I had one of my puppies who someone had chose at 3 weeks.  He came to see him again yesterday and the puppy did not seem to like him.  He wouldnt go up to him and just sat and cuddled me.  I have never seen this happen before but I am a little concerned as I have been told in the past that sometimes dogs instinctively know who not to like.  Do you think I am being paranoid or do you think they will bond together?  He is extremely loving to me and adores my son.

I would love to hear feedback on this. I have a puppy allocated to me by the breeder (we wanted a female), but am very interested to know how puppies react when it comes to their prospective owners in this way. I am going to see her next week, and so am a little nervous now that she might reject me....

Puppies are tiny little things, we are tall strangers to them. My 6 month old backs off from most people but if they crouch down to her level and speak in a light cheery voice to her she will go to them. You have to be so interesting to a puppy I think, that they have to see for themselves who you are, and say 'hello' to each and every one as you stroke them. Oh puppies are sooo cute, but I don't want another one :D .....
Well not yet anyway ;)

Dee

We also chose our pup when she was 3 weeks old (we have used our breeder before and now are good friends) yet when we went to pick her up at 7 weeks she just snuggled into our breeders arms and didn't want anything to do with us :(

We were there for several hours, more to appease them than us. Not because they didn't trust us but because every time they have to let a pup go they are somewhat emotional :D

Within half an hour of me holding her and cooing at her, she didn't want to go back to her safe haven and was more than happy to come home with me and it's been the same ever since.

I speak to my breeder every couple of weeks and although they have been in the breed for 30 odd years they are alway delighted to get an update on all their dogs.

If you've got any deep reservations about the prospective owner, other than the pup not going to him, then you know the answer..............;)

I must say I am not particularly fond of the new owner.  Dont get me wrong he is not a bad person a perfect owner really but he didnt seem to cuddle him and make a fuss 0f my little baby.  The fact splodgey didnt like either has made me more worried. All the other people seem to want to cuddle him and he has been happy to go to them.

Some people are just not as tactile as others, does not mean they are any less of an owner though.

I think if you feel this degree of antipathy towards this prospective owner it would be better all round if you did not sell him one of your puppies.............

How did the mother react?? puppies are used to your scent, and will sometimes be afraid of a new scent, especially if they have aftershave or perfume on them....same as Judges.......should never where strong perfumes when judging, dogs have sentitive noses..anyway thats going off subject....but I like to see my adults reaction to people and also their reaction to them, be wary of anyone who constantly brushing hairs off........doesnt like them to lick.......or pushes them away!!!!
I had a couple come for a pup, I was a bit unsure, by a few things I had asked, but my dogs absolutely loved them..........they were all clambering all over them to be stroked, so that made me feel, well, the dogs thought they were brill........they had the pup, and she is fantastically trained and well behaved.

Charm

Forgot to mention this is what my breeders do. They let the clan out and then judge the dogs and prospective puppy owners reaction.

As our breed are very large and hairy it can be a bit of a shock to some unsuspecting people, but it soon answers a lot of unasked questions :)

They recently had one lady who was interested and after the initial meeting/viewing, reserved a pup, my breeder told me that he wasn't happy with the lady for some reason but that he couldn't put his finger on why as there wasn't anything obvious.

When the pup was ready to leave he called the lady and said that he would take the puppy to her as he was in her area that day (some 150 miles away) When he got there, it turned out that she worked full time, not part time as she had told him, he was told this by a neighbour. The house had no fencing, was on a main road and was in the heart of town, not the countryside as she had told him.

When she got home he went inside to talk to her and found that all the floors were slippy wooden ones and that she had an open spiral staircase, all of which is not acceptable for keeping a large, softboned puppy.

Upshot of the story, he didn't let her have the pup, she reported him to the KC and breed club, the complaint was of course unfounded and she got her deposit back.

He was so sure of his gut instinct and in this case,it proved correct.

I must admit, people may find me funny, because I do NOT sell to people where the puppy, or kitten even, do not like them! I made that mistake in the past and the animal always proved their instincts were right in the end.I tell my buyers this now and nobody has objected. It may be going a bit far, yes, and it may WELL be that the puppy will get used to its new owners but if you feel unsure about them as WELL -then don't do it!

Marianne

I hope my puppy like me when we meet next week!

i think most of the time they DO and usually when they don't it IS for a good reason. :) Call me daft but I'm convinced. :)

Marianne

I used to feel the same & one of my beardies would not go anywhere near the person who wanted him, I let the adults in to see the persons reactions & the woman jumped up & started brushing hairs off her clothes & grimacing when ever one of them went near her

She didn't get the puppy who ended up going to Devon with a university professor & his fiance(who was a dancer), He took to them straightaway & totally ignored me ! He must have known he was off to a life of riley with his own private beach & surfboarding with his dad !

Edited to add I met a friend with her two young Dobe puppies last weekend & they both mugged me which pleased her as they have been quite stand offish with strangers ! Mind you I do tend to that that effect on most dobes as I usually see them at shows when  I have bag full of chicken !

coming to that time already karen :),
ide go with your gut instinct, :) i take it this isnt your first litter so you know wat its like to have to home a puppy! you are obviosly quite worried about homing this puppy with this man. so if it was me i wouldnt let him have 1 of my puppies. as i know ide never settle once hede took the puppy! :(  but as blondeflops says her staffy pup was like that with her wen she went to collect her pup and shes a great loving owner treats her dogs like they were her kids!  so you can never tell. get him to come around for a couple of hrs to play with the pup and explane your worries. im sure hele understand!  :)

i think that animals can sense things, and u shud trust ur instincts

I would have reservations.  But give the prospective owners a chance perhaps by asking them to come back a couple of times if that is feasible and start to get to know the puppy - then make the decision based on puppy's reactions during their visits.  If they are too far away, be honest and say that they will need to spend a couple of hours with you before you make a final decision and only then might you let the puppy go with them.  This way you will know whether the pup is just shy with strangers and needs to get to know someone better or whether the pup genuinely dislikes the guy.

Hi Thomas the spot, i haven't read the other replys but i wouldn't let the pup go, i think they know who suits them myself, every dog i've choose to live in my house has always came to me and i've never had a problem.  I do believe that if a dog wont go up to a certain person even if it's been socialised to a very good degree i wouldn't trust that person.  That pup will pick the right home for it's self even if it's shy it will find the right person for it's self, and your worrying now i dont think you would be happy to let it go, so go with your gut reaction, we have intution for a reason.

Warm regards Susan

I think you already know the answer to your question!!  I had someone come to look at one of my puppies about 10 days ago now & although very charming, there was something I couldn't put my finger on.  I let the puppies in who normally mug anyone who comes in as they must be coming to see them!!  Not this time, they ran in, sniffed & came & cuddled into me & my hubby.  No amount of cohercian (sp?) would make those puppies go & say "hello".  The wife of the couple was fairly quiet, didn't say a lot.  I decided to let "Mum & Dad" in who again would normally mug everyone ~ "Dad" had a quick sniff & came & lay beside me, "Mum" jumped up & was promptly pushed off!!

The couple said they would take a few minutes outside for a think, I already knew they wouldn't be getting one of my babies!!  I told them to go home & have a think & I would phone them the next day & I forewarned them that I may well turn them down which they accepted.

The more I thought about it the more uneasy I felt so I called them to say that I didn't feel my puppy was the right puppy for them ~ I was then hit with a barrage of abuse which included me being asked what gave me the right to play God in deciding who had one of my puppies :-O !!! 

All this did was confirm that I'd made the right decision in going with both my own instinct & that of my dogs. 

As it was, someone else phoned about my pup a few days later, arranged to drive the 3 1/2 hours up to see him, let him in & his new "Mum & Dad" were properly mugged ~ lol!!  Because of holidays the puppy isn't leaving us until the weekend but I'm extremely happy about where he is going & know that he will have a wonderful new life just like his brothers & sisters who have gone before him :-)

I would much rather hold onto a puppy until the right home came up than let one go & be constantly worrying.  It's hard enough to let them go as it is.

Go with your instinct :-)

(Admin note ~ I am not advertising, all of my puppies are sold)

I think Borderpride is right about the pup's Mum (and Dad if poss) having a say too.  And thinking about it the 1st dachsie I had was very shy to start with.  She did talk to us a bit but not as much as some pups.  I have to say it was US that had some reservations until we had been there over half an hour and she started a lovely playful puppy game.  So there ought to be some concern from the buyers if they are really keen.  Have they said anything to you about it?  But in the end it really is your own instinct and the reactions that you observe first hand between dogs and buyer.  Good luck

Hi, just read your post. A lot of years ago i went to look at some staffie pups & when i got to see the dam i made sure i played with her to get the feel of her temperment & also her scent !!!!!! Then when i went to look at the pups along with the dam they were put at ease as i had her scent on me ! I was mugged by 7 four week old pups which licked me to near death ! The breeder accepted my deposit & i collected my brindle bitch pup at 8 weeks old. She passed away at the ripe old age of 14 !!!!! RIP little girl

Richard

Thanks everyone for your replies.  The strange thing is that splodgey is very outward going and when someone came to collect their puppy he was all over them.  So I think he can sense there is something not right.  I am going to go with my gut instinct.  All my puppies are very outward going they live in the house and the kids and their friends all visit so as you can imagine they do not have a nervous bone in their bodies so for him to behave that way has made me think again. 

im sure the right home will come along for him shortly,i bet hes so adorable.dallys are gorgeous dogs ! let us know wen he finds a new home. i bet you feel better now youve decide he wont be going with this man! :)

Reading your last post, you are then most definitely right in refusing to let him go to these people.  Obvious not shy about making himself known.  Thank goodness you were alerted by the little fellow.  I am sure he will go to a super home in the end.

If he doesnt he can always stay with us.  When you get to the amount I have got one more or less wont make any odds.  They are actually the nicest people I have ever had in a litter and he has got someone coming to visit on Sunday so hopefully he will like them.  :)  My mum always used to say that if the dogs didnt like my boyfriends they were dodgy so perhaps I am getting as nutty as my mum was!

We chose one of our puppies at 3 weeks when she made her way from the bottom of the puppy pile and raised her head up above her siblings to take a long look and sniff at us. We chose the other puppy (littermate...yes we know!) at 5 weeks when he came bowling over to us and was happy to play and be cuddled by both of us for ages (ignoring his siblings and his breeders). When we visited the pups at 5 weeks the little bitch (original choice) was all over us and when we collected at 7 weeks the little bitch snuggled up to my partner and my little fella cuddled into my arms where he remained all the way home...They have never been shy or cautious with us.

I'm glad you won't let the puppy go to this owner...He might be suitable for another puppy but let your puppy make the choice on this occasion.

He actually went off to a family home last Sunday and is very happy as they have got a little girl which is what I really wanted for him as he was lovely with children.  I am now a puppyless zone which is quite sad.

glad he found a new home, im sure hele be loved. :) it must be strange with no puppies around your feet. :)  but atleast now ule be able to put your feet up and relax and enjoy the rest of the summer!