Following on from my posts last month we visited a KC registered breeder in mid October, and met a lovely litter of choc labs, one of whom will be our new puppy in mid Dec! We are going to see the litter again in a couple of weeks, when they will be 7 weeks old. I have a couple of questions - I think we will have 3 bitch puppies to chose from, so any pointers on how to chose our puppy would be really appreciated! Also, do we need to bring a collar along so that we can tell her apart from the others once we have chosen, or will the breeder be able to tell them apart?! If so, what size collar? It was a litter of 10, 5 boys, 5 girls. I am planning on calling the breeder next week before our visit so will of course ask her the same questions! We are getting soooo excited!
Re: Identifying 'our' puppy Very exciting!!! The breeder will be able to tell them apart. Usually they will have soft puppy collars on in different colours or something like that. What do you want to do with the puppy? Will she be a pet (as opposed to wanting to do gundog work)? Do you have a very laid back lifestyle or an active, outdoorsy lifestyle? If you are after a calm pet then I would go for the puppy that is not trying to escape out the back of the puppy pen, is happy to be picked up, is playing happily with the other puppies but is also happy to stop a game and do something else... Tell the breeder about your plans for the puppy and ask which one you think will be a good match Having said all that, puppy personality isn't necessarily set in stone.... Also, I think it is important to see which one really appeals to you the most on an emotional level. Just take your time and don't feel pressured. And take photos for us!!
Re: Identifying 'our' puppy And see if one chooses you. This often happens! Our breeder didn't use collars because the puppies were into everything and they'd have been off in an instant, so they painted lines on their bums in nail varnish to tell them apart
Re: Identifying 'our' puppy Very very exciting! When my mother-in-law's dog had a litter she painted one of their front nails a different colour of nail varnish to identify them. We had a choice of.....one! So no tricky decisions, which is as well because we are SO indecisive. Have fun!
Re: Identifying 'our' puppy Ha ha, loving the nail varnish idea! I was a bit worried about a collar getting caught on something. We have 3 boys aged 3, 7 and 10, so we're looking for a family pet who likes to rush around, but will also tolerate being hugged/stroked/cuddled etc. I will be taking lots of photos!
Re: Identifying 'our' puppy Very exciting ;D I wasn't sure what I was looking for when I started puppy hunting. When we went to see the litter, my daughter picked up a girl and my hubby picked up a boy. The girl was trying to get to me from my daughters arms and when I took her she snuggled into me and went to sleep. Decision made
Re: Identifying 'our' puppy Lovely dilemma to have. I wouldn't necessary go for a shy, timid one, sometimes that can continue into adulthood. Good luck with your choice, can't wait to see pics once the decision is made!
Re: Identifying 'our' puppy I had first choice out of 4 bitches. She chose me. She was all over me and the others didn't bother - so it was easy in the end and just how I had hoped it would be. The breeder had said that strangely enough each pup will attach to someone and it rarely goes wrong. I could never had not had Chepi after she bonded so quickly with me; I would have left with a heavy heart not having accepted her. Good luck
