Breeder selecting puppy for you
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I wasn't even looking to get a pup from Aeri's litter, but Stephanie and I had discussed my goals and home life, expectations for future dogs, things I like and dislike in a dog, etc., so when I fell for the litter Aeri was in she was able to tell me that yes, one of the available pups *would* have what I wanted and needed *and* that what I was looking for would be less likely in her next litters. So it was kind of a mutual deal I suppose.
When I walked into her house and she let Aeri out of her kennel she ran straight to me to say hi, though her remaining siblings just ran all over the place, so she apparently like Stephanie's choice for owner.
I chose Kes and Z at the shelter after fostering them both for several weeks and Maggie and Snipe both chose me, so I guess I've seen all angles and they've all worked well for me in various stages of life.
When I walked into her house and she let Aeri out of her kennel she ran straight to me to say hi, though her remaining siblings just ran all over the place, so she apparently like Stephanie's choice for owner.
I chose Kes and Z at the shelter after fostering them both for several weeks and Maggie and Snipe both chose me, so I guess I've seen all angles and they've all worked well for me in various stages of life.
I didn't read the whole thread so I hope we're still on subject lol.
No, I don't want a breeder picking a puppy for me. I want a breeder that can give me a good assessment of each puppy's personality, and can recommend which puppy(s) they THINK would be a good match for me. But I don't want someone telling me Green Puppy is the one they chose for me and that's that. Uh, no thanks.
Wouldn't necessarily be a dealbreaker depending on the circumstance (is there even the option of going to a different breeder?), but it would be pretty disappointing.
No, I don't want a breeder picking a puppy for me. I want a breeder that can give me a good assessment of each puppy's personality, and can recommend which puppy(s) they THINK would be a good match for me. But I don't want someone telling me Green Puppy is the one they chose for me and that's that. Uh, no thanks.
Wouldn't necessarily be a dealbreaker depending on the circumstance (is there even the option of going to a different breeder?), but it would be pretty disappointing.
Ok, I'd like to offer a breeder's perspective...
I usually have a pick puppy in males and females. Pick puppies go to a specific type of person- someone who is very, very serious about showing but also wants to breed or would be willing to co-own with me and would let me have breeding rights. The way I see "pick puppies" is that person has first "pick" of the puppies... the only buyer that I let pick their own puppy. The reason for this is because these puppies often go to breeders who may want a specific thing (for example, in Fiona's litter, I had first pick of the girls, and although the other girl was very classically marked and had a lot of good qualities, Fiona was a bit sharper and more prey driven).
The reason I pick puppies for most of my buyers is just because I have spent 8 weeks with these puppies, I know their lines inside and out, and I know this breed extremely well. Lets say that one of the buyers was a pet person, a family... with no performance plans. What if they pick puppy #3 because their daughter picked that one as the cutest and loves to play with toys.. but that one is extremely high drive and would be better suited for a performance or working home... whilst puppy #4 is very laid back and low drive.
The reason I don't just let people pick their puppies is that sometimes specific puppies are suited for specific things and not others. One puppy might have great potential as a Search Dog, one might be a great show puppy... etc.
When a person emails me with interest in a litter, I feel that my job is to get to know them. I want to know exactly what kind of dog they're looking for... thats part of my duty as a breeder.
I usually have a pick puppy in males and females. Pick puppies go to a specific type of person- someone who is very, very serious about showing but also wants to breed or would be willing to co-own with me and would let me have breeding rights. The way I see "pick puppies" is that person has first "pick" of the puppies... the only buyer that I let pick their own puppy. The reason for this is because these puppies often go to breeders who may want a specific thing (for example, in Fiona's litter, I had first pick of the girls, and although the other girl was very classically marked and had a lot of good qualities, Fiona was a bit sharper and more prey driven).
The reason I pick puppies for most of my buyers is just because I have spent 8 weeks with these puppies, I know their lines inside and out, and I know this breed extremely well. Lets say that one of the buyers was a pet person, a family... with no performance plans. What if they pick puppy #3 because their daughter picked that one as the cutest and loves to play with toys.. but that one is extremely high drive and would be better suited for a performance or working home... whilst puppy #4 is very laid back and low drive.
The reason I don't just let people pick their puppies is that sometimes specific puppies are suited for specific things and not others. One puppy might have great potential as a Search Dog, one might be a great show puppy... etc.
When a person emails me with interest in a litter, I feel that my job is to get to know them. I want to know exactly what kind of dog they're looking for... thats part of my duty as a breeder.
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I was really happy that my breeder allowed me to have a say in my puppy. She outlined everything about the puppies and her predictions for what they would be like and whether or not they would suit me. I notice a lot of people saying that if they don't trust the breeder to pick the puppy for them they wouldn't deal with them. Does that not go the other direction too? I feel like if I was a breeder and thought one of my puppy buyers was going to completely disregard my opinion and make a decision I disagree with, I probably wouldn't sell to them.
I felt like my breeder and I's relationship was good enough that she didn't have to make the decision for me. We had talked back and forth a lot, and she trusted me to make a responsible and educated decision while I trusted her input enough that I took it seriously.
I definitely appreciated getting the choice though, and would really like to go that route again if I can find a breeder open to that idea. Ultimately, I think it is nice when the breeder can say something along the lines of "out of the 6 puppies, puppy #2 and #5 sound like they would fit you best, and I think you could also consider puppy #1. I do think though that puppy #2 might be the best suited in terms of what you are looking for, so I think you should seriously consider #2. The reason I think #2 is the best choice is because of A, B and C.
At the end of the day too though, if the person chooses a puppy and the breeder really feels as though it's a bad placement, they can always say no, just as the buyer can always decide to wait. As far as I am concerned, the ideal situation is one where the breeder provides detailed info and predictions, narrows down the choices for you and suggests the pup or two that may be best, but the buyer gets a choice in who they want. Also, the breeder should definitely have the ability to veto a decision they really disagree with, just as the buyer can decline the puppies they were given to choose from.
Obviously this would not work out in all litters, especially if there are few pups, but I think that is what I would consider an ideal situation
I felt like my breeder and I's relationship was good enough that she didn't have to make the decision for me. We had talked back and forth a lot, and she trusted me to make a responsible and educated decision while I trusted her input enough that I took it seriously.
I definitely appreciated getting the choice though, and would really like to go that route again if I can find a breeder open to that idea. Ultimately, I think it is nice when the breeder can say something along the lines of "out of the 6 puppies, puppy #2 and #5 sound like they would fit you best, and I think you could also consider puppy #1. I do think though that puppy #2 might be the best suited in terms of what you are looking for, so I think you should seriously consider #2. The reason I think #2 is the best choice is because of A, B and C.
At the end of the day too though, if the person chooses a puppy and the breeder really feels as though it's a bad placement, they can always say no, just as the buyer can always decide to wait. As far as I am concerned, the ideal situation is one where the breeder provides detailed info and predictions, narrows down the choices for you and suggests the pup or two that may be best, but the buyer gets a choice in who they want. Also, the breeder should definitely have the ability to veto a decision they really disagree with, just as the buyer can decline the puppies they were given to choose from.
Obviously this would not work out in all litters, especially if there are few pups, but I think that is what I would consider an ideal situation
I think it's typical that you tell the breeder that you want a boy and you might say you want a particular color if the breed comes in different coats...stuff like that. So the breeder narrows it down to that first, then, I believe the usual thing is that the breeder is looking for a puppy whose temperament seems to fit into what you've described in great detail what you're looking for in a pup, what you want to do with the pup, what kind of personality you prefer as far as maybe, laid back and calm, extra energetic, super duper interested in people, not as into people, excited about toys, more interested in cuddling, etc. Anyhow, that's the impression I got when I talked to many breeders of the purebred dogs I've had.
I was really happy that my breeder allowed me to have a say in my puppy. She outlined everything about the puppies and her predictions for what they would be like and whether or not they would suit me. I notice a lot of people saying that if they don't trust the breeder to pick the puppy for them they wouldn't deal with them. Does that not go the other direction too? I feel like if I was a breeder and thought one of my puppy buyers was going to completely disregard my opinion and make a decision I disagree with, I probably wouldn't sell to them.
I felt like my breeder and I's relationship was good enough that she didn't have to make the decision for me. We had talked back and forth a lot, and she trusted me to make a responsible and educated decision while I trusted her input enough that I took it seriously.
I definitely appreciated getting the choice though, and would really like to go that route again if I can find a breeder open to that idea. Ultimately, I think it is nice when the breeder can say something along the lines of "out of the 6 puppies, puppy #2 and #5 sound like they would fit you best, and I think you could also consider puppy #1. I do think though that puppy #2 might be the best suited in terms of what you are looking for, so I think you should seriously consider #2. The reason I think #2 is the best choice is because of A, B and C.
At the end of the day too though, if the person chooses a puppy and the breeder really feels as though it's a bad placement, they can always say no, just as the buyer can always decide to wait. As far as I am concerned, the ideal situation is one where the breeder provides detailed info and predictions, narrows down the choices for you and suggests the pup or two that may be best, but the buyer gets a choice in who they want. Also, the breeder should definitely have the ability to veto a decision they really disagree with, just as the buyer can decline the puppies they were given to choose from.
Obviously this would not work out in all litters, especially if there are few pups, but I think that is what I would consider an ideal situation
I felt like my breeder and I's relationship was good enough that she didn't have to make the decision for me. We had talked back and forth a lot, and she trusted me to make a responsible and educated decision while I trusted her input enough that I took it seriously.
I definitely appreciated getting the choice though, and would really like to go that route again if I can find a breeder open to that idea. Ultimately, I think it is nice when the breeder can say something along the lines of "out of the 6 puppies, puppy #2 and #5 sound like they would fit you best, and I think you could also consider puppy #1. I do think though that puppy #2 might be the best suited in terms of what you are looking for, so I think you should seriously consider #2. The reason I think #2 is the best choice is because of A, B and C.
At the end of the day too though, if the person chooses a puppy and the breeder really feels as though it's a bad placement, they can always say no, just as the buyer can always decide to wait. As far as I am concerned, the ideal situation is one where the breeder provides detailed info and predictions, narrows down the choices for you and suggests the pup or two that may be best, but the buyer gets a choice in who they want. Also, the breeder should definitely have the ability to veto a decision they really disagree with, just as the buyer can decline the puppies they were given to choose from.
Obviously this would not work out in all litters, especially if there are few pups, but I think that is what I would consider an ideal situation
I would absolutely welcome input from the breeder and suggestions. I would WANT their input and suggestions but I'd also need to feel the connection with that pup.
I understand that you can't have pet homes picking show dogs or sporting dogs etc. I understand that some puppies would be completely off limits and not get a choice from those ones. but say there were two pups... one male and one female. I don't really care about sex (we have one of each right now) Both sexes hold different appeal to me. We don't really have an "ideal" when it comes to dogs (until Brian gets his hunting dog lol... that would be different).
No one would have picked Beezer as the right dog for our home LOL. I wouldn't have at first either but the connection was there almost immediately and when it happened we knew he was our dog. We have one dog who is lazy, laid back and a true lady and then our other dog is neurotic, needy and will act like a silly puppy until his dying day. TOTALLY different dogs, from one end of the scale to the other lol but it was the connection with them that sealed the deal for us because we weren't looking for anything specific
but yeah I think it's nessecary for breeders to take the option of some pups off the table all together for certain families.
so anyway... long story not so short... I agree with what Tucker&Me posted. mutual input
I've been talking with both breeders for while now, so I'm pretty confident that they'll choose the right puppy based on what I've said. Given the other puppies they've produced, I'm not too worried, as it sounds like most of the dogs fit what I want.
I just got the email this morning that the litter has been confirmed by ultrasound! My breeder does a blog for the puppies, so you get a pretty good day by day account. I'm still crossing my fingers for a blue Merle male.
I just got the email this morning that the litter has been confirmed by ultrasound! My breeder does a blog for the puppies, so you get a pretty good day by day account. I'm still crossing my fingers for a blue Merle male.
I would be okay with it as long as they where willing to work within my preferences and I had a good relationship with them. There are no smoothie breeders in my area so my next collie will be coming from farther away so I really would have to rely on her choice. That said I definitely want another male and I don't think I would budge on that even if the breeder thought one of her girl pups suited my other needs (activity level, drive, temperament etc) but I would also be willing to wait to get a pup if none of the ones in that litter matched up with me.
Ditto this also
I would absolutely welcome input from the breeder and suggestions. I would WANT their input and suggestions but I'd also need to feel the connection with that pup.
I understand that you can't have pet homes picking show dogs or sporting dogs etc. I understand that some puppies would be completely off limits and not get a choice from those ones. but say there were two pups... one male and one female. I don't really care about sex (we have one of each right now) Both sexes hold different appeal to me. We don't really have an "ideal" when it comes to dogs (until Brian gets his hunting dog lol... that would be different).
No one would have picked Beezer as the right dog for our home LOL. I wouldn't have at first either but the connection was there almost immediately and when it happened we knew he was our dog. We have one dog who is lazy, laid back and a true lady and then our other dog is neurotic, needy and will act like a silly puppy until his dying day. TOTALLY different dogs, from one end of the scale to the other lol but it was the connection with them that sealed the deal for us because we weren't looking for anything specific
but yeah I think it's nessecary for breeders to take the option of some pups off the table all together for certain families.
so anyway... long story not so short... I agree with what Tucker&Me posted. mutual input
I would absolutely welcome input from the breeder and suggestions. I would WANT their input and suggestions but I'd also need to feel the connection with that pup.
I understand that you can't have pet homes picking show dogs or sporting dogs etc. I understand that some puppies would be completely off limits and not get a choice from those ones. but say there were two pups... one male and one female. I don't really care about sex (we have one of each right now) Both sexes hold different appeal to me. We don't really have an "ideal" when it comes to dogs (until Brian gets his hunting dog lol... that would be different).
No one would have picked Beezer as the right dog for our home LOL. I wouldn't have at first either but the connection was there almost immediately and when it happened we knew he was our dog. We have one dog who is lazy, laid back and a true lady and then our other dog is neurotic, needy and will act like a silly puppy until his dying day. TOTALLY different dogs, from one end of the scale to the other lol but it was the connection with them that sealed the deal for us because we weren't looking for anything specific
but yeah I think it's nessecary for breeders to take the option of some pups off the table all together for certain families.
so anyway... long story not so short... I agree with what Tucker&Me posted. mutual input
So lets say there are two and YOU don't care about sex, but the other pet family has a grumpy female so a male would work best.. that means you get the girl
A breeder has to juggle what is best for EACH puppy buyer, not just you (generic you) So while there might be a couple that could work for you there might be only one when you factor in the other ppls.
but that assumes there is another home where both dogs are equal and that you get choice and they don't.....
So lets say there are two and YOU don't care about sex, but the other pet family has a grumpy female so a male would work best.. that means you get the girl
A breeder has to juggle what is best for EACH puppy buyer, not just you (generic you) So while there might be a couple that could work for you there might be only one when you factor in the other ppls.
So lets say there are two and YOU don't care about sex, but the other pet family has a grumpy female so a male would work best.. that means you get the girl
A breeder has to juggle what is best for EACH puppy buyer, not just you (generic you) So while there might be a couple that could work for you there might be only one when you factor in the other ppls.
A friend of ours got a field lab totally sight unseen, picked by the breeder and it worked out great for him. I just don't know if that would feel right for me lol. What if I got the puppy here and just didn't feel any connection with the pup... then I'd have to ship it back or stick with a dog I don't connect with.
This is hypothetical though lol I really don't plan on owning any puppies anytime soon. I'm way overanalyzing this I know lol.
Picking pups, my choice or the breeders
I've not picked any of my own dogs; they've all been picked by the breeder/agreed upon by myself, 3/5 have worked out fine.
Indy (BYB APBT) - puppy that was being beaten up by his mom, "breeder" owed my gf a favour; she said Do you still want your pitbull pup; I said yes, Indy arrived screaming and hollering at 6 weeks old. Never regretted it.
Kim (Central Asian Shepherd - FoxFire Farms) - smooch pup - picked by breeder for me, best suited to family -- I ended up being too harsh a home for her (I don't like clingy) -- she went back to her breeder -- and has done awesome for her. (Interacted with her and kids -- she was definitely the kid-friendly puppy)
Dora (Boerboel - Proudfoot Kennels) - beta pup - picked by myself and breeder as pick female retained for breeding rights - while she is a good dog, there are things I would change about my choice (Interacted with her and kids -- performed the temperament test for the litter)
Jiggs (Rat Terrier - Southern Sands Kennels) - last of a couple of male pups; breeder had held as possible show prospects - when I contacted her about a Rat Terrier -- told her my plans/lifestyle -- he was offered to me. No regrets.
Misty (Rat Terrier - Kenann Country Kennels) -- breeding was performed on my request -- I wanted specific bloodlines, specific colours and a Natural Bobtail if I could get it, and wanted a foundation female. The breeder and I talked almost daily, she described what she saw; she performed the test that I asked -- originally I liked Misty's sister better (by looks) but when temperaments finally came out -- Misty was far and away the better temperamented pup -- No regrets.
My next Rat Terrier pup is due April 26, and it is a bloodline and conformation type that I want; female -- no colour choices in this litter; they will all be Black/Tan/White -- so my focus is on temperaments and drives; the breeder I trust; so not too concerned that I won't get what I want/need.
I've not picked any of my own dogs; they've all been picked by the breeder/agreed upon by myself, 3/5 have worked out fine.
Indy (BYB APBT) - puppy that was being beaten up by his mom, "breeder" owed my gf a favour; she said Do you still want your pitbull pup; I said yes, Indy arrived screaming and hollering at 6 weeks old. Never regretted it.
Kim (Central Asian Shepherd - FoxFire Farms) - smooch pup - picked by breeder for me, best suited to family -- I ended up being too harsh a home for her (I don't like clingy) -- she went back to her breeder -- and has done awesome for her. (Interacted with her and kids -- she was definitely the kid-friendly puppy)
Dora (Boerboel - Proudfoot Kennels) - beta pup - picked by myself and breeder as pick female retained for breeding rights - while she is a good dog, there are things I would change about my choice (Interacted with her and kids -- performed the temperament test for the litter)
Jiggs (Rat Terrier - Southern Sands Kennels) - last of a couple of male pups; breeder had held as possible show prospects - when I contacted her about a Rat Terrier -- told her my plans/lifestyle -- he was offered to me. No regrets.
Misty (Rat Terrier - Kenann Country Kennels) -- breeding was performed on my request -- I wanted specific bloodlines, specific colours and a Natural Bobtail if I could get it, and wanted a foundation female. The breeder and I talked almost daily, she described what she saw; she performed the test that I asked -- originally I liked Misty's sister better (by looks) but when temperaments finally came out -- Misty was far and away the better temperamented pup -- No regrets.
My next Rat Terrier pup is due April 26, and it is a bloodline and conformation type that I want; female -- no colour choices in this litter; they will all be Black/Tan/White -- so my focus is on temperaments and drives; the breeder I trust; so not too concerned that I won't get what I want/need.
Oh I never said I wouldn't want to meet the puppy. Just because its the best pup out of the litter for me doesn't mean its the best puppy. Just saying the chances of a good breeder having choice isn't going to be common, unless you are getting first pick and there are a few that would suit. Typically pet owners don't get first pick as their needs are more easily met (IMO every dog in a litter should make a good pet for a 'typical' family that suits the breed)
We were always able to say that we wanted a male or female, and when we bought our Pug we were asked about colour, but we gave no answer because we just wanted a Pug, more than anything. The Pug breeder is the only non-working breeder I've ever had any buyer's interaction with for my own pet.
I don't mind saying "yes I want a male because I prefer them", but I don't really want to have to go into some great detail to explain why I prefer males, because there isn't a reason (and I feel like the question is fishing to see if a person knows the differences between males and females and not just myths). It's simply a preference. I've owned both, but the vast majority of my dogs were males. I'm really not interested in owning a female and depending on the circumstances, if the pick puppy for me were only able to be female, and no males matched me in any way whatsoever, I'll wait for another litter most likely. But I'm just guessing on that, I could change my mind were that the position I found myself in.
I don't mind saying "yes I want a male because I prefer them", but I don't really want to have to go into some great detail to explain why I prefer males, because there isn't a reason (and I feel like the question is fishing to see if a person knows the differences between males and females and not just myths). It's simply a preference. I've owned both, but the vast majority of my dogs were males. I'm really not interested in owning a female and depending on the circumstances, if the pick puppy for me were only able to be female, and no males matched me in any way whatsoever, I'll wait for another litter most likely. But I'm just guessing on that, I could change my mind were that the position I found myself in.
I've never had to explain why I wanted a male or female or particular color. Most breeders realize that people have their preferences and that is all there is to it. I would just talk to the breeder, say I want a female, chocolate Lab (in the case of my Lab. lol) and I want one that doesn't appear too over the top exuberant, but one that is fairly calm. These puppies' Mom was very nice, but very, very exuberant and not as good looking as the Dad. The Dad was gorgeous and quiet and Canadian and American Ch. at one time. I said that want one with good bone size and sturdy. I want this to be a pet for my family. I have two kids, ages whatever they were. They always have lots of kids coming and going. We have horses. I'd like to be able to take this dog on rides when she's older and they may be long rides sometimes, so a well put together, sturdy dog with a nice temperament. (Of course, both parents were lovely, so the odds were all in the puppies favor) They were health tested satisfactorily.
So, the breeder had only a few puppies available. One, "red" collar one was spoken for. She was my favorite looks wise out of the them. "Pink" was sweet, everything good, but a little on the small size for me. I took Pink home and that evening the breeder called me and told me that the buyers of Red couldn't get her after all and if I wanted her, I could swap. So, I did. And that's how I got Bonnie. LOL.
So, the breeder had only a few puppies available. One, "red" collar one was spoken for. She was my favorite looks wise out of the them. "Pink" was sweet, everything good, but a little on the small size for me. I took Pink home and that evening the breeder called me and told me that the buyers of Red couldn't get her after all and if I wanted her, I could swap. So, I did. And that's how I got Bonnie. LOL.
I'm absolutely fine with the breeder choosing the puppy for me. In fact, I encourage it. The breeder is the expert- the one who knows the puppies and the lines, not me. The breeder knows what kind of dog I want and what kind of lifestyle I have, and I trust them to know which puppy would be most suitable. I'd rather that than demand the friendly puppy who essentially 'chooses' me and turns out to be completely wrong for my lifestyle.
Having said that, I do have a strong preference for females. That's pretty much the only factor I'd hope to have a say in, though.
Having said that, I do have a strong preference for females. That's pretty much the only factor I'd hope to have a say in, though.
LOL Dober. I like your story about getting Bonnie.
Yes, I'd hope the breeder would be understanding about having a preference for a particular sex. Most I know do. I got a little mixed up/off topic there with my last post because it's usually the general public who assumes silly things like that. (The ones who mostly know sketchy breeders who sell females for twice as much as males in case you earn money selling puppies your female has.) With a good breeder it wouldn't be such an issue I suppose, because a female I bought may not come with breeding rights anyway.
Yes, I'd hope the breeder would be understanding about having a preference for a particular sex. Most I know do. I got a little mixed up/off topic there with my last post because it's usually the general public who assumes silly things like that. (The ones who mostly know sketchy breeders who sell females for twice as much as males in case you earn money selling puppies your female has.) With a good breeder it wouldn't be such an issue I suppose, because a female I bought may not come with breeding rights anyway.