease must always come first.

The risk of Parvovirus increases every time puppies come into contact with outside visitors, especially when people may have recently visited other breeders, kennels, pet shops, parks, or veterinary practices. Problems can also arise when multiple people handle very young puppies before they are fully protected by vaccination.

For breeders who do allow unrestricted visits, that is entirely their choice and customers are free to make their own decisions. However, it is always worth asking yourself:

• Where have previous visitors been?
• What dogs have they been in contact with?
• Could they unknowingly carry infection onto the premises?

Sometimes what appears to be a perfect situation can quickly become a heartbreaking nightmare.

At Jandaz, the health, safety, and wellbeing of our puppies will always come first.

Many Thanks Sarah@Jandaz