Why Do Breeders Always Know Best?

[JuliaMae]

This is something I have often wondered about.Having been involved with dogs all my life and one breed in particular for almost 40 years some things totally confound me.
I have lived with this breed, been involved with raising litters, obediance, showing, and have read all the material I can find concerning the breed. The one thing I have not done is cause a litter of this breed to be concieved. In short I am not a BREEDER.
I consider myself a reasonably intelligent person with a lot still to learn.
But with all due respect I would like to know why it is assumed that just because a person has bred a litter or two in the last five or ten years they are more qaulified to choose the puppy most suited to my personality than I am myself? When as often as not I was envolved with this breed before they were born.
I run into this over and over again so my second question is if I actualy bred a litter of puppies would I then be considered knowledgeable enough to know what type of puppy suits me best?
What is it that can only be learned by allowing two dogs to produce a litter? Seems to me most dogs are quite capable of doing this with out any help.
I do not mean to sound cynical and would hoestly like to know if some one could explain this to me. JuliaMae

“If caring is a crime, color me guilty.”

[faustus]

I think it's less about the fact that they breed dogs and more about the fact that they raised the litter. Because they've been with the puppies since the moment they're born, they know the puppies inside and out. Breeders will have a more intimate knowledge of what each puppy is like and therefore will know what home will suit each puppy best. They'll know every little idiosyncrasy each puppy has, obvious or not, that you may or may not be able to pick up on in the short amount of time you spend with the puppies.

You may be incredibly knowledgeable in a breed and know exactly what you want in a puppy, which is great, but the breeder still knows their puppies better than you will. Instead of demanding to pick a puppy yourself, why not tell the breeder exactly what it is you're looking for in a puppy and trust them to pick the puppy that best suits you. If you can't trust your breeder enough to do this, I suggest finding a new breeder who you can trust.

[release the hounds]

Then find a breeder that will let you chose the puppy and move on. Let it go already. If you know more and have better dogs, then breed your own litter.

I have lots of criteria when it comes to getting dogs and I deal with people that fit those criteria. I don't waste time bringing personal bullshit to websites trying to change someone's views. Move on.

[*blackrose]

Originally Posted by faustus

You may be incredibly knowledgeable in a breed and know exactly what you want in a puppy, which is great, but the breeder still knows their puppies better than you will. Instead of demanding to pick a puppy yourself, why not tell the breeder exactly what it is you're looking for in a puppy and trust them to pick the puppy that best suits you. If you can't trust your breeder enough to do this, I suggest finding a new breeder who you can trust.

This, x1000.

If you know exactly what you want and what kind of pup you are looking for, GREAT! Use that information to tell the breeder what you want, and trust him to pick the pup that suits that description. He has, after all, been the one raising the litter and knows HIS puppies better than you do.

If you can't trust the breeder to do that, then you shouldn't be purchasing a puppy from that breeder.

[Taqroy]

Originally Posted by release the hounds

Then find a breeder that will let you chose the puppy and move on. Let it go already. If you know more and have better dogs, then breed your own litter.

This.

[AdrianneIsabel]

Is this regarding previous drama?

If so, I share the previous post, if not I share the post prior.

Basically the breeder knows best, trust them or move on. It's got to be a very trusting relationship to entrust a life you created with another human. If that trust, respect, and so forth is there then it's a dangerous choice.

[Greenmagick]

Exactly what the others said. You may know the breed, but you dont know their lines and their pups. The right breeder will take exactly what you want and match it to the litter, finding the best fit. you will likely have input and some choices for sure, but ultimately, thats one of the main reasons to go with a breeder.

I will say I dont believe breeders always know best. Food for instance, many breeders feed certain foods that I will not. But as far temperament and personality, yes, I will trust a solid good breeder with that for sure.

[kady05]

It's pretty simple. Because they bred the litter. Therefore, they can do what they please with the pups. Sometimes that means turning people away.

[MafiaPrincess]

Originally Posted by kady05

It's pretty simple. Because they bred the litter. Therefore, they can do what they please with the pups. Sometimes that means turning people away.

This. You tie yourself as a breeder to the seller for potentially the life of their puppy. It makes it paramount to not tie yourself to people who may be more work that it was worth and might be high maintenance. Many people are friends with their breeders and may call them for non dog things. Looked like you were on a road to not creating a lifelong good relationship.

[~Tucker&Me~]

Originally Posted by faustus

I think it's less about the fact that they breed dogs and more about the fact that they raised the litter. Because they've been with the puppies since the moment they're born, they know the puppies inside and out. Breeders will have a more intimate knowledge of what each puppy is like and therefore will know what home will suit each puppy best. They'll know every little idiosyncrasy each puppy has, obvious or not, that you may or may not be able to pick up on in the short amount of time you spend with the puppies.

You may be incredibly knowledgeable in a breed and know exactly what you want in a puppy, which is great, but the breeder still knows their puppies better than you will. Instead of demanding to pick a puppy yourself, why not tell the breeder exactly what it is you're looking for in a puppy and trust them to pick the puppy that best suits you. If you can't trust your breeder enough to do this, I suggest finding a new breeder who you can trust.

This exactly. While I feel I have a pretty good handle on border collies, my breeder would know each individual puppy much better than I would and could therefore be more insightful than I when it came to which puppy would suit me best. My last breeder gave me a choice between two pups that she thought could work for me based on my criteria, and then she outlined the differences between them. It was ultimately my choice between the two, but I did not get to pick out of the entire litter which one I wanted. I understand your desire for a choice, but I think the key is to find a breeder you really like and can trust to make a decision for you. My next breeder will not be giving me a choice at all, and while a little piece of me wishes I could choose my own puppy, I know she is a great breeder and will give me an unbiased, objective opinion on which one will be the best fit for what I want.

Basically, pick a breeder you know is knowledgeable and that you feel you can trust and let them do their job Since you have a lot of knowledge of the breed, use it to explain what you would prefer and why so that the breeder can make the most educated decision for you. It may be the case that two puppies could work for you, in which case you may get a choice, but if your breeder picks a puppy for you, have faith in their knowledge of their pups

ETA: Having the breeder pick your pup for you is actually pretty common, and has become more common than it used to be because it produces good results. I am just telling you this so that you don't think what happened to you was unusual - many breeders I know of would turn a puppy buyer away who insisted on choosing their own puppy. Just an FYI