I'm due to home two of my pups next weekend and I must admit I'm feeling a bit teary eyed already. Is this normal? I vowed not to get too attached to the pups but how can you help it? I've grown particularly attached to one of them who always greets me with a wagging tail and a lick and likes to cuddle up beside me.
A few years ago now i bought my son two female rats and within three days of them being here they both gave birth to nine babies each! I had twenty rats altogether and somehow had to find good loving homes for sixteen of them without them ending up as snake fodder or in pet shops being bred from.
I was gutted when they went and was inconsolable for about a week afterwards.
How can i prepare myself for what i know is going to hurt? How do others cope with the separation or are you just glad to have your home back!

just one reason ive never bred a litter,i know what a wuss i am!just make sure you take to the people who want a pup,and make sure they know to give you first option,should they need to rehome for any reason.good luck!

This is the sort of post that should be read by the people who a few days ago said breeders see their dogs as stock and regularly cull puppies. Zebedee, your post tells the truth of most of us here.

There is no easy answer, other than to ask the buyers if they will keep in touch, send you photos sometimes etc. I always get a favourite puppy in each litter and it's never the one I want or need to keep. It hurts but you do get over it when you start getting the reports of how much the new owners love their pup.

The truth is they have enveloped my life. Everything revolves around them and i know in my heart of hearts i have done everything humanly possible to give them the very best start in life. Food, toys & playing with me, keeping everything clean and as for the financial side of it i am officially skint. they have just had an M.O.T. at the vets and it was a comfort to hear they are as the vet put it "Technically perfect"
I have almost forgotten what the outside world is like but i care less! This time next week i will be a sobbing wreck!

Each and every pup leaves paw prints on your heart.

It's one of the hardest things to do when you breed a litter.  The first litter to leave us both myself, OH and the children were crying as the pups left - and their new owners were too :-D  Not much different when the last litter left either.  I only breed to keep one, so it wasn't as if I was pupless afterwards ;)

It's always hard but I cope by knowing that I've chosen the very best home for each puppy and that at 8 weeks old, they need more individual attention than I can given them on my own, and so I put their needs before my sentiment.
I also need to give individual attention to the puppy that I will be keeping so that she had plenty of my time to be socialised and trained enabling her to develope into a well balanced adult and you will need to devote your time to the pup that you're keeping too. :)

It was difficult, luckily out of the 2 pups I sold one went to good friends of mine, and the other has a lovely home too though I didn't know the people before. They're not brilliant at sending photos, but always answer texts, and I've invited myself over a couple of times to catch up too.

It is hard, and you do miss them - but if like me you have got to know the new owners beforehand, it does make it easier.  You have given them a good start in life by loving them, and if you get return visits, and pics and phone calls, you will know it has all been worth all the sleepless nights and worry when you see how happy they are

I don't think there is anything that can ease the tears when a pup leaves for their new homes, I'm used to making a fool of myself each time lol.  Snowey has made the point that I would have but I'll give you a () and a cyber hankie.

How beautifully put Dill " each one leaves a pawprint on your heart" - that is so true :)

To the OP, I would be concerned if you weren't upset!! They become such a huge part of your life in such a short time. Firstly I would impress upon my new owners that this is " for life" the relationship between the two of you, you will be there through thick and thin and would like pictures and news especially on important milestones. I asm sure that they will be impressed with your dedication.

However hard you try you can't keep in touch with all of them, they know where you are, some people keep in touch, some don't. I have just had sad news that one of our pups has passed on aged 8, I sat and sobbed. My commitment to them is for life, however long it is.

I too managed to keep a smile on my face as they drove off and turned snivelling as I walked up the drive, it's natural, it's called love :)

Try promising yourself a treat, an outing that you couldn't have done with lots of pups around, keep busy!
Good Luck

surprised the "rat incident" didnt prevent you from breeding from your dog!

"surprised the "rat incident" didnt prevent you from breeding from your dog!"

Guess i am a fool for punishment! It was hard work but at the same time very rewarding. I hope this experience turns out to be just as wonderful as it has been so far! ;-)

> This is the sort of post that should be read by the people who a few days ago said breeders see their dogs as stock and regularly cull puppies.

Huhh did I miss that one?

I don't think you can prepare yourself really, after all, if you have put everything into the rearing and care, you really have given them a piece of yourself, and you deserve to have a good blub when they have to go.

With our first litter, both my OH and I sat outside before the first one went and cried! Each puppy that left was the same, although I did manage to keep it in until they had gone. I was a mess too, but the biggest joy was in being able to give something so precious to someone else, something which would change their lives forever.

With this litter we've just had, I didn't cry, but that's probably because one was staying here with us. When the 8 week mark had passed and we still had 4 here, I just wanted to get down to our little girl so we could concentrate on her. With the last litter, our daughter was keeping the pick, so I was left without a puppy to love myself, which was doubly hard!!

Don't be ashamed, do what comes naturally, the new owners know you care, but just try not to bawl in front of them, I find that lots of new owners are emotional anyway, so picking up their new puppy is their moment really.

Good luck, I know it will be tough, but I'm sure you'll be fine.

I remember when I bought the mum, it was a BIG DAY for me. I had waited nearly two years for her to come along. When it was time to take her home after spending an eternity at the breeders home and while the breeder was sorting out the necessary bit and bobs I stood outside watching the the mum watch her owner sort things out and she knew I'm sure she did that one her babes was leaving her. I had a cry because I felt so guilty. But I know now that I must go through what most other breeders go through and pass on something so tiny and precious. I just never thought it would be this difficult to let go as I really thought I had psychologically prepared myself to prevent me from feeling like this. Looks like I have a lot to learn!   

> I just never thought it would be this difficult to let go

I still feel like this, and I'm sure that you will with future litters.

If I didn't love them with all my heart, and was glad to see the back of them, it would be the time to never breed again.

I usually have a favourite in a litter - doesn't even need to be the best show prospect.  I sob even more with those.  I think you're normal. 

I do think though Jean when you get to know the new owners well over the weeks they have been visiting, when the day comes for them to take their baby home, it is much easier as they're not total strangers. That's why I have, with both litters, had all puppies booked by the time they are born, so the new people have 8 weeks to get to know us and visa versa.

I have also had many comments from new owners, especially if they see the mum looking out of the window, that they feel so guilty about taking the puppy away, but although I'm sure my bitch knew (of course she did, she would go in with the pups after every pup left and check them all out), the one and only time she cried was when we had one girl back for a day about a week after she'd gone. When they came to take her back, she stood at the door and whined.

Its most emotional however, for those people who have lost a much beloved pet and the time has come to get another puppy. It's these people I could just stand and cry with, because several of them have been overcome when the time came to take their new bundle home. So touching, and really the best thing about having a litter really - being able to bring such joy to others' lives.

As already said,there is no easy way.I'm afraid I cry a lot after my puppies go,even though I have always kept one and worry about the others until I receive that all important email,letter & pictures showing me I was worrying about nothing! I am still in touch with people who had puppies from my first & other 2 litters and love getting updates on my 'babies'

Yes I agree with other posters who've said it shouldn't be easy selling your pups..I found it difficult to take the bitch to the dog...after all it was my choice, but her body!  Parting with the pups was very hard - two went within half an hour and I was distraught.  Only thing was I had 7 GSDs and they did need to go, we kept one for a couple of weeks due to holidays and had he stayed any longer I couldn't have sold him! The 9 sheps in the next litter were a lot of effort (and reward) but I kept one which helped.  Finding wonderful homes and meeting new lovely people also helps.  I was devastated when one owner rang to say that their (collie) pup had been hit by a car and killed at a young age.  One of those terrible accidents which wasn't their fault. It badly affected me.  They've since moved and have had another pup who's doing well - but losing a pup was awful.

ive cryed and been happy at the same time with 1 litter i had lol but it does break your heart when they go ,and when their all gone and the 1 you keep does keep you busy :) ive got 8plus weeks yet till we get any pups lol and already i remember our last litter we had when they were going :( ...fingers crossed this girl will give me what i want to keep! so im so excited xx
for me its when the 1st goes and then the last 1 it kills me inside i feel lost for awhile but then become ill ,i think its all the lack of sleep and maybe because i feel a bit depressed when their gone :( xx

I'm in the same position as the OP.  I've only had my pups for 11 days and can't imagine not having them around.  Today their teeny eyes have started to open and their faces have so much more expression.  I am quite lucky though as i will be keeping one ;-), my mother in law is having one :-), and a friend from my daughters school is having one :-), so i will be able to watch them grow and settle.  I'm even having the pups back when they all go on their summer holidays.  I was dreading them going to people that i didn't already know :-(.

I agree it's hard but one of my puppies (Bruce) came to visit at pur breed show at the weekend. He was gleaing, brimming with confidence and clearly loving his owners and they dote on him. I had a special cuddle, lots of doggy kisses and then handed him back with confidence and pride to his new owners- Makes it all worth while... Just need to do the same for his brother now x

Just had to do the hardest thing, far worse than selling a puppy I've had to have one pts at 4 months old because of complicated internal problems. This really was a tough call to make, she'd stayed with me because of incontinent issues which we hoped would be resolved by 6 months.  A beautiful and lovely natured pup it was hard to sit in the vets waiting whilst everyone admired her - but at least she had lots of love whilst she was here and a lot of fuss made of her.  The vet and nurses were devastated to lose her, but agreed it was the kindest thing to do.  Not an easy decision.

so sorry penny, my heart goes out to you (((hugs))) :( xxx

No matter how good the home, no matter how much I like the people, I bawl my eyes out at each and every pup going. Its natural and shows you are a caring breeder.
I am never ever tempted to keep loads back though. I was told a little, true cautionary tale a few years back. A woman I knew bred a litter of medium sized dogs of an extremely active breed. She owned the mother and father and (sigh) thought to have a litter from them. She sold all the pups and the time came for the first one to go. She cried and cried, made herself sick with the upset and although the pup did go to his new home she vowed she could not let the other pups go. So she rang all the potential owners, returned deposits and felt better. The remaining pups (6 if I remember right) she kept. Which now catapulted her dogs from 2 to 8.
She hardly used to walk the parents and pups as well were the last straw. Neighbours complained about the noise, all dogs were outside in a run. she fell out with everyone in the street because of the howling and lack of care the dogs had. In no way was she in a position to cope with all these active dogs and I believe one of the neighbours ( who  told me the story) actually called the RSPCA.
I met the woman again some time after and asked after her dogs and she had none, not even the parents.

Even now when my stomach is in knots and I am near to tears, I think of this woman and always wave my little ones on their way to their new lives.

I loved every minute of having pups around but was more than ready to let them go to their new homes. Too  much poo too much cleaning up and too much expense getting 15-17 puppies to 8-12 weeks old. especially as they were raised in a kennel but came into the house everyday to be socialised and learn about living in the house eg hoover, tv etc Love them they were brilliant but huge by the time they went

I know it's not the same really but I generally look after pregnant bitches and their pups at work....when the pups are old enough to be seen...no one seems good enough to have any of MY babies. And I wish I could have them all. We have two  litters in right now at 2 and 4 weeks and a pregnant bitch to come in on Saturday....so have my hands full .....but always mixed emotions....I want them to have a home of their own...and I'm glad they are gone...but I still never think the new family is good enough no matter how nice they seem...:-)

I have my first pup going tomorrow and I can tell you I'm not looking forward to it at all. This is my first litter and I have got to know the new owners well but its come round just so quick, I know I'l be crying tomorrow afternoon once she's gone.

But I shall remember all the god times I have had and the enjoyment looking after them all, and the amount of loveand joy they'll give theirnew owners.

It is always very hard to let them go but if you are 100% confident that they will be happy and very much loved in their new homes, it does make it easier.
I have had new owners cry with happiness when they have come to collect their new family member and that really does make is all worthwhile knowing how much joy you have brought to someone else.

Had a lady 'pop' round this evening to look at the pups and after half an hour she wanted to take one home there and then and when i said no as it was far too late in the evening for the pup to settle in i also would like to see where the pup was going to live if that was okay. The lady then replied that she had bought lots of food etc and why wouldn't i let her take one now. We went into my living room so that i could explain things to her and my reasons behind it but i was hitting a brick wall. Then the mum to pups came to say hello to the lady after mum had walked away the lady brushed off invisible hair from her trousers. My girl DOES NOT moult, even in red hot weather. Even if that is my biased opinion and my girl sheds a kilo of hair a day, this lady clearly was not a real dog lover! I'm glad i stuck to my guns! She is not welcome here again. Where do these people come from for goodness sake???? 

I hate having any pups unsold when they are ready to be homed for that reason, when they come a lot earlier you have time to get to know them better before having to make up your mind about whether they are right for a pup of yours.

A tip never allow people to see the pups until they have  been sat (on) with Mum and the rest of the dogs or at least the half hour or more of chatting (interrogating ;) ) for viewing of pedigrees, discussing your hopes and reasoning behind the litter, where you hoped it fitted into the breed etc.

I only allow viewing of pups once I have decided they can have one.

The lady smelt of alcohol which surprised me as she had a twelve year old girl with her and they had driven for a good 40 mins to get here. I would never drink and drive and definitely not with a young child in the car.
Of the six pups that were born three have gone to lovely homes. The first is with a young family with children on a farm with plenty of other animals, perfect for the breed. The second has gone to my brother and sister-in-law who live 200 miles from me. It was lovely to see pup running round like a loony with her new toys and having a fuss made of her. I know my brother and she will be loved and spoilt rotten. She was so confident and relaxed in her surroundings. When i saw her like that i knew i'd done a good job with socialising the pups. The third pup is going to live with a fireman and his wife who live at the top of my road and has two working dogs for search and rescue. The family are well known in the village and are dogs through and through and he didn't mind being covered in hair or being jumped on.
After last nights experience i don't care how long it takes, i will continue to wait. It's a tough job vetting people but so rewarding when you get a good result. Real dog people don't mind being interrogated and most are happy to answer questions and listen to advice given! :-)       

we had a couple come afew weeks back now to meet all our dogs ,they were young at heart in there 50s i have a large breed that needs 2h walking aday that wasnt a problem at all for us it was everytime the dogs jumped all over the man (the dogs were wet it was raining bad) so smelt :) of wet doggy too! he kept wipeing his coat! to get the hairs off :(...once they had gone i told hubby i wasnt happy about them having a pup just got that feeling about them both and my hubby felt the same ,so now shes been mated we havnt told them and when the time comes they will be told there isnt a pup for them simple! i want to be happy with knowing all my puppies are happy and not lay in bed at night not being able to sleep :( ....
xx

> The lady smelt of alcohol which surprised me as she had a twelve year old girl

> they had driven for a good 40 mins to get here.

If you come across a situation like this then make your excuses to leave the room and call the Police. She is a serious accident waiting to happen, if she wants to play russian roulette with her and her daughters lives thats one thing, but its other people who could potentially suffer, you very much made the right decision there.

Now i am worried white lilly "young at heart at 50 ish" omg I thought I was just young  now I am worried !! lol
Seriously as a prospective buyer not breeder I have always kept in contact with the breeder and hope to continue to do so with my next and future pups. For me having that contact not just if I had a problem but just to tell them the ups and odd downs is like having a granny you can ring to tell them how the children are. It is even nicer if you can visit on occasion.
To me a good breeder is one who wants to know whats happening all through the pups life Sorry if I have gone off on another tangent

I didn't smell the alcohol, my partner did. In the short time they were here to look at the pups neither me or my partner had the chance to exchange comments or glances between us it was only after they left that we got the opportunity to talk and i felt this huge sense of relief. I wanted to cry as i looked at the boy pup they were interested in and thought "Your not going anywhere, either tonight, next week or whenever with that woman" Cruella DeVille she most definitely was! She had that 'look' about her! She text me later on in the evening with a garbled message that made absolutely no sense whatsoever. I shall keep the text so that the number will flag up on my phone should she text or phone me again. 

so sorry hun put wrong age (red faced) 60 ish plus.......plus i dont have a proplem with age :) its just i have to weigh up everything when it comes to homing my babbies, sorry hope i didnt afend anyone xx

Phew that's a relief cos u didn't I was joking with u x

:) ;) xx

'To me a good breeder is one who wants to know whats happening all through the pups life'   And I totally agree with you on that point.  

When I bought my gorgeous handsome beautiful GR, Sherlock just over three and a half years ago, I expected that his breeder would want to keep in touch and know how he was doing BUT they werent interested and that made me very sad.   I emailed photos and comments about him and his life for quite some time but it wasnt something they wanted to know about so eventually I stopped and weve never heard from them since.   Sherlock is the sweetest boy imaginable but they werent interested.

I once looked on their website for Sherlocks  mum and didnt see her so emailed and asked about her.   They said theyd sold her because shed had a difficult birth of the next set of puppies and she had been spayed.   Sad really - they breeder is something in the dog world and judges dogs.....so you never can tell.

Michelleb, it sounds like your breeder has lost out, I think it is very rare that people do not want to know how things are going etc. I send a yearly health questionnaire and they know I am always here is they need me, it should be a two way thing.

I love the name Sherlock, sounds a great guy :)

Karen,

She has lost out because Sherlock is simply the sweetest.

What a lovely feeling taking a puppy from a breeder and knowing that they care as much as you do about the life your puppies are going to have.   The feeling that I have about Sherlocks breeder is that his lovely mum was an unloved money maker.   At least Sherlock is very much loved.

Thanks - it suits him!

We went to get out pup a few weeks ago after speaking to the breeder for weeks, I made it clear it wasnt just a puppy i wanted it was a good relationship with the breeder too, Somebody that could help and advise me at any stage and happy to do this day or night. I most certainly found this :) We arranged to go meet the pup and the breeder made it very clear even after speaking to me he would still decide when we meet on the day wether or not he would be happy to let us have the pup (which in my opinion was something I was looking for). So on d,day we traveled 3 and a half hours to our destination, when we arrived we sat and chatted for a while before any dogs where bought in. When the breeders where happy they bought the dogs in, Pup mum and 2 uncles, Imediatly my concentration went on the dogs I was on the floor with them all and they bounced all over me My ears where nibbled to an inch of there life lol I was even dribbled on lol. We sat there for a good hour playing with all the dogs not just the puppy, When the breeder went and got all the paper work and was happy we where over the moon not just to be having the puppy but also for the fact the breeders where truly wonderfull people and was clear there dogs where there life. When it came to leaving there where tears I almost felt guilty for being so happy :( But on the same note on a buyers point of view it shows how much the pups where loved. We are sending weekly up dates and they are thrilled how he is getting on. x

When I went to get my pup last summer the breeder was obviously upset to see him go so much so I felt quite guilty taking him ( I all but ran to the car incase she changed her mind lol) but it did show me how much she cared.

In the weeks leaading up to picking him up we really did get to know one another and now 8 months on Im lucky enough to call her a friend. She has given me and my family a most precious gift so even though you will be sad please remember the joy you about to give to the right family x

I have been breeding for 30 years and I still get attached to them and worry about how they will settle when they leave.  I have been blessed with fabulous puppy buyers (carefully vetted of course in the first instance) who have kept in touch with progress reports, updates, photos, Christmas cards etc and it is lovely to see them growing up happily with their new famililes.

We had to put our Sam to sleep because he had a fit and could not come out of it :( he was ridgeback and he will be sooo missed by us all he was a loving n caring dog he was 1year n 5mths :(  ((hugs)) penny im still soo upset im a wreck from all the crying :( they leave us paw prints in our hearts forever <3

With my first litter I knew the bigger bitch would go to the dams breeder, I treated all the pups the same and accepted that that one would not be staying so I wasn't too upset when she went as I was keeping the other 2 pups.

My second litter were all males and having 2 males already I knew from the off that none of them were staying, they all went with endorsements to pet homes,made it clear I would not be lifting the endorsements unless they took up showing and the dog did well, I hear from 3 owners occassionally but the 4th seems to have disappeared, they have maybe moved, emails are returned.

I am miclejohin. I am newbie for this site and recently joined it.
I visit this site and found It has an excellent discussion board to share and discuss about the dog Nutrition, dog supplements, and for our pets health.I got a lot of help about health and fitness matter for my pets  health.. from this site and want to start and continue my discussion here...I have german shepherd dog breed ..

so have we :) we dont breed this breed anymore tho our girls are spayed now love this breed so much!!