Odd they did not let the pups be petted, early socialization with/for dogs can make them so much more friendly toward people.
Most of them were already allocated to homes. In Finland, the puppies have to be 9 or 10 weeks old before they can leave the mother. In Australia, it used to be six.
A couple of our grocery stores allow people to set up petting stations to allow their puppies people time. It also lets potential owners see and touch the puppies. I believe it is 8 week here on the Kenai Peninsula, but as early as 4 weeks people can allow them to be handled by others so they get used to people playing with them. A lot of the dog breeders around here take the socialization of the dogs pretty serious. No one wants a dog to be a biter.