How do you know which one to pick?

[Tgirl]

This has been in my head for a while so I thought I would ask. Ok, most breeders that I see have a waiting list. I have seen where people have to pick their puppies very early, sometimes like a couple weeks old. How do you know temperament at this age? Do you just pick for which color and sex you want out of the litter? I ask because if I ever get a puppy, I would like to be around them to see which one would best fit. I don't guess that is possible though? I mean what if you pick one and when you get it, it's very skittish from day one or has some temperament issues that you wouldn't have picked?

 

[Tgirl]

Don't get me wrong, I know that you work through issues, and that dogs are a part of your family. Everything isn't going to be perfect and there will be trials along the way. No matter what they all have their own personalities. I just like the idea of getting to know them before deciding. I guess that isn't really possible?

 

[MaplesMommy]

We visited the litter when they were around 5 weeks old.
I knew I liked the red fawns and there was a girl and a boy in this colour .I originally wanted a boy. But I was very open minded. I played and held all of them. In the end it was Maple that kept coming back to me and then she fell asleep on my lap. When we had to go I gently woke her up and put her on the floor so I could leave but she just jumped back into my lap in a second and was fast asleep again. Thats when I knew I wanted this one
I think I made the right decision!

 

[Tgirl]

I'm sure you made the right decision! It's good that you got to go spend some time with them instead of having to pick right when they were born. Maple is adorable.

 

[MaplesMommy]

Thank you.
Yes I think it is very important to spend some time with each of them. Some people have to pick their pups just from pictures which I think is a little hard. In the end its not all about the colour and looks. Of course everybody has a favourite colour, i was super interested in the red fawns but like I said I stayed open minded and could have also picked one of the two brindles at the end of the day.
Usually breeders show you all the pups and tell you about their personality and sometimes narrow it down for you considering your lifestyle and plans with the pup.
But seing them before picking one is definitely a good decision.In the end that dog will (hopefully) stay with you for the next 8-10 years.

 

[bullmama]

When a breeder has a long waiting list and are very reputable you may have to pick early, and not get the luxury of choosing from a litter of full grown pups. Sometimes these breeders will even choose for the families too. However it's still worth it to get from a breeder with a solid reputation.

 

[Tgirl]

Bullmama, I agree that it's worth buying from a reputable breeder. I have been looking at breeders in and around here (within 4 hours or so) for a couple of years. The ones that I would consider after all my research all have waiting lists of a year or maybe two. I wouldn't consider purchasing from just anyone. That's where my question was coming from. Because they are in such high demand from these breeders, you basically have the puppy picked way before time to get it. That's understandable though. I guess maybe when the time comes (and if we decide to get a puppy) I can explain to the breeder our lifestyle and family and trust they will make a good decision for us. We may try to get an adult or a rescue though. There again, I don't know why I am worrying about this now. I could be years away from getting one. I'm just trying to find out all that I can ahead of time. Getting a new dog or puppy is such a HUGE decision to me that it's something I don't take lightly.

 

[Alice Kable]

We like to do as @MapelsMommy did and let the puppy pick us, but that isn't always possible. Buying from a good breeder of healthy dogs with good temperaments is most important!

 

[pbois]

I think this is where choosing a great breeder is important. If you want a particular color or sex and there is only one of its kind then pairing up the puppy with you is easy, but if there are several you are looking at then the breeder should really step in and pair you up with one. Nobody knows the personalities as good as the breeder so they should really help you choose or choose for you. With our Labradors we place the puppies with each family.....they don't get to choose at all.

 

[davidh]

It is always nice to let the pup choose you, but in some cases that's not an option. Most reputable breeders who have a very good bloodline and who have waiting list for their offspring have pups that have great personalities, and are generally healthy pups. Plus as others have said the breeder usually will help with finding a great match for you.

 

[KimB3384]

Our breeder won't even allow anyone to pick until the personalities have developed. You might have your heart set on one you've seen in photos, but that might not be the one you connect with in real life. The breeder we went with has a waiting list and you get to pick or pass depending on where you are on the list. So, if you're second on the list and you really have you heart set on a cream pup, but the litter they have is all fawns, you can pass on that litter and wait for the next one. And then you might wind up being first to pick the next time around. I didn't understand it at first, but now I think it's the only way that makes sense. I had my heart set on a boy, but the woman told me to keep an open mind and just see what happened. I was skeptical, but boy was she right. Bisou is the absolute perfect fit for us. We connected immediately. I'd gone down to see the other pup I had my eye on and came home with my baby. Get a breeder that's more concerned with making sure you connect with the right dog rather than one that just wants to sell puppies.

 

[Kris Thomas LaBounty]

Yup, I think if you have a good breeder with good lines temperament isn't going to be an issue. Your breeder will know the quiet pup or the one who takes everyone's food and stands his ground. Truthfully I don't think who a puppy is at 3,4,5,6 or even 8 weeks old is who they are when grown. I have a dog from a litter of 2. Mine was the little fat Bob food hound. He still loves food but he is so patient in waiting for you to prepare it. He's a gentleman when being hand fed and really all the time. He was the rascal bully as a baby. I got him at 9 1/2 weeks and he's nothing like he was the day I picked him up at the airport. I am very pleased at how he turned out and he's 21 mos old now. When he was a pup he was questionable in my mind so I think a lot of it is the environment and what you expect from them. If you are waiting on a pup chances are the breeder is showing her dogs and if they are being shown in a ring then behavior isn't going to be an issue. Good luck, I hope you find a nice one, they sure are cute puppies :-D

 

[Kris Thomas LaBounty]

Bullmama, I agree that it's worth buying from a reputable breeder. I have been looking at breeders in and around here (within 4 hours or so) for a couple of years. The ones that I would consider after all my research all have waiting lists of a year or maybe two. I wouldn't consider purchasing from just anyone. That's where my question was coming from. Because they are in such high demand from these breeders, you basically have the puppy picked way before time to get it. That's understandable though. I guess maybe when the time comes (and if we decide to get a puppy) I can explain to the breeder our lifestyle and family and trust they will make a good decision for us. We may try to get an adult or a rescue though. There again, I don't know why I am worrying about this now. I could be years away from getting one. I'm just trying to find out all that I can ahead of time. Getting a new dog or puppy is such a HUGE decision to me that it's something I don't take lightly.

You won't have to worry about that one Carolina breeder I'm sure you've found who clearly would have a waiting list for her creams. Those pups are so socialized. I'd get on that list and sit and wait for one of hers!

 

[Tgirl]

Yes I was looking at that one. I also looked at a couple web sites of nearby states. Just looking around, browsing I guess you would say. When/if I get a puppy it will definitely be from a reputable place.

 

[Calle Roo]

Buying my first French Bulldog was the hardest purchase of my life. No joke, harder than purchasing a vehicle. I was very new to the breed and spent several hours a day researching breeders, vets, medical conditions, supplies as well as reached out to breeders across the U.S. Some ignored me, even after a 2nd communication and others were responsive answering my questions as well as sending me pictures and videos for several weeks.

I was looking for a Female (only) Red Fawn w/black mask and didn't want first pick as silly as it seemed. I was very head strong on being able to see the puppy as they got older i.e. 6-10 weeks old so that I could make my decision. This was very discerning for me as I felt that I was looking at all of the dogs that people didn't want or puppies from breeders that were not reputable and had trouble selling them.

I refreshed my search results for Arizona breeders every few days and looked at the website of one I had previously reviewed who didn't have puppies at the time and they were out of my price range in general. This time, they had a few puppies available with a hefty price tag. I sat staring at these sweet innocent lil creatures. I didn't want to tap in to my emergency fund, as I knew I may need a hefty surgery in the future, but thought that being this puppy is local, it would save me $500 for travel fees at least and I get to meet the dog in person.

The breeder was very helpful and informative and we arranged to meet at her home. I got to meet Quella and her 2 brothers as well as the mom and dad. I'll be honest, I'm very skeptical and overthink everything. The boy puppies ignored me and wandered around, but Quella came up and said hi and hung out on or near me. The mom and dad were super friendly and wanted to physically lean against me. Q's ears would go into 'yoda' mode when I was holding her (see picture below taken when I met her), which concerned me, but all the videos or her on the ground, they'd stand up straight as well as cloudy puppy eyes and dirt covered noses I've never seen a puppy, so I didn't know what was normal.

After several emails a day, I finally (within a week) made a deposit and arranged to pick up Q a week later. Quella is my monkey butt and it's a lil too early to tell if she anticipates any health issues, but so far, she's a fireball and I'm happy with my decision.

XoXo from Quella La Roux and her mommy too!

 

[Tgirl]

Well Q is the cutest little thing, that's for sure. I can see why she won your heart!

Just thinking about adding a dog to our home in possibly as much as a few years has my head spinning. Such a big commitment. It's like deciding to have a baby!