07/17/2024
This! Soooo much this!!!!
Even though we say it time and again, we still run into folks who fall in love with a puppy just by the looks from pictures on the blog, or at a puppy meet & greet, where they spend an hour or two with the pups...
..What we try to remind everyone is this: in those photos, or in those 2 hours, you may indeed feel an attachment to a particular pup - but that is just a TINY snapshot of that puppy. Maybe they were extra tired during the meet & greet. Maybe they were feeling overwhelmed and shy. Maybe they were having a great day or an 'off' day.
As their breeder, I spend pretty much every minute of every day with my pups, from the moment they arrive to the moment I hand them into your excited, expectant arms.
I know their quirks, and their personalities, and their potential, inside-out.
So basically, the short of the long is: Trust your breeder! Your breeder has YOUR best outcome at the top of their list...because YOUR best outcome equals the best outcome for the puppies we spend so much time raising and loving for you.
A Tail of Two Sisters
OR…WHY YOUR BREEDER CHOOSES YOUR NEW PUPPY
Curious why this is the case?
If you didn't already know the puppies pictured below, which would you choose if you were allowed? Would it be the right fit for your family?
It is not uncommon for people to complain because they didn't get to pick their puppy. They paid for it, so they should have the right to choose, right?
WRONG! First of all, you are not buying a car. A puppy is a living being and not just a thing that you custom order. Second, and this is a big thing so listen closely, with a responsible breeder you are not getting just a puppy, you're getting the platinum package with many extra perks! One of these is the breeder's experience in knowing which puppy is the best puppy for your family. This is based on what you tell her you are looking for in your new canine companion. Pet? Dog Sports? Rally & Obedience? Coursing? Maybe a little bit of each? Your breeder has spent 10-12 weeks at least with these puppies. Hands on, 24-7 care as well as just sitting and watching them interact with each other for hours on end, or between the numerous loads of laundry anyway. Basically, there is no way you can make an informed opinion as well as your breeder based on a certain puppy running up to you first or because you like a certain puppy's color.
Is there ANY wiggle room here? Of course, there can be, and hopefully you and your breeder have established a good enough relationship that you can have that discussion without it being an issue. If you have your heart set on a particular color or feel a particular gender is the best fit for your family, be honest with your breeder. This may mean waiting until the breeder has another litter or being directed to a different trusted breeder. As much as breeders hate delivering the news that we won't have a puppy for you, we will do so because we want the best forever home for each puppy. This was not an issue in our first litter, as everyone ended up placed where they needed to be, however, I would like to share a story of 2 girls from this litter whose personalities are very different and are perfect examples of how wrong it could go if either of these girls was placed in the wrong home.
If you have been following us for a while, you will probably figure who is who pretty quickly, but the point will not change. I will describe each of the girls we will call Pink and Orange and you will clearly see each would belong in very different homes and if you had come here to choose when they were at that age, both would have run up to you and licked your face. Both would look you in the eye, deep into your soul, and would have told you that they truly were the one you wanted to take home. Who do you believe? The beautiful and saucy Red Wheaten? The dark puppy with 4 white paws?? How do you decide? Who do you listen to?? Your breeder of course and here is why:
Let's talk about Ms. Pink
1. Ms. Pink was fifth born in a litter of 6 and was born after about a five-hour whelping pause.
2. She was the second biggest and quickly became the biggest of the litter.
3. Was the first to try to get out of the whelping box, and probably would have succeeded had I not been there.
4. First to start howling.
5. Conformationally the female pick of the litter because she had just a bit more bone than our second pick.
6. Most likely to be found hanging out with her littermates.
7. Happy to crawl into your lap and snooze, snuggled as close as possible.
8. Loved playing the flirt pole game.
9. Very interested in the chickens.
10. Always trying to be friends with all the other dogs in the household.
11. Loves to run around outside.
12. At 21 months of age, she continues to be a sweet, loving girl who likes nothing more than a good snuggle.
13. Racing and coursing are fun but mostly because her sister does it.
14. Knows basic obedience but quickly loses interest in training games.
15. Loves people but is often shy at first. No fear of most loud noises or changes in the environment.
16. My husband is her favorite but she really loves everyone. We see therapy dog work in her future.
Let's Talk about Ms. Orange
1. Third puppy born, right into my hands.
2. First to walk around the whelping pen and did so like she owned it.
3. First to look me in the eye and wag her cute little tail.
4. Second pick of the litter, a pick of the litter by others. (We had 4 evaluators total!) She was placed in a home with a friend who wanted a hound who would do well in racing and coursing. Ended up coming back to us due no fault of her own and stayed.
5. Sassy and opinionated from birth. Does not hesitate to let you know she does not like something you're doing or asking her to do.
6. The one most likely to be found off doing her own thing away from the others.
7. Happy to jump loudly into the ball pit as a puppy, creating as much noise as possible.
8. Loved the flirt pole game but was the last pup to let go and often had to be encouraged to do so.
9. Very interested in the chickens.
10. Didn't really seem to care if the other dogs of the house liked her or not. as a puppy. It was nice and all, but she had better things to do.
11. Last to go to sleep, a very busy puppy.
12. Loves to run around outside.
13. At 21 months of age, she is still a sassy opinionated girl who will tell you who how she feels in no uncertain terms, which means that grooming, for example, is a discussion and not a given. She loves a good snuggle but tends to fidget and keep moving.
14. Racing and coursing are LIFE! Does not really care if her sister participates or not. The bag bunny must die!
15. Training games are a close second to racing. Loves to train and has amazing drive.
16. May boldly introduce herself to you, not really shy at all. More likely to react to loud noises and differences in the environment than her sister. may not be the best choice for a house with children under 10.
17. Definitely my girl and wants to please me, with a spicy twist at times. We are looking forward to lots of racing, rally and obedience ribbons with this girl!
So, if you wanted a sweet girl that just lived to snuggle after some time running around outside, who would you choose? If you wanted a hound to participate successfully in dog sport with, which would be best? Was it the same as the one you may have picked by looks? What do you think would happen if you had chosen the opposite pup? How do you think a higher energy pup would fit in a home looking for a snuggler? What if you were looking for a potential dog sports hound and chose Ms. Pink? There are never any guarantees with any puppy, but your breeder has the inside story on who has the best chance of being the forever puppy you are looking for, so let them choose.
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