I have a litter at the moment who are 3 weeks old. Puppy buyers have been told that no choices can be made until I have made the choice of which I am keeping myself. So why is it every day i get questions like "which one could be for us?" Or "when can we choose?" Or "can we rearrange our visit so that we are first to view so we get more choice?"
And now I have one person saying they thought they were second in line behind me. No, I never ever said that.

Is it excitement? Because I have never been like this when buying a puppy, it absolutely ruins the experience for me, it makes me feel so stressed and like there is an enormous pressure upon me to let people choose. It was the same with my last litter. Does anyone else feel like this? Don't get me wrong my puppy buyers are all lovely, apart from when they come out with things like this and I feel like I am repeating myself daily.

It's human nature to be excited,inquisitive and wanting information.  After all you are waiting yourself for The One! You may not email or phone yourself but I'm sure your watching,thinking,reviewing each puppy for potential.

For me I couldn't have a breeder pick my puppy for me let alone be left for weeks then told

I'm not picking their puppy's for them, just asking them to wait until I have chosen mine.

All my buyers were very good & understood that neither could choose until I had decided which one I was keeping. Maybe you could give them a guide/timeline for instance you will not be deciding until they are 6 weeks(or your preferred age). This way you may get less of the 'when can we choose'???
Also perhaps say that you are the best one to decide which puppy will fit certain homes. You would not choose a very excitable active puppy for a quiet retired couple & equably a quiet puppy wouldn't be chosen for the fit active family. Again both(my other buyer let me down) of mine were going with which pup I thought best for them & 2 weeks on both are extremely happy with the choice I made for each.  Perhaps with the one who thinks they are '2nd on the list' could be told that you have x other buyers & there isn't a 2nd on the list & you are going to guide them to which puppy you think would best suit them....

Thankyou, that is pretty much what I have said, I have told them from the beginning that I won't make my choice until they are at least 6 weeks old but possibly later as a breeder friend can't make it until they are almost 8 weeks, and I value their opinion so I will probably narrow it down to 2 or 3 until they come and visit.
I've also told people that I will let them choose, but I will guide them with their choices, so if I feel one is unsuitable I will guide them away etc.
I'm not sure what else I can do, perhaps I need a thicker skin!

There is no point in anybody choosing too soon - they will change so much.

I encourage people to give me their preferences once the pups are about 6 weeks, but I very much try to match the pup with the right home. If people don't want the benefit of my experience they are welcome to buy elsewhere

I know.   It's the worst part of breeding a litter and how often have I wishes we could keep them ALL - joking because by the time they get to  8 - 10 weeks, I'm more than ready to be shot of them!!   Fact is I take names and when we have a litter on the ground phone to let them now giving them a suggest time when it would be okay to come and see the puppies - and that's NOT before 5 weeks minimum and depending on how it's all going.   If I feel the puppies need more time, then the visiting is delayed.    If somebody starts being too pushy, they get put to the end of the line.   Until the day the puppies leave and the monies paid, they are MY PUPPIES.   And if I get really teed off, they don't get.   Simple as that - there might be hard feelings, but I prefer to be sure my puppies will be going to the right home.

Yes, people get excited but they have to learn this isn't like buying a bag of sugar.

And I do tend to try to match my puppies with their new owners so they don't 'bounce'.    I tended not to have difficult experiences with finding homes before we came back to the UK!!!   Most people were more than happy to be guided by me.  But thank goodness, we only bred for our next generation.   So had comparatively few litters over the years.

I make it clear that choices based on show potential are made at 7 weeks, and that I generally match the puppy to the family based on the pups developing characters. It does help that my breed come in one colour pattern. Yes people do keep trying to find out which is theirs.

Yes, I absolutely hate trying to pick the best families for puppies - I've only had to do it a few times, but I'm not particularly good as a judge of character (judging by mistakes I've made with people I thought were friends and so on) so I worry a lot about picking people who seem good and turn out not to be. Luckily 2 of my very good friends wanted puppies with my last litter, although then of course I fret that something will go wrong and they will be devastated and / or blame me. But I'll be perfectly happy if Hetty only has 2 or 3 puppies in her next litter, as long as she could oblige with the colour and sex I want so I have a couple of pick from!

Why are you advertising them if you don't want enquiries? Why not advertise once you have chosen cannot have your cake and eat it!!

Because puppies need to have  homes ready, and half a dozen suitable homes don't appear the day they are ready.

Ideally a relationship needs to be built up over time and suitability assessed.

Totally different to buying an object.

Much more like adoption.

Yes, selecting the right puppy buyers is the worst part of having a litter! I don't allow visitors till the puppies are 4 weeks old - there's no point beforehand. By that time I have usually whittled down my choice to two or three, so i know that I have some puppies that I definitely need homes for, and I explain this when people come to see them. I ask people to try to have a first and second choice of puppy, so that if they really like the one that I eventually keep, there's another potentially available for them. So far I've been lucky, and everyone has chosen different puppies and everyone's had their first choice!

> Why are you advertising them if you don't want enquiries? Why not advertise once you have chosen cannot have your cake and eat it!!

I think you have misread the post, the op has had the enquiries & sorted through them but those whom are successful are contacting a lot asking when they can choose their pup. This is not possible until the op has picked their puppy. I know when I breed, I want the one I consider to be the best so other buyers are after I have made my choice.

I'm not advertising them, I had a waiting list before they were born. I didn't fancy advertising 12 puppies at 8 weeks old!

Like I said, all my puppy owners are lovely, it's just everything goes smoothly and then they throw a question in that I have already answered several times. It just wears a bit thin when I couldn't be more clear from the beginning. I will be able to let some people choose (wrong sex/colour/markings) but I want to make sure I hopefully choose the best pup, rather than wave them off!

This is why I make sure my puppy owners know they will not be given a choice of pups. I explain they must be happy to accept any pup in the litter of the chosen sex.
I will match pups to owners based on their stated preferences ( where possible to accommodate) aspirations, experience wit training / breed etc everyone is told there will be no decisions made until 6 weeks.  If anyone has issues with this they go elsewhere, I don't do deposits and allow them to back out at any point. Never had anyone walk away yet

Hah so funny you've just posted that, we've had someone drop out because they didn't want to wait two weeks to see if we had something available for them. we don't breed willynilly, only when we want a new dog for show - so I'm not just producing dogs to meet a demand.

To be honest it makes me think actually it's probably not someone I want to have one of my puppies if they can't just wait two weeks to find out!

Maybe try to see it as overexcitement by the potential puppy buyers.   I think I'd at least be thinking it, if not mithering the breeder, but it would depend on how much contact there was between us. 
I can imagine it's frustrating for you when you have a litter to care for.

I do it like klb, there is no order people get to pick their puppy and nobody is left with the "only one left", one that might not be suitable for them. So far this has worked for us and our puppy families.

>This is why I make sure my puppy owners know they will not be given a choice of pups. I explain they must be happy to accept any pup in the litter of the chosen sex.

I imagine your breed all look (to the untrained eye) identical. In my breed, where every puppy has different markings, personal preference regarding the aesthetics plays a major role - in the show ring just as much as with the pet owner. It's only reasonable to allow the new owner to choose a puppy that they personally find most pleasing to the eye - after all, we're expecting them to look at it with pleasure for 15 years!

For me, the issue would be if the new owners DIDN'T get excited about the prospect of having their new puppy. When people join my waiting list I make it clear what the process will be once the puppies are born, right from the first email to them asking them to confirm they're still interested, to first visits, subsequent visits, choosing time/order through to collection.

The bottom line is that they're your puppies and your decisions about the allocation of them. Try not to get stressed about it all (easier said than done, I know) and enjoy your puppies, they're going to be gone before you know it.

I feel I'd have not joined the breeders waiting list if I'd been advised 6-8 week wait before I knew which puppy I might expect. I could work with a you are number 4 say on list, preference a boy and we shall let you visit at 4-5 weeks.

I yes plan before any puppy purchased,I plan my leave (not needed as pt work then fully at home) I did my research into breed and looked at breeders on kc and felt how they interacted with me by email/phone. It works both ways imp re puppy buyer/breeder. For me I understand the breeder wants the best pup for their own use but it does sometimes come across as wanting your cake,cream and to pings and still want to control the pups they chose not to keep...

For me I understand the breeder wants the best pup for their own use but it does sometimes come across as wanting your cake,cream and to pings and still want to control the pups they chose not to keep...

Of course, that's what a good breeder does! Breeds the litter for themselves, picks the best, then helps match the pups to the right owners. Yes some/most want a choice but you should still be able to point the buyers in the right direction of the pup most suitable for them. Fair enough if it's just a pet breed, but anything that needs more work than feeding, grooming, walking and basic training, there it is vital to not send pups to the wrong homes. Also if the new owner wants to show and is a novice -no point letting them chose a pup that may not be the most suitable one for showing.

This doesn't mean owners can't visit. But the clued up buyers also know that there is little point in even trying to pick a pup before 6 weeks. In my latest litter I had one very nice lady come over four times in total I think it was. Agility person. I'd promised her first pick of the dog pups, but she knew she could only narrow it down to a few, utterly pointless trying to make a choice until 6 weeks when she could properly see the pups' individual characters. She spent a lot of time testing the pups' willingness to tug etc. Somebody wanting just an active pet won't need that and tend to go on looks alone, which is where they need telling that one particular pup might not be suitable for them as it will need far more work. That even goes for my toybreed! Some can have too much attitude to be just a pet and need to keep active.

But how can anyone choose a puppy before 6-8 weeks, you won't have a clue as to show or work potential or how the characters are developing.  It is at this age where pups cease to act as an entity 'the litter' and really start to become 'individuald'.  Which is why they are such hard work in those last few weeks.

I allow visitors  any time, but those travelling far I advise 4 weeks plus is when they will be most interesting.

Are choosing wrong pup despite breeder advice.

A lady whose family owned and even dabbled with showing the breed, was steered tobthe more promising bitch pup, but no she wanted the other. By pick up it was very clear she did not have real show potential.

Roll on 9 months later and she enters her at the Group championship show, and is obviously outclassed, and owner dissapointed, and breeder rather embarrassed, though fortunately 3 quality litter mates showed the quality of the pairing.
I am sure new owners already have favourites and I suggest they have at least two, but in the end no-one can have first choose if everyone likes the same one best, other than the breeder.

It has been fortunate for me that those I think will suit are usually the ones they secretly we're drawn to.

I yes chose not to show my boy however I did think about it but got quickly put off by the very clickybordering on aggressively bitches group I encountered.
A lot of homes are yes for pet breed and surely they deserve a great social,healthy,intelligent and we'll rounded puppy too?
A lot of breeders on kc sites and others are deemed as byb breeders from a few on here/kc/ & god show circuit because they don't show themselves...
I choose a puppy I am drawn too it's just a gut instinct and so far out of my 4 dogs I owned myself I've not been let down.

Say I'd have said to a breeder interested in showing and I'd like to have some input/help with puppy say in a few months? Fast forward I've changed my mind but now have this breeder harassing me re showing this puppy.. I'd feel guilt to not showing or I didn't deserve that puppy.

I see nothing wrong with letting puppy buyers choose their puppy at 6 weeks without being told your having puppy f even thou you like puppy b you don't deserve or need this puppy...

It's often a case of getting to know the puppy and new owners potential together then choosing their path together

but surely when there is a litter there will come a time when the puppy you like best is chosen by someone else.

To be hones whichever pup you took home you would probably love, and in most breeds change day by day, and like mine that are all same coat pattern you would be hard put to recognise which one was the one you liked at any given time even in the same visit, except for the fact that I Identify all the pups with coloured wool collars.

If on picking say I took them all off or switched them around (as I would by then  know them apart) you would know no different, but I as the breeder would know which character was which having lived with them for those weeks not just had a snapshot of an hours visit.

Then of course you take your puppy with it's basic drives and characteristics and mould it for better or worse taking those traits into account.  That is the point at which it becomes yours.

What makes you think not getting to choose your self, getting second or lower choice would mean you would not get a well rounded healthy puppy, that is what the whole of a well bred litter should be?

Show potential finer points are  minor extras (many pet owners don't even see the difference in eye shape, ear set, tail set, or length of loin, that determines the difference).  Choosing a working dog is another thing altogether, and not something I would be qualified to do, other than a pup being bold and energetic enough and of the right conformation to do the job bred for.

Interestingly I have found that owners of mine who already have/have had the breed are the least bothered about which pup they will end up with, as they say I will know best.

> without being told your having puppy f even thou you like puppy b you don't deserve or need this puppy...<br />

It's not that you don't deserve that puppy, it's that puppy has been chosen by or for someone else.

When I was looking around for my current dog, I went to see a breeder whose dogs I really liked and who was also recommended to me by another breeder. She was planning a litter and there was the usual wait of the bitch coming into season, the mating and then finding if she was in pup or not. I was informed that there would definitely be a pup for us (so long as there was enough in the litter as she would be keeping one) and I took from this that we were approved to be suitable to have one of her pups, probably helped as we had owned the breed for the last 30 years. We wouldn't be able to choose until the pups were over 6 weeks old as this was when she would be able to see any potential. I was happy to accept this knowing that prior to that they would all be much of a muchness and not easy to choose particularly well. Sadly, although the bitch became pregnant, she had a pyo and lost the litter and had to be spayed.
A further search (and advice) I found another breeder with pups on the ground and after the hour long interview we were shown the pups and again told we wouldn't know which one was ours until about 7 weeks as they were looking for a puppy not only to show, but also with working potential. Also they would be selecting which pup went to which family based on what the new families needs were. With us it was yes, we are experienced, but are now older and are looking for a pup with low drive as have no plans to work her (or show for that matter). Basically we were looking for a puppy that was ultra friendly, relaxed and not too bothered about chasing rabbits. In the end we were given a choice of four bitches as they were all pretty similar, but I was led by the breeders wife who was the one who had spent all her time with the puppies and had got to know their characters. And we now have a friendly easy going dog that enjoys cuddles far more then chasing rabbits (not that she doesn't enjoy a bit of a chase, but she would rather stay with us).

Fleur, the oldest of my two BSDs was chosen for me by the breeder. I had told her that I wanted an outgoing active pup for agility and this is what she chose for me. I did see others in the litter and was given the option to change but I agreed with the breeder that Fleur was the one for me and still feel the same. On the other hand, I saw Tayo's litter at four weeks. Although I had intended having a bitch pup and knew the breeder was going to have first choice on seeing the pups I knew Tayo was the one for me. Even at that age he had the ability to think things out. He also had good co-ordination of his back legs, an absolute must for an agility dog. I saw the pups again at six weeks and still felt the same about him and again when I went to collect him at eight weeks. I definitely picked the right one. Dogs cannot compete in agility until they are at least eighteen months. He is now two and a half and is already winning at grade five. So in some cases it is best for a breeder to choose a suitable pup but in others the new owner is plenty capable for doing it for themselves.

I know that a puppy could be switched from my chosen one however I'm that trusting/gullible I'd not expect that behaviour. I wouldn't do it to anyone... My puppy had a dash of nail varnish on to highlight my choice and same band on paw.

I would yes of course expect a healthy puppy from the same litter if one had been chosen for me. The whole point for me is choice my personal choice be it in a restaurant and advise waitor
you choose for me or the travel agent choosing my destination/hotel etc. A puppy is not a meal or an object but a valued family member and I'd like to embrace that choice of membership. It's individual to me. For others yes they would feel happy for their breeder to select their puppy and match personalities. However who can say after a few emails/phone calls,meetings they have the real snap shot of that families true personality and character? If a breeder waits weeks for a puppy to show potential and character then surely the families need to be assessed equally and regularly in the 6-7 weeks of waiting....

But you can only make a choice from what is made available, most breeders hope and it often is the case, that everyone  gets their preferred puppy, but if your not first to have a choice ( which is most likely) then there is every chance you won't get unrestricted choice. What about the last person on a waiting list?

I have been fortunate that nearly always the chosen or available puppy has been one the owners were drawn to, or they simply thought them all lovely.

Of course I'd never switch pups on anyone, if I was that way inclined I would not have each pup individually tagged moments after birth.

People  live to be able to pick out theirnown pup once they have them home from all the litter photos I have shared with them all over the weeks.

Interestingly it is sometimes easiest to decide which are the purely pet puppies by 5 weeks,  and if someone  is especially keen on one of those, then it's likely they will get their choice.

It's the pups that are very similar in quality/ability that are the hardest to separate.

I yes chose not to show my boy however I did think about it but got quickly put off by the very clickybordering on aggressively bitches group I encountered.

Where? Did you actually ATTEND a show with your dog? If not, how can you have an opinion?

A lot of homes are yes for pet breed and surely they deserve a great social,healthy,intelligent and we'll rounded puppy too?

Yes, but in BOTH my breeds the most driven pup would never make a pure pet, or make a suitable pet for the first time dog owner, or an older person. Your average pet owner would never cope. Therefore it is up to me, as the breeder, who after all KNOW the pups, to explain to my buyers which pup would or would not be suitable for them. Many a dog could have been saved from rescue if all breeders did this.

Say I'd have said to a breeder interested in showing and I'd like to have some input/help with puppy say in a few months? Fast forward I've changed my mind but now have this breeder harassing me re showing this puppy.. I'd feel guilt to not showing or I didn't deserve that puppy.

You're making total assumptions. Why do you think a breeder would harass you to show if you decided you don't want to?

I do not need to prove which show I visited. The ordeal was enough. Often here its baptist by fire for a comment made, in person and by a group it's cutting,rude and really upsetting.btw I need no capitol letters to shout my point across or try and belittle them. I have an opinion Goldmali because I'm an individual or do you feel you think I should have no opinion at all?

You say I make assumptions? We all do buyers,breeders. You make assumptions by puppy to family. You feel you need to make the last decision Goldmali to who gets which puppy? You have a snapshot of these families, you don't spend day after day with them as you do with the pups. Why not have a big brother house hold all the families for 6 weeks then you can decide who gets who?
Sorry but I'm not into this whole I know best I'm the breeder your just the smuck who buys the puppy I deem fit you can have..

Again I've seen far to much holier than thou on this site, people scared off from group tactical gang ups. New members put off. I used to mind the comments made now I'm not so new,not so easily intimidated by words,capitols or you don't belong on CD. ....

We all have the right to be heard, our points of view .....

I think the problem generally is that people seem far too sensitive, and take everything so personally and to heart.

Joining in any club or activity is the same as that first day at a new school or job, where your the newbie.

Is it technology and the way we live all compartmentalized and isolated in our little boxes (houses and cars) that makes us find it hard to join in, felling paranoid for no reason????

As for puppies, until the exchange takes place they are the BREEDERS puppies, and their welfare comes before anyone else's needs or sensitivities.

So to the Original poster, as this whole thread demonstrates, yes selling puppies (if you care, and it's not merely a commercial transaction) is very stressful.

>but surely when there is a litter there will come a time when the puppy you like best is chosen by someone else.

That's easily dealt with; when the prospective owners have been assessed as suitable to have a puppy in the first place, and they've seen all the litter playing together, the ones that have already been reserved are taken away so they can then concentrate on the available ones.

I agree totally with the person who said thathaving a puppy selected for you by the breeder would be like having someone else choosing your meal in restaurant, or your holiday destination,  which house you buy - or even which person you're to marry! I choose my family members - for better or worse - myself, thank you!

The dog I have now has been the only dog where the breeder guided me as to the best dog for our circumstances, all the others I picked mainly from a choice of two or three. With GR's it's almost impossible to tell one apart from the other and me being confronted with several pups looking exactly the same only marked by either blobs of nail varnish or similar I never really knew which one I was looking at. I have a picture of all 10 pups from the litter that Isla came from, one I definitely know as she was very little at birth and took a long time to get going and at 7 weeks was still smaller then the others. All the rest look exactly the same and I don't know for sure which one is Isla, but the breeder could pick her out easily, she knows the pups inside out.
I have a lovely well rounded dog which could not have been said about my last two dogs who I choose basing my choice on some form of instinct. One I chose because she was the one that came to me whereas the other wanted to have a look round the new place she had been taken to. I bought home a nice pup but she was afraid of her own shadow and scared about new situations, perhaps the more confident pup wouldn't have been like that, who knows, I only saw them for such a short time.

> they've seen all the litter playing together, the ones that have already been reserved are taken away so they can then concentrate on the available ones.<br />

So you are not able to choose from all the pups, as  have said and in the end there will be one person who will have the choice of 1.

I suppose it is much easier as the previous poster said, in a breed that are basically all the same colour/markings.

Even though all mien wear their wool collars at all times when people are here watching them they really don't know which is the puppy they just put down after cuddling, until  they spot the wool ends (as most of it disappears into the coat).

I do discuss the developing characters and which I think will suit them, but in the end there is what there is.

You can only choose in the restaurant out of what's on the menu or what is left if items are sold out.

You may choose your holiday destination/restaurant (the breed) your hotel/the dish (the breeder), but rarely the specific room/specific piece of meat (the puppy)

>> they've seen all the litter playing together, the ones that have already been reserved are taken away so they can then concentrate on the available ones.<br />
>So you are not able to choose from all the pups,

Even as the breeder I'm not able to do that, because I can rule out all of the boys to start with, then any mismarks!

>You can only choose in the restaurant out of what's on the menu or what is left if items are sold out.

Just like choosing a puppy in a litter. I don't say to the waiter in a restaurant "I'd like a meal, please, which am I allowed?"

I don't say to the waiter in a restaurant "I'd like a meal, please, which am I allowed?"

That's because you are not ordering a living being to stay with you for the next 12-15 years.

I choose my family members - for better or worse - myself, thank you!

Do you? I can't remember choosing my kids, or my son in law or my grandson -I got what I was given. Which is also exactly what the case was when I bought my first puppy in 1984. (My dog before that had been an adult rescue.) We got to see the pups several times, the first time they were just 6 days old. At 8 weeks we went to collect our pup and was told which one it was.

As the saying goes

You can choose your friends, you get lumbered with your relatives.

If I had been given a choice with my son, I probably wouldn't have chosen him. Yes I do love him, but he doesn't half make it difficult at times

I do not need to prove which show I visited. The ordeal was enough.

Then explain what happened, and chances are we can work out why. I've been to hundreds of shows. I've only ever been to one which was dreadful, for me, but even then the other exhibitors were friendly.

You say I make assumptions? We all do buyers,breeders.

Well I've never heard anyone before assuming they'd be HARASSED by their breeder for changing their mind about wanting to show. Unless that has happened to you personally, then you really are making bigger assumptions than most.

btw I need no capitol letters to shout my point across or try and belittle them.

I use capitAls in the same way as I would use them if writing an old fashioned letter. One word highlighted is not shouting. And you're doing a just fine job belittling breeders without using capitals.

You feel you need to make the last decision Goldmali to who gets which puppy?

No I do not. I've not said that. If you read through this thread I have pointed out, over and over, that a good breeder will help explain to their buyers which pup may not be suitable for them. If I allowed somebody to choose whichever pup they wanted, and it then came back to me, or even ended up in rescue, aged 6 months when they give up because the puppy they picked on a whim turns out to be too much for them to cope with, does that mean I still did right because I let them choose without any input from me? What's more important, the buyer having several pups to pick from, or choosing between 2 or 3 that will suit them, and that will have a good life with them? I'm afraid I will always put the PUPPY first. Anything else is simply irresponsible. I have never said nobody gets a choice. Other than the last person for each sex, they all do.

capitols or you don't belong on CD. ....

It's up to Admin who "belongs" on CD or not. I've been here since 2005 and I speak from my personal experience. It is also up to me who I sell my pups to, and what my process is. I'm just explaining it.  I see no "group tactical gang ups" in this thread -again if you read through it again you will see for instance that Jeangenie does not agree with me, and Brainless is a bit in between. One reason for that will no doubt be that we have very different breeds. Neither of them are likely to have pups that must go to an active working home and could not cope living as just a pet. I however do.

I'd imagin there either just excited or have forgotten what you told them gwerty espicialy if they got on your list early. I'd send out an email to them all with some photos and a reminder of what age they can visit from and when/how pups will be picked.

On the subject of breeders picking pups for buyers or not.
For me I like the picking to be a mutual agreement between breeder and puppy buyer as the breeder knows their pups better and the buyer knows their home better. So for a breeder to say pup a, b and c are more suitable to your life style, I'd advice pup b because... Then the buyer to chose between those suitable puppies.
When I picked my girl I had first pick and was told I could visit from 4 weeks but not pick untill 6 weeks. The breeder explained that the fat girl was the better choice for a first time owner as she was more player back and was also more promising for showing. At that time I much preferred the other girl but I went with the breeders recommendation as she would know more than me about the breed and her dogs and I'm so glad I did, Fay is perfect for me.

I just felt I should post and give a different slant on the puppy buying experience. It's not always the decision of the breeder or the buyer. I waited for a long time to find a litter of German Wirehaired Pointers whose breeding was what I was looking for. When I found one I discussed at length with the breeder which pup would be suitable for me. He selected a lovely liver and white boy and I went over to meet him and get to see my puppy for the first time. Very happy to accept the breeders opinion. I arrived at his house and was introduced to all the puppies who were in a huddle in the back hall mostly half asleep after being fed (they were 7 weeks old at this stage). The breeder pointed out my pup I got down on my knees to give him a cuddle when another pup walked out of the melee of pups and came and sat on my knee. Ten minutes later he was still there. We took all the pups outside to see them running around, this pup sat on my foot, chewed my boots ran away for a bit and then came straight back,sat on my foot again and stayed there. The breeder asked if I was happy with his choice of the liver and white pup. I shook my head saying the choice was not ours to make, the other pup had decided I was his and he was mine. Thankfully no-one had picked him or I don't know what I would have done. He came home with me a week later and fitted in with all of us as though he had always been here. Sometimes it is the puppies choice, and for me I'm so glad it was. :-)

I am somewhat in between as well. Most of my puppies go to Pet homes and I of course have 1st pick. Then I do have owners in some sort of order in my head as to who gets who. Those with busy lives are gently encouraged towards livelier pups, quieter households are encouraged to quieter pups (Not that we have many !) Once my new owners are accepted they do get the option to give me thier choices and as much as possible I keep to this. I will sort out the best show prospects first for those who are hoping to have a go, then the pet owners are given the opportunity to chose one at a time depending on how long they have been waiting. I ask everyone to sort out the first second and third choice, then we go by waiting times. If someone who has been waiting a long time chooses what I may consider a puppy who is not quite right for them I will explain my reasons and up till now I have never had a problem as they understand my way of thinking (To be honest if they didn't they would not be on my list) What you must remember Saxonjus is that after 40 years of breeding I have fine tuned my skills to assess puppies and would like to think me new owners respect that. To be perfectly blunt, the pups are mine and until I am 100% happy that owners are in full agreement with the way I do things, they are not accepted on my list. Many times the puppy I consider to be best has not been the first to be picked. There should never be a runt but if there is then it will probably have the most thought put into who it goes to, its a serious decision and needs a committed owner. I would never let a puppy who was not 100% go to someone because they were last to choose but only to someone who was right for it. Every puppy is 100% right for someone and the fact  that one has to be "last" never comes into the equation. Every new owner knows by 6-7 weeks which puppy will be theirs but I have had to rethink it once when at the vet check at 7 weeks a small problem in a puppy was thrown up and the one I hoped to keep would not have been right for me as a showing/breeding bitch and I reverted to my second pick. Then we had a little re-shuffle. No one worried as we had such a good relationship by then that it never caused a problem.

Just replying to the bottom poster not to anyone in particular.  IME it is different picking a pup when there are colour choices in comparison to when the colours are the same.  My last 2 rotts have been picked by the breeder.  the first one the breeder picked pups for people based on the needs/wants of the family and the personality of the pups i.e. dominant pups not going to first time owners.  My current pup I asked the breeder to choose for us as although we met all the pups, we went on holiday and I fully trusted her judgement to pick one that might have show potential for us.

I chose my staffy based on colour (was allowed to pick very young before any personality emerged) but have been overjoyed with all my dogs and certainly haven't felt shortchanged when I didn't pick a pup.  I fully trusted the breeder of my current pup who was picking one for showing and while she was deciding between 2 pups, I have taken her 2nd choice.  Personally I don't think one approach is better or worse than the other but think it is definitely easier to let the breeder pick pups when there are no colour differentiations to the untrained eye.

I've also been on the other side...A fellow breeder had a litter that I was interested in. She had already given the choice of pick of bitches to someone else and had yet to choose the girl she wanted to keep. I went to see the puppies, said which one I liked of the girls that were left and went away knowing she still had to pick. She phoned me the next day and said she'd decided to keep the one I'd liked but I could have x, y or z. I choose to say "Thank you but no". We're still on good terms, it didn't affect our friendship as I totally respected that she had priority. Perhaps because I was looking at things in a different way to the average pet owner, I had a more "grown up" attitude...

When I have a litter everyone knows that I've bred the litter to keep one, maybe two. I normally know if I want a girl or boy. In my breed we also have the extra thing in that pups can be born with or without tails. I try to accommodate every ones wishes but some people have to compromise. So far it's worked and by 6 weeks I can let people know which one is their puppy. I must admit with my last litter I did get so fed up that I threatened to keep all 11 of them!!!

I'm sure all 11 are in great homes now biffsmom!  I just feel it's individual to the buyer and seller how they interact/choose puppy. For some people they are happy to be guided by the breeder or have their puppy selected. For others it's a case of seeing the puppies not allocated and choosing one they 'connect ' with.

I'm sure we all agree on a few common grounds,health of puppy,a good rapport with buyers/breeders and a forever home ☺

Very true saxonjus. If my gorgeous, excellent natured fabulous rott girl doesnt become world champ im not going to be blaming the breeder for not letting me have first choice lol.

For others it's a case of seeing the puppies not allocated and choosing one they 'connect ' with.


And what if that one is unsuitable? The most outgoing, OTT pup is often the one that will happily greet everyone the same, and people will fall for it. But that doesn't mean it would be suitable for every buyer.