Bamps (05-13-2019)
found a 1 week old litter with 7 chocolate males still available. going to visit tomorrow. excited. since chili was bought online...any tips for picking out a pup? I need ideas on what I am actually looking for when I visit. all I am really sure about is putting a deposit down which the breeder does take paypal so thinking thats safe. Im super excited as I have been looking for years it feels like.
Bamps (05-13-2019)
one question I have is when putting down a deposit, can I request whatever pup is available/breeders choice at time of receipt (8 weeks)?
Oh, I was so bad this time around. I found Brandy through the AKC website, they have ad space for their members. I looked for puppies in 2 states, I was looking for a yellow labrador, and preferred female. Narrowed it down from there. So from there I checked out the breeders web pages, checked to see if they showed or worked their dogs, checked to see how long they had been involved with the breed and checked references from past puppy buyers. I narrowed it down to a kennel, 2 hours from where I live, I spoke to the owner and made arrangements to meet her, she was extremely knowledgeable, I could tell she loved her dogs and she loves the breed. The kennel was spotless and all of the dogs were very well kept. There were 9 puppies in Brandy's litter, 6 males and 3 females, I knew I wanted a female, so I put my deposit in when the litter was 4 weeks old and went to see the females at 5 weeks old, they were all equally cute and each had a great little personality, I waited to pick one on pick up day. Just take your time, don't rush into buying a puppy, I wouldn't buy from anyone that seemed not to really care to talk to you about her dogs and pups. This breeder did say her pups would have sweet personalities, would be calm and good housemates as well as being comfortable out in the field, I could see that in the short time we were at her kennel, her Labradors are a pleasure to be around. PS. Choice is usually done in the order of deposits.
voodoo (05-11-2019)
How exciting! I know some breeders take control of the choice; they ask you what you want/what your life is like (high energy or more laid back; planning to compete in dog sports or not) and then match the pup for you. But IME, many breeders give you the choice. In our case, we were the first ones to put a deposit down wanting a black female, so we got first choice of the three possibilities (green, white, and yellow collars).
We visited the litter twice before bringing Stormy home. At the first meeting, two (green and white) just slept, while yellow collar seemed a bit skittish. I told the breeder I wanted an affectionate cuddler while DH was looking for one that was smart. The breeder said green and white were more in line with our wants. At the second meeting, we played with all 3 and I did the common 'tests'- How to Pick a Puppy from a Litter: 15 Steps (with Pictures)
And guess what? All 3 acted pretty much the same way, lol. So again, I think your best bet is to talk to the breeder about the characteristics you're looking for and have him help you select.
Fingers and paws that your search is over!!!
Stormageddon, Princess of Darkness, aka "Stormy"
Birthday 9-13-18, Gotcha Day 11-11-18
Hidden Content
Miss Kimber, CGC, 6/15/2005-1/27/2018 forever in our hearts
Bamps (05-13-2019), voodoo (05-11-2019), windycanyon (05-15-2019)
the breeder has a webpage and all the pics seem to show duck hunting theme. I wont share the webpage as Im not looking for sharpshooting of breeder. it is all akc registered/etc...Im just really excited. the dam looks just like chili except in working shape and the sire is yellow not so chili looking, but all 10 of litter were chocolate and both females and 1 male taken. no so concerned other than getting healthy pup.
That's very exciting! We did not pick our pups, the breeders picked based upon what we said we were hoping for. It has worked well for us. Our first boy was asleep the entire time when we visited at about 5 weeks. If we had been left to make our own choice he may not have been our pick but he was just the best boy. By 7 or 8 weeks the breeder should have a good handle on their personalities to help you with your choice. I hope your visit goes well!
voodoo (05-11-2019)
if its proper etiquitte I will take a few pics tomorrow at visit. really excited to find a breeder with pups close to where I live thats not on year/2 waiting list.
now Im thinking whats preferred way to pay...breeder mentioned paypal but my wife said cash....any thoughts on prefered way to pay deposit and what to receive from breeder?
We paid the deposit by check so there would be some evidence that I'd paid. I think I received a written receipt saying how much we had paid to reserve a certain color and gender puppy. There was some additional language about balance due, under what circumstances the contract could be voided, under what circumstances the deposit would or would not be returned, pick up time frame, stuff like that.
kimbersmom (05-12-2019), voodoo (05-12-2019)
Our breeder let us pick puppies in order of deposit, but we did it remotely via puppy description. After all, the breeder has raised the puppies and knows their personalities a lot more than you might see in a short visit. Plus, the puppies really don't start showing their differences until they are a bit older. We were first in line for a male for Barley, so at 7 weeks old the breeder sent an email out with a bunch of pictures and a description of each puppy's personality. Barley was puppy "A" and his description was something like "first to come running for attention and affection, leads the litter on little explorations and adventures, smartest of the bunch and will probably be doing your taxes in the first year." The other male yellows in the litter had more shy and quiet personalities. Thor tends to be a bit cautious and slow to explore new things, but being around other confident dogs tend to boost his confidence. We wanted a puppy that would complement his personality so the description of Barley being the "litter leader" seemed right. We also discussed this decision with the breeder and our reasons for doing so. Something to think about with Chili - what kind of personality would work best with him and work with the breeder to pick the right puppy.
voodoo (05-12-2019)
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