Selecting puppy from litter and his first night home

[Laura]

Hi all,

I'll be selecting my mini doodle on June 9th between 3 males-

I'd appreciate any comments/suggestions regarding choosing my puppy as well as recommendations to make his travel home-about 45 minutes -and first night with us as peaceful and easy for him as possible.

I have a carrier as well as a small crate and have purchased the snuggle puppy which I plan to bring with me to acquire the scent of his littermates

Thank you

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I have no idea what you are looking for in a dog.  I would choose the one who checked in with all the people and hung around them.  Or ask the breeder to choose for you as s/he presumably knows the puppies the best.  Describe what kind of dog you hope the puppy will grow into.., energetic, mellow, smart, cuddler etc.  No guarantees of course, just a best guess. 

What makes the dog yours and builds the love between you and the dog is the time and energy you put into his care and training.  More training equals more affection and bonding, and a better behaved dog. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

For the ride home, have some clean up supplies — paper towels, baggies, wipes. I’d also have a bath towel, collar and leash. 

[Laura]

thank you Nancy for your sound suggestion.

[Cathy and Daisy and Harper]

My puppy loved her cuddle puppy! We drove about an hour and a half home and she did just fine! I wish you the same luck! Oh and for me I looked for the friendliest and most low key puppy. At a year old she remains a calm dog!

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

With our first doodle, I had no idea what to look for so I basically let her pick me. At the puppy meet and greet, I had my husband put whichever puppy was currently on my lap at the top of our list. The list kept changing during the hour. Near the end of the visit, puppy #2 woke up from her nap, crawled onto my lap, took her place at the top of our wish list, and with no more time for another puppy to replace her, there she remained. She, of course, turned out to be the perfect dog for us. 

Regarding the first night - well actually the first few nights - we laid out a few blankets next to Sedona’s crate. If she woke and whined at night, we’d take her for a quick potty break then put her right back into the crate. Then either my husband or I would lie on makeshift bed next to the crate so we could stick our fingers into the crate until the puppy calmed and went back to sleep. 

Good luck - hope all goes well.