Help Please! Need advice on 3 week old pups, Breeder forcing me to make my pick now

[Gumbo and Ashley]

These standard Goldendoodle pups are almost 3 weeks old. Breeder who lives in Ohio (I live in Louisiana) is forcing me to make my pick early (I have first pick)  even tho her website clearly states picks will be at 6 weeks old. I am upset bc I don't feel at 3 weeks old I can even tell what they will look like or what their personalities be like.  So I'm asking for some guidance here.  Here are the 3 boys that am picking from.  PLEASE let me know if your now adult dog looked like any of these as a baby. I know its a long shot, but if breeder is forcing me to make my pick this early, I want to do as much research as I can as to other dogs that looked like them at 3 weeks and what they look like grown up. So PLEASE, if you have a Goldendoodle that looked alot like any of these pups.  PLEASE post a pic of what they look like now. Mostly interested in color and face shape, size etc.... These pups are all approx 2 1/2 lbs at 3 weeks.  Anybody out there know what their Goldendoodle weighed at 3 weeks? Just trying to see if these will be large dogs or average?? This is my first pet purchase OF MY LIFE, (and I'm 35 years old!!).  I want to get this right. It's like adopting a child, taking this very seriously. Any advice appreciated!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Amen!

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Completely agree with Sue.  This is not YOUR problem.  The agreement was 6 weeks, the pups are only 3 weeks -sorry but the #2 people have to wait until you've made your choice at 6 weeks to make their decision.  If she's not willing to stick with the agreement, I hope she will fully refund your money. It sounds to me like she's more interested in maximizing her profits then looking out for the long-term welfare of the pups.  

[Stefan]

Agreed.  I have 1st pick of my litter and my breeder doesn't allow people to make choices until pick up day at 8 weeks.  Since I am 1st I am in a unique situation so I know who I want (I visited them at 4 weeks) but if my breeder tried to pull this with me I would give them a firm no.  All people on the list should be treated equally, why special treatment for this person second on the list?  It's not like she will be able to take one when she visits..

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

I had to make my choice at 3 weeks also (with Lucy) and when we went to look at the puppies we originally chose a mellow male puppy. You actually can tell quite a lot, IMO, at 3 weeks. At that first visit we held Lucy and she squirmed and didn't settle down and just wanted to get away from us! We loved her coloring and looks, but not her temperament, thus the reasoning to choose a mellow male (who was happy to just be held the entire time). We were excited about our choice, but when we visited again at 5 weeks, I made a connection with Lucy, who was very engaging and seemed to really 'speak' to me. She was one of the very few that were left unpicked (and I since learned that others who were interested in her didn't choose her for the same reasons we didn't originally - she squirmed and fussed and wanted to get away from them). On the ride home after that 2nd visit I cried and had to make the heartbreaking decision to change our selection to Lucy. Luckily, the breeder was happy to accommodate us. The breeder told us Lucy would be more 'spirited' and not as mellow as the male we originally chose, but I was sure she was the one. Good thing she was our first dog, because she was a handful her first year with us, and we had nothing to compare her to. It wasn't until we acquired Oscar 3 yrs later that we realized what a 'mellow' puppy was like, and how easy he was train and live with. In hindsight, though, we wouldn't change a thing. Lucy is a wonderful doodle, with her own complex and spirited personality.

3 weeks is too early to choose and I wish my breeder had given us more time. With Oscar, our choice was based on one criteria: We wanted a smaller standard doodle and he was the smallest male of his litter. His breeder didn't expect him to get larger than 40lbs, and that seemed a perfect size to us. The breeder was wrong about him, though, and he's now pushing 70lbs! He was 4 weeks old when we decided on him. Again, we wouldn't change a thing if we had to do it over. Oscar is our big sweetheart of a doodle.

Everyone is right, temperament is the most important thing, and the breeder should be able to chose a puppy based on your lifestyle and what you're looking for in a companion dog. All the puppy pics you posted look to me to be about the same in coat type, and its my guess they'll all have wavy fleece coats. What generation of Goldendoodle is the litter you're choosing from? F1, F1B or multi gen? You can look to the litter's parents for expected adult weight, but be flexible in your expectations, as that doesn't always hold true (Oscar weighs more than both of his parents). Good luck!

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Regarding the issue as it relates to this discussion, I wanted to point out that it was clearly stated on my breeder's website that puppy selection would be made between 2-4 weeks old. I guess at the time I thought the breeder might be flexible with that timeframe. She was not. In her case, though, she didn't break any agreement and was well within her rights to make the request.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Well said Ricki.  There's no way to know anything at 3 weeks and a responsible breeder wouldn't ask you to choose this early.  A Red Flag!  6 weeks seems to be the standard. It is like adopting a child in many ways and a good breeder wants the best outcome for her pups and for you. You have every right to hold the breeder to what she stated on the website or ask for a full refund. 

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I have to agree with everyone else here.  You get to pick at six weeks or she returns your deposit.  The puppies will change so much between now and then.  I honestly don't see what difference it makes to the people with second choice if you wait 3 more weeks.  If they don't get the one they want from this liter they are just moving to another liter that isn't even born yet so who cares.  This is completely for the breeders sake so she knows if she needs to try and get another family for this liter.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You know, Sheri, you're absolutely right. And I feel very sorry for whatever puppy the second choice people end up with. If they are this superficial, inflexible, and picky that they will only accept the darkest shade of red, they are in for a big disappointment when that red fades, and those qualities don't bode well for any dog. if I were a breeder, I wouldn't sell any pup to them, period.  

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Ashley,

Here's an idea, the second choice people can come look at the doodles.  They can pick their first and second choice, then once you have picked yours at the agreed upon six weeks, the second choice people will either get their first or second choice. 

That way your breeder can accommodate you both.  Otherwise, I would consider another breeder.

 

Good luck and don't be pushed into making this important decision before you are ready. (We are getting our second doodle in July, but picking her at 6 weeks, I care about looks too, but trust us here on DK, temperament first!)

[Lynda Kamrath]

Hey, this sounds like a great idea.  Run it by the breeder.  I would just tell her that you want a boy, if that is what you have decided, and would make a further determination when the pups are older.  That should be enough.  If color or hair length is important to you, you can make your decision a little better at six weeks, but know that puppies do change, even between six and eight weeks.  Health testing and disposition should be more important.  Tell her to keep sending photos and that you are sorry you can't see the pups in person, but it is just too far to come for a look at the real thing.

Funny thing about adopting a child.  My principal was listed in a book of interested adopters with photos, family information, etc.  They were chosen by a couple who was placing their baby for adoption and he told us they were going to look at a baby after school.  I just laughed and said, "If you are looking, you have a baby."  How could you look at a baby and say no, not that one.  She was only a few days old, and by that weekend they had their new little daughter.

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

So true, Lynda!  

[Stephanie and Ragley]

Way too young to make an official pick. I will say that I met Ragley and her littermates for the first time at 3 weeks old and she and I made an instant connection- I just knew- but we waited to make any official picks until 5 weeks old. Also, there is no way I would have been able to adequately tell enough about temperaments of those three week old puppies to choose one to fit my lifestyle. Good looks are nice, but having the right temperament is critical. You entered into an agreement and your breeder should uphold that agreement. Don't give in!