Am I the only one who has walked away from a litter?????

[Cathy and Daisy and Harper]

I was anxiously awaiting picking day. I was pick 7 out of 10 so I really thought I would like at least 1 of the 4 puppies left. Unfortunately, I did not make a connection with any after being there an hour. I hope I was not going too much on looks but all the puppies looked exactly like poodles to me. Poodles are gorgeous but I was expecting more of a unique goldendoodle look. Do f1b puppies look like poodles? Maybe I don't know enough about what to look for????? Today I feel so down because I had been anxiously awaiting this moment for months. Anyone else leave without a puppy????

[c zoomer]

I wondered too, and doubted they could know me based on their questionnaire.  I read the parents' descriptions over and over trying to find the right pairing. The mom was said to be laid back and mellow.  Pop was "cute".  I got a great puppy, very confident (when not in a fear period), but as a puppy is very active, wanting to rough house at puppy parties. But bragging rights here...took her to a dogs allowed store (where she was very popular) and when I talked at length with her admirers, she sprawled out and relaxed.  So maybe I have the relaxed pup after all.  The breeder allowed the families to pick according to payment record.  She did try to influence choices a little, but in this group there was agreement on which pup went to each family.

[Cathy and Daisy and Harper]

Thanks for your advice!

[Christine]

Hi,
We were last pick! My girl looked totally poodle and now I am the very proud owner of a golden doodle that looks like a mini retriever! Lol. I remember being so nervous about not having a choice, but my main concern was the alertness of the pup. It was easy to see once we saw her she was intelligent, friendly, and sweet and we never looked back...neither did she...lol
My girl is an amazingly smart, sweet, pup. She was meant for this family for sure! She is just perfect, but definitely not what a mini f1b usually looks like. She does shed, not like a pure golden by no means. She does seasonal shedding.
But no one that sees her would think she is a goldendoodle because she doesn't look like the typical one, and she is 75 percent poodle! So I think you just never know exactly how they will turn out. But it seems to me that the mix of these two awesome breeds is a win win situation:)
Good luck!
Christine & Miss Nala :)

[Cathy and Daisy and Harper]

What a sweetie! Thanks for your help!

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

When we got Sedona, our first doodle, we were last on the list.  Nevertheless, she was OUR #1 pick when we did our rankings and we got her!!!  (I think she'd been asleep during all the other puppy visits so no one even met her!)  Clearly, it was meant to be as she was a wonderful dog and fit perfectly with our lifestyle.  Unfortunately, she passed away very unexpectedly at the age of six.

When we called the breeder (a different one than Sedona's) and told her about our recent loss and our desire to get a puppy from a future litter of hers, she said that a puppy from her current litter had just been made available and we could have him/her if we were willing to accept "the one left over".  Of course we were and, though we basically had no choice, when we brought Desi home, immediately became the one we were supposed to have.

Then there's Cori.  For this one, we were 1st on the list!  I was a bit panicked because the two where we'd had little or no choice turned out to be such perfect fits.  I was afraid that having a choice was going to jinx everything, that I'd choose wrong.  NOPE!!  Cori is our 3rd perfect fit (if you overlook her devilish puppy moments!).  

I guess what I'm saying is that loving your new puppy is about so much more than the litter, what "pick" you have, the look, etc.  True, you don't want a super laid back dog if you're hoping for a jogging buddy or a high spirited, full of energy dog if you're a couch potato.  But - just like parents love a child no matter what - we usually bond with whatever puppy we bring home.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Such wise words, Deanna. 

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

Thanks!!!

[Cathy and Daisy and Harper]

Thanks for the wonderful advice!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Really, really, really, looks is the least important part of choosing, but that is what grabs us first thing.  If you really want more of a guarantee for  a specific look, I would choose a multigenerational doodle - 4th or greater generation, from parents who have been paired before. Of course since they are all mutts anyway :-}, you could still end up not finding the look you want.

[Cathy and Daisy and Harper]

I think you are right! I am thinking too much of looks! Thanks for the advice!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I lucked out with my first doodle.  I knew nothing except that I fell in love with a dog at a campground and a bit of quick and shallow research.  I got lucky.  Ned is everything I assumed he would be, except I had NO NO NO idea what a high maintenance coat he would have. He is almost 9 and we still struggle with serious matting.  My other two doodles are adult rescues, so I knew their adult look.  I did not know that Clancy would be such a shedder.  Charlie was adopted totally on his looks with a caveat that he would be happy with us and it definitely was a match made in heaven - our little bratty bundle of love is such a reminder of the dog we lost - personality and looks.

[Ginny Nightingale]

As someone who does this matching thing, let me just give you my opinions.

1. I spend a ton of time with the pups and observe many things about their personalities. When the families come to meet the pups at 6 weeks, they see them for about 40 minutes. I spend that time observing the family. How astute are they about puppy rearing? How are their kids? Gentle? Wild? Good with dogs or not? Do the parents guide the children to be kind to the pup or will they need a pup that can handle some roughhousing? I am listening to them and answering questions but spending most of the time picking up the dynamics of the family.

2. Everyone picks their top three pups (always hard because they love them all). During that process, I give them guidance if I feel that they are falling for a pup that won't work for them--like a family with allergies who wants the only pup with a straight coat for example. Once they have picked their top three, there is usually one in that group that I feel would be the best pup for them--so they are choosing 3, but I am doing some guiding to the right pups.

3. yes, almost everyone wants a calm cuddly pup--but I tell them that calmness is the result of training--few are born that way! If they choose a pup that is sleepy and calm, I remind them that he was running around like a nut a few minutes ago. I believe it is a disservice to tell people that we have given them a calm pup--their expectations will be too high--all pups have their crazy times.

I have had many successful matches--people often say "How did you know that this was the right pup for us?" Well, frankly, they are all so wonderful, few pups would be WRONG for any family--but it is a gut feeling and once you have done it for a while, it just comes to you. 

So, if you have a breeder in that situation, where they are raising one litter at a time in their home, trust their judgement. I can't believe people send pics of newborn pups and say "pick one" or that people pick in order of their deposit. Just seems wrong to me.