Somehow all 4 of my dogs came from breeders far away! So i have never had the opportunity to visit until the day of pick-up. In each case i let the breeder guide me after telling them my goals, desires and circumstances. I have not been disappointed.

 

Let the breeder pick for you.

Meredith

 

Go to the place where the puppies are.....................sit down 5-10 yards from the pen, have the owner open the gate to the pen (specify male, female, or doesn't matter prior to separate if needed), and the first puppy to you is the one you should take home.

 

I don’t think you can really tell a whole lot at 7 or 8 weeks and even less before that. I think the breeder that’s with them every day has a better chance of telling you something about their personality.

 

I am reminded of the greatness of Uncle Jerry who. When replying to this question would say. "Take the one that just pooped ".

 

Miss that guy!

 

Is there a secret formula that I have not heard of yet.

If you heard it somewhere it's No secret .

 

Visiting a time or two only gives you some snap shots. The breeder has been watching the home videos. Trust your breeder to know those pups.

 

During the process of picking the breeding. Way more importantly than looking at a 6 to 8 week old puppy and gur0essing how it will turn out.

 

To those who say "Trust the Breeder" I'll pass on this story.

I had watched some really nice Derby dogs out of a particular stud. A litter came up on the East Coast
& I secured one of the pups. When it came to us we found it could not stand to be out in the cold. We
contacted the breeder, a professional person, about this. These pups had been certified as "fit to travel"
by someone whose name comes up in Retriever news on occasion & additionally had been viewed by a
prominent EC professional.

The breeder claimed that all pups had been healthy when shipped, yet the dog came off the plane with
the issue. He had CNM bad. The breeder after much correspondence finally refunded 1/2 the purchase price.
I look forward to meeting any 1 of the 3 principals in this transaction.

Caveat Emptor!

If I can't pick up the pup I don't want it.

 

Was this BEFORE the CNM genetic test? I can’t imagine a breeder trying to pawn off a sick pup like that in this day and age.

Meredith

 

Years ago I got a pup from a field trialer this breeding was an FC/AFC BREEDING ON BOTH SIDES about 3 months after having this pup and he not putting on weight we went to a well respected vet , the verdict was CNM. Contacted the breeder and they sent me half my money back and a new pup. This was still an FC/AFC breeding with just 1 major fault she turned out to be one of the toughest dogs I ever trained , you would throw a bird and she would always break. Didnt matter if you used crop or collar you could not stop her. So much for my ambition to go field trial she was with us fo 12 years of her life. So don't give up on getting a pup just do what I did research and hope for the best. Im back in the game now with a derby dog but the virus ruined my plans. Im not giving up!

 

7 to 8 weeks is when I want to evaluate the pups available and make my pick. -Paul

 

I would share I am a hobby breeder 7 litters in 16 years so not "in the business" however I do pay attention to genetics and pedigrees. I have retained puppies from my litters for 4 generations. Looking through the past buyers and I have experienced 33% of my puppies are getting sold to repeat buyers (or referred by previous buyers). I have had friends that made multiple visits to see the puppies from age 3 weeks to 7 weeks and I have had puppies shipped via plane when the buyer never saw the puppies - both groups have been happy. I typically tell the prospective buyers to play with the puppies and if they ask I will share the tendencies of the puppies they are looking to acquire. So far, everybody has been happy and not surprised with the puppy they received.

 

mwk56 in my case it was before genetic testing, the sire was pulled from breeding . Out of all his offspring only 1 ever did the CNM testing and it was clear.

 

You can only see so much on a visit here or there- If you trust the breeder you're buying from (and if youre buying a puppy I would assume that you do?), either let them pick, or have them help you pick based upon your criteria . I pick for my people and most often it ends up being the pup they would have picked for themselves. And,no I dont ship.

 

Thanks for the comments. My plan has always been let the pup pick me and that has worked at about 5 to 6 weeks. Never had a bad dog that has a pedigree and no matter, it is a work of love for both of us if I can fend off my wife..... Coming soon a BLF that watches TV and eats popcorn while on my lap or all over.

 

This is a multifaceted question. Somewhat depends on what you are looking for in a pup. Select the breeding that potentially produces your game so to speak.
Expectations differ from potential owner to owner. Talk to other folks that are personally familiar with the sire and dam. Is it a repeat breeding? Have these same lines of pedigree produced
nice pups that have the drive and natural ability you are looking for. All this selection process makes the choice a bit more than a crap shoot.
GOOD LUCK

 

Best age is 7-8 weeks. 5-6 weeks no way if there is a choice: they change so much. In my experience, people that come earlier always end up changing pups at the pick up date anyway. Everyone picks the one that comes to them but what about the adventurer out investigating? I have kept those and like them better. Breeder knows best. It depends on what you are going to do with them too. If you want the best pet, just pick the one that goes to you I guess..

 

In my honest humble opinion having bred many and picked many .

The breeder has about as much intel on an 8 week old puppies possible attributes with a new human owner some days/weeks or months than the guy next door or the best accomplished or accoladed Field trialer with 1,000 blue ribbons or pelts.

 

Everyone has an opinion, just like most of us have noses. Mine is simply this: The first pup that climbs out of the whelping box. This indicates a bit of independence and adventure.

 

Again thanks, I am meeting with the breeder tomorrow at a HT and probably going up to love the pups Monday just because we can. Who besides the Shadow knows? That for the old folks here!

 

I think the best age to pick up a puppy is at 8 weeks. If I know the breeder or the breeder was referred to me by someone I trust, like my favorite trainer, I let the trainer pick out my puppy. I did go see the pups and parents at 6 weeks. At that time I told the breeder exactly what kind of pup I wanted including my intent on running him/her as far as he/her will go in Hunt Tests and/or Field Trials

We picked him up at 8 weeks exactly! He is now almost 34 weeks and well into his field training. So far he is the most trainable dog we have owned, we are pleased and excited to watch him grow.

 

My last post on the subject "Thanks for the comments. My plan has always been let the pup pick me and that has worked at about 5 to 6 weeks."

So I had the breeder, a long time FT guy with smarts pick out the pup for me. When we arrived today I stepped into their run with all 9 of them and the one he picked came to me FIRST so my plan worked again. Luckily it confirmed his recommendation based on what I felt I needed. At any rate Unchained Melody had a great ride home on da' bosses chest mostly and is adjusting very fast to life on the outside. Most beautiful black pup I have ever seen!!!!!

 

Great news Jacduck - Let the fun times roll! (Although I don't know about 'her(?)' being the most beautiful black pup in the world. I always thought mine was. haha! Great name!

 

Congratulations John on the new pup! Love the name also. I look forward to seeing you and the new pup soon!

 

You pick the litter, have your wife pick the puppy.
That way, when the pup comes prancing out of the closet with her favorite bra or panties, you can say “well, you picked this one”.

 

I got my pet when it was a month old. i think its the best time to adopt the Puppy because its very easy to get bonded with it !!

 

As a dog breeder, one of your many decisions is when to send your puppies home to their new owners. There are many factors that go into deciding that “perfect” age, and opinions vary on the topic. Most veterinarians and breeders agree that 7-to-8 weeks of age is the prime time for a puppy to meet its new family. shareit vidmate