Who Chooses A Puppy?

[Cosmolo]

Very interested in both breeders thoughts and puppy owners/ buyers on this one.

Should a buyer have input into the puppy they get from a litter once a breeder has decided they are indeed a suitable home for a puppy?

I have purchased 2 puppies from registered breeders. Our Jack Russell breeder gave us pick of the litter and was willing to let us choose at 8 weeks- we visited at 2, 4 and 6 weeks and decided at 6 weeks before picking the puppy up at 8 weeks.

Our brand new addition was chosen sight unseen after consultation with both the breeder and friend of the breeders that i also liased with. The breeder recommended this puppy and we were happy to go with her judgement but i did feel as though we had some input- we provided pretty specific information about what we were looking for and were happy to wait for it if needed.

What would you be happy with as a buyer?

As breeders do you allow puppy buyers to have input?

[megan_]

I would never buy from a breeder that just let me pick which puppy I wanted - bit different with you and stu as you know what you're doing.

I think it is a 2 way process: you specify what you're looking for in a pup, they ask wuestions about you and then they identify what pups would meet your criteria. You may be able to chose from more than one, or there might be none that ate right for you even though you are the best owner in the world. You then have the right to walk away.

I would either want to meet the pups or have a trusted advisor meet them as I will be after a very specific set of qualities (mostly related to agility).

[Rainy]

I think this would depend on the ability of the new owner to choose the 'right' puppy for them.

The average jo would have no idea how behavior / personality as a pup turns out as an older dog however, some one with more experience like another breeder or a trainer would have that knowledge.

ETA, I have some knowledge on what to look for in my next pup however, if my breeder tells me that one would be better then i will go with their choice as they have a hell of a lot more experience than i do. I guess it would come down to trust also.

Edited November 21, 2013 by Rainy

[JRG]

I find it is very difficult to pick a puppy at 7/8 weeks in spite of having been a breeder for 37 years.

If possible, I get as much input as I can from the buyer and much prefer them to come and choose for themselves although I also like the buyer to take into account what I think of the various babies.

As i always say "I can be as wrong as anybody else" - and that has been proven quite a few times!!

[wings]

Hansel was picked for me and to be honest I'm glad he was. I had my eye on one of his sisters but what I really wanted above everything else was his dad's personality. I now have a carbon copy of his dad living with me so I'm glad I left it in the hands of the breeders, the knew what I wanted and they knew their puppies.

When the time comes to choose my whippet I'll listen very carefully to the breeder, wether they pick for me or just make a recommendation.

[dotdashdot]

My most recent puppy was chosen a bit by both of us. I live 3 states away from the breeder, so all contact has been via email and mostly facebook (we've known of each other for over a year now). She knew I wanted a girl show pup, so showed me 4 pics of the 4 girls and told me to list my preferences, telling me that she hadn't decided yet. In the end, she said she was choosing from the two girls I had listed 3rd and 4th (she had a different need to me, and they had what she wanted)...so I had to choose from my top 2. So in the end, I got the girl I originally chose, and I've since been told that she's a confident little thing that should do well in the ring. Sounds bloody cheeky too, just like her Aunty Cleo (my other dog, who is literally her aunty)

[Salukifan]

I like a bit of both.

However, I've had a pup chosen for me by the breeder and I was very happy with the choice. I've also had final word on the breeder's recommended pup and been just as happy.

I think the breeder will always know the litter better but it's nice when they allow you to have input.

I'd not be thrilled with a buyer who wouldn't listen to breeder input.

[kelpiecuddles]

Our basset breeder selected two that he felt would suit us and left it up to me which I preferred although he did recommend one over the other, in the end I went with his recommendation.

The next basset I buy will be bought for a very specific purpose so I hope to have a little more input but in the sense of some good joint discussion about the different traits of each pup and which would suit what I am after. So still lots of breeder input. The breeder sees them every day so they will always know them best at that stage.

[Trisven13]

If it was you picking a puppy you would get first pick after I'd picked BUT that is because I know that a breeder would be hard-pressed to find a better home than yours.

For me I like to pick the pup for the family and that is because it is incredibly important to me that any pup I rehome is going into the best possible home for it. If I happened to have a litter where I had more pups available than homes then I would probably let the buyer choose from the available pups BUT would try to steer them towards the best puppy for them. I live with my pups completely, put my families' lives on hold whilst we raise them and I know them, completely.

[cavNrott]

It's always been understood between the breeder and myself that the breeder selects the pup most suited to me and my lifestyle. Afterall I don't know the pup's personality and the breeder does. It's always worked out well for us.

[Lollipup]

With my latest pup the breeder recommended two pups that suited my needs and then I was able to choose between them. I then asked her opinion, she said which she would go with and I picked that pup and I'm very happy with her. I valued her input as I knew she was very experienced at matching the right pup to the right home

[Brandiandwe]

I'm at the very start of this process and I would like them to pick though I'd like to meet the pups. We're in contact, I've been clear about what I want and need. I also have told the breeder which puppies I like. I suspect that if a puppy that is right for my little family it won't be one of the ones I've liked! :laugh:

[huski]

I would want the final decision but I would also ask the breeders opinion.

I wouldn't buy a puppy without temp testing the litter first, but I understand why buyers do if they really trust the breeder's opinion or if someone who they trust temp tests the litter for them.

I wouldn't buy from a breeder who assigned pups to homes before or just after they were born. Wisdom is due to whelp a litter just before Christmas and even though we have a lot of interest and some people have been waiting for a pup for over 12 months, no one will be guaranteed or sold a puppy until they are several weeks old and have been temp assessed.

Edited November 21, 2013 by huski

[Dory the Doted One]

I had no idea of who I was getting, just knew i was getting a girl. It was all a surprise right up to taking her out if the crate at the airport.

I told her breeder what I wanted her for and just trusted they'd pick the right one. Never even expected to choose.

To say I'm very pleased with her would be a massive understatement. She is all and more than I'd hoped for.

I'm all good with a breeder choosing, but I would like to think they would take the buyers wants into consideration. Wants being the kind if dog they want and it's intended purpose.

[huski]

I'm all good with a breeder choosing, but I would like to think they would take the buyers wants into consideration. Wants being the kind if dog they want and it's intended purpose.

I would be really concerned about a breeder who didn't do this! They should be assigning the most appropriate puppies to the most appropriate homes. A good breeder should be very upfront with buyers about what they want in a puppy and what they have that would be suitable.

Edited November 21, 2013 by huski

[RallyValley]

I chose for my puppy people, aside from the stud dog owner who was free to pick as he had the knowledge to choose what he wanted best. I did ask everyone if they had any preferences and took this into account too but ultimately based my choices on temperament and structure to suit the pups future lifestyle.

We conducted multiple rounds of temp testing and also a conformation puppy party. I consulted with my breed mentor many times and we even had an online conformation puppy party via Skype.

If anyone had insisted on getting a particular pup I would have told them to go to another breeder.

Edited November 21, 2013 by RallyValley

[bertie]

I would want the breeder to ask me questions & choose for me, as I am completely inexperienced.

If I was highly experienced & been training for a long time, I would want a fair bit of input, but I don't think I would want complete free rein. I wouldn't like to buy from someone whose opinion I didn't have a lot of trust in. (Misplaced or not).

[Airedaler]

For me it is a combination. As a breeder I would never profess to know all that needed to be known about the purchasers family and circumstances. However, I can with the benefit of communication make a judgement that is hopefully pretty close. Likewise I would not expect a purchaser to be able to assess the personality of a puppy if only seeing it once or twice. In most cases I have allowed the person to select their own pup after explaining the personalities of the individual pups. In other cases, perhaps if the pup is going interstate then I select it often based in part on how I think the puppy will handle the travel involved. Over 35+ years I have got a few wrong and anyone that tells otherwise is imo not realistic about it however, the overwhelming majority have been right. I do believe that if people are meeting my requirements and prepared to pay the price they should have a reasonable amount of say in what they get and in fact what they do with the pup - within reason.

I strongly believe that some of the conditions placed on puppy buyers by breeders are unrealistic, but however, can see why many do so. Had my breeder placed similar conditions on me 40 years ago I probably would never have done what I have done the dog world.

[RallyValley]

Also to say it may be different in some breeds, but for mine if people 'choose' it's generally because they like a marking (i.e if everyone initially indicated they wanted the pup with the most orange) which is a really silly reason for a 15 year commitment.

Edited November 21, 2013 by RallyValley

[kelpiecuddles]

OK so since it's kind of the topic can I add another question in here...

If someone approached you as a breeder who you didn't personally know but who was very clear about what they wanted and why and was asking to come and spend some time with the pups and have a fair bit of input in to the choice how would you handle that? I only ask because this is something I may be having to do down the track and while I do trust a breeder to choose the traits that I am looking for would possibly be ones that breeders may not commonly be choosing pups for so I would be looking at the quite subtle behaviour that suits my needs.