riskier for homes or kennels with multiple dogs. As a dog owning home, I believe the safety of my dog(s) and home depends on a pre-winter deep clean. Dust, dirt, dander and dog hair can all build up to be scary in out of sight places. I make sure to dust and/or vacuum all my corners, behind the furniture and under appliances. I want to make sure I have gotten all the fine particles and stray hairs that may have been missed by vacuuming, sweeping or during dusting. Don’t laugh, but have you tried a leaf blower to get to some of those hard to reach and out of the way places? Secure your breakables, wear a dust mask, and open a door. You will be surprised what you have missed. Don’t forget to clean or change air filters, blowers and vents. Spiderwebs and “dog fur dust bunnies” are a major contributor to home and kennel fires during the winter. Heaters, motors and appliances can overheat or short out when “dog fur dust bunnies” get sucked into the wrong places. Don’t forget to put us a secure barrier between your dog and your heat source. Check out the photograph below that shows a great example of how to keep your pets safe with a sturdy prefab fence around stoves and other heaters. Beware of Scammers With winter comes the holiday season. Criminals are always looking for an easy way to take advantage of people
and put ill-gained profits into their own pockets. As many of you know, dog owners and breeders have been targeted by unscrupulous members of society and unfortunately, I don’t expect this will change in the future. Dog breeders have been swindled out of puppies with fraudulent checks, counterfeit money and fake cashier’s checks. Security Measures In the news, we sadly see that some dog owners and dog breeders have been the victims of violent crimes. It is a well-known fact that puppy sales increase during the holiday season. Here are some ways that dog breeders can keep themselves, families and dogs safe. Cameras Video cameras, video cameras and more video cameras that backup to the internet or cloud storage are the best safety net you can have. Cameras can also be used to help you watch your dog’s behavior and to keep an eye on any pending litters of puppies. Questionnaires A puppy buyer questionnaire is not just to find out if your puppy is the right fit for their new family; it may help you find out if you are talking to a real person, a scammer, or a person with ill intentions. Check Location Google Maps (www.google.com/maps) and similar websites can help you get a virtual feeling of your puppy customer. If something feels off, trust your gut! Video FaceTime or another video chat platform can help share how cute your puppies are with potential customers, but it can also help you see the type of environment your puppies will be going to as well as give you a “face” of whom you are talking with. Safety Net Please make sure you have a “safety net” in place. This can be a friend or family member that knows when you are going to have puppy customers picking
up a puppy. Make sure to keep a log of the people you talk to and share this log with your network and in your cloud storage. Always try to make sure you have someone else on the property when puppy customer meets you. Identification If possible, get a photo identification of the person or people coming to get their new family member. Make sure you have a “safe word” and that your safety net knows what steps they should immediately take if you share your safe word. Look-loos Be wary of “look-loos.” If someone wants to come and look and does not sound serious or the hair on the back of your neck is giving you a tingle, you have the right to refuse. Do not share your information. Payments Do your homework on the types of payments that you should accept. Know which payment methods are the most secure and which ones are reversible. Know how to spot and/or verify fake currency, checks or money orders, if you take these types of payment. Dog ID Make sure your dogs and puppies are microchipped with AKC Reunite. Do not be afraid to tell potential customers and/or post it on your website that your dogs are microchipped. https://www. akcreunite.org/ I hope these tips are helpful and wish Happy Holidays to All and Best Wishes for a Wonderful New Year! Stacy Mason is a Senior Breeder Field Representative for the American Kennel Club. Article gathered from https://www. akc.org/expert- advice/dog- breeding/2025- winter-preparedness- keeping-family-dogs- safe
Missouri Pet Breeders Association | Page 11
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