Visitation Policy Change

We have had a visitation policy change at Crooked Creek Cairn Terriers. Due to several scary instances over the last few years, but a more serious personal threat recently, we no longer accept puppy visitors to our home.

I am more than empathetic to a buyer, that wants to see the facilities and the cleanliness and quality of the environment. I also think it's important to see the dam and sire and meet the breeder. But I also know how it is to be a buyer and understand how rare it is to have a website available that is thorough and offers photography and information that gives a virtual tour of a breeding program and facilities. My website is intended to communicate and answer the questions desired by any buyer. The facilities and my yard are pictured. The only pictures not shown are those that would identify my home from driving by. I do not want predators to recognize my home and know where I live!

There are photos of all the Cairns in my breeding program. We also have 1 retired Cairn that will stay with us for her lifetime, as well as a spayed protection Doberman. There are no surprises with the number of dogs I own. For any visit, I previously ensured with mitculous detail that all was clean and the dogs were groomed. Someone visiting on any other day of the year may see a Cairn 1/2 stripped and waiting for the next session, as it kills my hands and I get frequent interuptions. But my kennel is cleaned daily, sanitized every few days, unless there are small puppies and it's sanitized every other day or as needed. They have fresh food & water available at all times, and appropriate housing. We do have plans for a new facility and enclosed adult quarters and septic system to ensure there is no "kennel smell". I'm very consciensious and am always thankful to those who point out how clean my kennels are and how good it smells, considering they are dogs!

And I have to share some funnies from the last several years of visits. The funniest comments I've received were: On a wet humid rainey day, a customer paused as she came out of my puppy house and with a long uncomfortable silence, she finally said "Hmmm.....sure smells like wet dog, huh?" Well, considering you're staring at 10 wet dogs, that really surprises me! Here's your sign! LOL The other comment that I still chuckle with, we live in a rural community and we have fields of corn and beans. The customer drove over from the city and says "There's so much.........corn........................and weeds..............." Yep, it's takes a while for those darn farmers to get all the fields weed eated and landscaped! Here's your sign. LOL

The nicest comments I've received are how nice our home is, how beautiful and quiet our yard is with the shady mature trees, how quiet and well behaved the dogs were, how pretty my Cairns are, how nice it must be to live in the country with horses and dogs, and all that I love. I've been thanked for the hospitality and have received many thanks for such wonderful little puppies. It's all these wonderful sweet people that make me want to continue breeding! They offer the puppies I love so dearly, wonderful forever homes, and how can I let a few freaks ruin that for us!?

My testimonials on my website are from previous customers, as well as my veterinarian's observations and reference. But a buyer has to realize how much more risk there is to a breeder than a buyer. I would never risk my reputation and presence as a breeder by doing something dishonest. A person can check the validity of the information and considering that I sell my puppies before they are born, there is no greater risk visiting my puppies in a public place vs visiting them at my home. A buyer still gets to see the dam & sire, the puppies, and meet me. They've seen the facilities through photos and can validate the accuracy from my references if they choose to do so.

We have to realize what's important these days. What's more important- seeing facilities in real life just to "Experience" a breeder's home, or having a breeder be at risk to predators who may attempt to murder her and her children? I'm quite offended by anyone that could say that visiting someone's facilities that they can see in photos is more important than a person's safety. I have sold many puppies to people across the nation that I never meet in person. They can attest to having had a wonderful experience, only seeing photos, and having the puppy shipped to them. I can be empathetic to somone that wants to visit a breeder in person, but I no longer believe it's a necessity. I can not live, feeling vulnerable and fearful to have people come into my home and know where I live. I always argued that I met the nicest people, nothing bad would happen. But killers don't have a sign across their forehead. Murderers look just like the boy next door. They gain your trust and can be charming. That's HOW they get you. It wasn't until a friend said "Of course murders are nice, that's how they get you!!!" that I realized I'm placing myself and my kids at risk by allowing people to come into my home. This just isn't a necessary part of breeding. So I will continue breeding only as long as I feel that my family's safety comes first. People are still getting wonderful, quality puppies from Crooked Creek. They can still enjoy the experience. But we'll both enjoy the experience knowing that we're reducing the risk to predators and that we're safe.