Who Chooses A Puppy?

[Bjelkier]

As a breeder I pick where my puppies go (unless I'm dealing with another breeder or exhibitor I know understands the breed).

I get a good idea of what the puppy person is after and I pick the right pup for the home. I know the litter and the temperament of my puppies better than a puppy person does.

And I expect a similar thing when I buy puppies from other breeders.

[Bjelkier]

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.

I'd need to see proof that they actually knew what they were talking about. There are a lot of people out there who have very firm ideas about what they want. Doesn't mean they know what they're looking for with my litter that they have only spent a small amount of time with.

[LisaCC]

I like a combination. I was asked what I intended to do with the pup and my house hold, and also preferences in sex, colour etc. I was looking for a boy and prepared to wait for another litter if there was only girls or unsuitable boys. I was just super lucky that most the litter were boys (and blue!). The breeder picked three pups that suited best and I got a choice out of those. Nova was eventually picked out of the three on personality and conformation not just from what I saw but from what the breeder told me too.

I would always like a breeder who would understand my preferences especially on sex.

[Airedaler]

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.

I would be happy to accommodate you in that situation and also work with you. I often had puppy buyers coming back week after week to look at the pups and this to me was beneficial as they often saw that the first pup they liked for whatever reason (usually that it was the one that came to them first or the quiet one etc.) was not the same one each time and so they had to think about it a bit more and work out what they really were wanting.

[kelpiecuddles]

Thanks for your thoughts Bjelkier and Airedaler, I'll be looking for a dog for some pretty heavy duty training and to be a foundation dog/bitch for a breeding program focusing on that work so it will be an interesting process.

[OSoSwift]

I wanted my puppies to go to the right home and for their families to have a good puppy buying/owning experiences.

I took what they said they were after and their circumstances ( it helps that I was in contact with them for some time so had gotten to know them well).

At two weeks I was starting to get a feel for their personalities and they solidified but didn't change a lot ( ie the quietest one was still that, the most full on was still full on). Having said that no-one was told who their puppy was until around 7 weeks of age.

They had their check ups etc and then I contacted all the people to double check they were happy etc.

All of my puppy buyers were happy to have the right puppy chosen for them. I did have a lot of enquiries regarding on particular bitch and it was because of her colour and markings. Some people were not happy when one that particular bitch was already sold, but puppies were selected for temperament not colour.

If someone was a breeder or experienced in dog sports and wanted something in particular I would happily let them have the most imput and just let them know what I could about temperament to help then choose the best dog for what they wanted.

[RuralPug]

To me it should be whatever it takes to match each puppy with the most appropriate home. The breeder and puppy buyer will need to clearly communicate with each other for this to be successful.

Usually this means the breeder should recommend the puppy most suitable for the buyer - in the end the buyer has the power of refusal: if they don't want that puppy they can go elsewhere. In some cases, the buyer will have a lot of knowledge and very clear directions as to the personality they require and in those cases I would expect most breeders will allow the buyer to have more say in the choosing process. Personally I wouldn't place a puppy with anyone who thought they could choose or order on the base of one single trait or whim - we are talking about a living breathing loving creature, not a new lounge suite.

I would not have any problem with a potential puppy buyer wanting to spend some time with the litter (after initial vaccs had taken of course) but I would make sure that they understood that they would not have any sort of final say.

Nor do I see any problem with keeping the pool of buyers updated with pics of the litter and all individuals in it as they develop to the point where matches can be made.Sometimes the puppies in a litter can create a sort of mini-club of owners who keep in touch with each other and compare notes on their puppies etc. I have known several cases where litter-mates were brought together each year on their birthdays by their respective families which always made a great day out!

My point of view is for a litter of a popular breed where there is never much difficulty in placing puppies. In the case of a less popular breed, especially those with large litters, there could easily be more puppies than potential puppy owners - in those cases it is a bit of a buyer's market so to speak and the puppy buyer may well be offered more of a choice.

[Christina]

I must go against the usual as I let the buyer choose their puppy.

First I ensure that they know the breed, grooming & companionship requirements & understand that they are an inside pet. Other animals & age of, if any, children.

If they seem suitable & I am happy when I meet them they can choose their puppy. I advise on temperament of each puppy, even caught a short & lovely video that was the perfect example of the pack order of a litter of 3. So helpful for someone who had previously had a bossy little dog who was loved & lived a long life but preferred a little more laid back this time. My breed are easy temp wise, intelligent, easy to train & well suited for their requirement as a companion pet.

The only person I ever refused was a long time close friend who wanted a particular pup to keep her dog happy as his older friend had died. She had got both dogs from me & I knew miss bossy boots would not get along with her dog so I said no. That didn't go down great.

I will advise if they ask, refuse if I feel its wrong but unless I can see big reason to refuse I let them feel it is their choice but will choose for them if they ask me to.

[mixeduppup]

The only pup I didn't choose and bought sight unseen was a complete dud. I'll always choose my working dog pups.

[Cleo's Corgwyn]

I was very lucky with my pup that my breeder was happy to give me first pick after her show pick, knowing that I wanted temperament for a potential performance dog first and foremost. I knew the breed and the lines in this litter, and had a clear idea of the temperament I was looking for. I temperament tested all the boys in the litter, following the FOCUSed puppy version of the test and while my puppy was not what I had really hoped for in looks (colourwise), he is marvelous temperament wise; completely fearless and outgoing. The breeder and two other experienced breeders had assessed the litter before I did, and they all knew that he was the pup for me, even before I did a formal temperament test. So either way, I would have got the same puppy.

[Blackdogs]

I'm an extremely picky puppy buyer, after all, dogs are my life and I'm going to be living with my selection for the next ten to fifteen years. When I have a dog in mind it's for a select purpose and I know exactly what I'm after in terms of personality and looks.

Having said that, part of this process is finding the right breeder, so if I didn't trust their judgement from the get-go I wouldn't purchase from them. In this respect, I'd hope for a mutual decision making process with respect for my requirements, but with lots of input from the breeder as they know the litter best.

There are some things I'm willing to negotiate on, and there are some things I'm not. My first dog was always going to be a girl, but there were none available, so I was happy to take a boy, but I wasn't willing to compromise on colour. If there were none in the colour that I wanted I would have waited. I made that clear from the outset and the breeder respected that decision (which is pretty lucky, considering so many breeders seem to think colour shouldn't factor in at all). I got the dog that I wanted in the end and the breeder and I still keep in contact regularly.

With my second dog there was not much compromising on my behalf at all. I wanted a specific personality, a specific colour and it had to be a female. As it was an interstate purchase, I trusted the breeder to select the puppy with the correct temperament. She was spot on.

I think if you have specific requirements and you know what you want (and you're educated enough to make that decision) it's important to find a breeder whom you can trust and who will take your desires into consideration.

[julesluvscavs]

Miah's breeder knew we only wanted a Tri colour puppy. Her bitch had 2 Tri's in the litter, a male and female. When it was time to make her final decisions she asked if we were interested in the female Tri. We had never said which sex we would prefer throughout the whole process, but deep down i really was hoping for a female. I was ecstatic we were chosen for the female, it was fate ! I'm not fussed the breeder chose us for her, as i trust this breeder entirely ;)

[The Spotted Devil]

Much depends on the relationship between the breeder and the puppy buyer.

With my Dally I had maintained phone/email contact with his breeders for 2 years. When the pups were 5 weeks old I flew to Canberra to visit. They picked me up from the airport and I stayed with them for 4 days. I spent all day every day with the pups and met Dad as well. They knew I wanted an agility/obedience dog and we narrowed down my choices together (generally over a bottle of wine with lunch!) I really wanted a male because I loved the look of their boys. By the time they had the "puppy party" (with knowledgeable Dalmatian people) at 6.5 weeks everyone agreed that my pick had the best potential for a performance dog so all we had to do was wait for the BAER testing. I was greatful for their knowledge sometime later when they strongly suggested I get a bitch puppy next - they know how much their boys like a harem!

With my Springer I had spent time with the breeder's dogs long before I was ready for a pup. When there was a litter on the ground that suited us her breeder selected her pick and the quieter girl had been particularly chosen for another home so I had the choice of two. I was so nervous about what to look for in a potential retrieving dog but a friend told me not to worry: "just as long as it doesn't have 2 heads!" :laugh: So I did some testing with them separately and Em just felt right. We bonded on the spot - there was never a question - unlike Ziggy who I really didn't love dearly until he was 18 months old. He was worth the wait though :) I've already established a good relationship with an overseas breeder (recommended by one of my current breeders!) for another breed I'm hankering after - we understand each other well enough that when it comes time (not for a while!) I will happily trust her to pick me a pup.

If I decide to breed, puppy selection will be a happy balance and will depend on owner experience, the household and whether it would be more of a working or pet home.

[Dogsfevr]

We pick the pups after doing meet n greets.

Will be honest & say the more picker puppy owners are then we don't proceed with a sale.

Can appreciate people wanting certain things(within reason) but have found those set on certain things to be nightmare puppy owners who never stop complaining when the colour changes with age or other things that they simply won't believe is true when told before purchase.Been there don that & just don't entertain those puppy buyers anymore.

We are lucky to always have more homes than required for our pups & plenty of people who are grateful to have a pup that suits there own needsno matter what colour,sex etc etc.

[Santo66]

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!!

Great post I was going to say that the breeders who reckon they can choose the right pup for a particular owner are telling lies for the most part unless they have a very good understanding of what the buyer wants in the adult dog.

I'd need to see proof that they actually knew what they were talking about

That's what I do with breeders........why did you breed the bitch, what makes her breed worthy, what does she bring to the table, who's the stud, what does the stud bring to table, why was that stud chosen and how does he complement the bitch, what are they trying to improve etc etc, in fact I have found more breeders who don't know they are doing beyond making puppies....shame about the dud rate

Edited November 21, 2013 by Santo66

[Santo66]

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.

What's the purpose of a tight line breeding 2-2 on Hassan in the pending litter Huski......just interested?

Edited November 21, 2013 by Santo66

[WreckitWhippet]

Puppy buyers from me rarely have a choice of puppy, I base the pet decisions entirely on the best temperament match for the home. The day I have one bounce I might change my way of thinking.

[Roova]

This has been an interesting topic and hopefully might answer a few things I've been curious about.

In a litter of say five or six puppies can you have five or six distinctly different personalities, or are the differences only minimal?

What type of family or home situation best suits those personalities from most dominant to say most anxious?

Does being last on the waiting list mean you're at risk of being unknowingly offered the puppy which didn't suit anyone else, or who wasn't chosen by anyone else, or do breeders keep the most anxious, smallest or most submissive puppy (for example)?

Does it get difficult to place all puppy personality types?

[Kajirin]

With mine he was the last of the litter unsold, so was a happy coincidence for me. Breeder did express that he was the devil of the litter and he sure did live up to that as a pup. But matured into a brilliant dog. He matched everything I was looking for in a pup so was happy all round.

[ellz]

I breed to keep, not breed to sell. Therefore I ALWAYS have first say in the puppy/ies that I keep. Usually by the time my puppies are old enough to leave home, I will have had enough feedback from prospective puppy people about the puppy that they like, but I make it clear from the outset that they may not get that puppy and indeed, there may not even be a choice of puppies. I also try and match puppies to homes and thus far have had good results. I don't let my puppies go until around 10 weeks anyway so a lot more of their personality is apparent.