So tomorrow I will be faced with the daunting task of trying to pick 1 out of 7 puppies ( I won't get to bring her home for another week though). I've never had a dog before and don't really know what to expect or even if I will be able to really tell a difference in the puppies at 7 weeks. The thought of trying to pick a single one with so many available is a bit overwhelming. So if anyone has any advice or anything I should look for in a puppy I'm all ears.
I'd ask the breeder about the different puppies. They've been with them for 7 weeks so will have a good idea of personalities. Have a think about the traits you want in your dog and just have a chat with the breeder about which one of the puppies they feel best matches that.
Exciting times for you ! Most of my pups have chosen me ! They were the ones who approached me first , wagging little tails and looking like happy little characters , good luck !
How exicint @AJ. When we went to choose Hattie she was one of 11 puppies, oh my how are we going to choose was all I could think about, but like Kate, Hattie chose my son, she sat next to him like they were old pals, that was it Hattie came home with us and she is 9 years old Of course depending on what your requirements are you could ask the breeder to choose for you. Maybe you are going to do gun dog work, SAR, therapy work, show your dog or just a good pet, whatever the breeder should be able to choose the correct puppy for your requirements. Good luck! x
Up until my present pooch ( Bella who is 2 nxt month) it's always been the same with me , where the puppy chose us not the other way round , in Bella's case her sister was the one who approached me first ,all waggy tailed and happy as happy can be and then flopped on my foot and instantly went to sleep ....so I was all for her being the one we took home ..... HOWEVER the OH decided that she preferred Bella as she has quite a distinctive ridge of fur down her nose ......and there was no persuading the OH to change her mind and so Bella it was ......we then discovered that Bella was given the name Mischief by the breeder and boy has she lived up to that name !! So I agree with kate ...see which one approaches you first and go from there ....you will probably find that the one that approached you first will keep coming back to you or even just settle down with you . But thats just my two pence worth lol
Good luck! Definitely ask the breeders advice. But if you go with the one that picks you? Well I'm sure that'll be fine too.
We didn't get Harley from a breeder. She was from an accidental litter at the home of someone who hadn't got around to spaying their bitch. I must say I am a little suspicious that she was conveniently mated to another labrador but anyway, that is no longer my business - we have what we want. Getting a dog was a HUGE deal to us and when we went to see the litter all the adorable pups ran to us and jumped all over us. Harley was with them, but kind of at the back of the group of 6. She was the smallest, the absolute runt. And it wasn't very long before she separated herself and went to lay down, on her own, head on her paws, watching us but quiet. The owner said "that one is the antisocial one of the litter - all the rest are really friendly". But that was the thing, Harley wasn't unfriendly, she was just able to go settle on her own and not insist on constant attention. If I called her, she would come and she was so friendly to hold, a very affectionate pup. So for me, it was important to see a puppy that could be on her own and not be on top of me all the time. I don't like that. And I wanted a dog that could be okay being in my practice room one day, with clients, but not be too OTT but that would not break down the door if I had to leave her out of the room. There was just something about her that immediately stuck with me. DH couldn't be bothered between pups, his only requirement (mine too) was that it was a female. I don't have enough experience to comment on whether puppy temperament remains stable through the dogs development but I do know that we have a 7 month old who, from the start was able to be by herself without fretting. It has been the most commented on feature about Harley. Not when she is out with us and seeing her friends, but at home. We can put her outside if we need to and she will go settle in the garden or on her mat. No barking, whining or scratching at the door, even though she can see us through the glass. When she is with us she loves to engage and be with us but she can settle and just chill very well - usually with the help of a Kong but still. She isn't perfect but those aspects I saw as a pup has stayed part of her personality. The only unexpected thing was that. although she was the runt of the litter she was clearly very underweight and malnourished because she has flourished into a 27kg pup. She is one the medium size for a female lab but I was thinking she would be smaller. And her mother was a lovely, calm lab who didn't overwhelm me at all. I am a HUGE believer in attachment bonds for animals and humans. We had the chance to spend time with the mothers of both our cats and it really makes a difference how the mother is with her offspring and her characteristics. It isn't everything but it is interesting. So best of luck tomorrow. We went back three times before we took Harley, but looking back now it was always going to be Harley. There was just something about that pup, sitting by herself on the grass that resonated with me. As everyone else said, follow your heart- it will find a connection, and then trust that. Even if you don't understand it immediately. Sometimes we get what we need and not what we want. I can't wait to see photos!
When we got Stanley we picked the one who came charging out, all guns blazing, tail going frantically. I did the whole "oh my god, he picked us!" But now I know him, I bet he did that to every single person who went The deciding factor for me however, was that he had a little strip of white hair down his chest that none of the other pups had. So I'd know if he was mine and if in future, god forbid anything should happen, I'd be able to have something only his owner would know to show he was mine.
Lol, isn't that the truth though? Harley greets everyone like she lives with them. I always image her saying, as she is wiggling, wagging and smiling towards them "HI! I'M HARLEY AND YOU ARE AWESOME!!! I LOVE YOU!" She would definitely type and speak in caps if she was allowed to use the computer.
When we chose Aramis , we went with our mind set on his chocolate sister. However, whilst all the pups were charging about like a rabble between me and my OH Aramis went straight to my son who was kneeling down and sat infront of him all calm , and waited to be stroked which we found endearing. He was so self assured, no timidity, and before we left whilst the others were still playing/raiding my handbag he fell asleep with his head on my shoes as if he already knew it was a done deal. But, like others have said ask the breeder, and think of what you want in a dog.
....and that is Coco with us - and he is second hand. I think dog-lovers bond with dogs and thus - a wonderful relationship is born. You can't go wrong.
How exciting - when we chose Bailey (the first pup either my OH or I had picked) he was the one that responded when we spoke to him - we only had the choice of two as we wanted a boy and all the others were girls. Bailey was a tail wagging wriggle monster that cuddled up to me immediately - when I put him down to hold his brother he sat on my foot looking up at me. I can't really explain it, something just clicked. For good or bad (and there have been moments of both, mainly good) I fell in love with him there and then. As my OH said, guess the decision has been made! Good luck and let us know....
When I chose Plum she was one of only two black girls in a litter of 7. A black girl was a must. When I picked her up she kissed me all over my face then fell asleep in my arms. Then the breeder held her and her black sister up without me knowing who was who and I picked Plum. Job done.
How exciting - best wishes to you today! Whatever choice you'll make will be the best for you. Personally, I'd like to find a breeder who will essentially chose for me. I chose Brogan (my late boy in my avatar) from a rescue litter. It was down to two males and Brogan was the one who spent the afternoon in my lap while his more active brother frolicked around. I wanted a calm cuddler. That day picking him out turned out to be the first and LAST time in his long 13 year life that Brogan voluntarily sat on my lap for hours. He just wasn't a cuddler, despite being wonderfully affectionate in other ways. I always say he was a little faker that day...he knew he wanted to go home with me and did what it took to make it happen.
Thanks for all the advice everyone! It was a really tough decision they were all so cute. I ended up narrowing it down to two and picked the one that showed the most interest in me haha. We went to visit during nap time so they weren't really active at all, a few of them even slept through the whole visit! So that made it kind of difficult but I'm so excited to bring little Koda home now P.s. Can anyone give me the 411 on how to post pictures. I took a quite a few but when I try to insert them they don't show up. I tried reading the topic on it but am still a little lost
Ginger, our first Lab was a 4 yr old rescue at the Oregon Humane Society. After Ginger we always wanted Chocolate Females. In Tillys Litter there was one very big Choc. F that we weren't interested in because she was too quite. There was a Choc. F that was the runt that we did not want, though she was very rambunctious and had a lot of personality. Tilly was in between in size, very outgoing, and also the darkest Choc. we had ever seen so we picked her. With Cooper we only saw the whole litter on video. The breeder brought the remaining two Choc. F pups to Portland (where they had sold both) and we got first pick. Cooper just about jumped into Pat's arms and made the decision for us. She was probably the runt of the litter, but as we have learned that is not a predictor a a pups final size. At 24+ inches and 85# she is bigger and taller than either her mom or dad.
