First trip to see my litter of puppies

[Clint]

Well, I've been communicating with my breeder for months and I have already made my deposit, but tomorrow is the big day.  I am going to see the puppies in person for the first time.  They will only be a little over 3 weeks old, but I hope to get as familiar with them as possible.  I have only made the decision to pick a male, but I have not decided on which of the three that are available.  My breeder was trying to force me to pick already, but we have come to an agreement that I can wait as long as possible.  So far she only has a deposit on one of the seven females and my deposit on one out of the three males.  I hope to go back when the puppies are around 6 weeks old and make a final decision then.

 

A few days old (females)

A few days old (males)

The most recent pictures of the males can be seen on my page...I don't want to use up too much bandwidth posting a lot of pictures.

 

[Clint]

Since I last posted I have chosen a puppy.  I will go to pick him up on August the 14th.  I have added the pictures that the breeder just sent me today to my page here.

[Clint]

Jennifer
I have had a deposit on this litter even before the pregnancy was confirmed...lol. I am trying to take my time and make a good selection. I'm disappointed there was not a parti boy, but only having three boys limits my selection in a positive way and will help me focus on the puppies characteristics. I think if I was picking from the 7 girls in the litter I would be a little overwhelmed...Hahaha

Lindsey
The drive was bad! I do not think I'm going back for the 6 weeks visit. I think I am just going to keep in touch with her because I trust her opinion. I will just go back to pick up my puppy. She even agreed to let me pick him up a day earlier.

[Lindsey]

Hey Clint! I just saw this blog post. YAYYYY you got to see the puppies!!! I died laughing when you said the drive was horrible...I meant to warn you about the dirt roads, LOL!! I am SO in love with the partie/female Shepadoodle that she currently has left...I'm seriously sitting on my hands and not letting myself make the phone call that ends up with me going to get that puppy! I don't know if you got the chance to see all of the dogs or not but maybe you saw her.
I'm so excited for you! I can't wait to see the pictures you took!!
I'm so glad she decided you could wait and pick!

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

You are very lucky to be first pick-use it until you can see how they act to people and the other pups, something will stick out and you will know.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

That's good that you got to see the puppies and talk with the breeder.  Having them work with you is the most important thing of all and I'm sure all will be well and you will get the right puppy for you.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Oh, they are all so cute and remind me of the litter my female had in January--I fell in love with the black and white pup from that litter and kept him. You can see the mom (white) and the puppy in my profile picture. A lot of the areas that were bright white on the new pup are now "salt and pepper" and he has changed so much--they all have actually. I am sure you will have a great puppy--so exciting!

[Clint]

Traci

I do have first pick.  I do not understand why the rush to pick early either.  If the puppies cannot go home until they are 8 weeks I don't understand why you can't just pick a sex (so that way you know everyone gets a puppy) and then pick in order at a later date.  I say that, but I know I am a consumer and they are the breeder.  So, the ultimate motivation is different.  I did kind of take a liking to the lightest cream colored boy.  

 

Julie

I did not see your post until I got home.  I did not think about taking video, but I did snap a few pictures.

 

Visit Details:

The trip out to the breeder was treacherous to say the least.  I had to go down multiple dirt roads...some for miles.  I even pulled over once because a guy was tailgating me and I almost got stuck in the soft sand.  Once I got there all was good though.

 

The breeder was VERY nice.  I held the puppies for probably 45 minutes or so.  The puppies all squirmed a little, but for the most part they were all pretty similar.  I expected this since they are just 3 weeks old.  They don't even have teeth yet...lol  Even though all of them were very similar I took a liking to the lighter cream male.  He was pretty expressive and he was already moving around pretty well considering his age.  He was also HUGE compared to his brothers...I did not look at the girls.  Once I looked at the puppies and asked her several questions (hip testing of parents, origin of parents, coat types of the puppies, etc.) I met the parents.  The mother was very lively and kind of shy.  It took her a good 15 minutes to warm up and come over to speak.  She was not running away and hiding, but she was keeping her distance and looked very happy.  The father seemed very calm and friendly.  He barked as we approached, but came up to us and sniffed us while we pet him.

 

All in all the trip was very good.  I feel like the breeder and I are on the same page and I feel very comfortable with the setting of her home.  The breeder and I are going to keep in touch.  I am still considering a second trip, but I feel comfortable that she knows what I want and can tell me over the phone which puppy meets my list when they get a little older.  I did ask her about picking my puppy up a day early since they are due to come home on a Monday (a work day) and I live an hour away.  She said that was fine and she would make sure that the puppy had all of his shots and was ready to go.  I will keep you guys updated as I find out more information.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Personally I would definitely not pick a puppy until 6 weeks of age.  A family member that's going to be with you for years and costs such a lot of money just has to be right.  You won't give the puppy back if there are problems because you will love it no matter what.  I actually didn't do the picking but my Breeder kept me waiting until 6 weeks when she did the choosing based on her observations and knowledge and my list of requirements. She told me she would not make the decision until then though she had an idea from 5 weeks.  It was a long wait but so worth it. These are just my thoughts on the subject.

Some breeders obviously work in different ways and hopefully it will all work out terrifically and you will get the perfect puppy.

 

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Clint & Melody - Do you have the first pick?  I don't understand the rush to choose so early.  There is no way they can really tell personalities that early.  All the research I've done on the internet (I'm no expert) says that the pups should be around 5 weeks for your first temperament testing.  I'd try to wait that long at least if possible.  Believe me - I wanted to know which one was mine too!  Then it gets really exciting!  But...I'm with you, Clint, know what you want & make sure you do everything you can to get it.  You're paying & it really is an investment in a family member!  Of course you love what you'll get...but I say as much as in your power, stack the cards in your favor for a great fit!

[Julie and Maggie]

Let us know how it goes! I picked at 3 weeks also. I had it narrowed down to two (for a variety of reasons) when I got there. I saw two distinct personalities. Take video if you can. It helps to go back and see small details. I am thrilled with my choice and everything my breeder shares about my puppy is confirming my intuition and choice. I am totally on board that temperament is a huge factor. Why set yourself up for challenges you don't have to? However, if I had to pick my own sons out of a litter (especially my youngest), let me tell you, my youngest one may have been left behind LOL! He is a challenge, but he has enriched my life as a blessing and made life way more interesting.