Choosing our puppy on Saturday... advice please!

[ziggiestardust]

It’s taken us a whole two years to get to this point; ensuring we would have someone home all the time, buying our own home, incessant never ending research and then trying to find a breeder we clicked with... and finally this Saturday we’re going to visit our breeder and pick a puppy.

I’m so nervous and excited and anxious... does anyone have any helpful advice about things I should look for or questions I should ask, or advice on how I should pick my puppy?

We know we are getting a girl, and she’s a golden retriever. It’s my birthday tomorrow as well, so it’s just going to be the most lovely weekend. I’m thinking about getting my hair and nails done this afternoon so I look nice for the puppy 😂 DH thinks I’ve gone mad! I probably have; I’m so excited! I think I’ve put more time and consideration into this than before I had DS in all honesty.

Getting your hair and nails done for the puppy, that's the most gorgeous thing I've read all day

Personally, I'll go for the quiet, dopey one. But I reckon the right puppy will pick you. I'd ask the breeder about routines, earing, sleeping etc so you can copy that as much as possible at home.

Have a great birthday and enjoy your new pup!

Golden retrievers are the best!
Enjoy your puppy and remember when it gets hard come back and post despairingly on here and you will be reassured it gets easier.

I am a bit worried about puppy blues because I suffered with PND and I can generally be quite an anxious person. She would also be coming home just before Christmas, so I’m considering changing a few plans so there’s not so many people traipsing in and out the whole time.

I’m trying to remember that I’m having a dog, not a puppy; just like you don’t really have a baby, you have a child because they’re not little and screamy for long

Luckily, puppy training classes start right after the new year locally to me; so we’ll be able to get that ticked off as close to her second set of injections as possible.

I'd definitely try and have a fairly calm few weeks after you get the puppy. By all means have people round - it's great for socialisation - but not too many at once or all the time.

As for choosing the puppy, think about what you want in a dog. A bright, confident puppy is likely to need more consistent and determined handling than one that is a little softer. Ask the breeders for advice - they will have seen the puppies day in day out and should have a good idea about who is shy and who is likely to be a handful.

How exciting! I’m sure she will appreciate the hair and nails!

I was lucky enough to get first pick of the litter. So I told them more about our situation and said we would like a calm dog in the long run. They knew we were looking for one to help our youngest with social anxiety. I took their advice as the puppies were obviously all beautiful.

He fits brilliantly with our family now

We pick up our puppy in a few weeks and I've already booked in a nails apt!!

We sound quite similar, I'm also a bit panicked about puppy blues, DH thinks I'm mad when I talk about it like it's pnd. I think it's just important to remember that like Pnd it WILL pass, and to not be afraid to say if you need support.

Re your plans - weve changed ours to have more people traipsing in! Make sure you are giving pup lots of new experiences and chances to socialise (in a controlled manner)

Re the selection process. People say the dog chooses you, I didn't believe it but after going to 'choosr' ours, I do!
Think about what you want in an adult dog firstly though. We asked the breeders what selection process other people had chosen - it seemed to be which ever pup had been the cheekiest! That's exactly what we didn't want!!
On the other hand you're only seeing a tiny bit of their day, they may have just slept or have a full belly and they may be totally different at a different point. Speak to the breeder and try to get a sense of their characters too
Good luck and have a lovely birthday!

Nail and hair appointments.. make sure you’re happy they are not from a puppy farm fronted as a breeder, ask to see the parents. Buy puppy training pads, no puppy socialisation/training classes until fully vaccinated. Check what food the puppy is used to and feed the same or a mix until their tummy is used to the change. Discuss best time to spay/neuter with your Vet. Arrange insurance and car harness etc.

Don’t bother with puppy pads. Awful for the environment and can slow down toilet training.

Two times out of three, I've had the last choice from the litter. In both cases, they were probably not the one I'd have picked if I'd had free choice of the litter. (Although, with the first, the others were all gone to their new homes by the time I met my girl, so I never even saw them. She was an unpopular colour and had a wonky tail, and so nobody wanted her. How lucky am I?)

Both became absolutely and totally the best dogs ever, the perfect dog for me, and I couldn't have picked better.

With the latest, currently nine months old, I remember thinking that I had no idea how I could have picked sensibly, as, honestly, when I visited at six weeks they were just a tumbling pile of undifferentiated puppy. All very cute, but impossible to distinguish other than by colour and sex. It was a bit of a relief that I knew the others were taken and I knew I was getting that one, as there was no pressure to pick.

I'd echo the comments above. Ensure that it's not a puppy farm (there's lots of advice on this) and ask the advice of the breeder, who will know the puppies better than you can manage in a visit.

But, honestly, if you've done your research on the breed and selected a reputable breeder, then, odds are, they will all be your perfect puppy once you have them home.

Thank you all for the magnificent advice! I have done months and months of breeder research and this one is honestly perfect. It took me a long time to find her, but I’m glad I waited.

I think we’re going to be first there tomorrow morning (I’ve got a family birthday meal tomorrow afternoon), and we know we’ve reserved a girl; but that’s all. I rather like the idea of a slightly dopey one 😂