Page 2 | Picking a puppy from a litter

goldenmoments · 2022-03-30T20:22:38+00:00

Hi, I'm just looking for a little reassurance. Myself and my husband picked a puppy the other day which was very exciting. We were always getting a dog this year and we had discussed the breed and the sex of the dog and I was hoping for a golden colour dog. Coming home my husband said he thinks the pup will be more a red colour as it grows. We basically had the pick of the litter so I'm wondering would I be really cruel to go back and have another look as there were various shades of golden pups in the litter? We have paid a small deposit. Im not sure whether it's just nerves that we are dog owners second guessing myself a little. Thank you

VampireMoney · 31/03/2022 10:44

My pups chose me. I had it firmly in mind that I wanted a female. Went to say hi to them and a boy instantly plodded up to me and put his paw in my hand. And that was it, that was my pup. Same when I went to look at a litter for my second pup, I didn't even bother thinking about whether I wanted male or female because i knew I'd end up getting whichever one came to me. A girl wandered over and sat against my foot. Went to give her a stroke and she put her head on my hand and that was it. Mine.

ABitBesotted · 31/03/2022 10:45

I was given the pick (horrible to have to do) and went with a jaunty scruffy pup of non-standard colouring and markings. She was just extra alert, affectionate and jumped into my arms. That was how I knew it was my girl. She was 10wks, though.

Hoppinggreen · 31/03/2022 10:48

Dye it
Or make it wear stupid jumpers so you can only see the colour of its feet and head

littlepeas · 31/03/2022 10:48

Colour is the least important thing, surely?

My golden retriever is a lot darker than he was as a puppy, but I don't give a shit - he is amazing.

Hoppinggreen · 31/03/2022 10:50

Is it a cockapoo?

littlepeas · 31/03/2022 11:00

Hmm. Just realised that maybe I am being a bit harsh/hypocritical, as we only have male dogs by choice and part of that is to do with size and appearance (but not the only reasons). We did also deliberately choose a black dog for our latest puppy, because I wanted a large, black dog that could only really be identified as a large, black dog from a distance (so I feel safer out walking). But all the male dogs in the litter were black - not sure what I would have done if a yellow dog had 'chosen' me - probably would have just gone with it and assumed I wasn't meant to have a black one this time!

Sorry op!

I do think it's a it harsh to change your mind on an already selected puppy based on it's potential colour though. Surely you chose it for reasons beyond its colour.

MrsWinters · 31/03/2022 11:21

Why did you choose the pup? Was it the sweetest? The boldest? Great character? If it was for one of those reasons I wouldn’t sacrifice that for colour personally.
By all means go for another look, but I would speak with the breeder about your home and lifestyle and get a pup whose personality fits with that.

CaraherEIL · 31/03/2022 11:48

If you haven’t brought the puppy home of course go and have another look. This is the opportunity to go and do that. It also gives you the chance to really make sure about how you feel about getting a dog right now and if the coat colour is masking other concerns. Better to lose a small deposit than make a much bigger mistake for you or the pup.

Cryofthecurlew · 31/03/2022 11:50

My dogs breed comes in a variety of colours but generally breeders only breed one colour because the bitch only has one colour if that makes sense. So I choose black and then approached breeders who only breed black. The breeder choose the puppy after spending a long time asking about out lives and requirements e.g. we weren’t looking to show dog just a nice family pet which he is.

vivainsomnia · 31/03/2022 12:03

When had our pick of 7 puppies. Two rushed to my legs. I picked one and they fell asleep in my arms. I said they picked me. They are the absolute perfect dog. I think they know better than us who is right for them!

collieresponder88 · 31/03/2022 12:04

It shouldn't matter. The breeder shouldn't sell to you

longtompot · 31/03/2022 12:10

Our puppy chose us. We went there with one in mind but that one had already been reserved, so we sat with the other puppies and ours came over to my yd and then came an sat on my forearm where she fell asleep.
As for colours, she looked like Snoopy as a puppy but got darker by 8 weeks, so I really wouldn't go by what colour the puppy is now for what it will be like as an adult. Different if you are after a lemon roan and get a black and white dog for example as clearly very different, but different shades of a red wouldn't bother me.

Original poster

goldenmoments · 31/03/2022 13:48

Thank you for all the replies, I think I just had a little bit of nerves as this is myself and my husbands first dog and it has been on the cards for a few years and since last year we have been making more concrete plans and even doing some courses with our local dog rescue.
Some of the replies have definitely eased my mind which I really appreciate.
I sat in with the pups and the one I picked was the one who made its way over to me stepping over his sleeping brothers and sisters and fell asleep in my arms.
Some very good points too as we won't actively know it's true colour until it's a bit bigger and whilst we can speculate a bit now based on its ears his coat colour will change. Either way we will be paying another visit soon when the pup will be 8 weeks before we take him home at 12 weeks so im sure il see more of his personality then as he was only 3 weeks old when we picked him up.

OP posts:

Babadook76 · 31/03/2022 14:09

@goldenmoments

Thank you for all the replies, I think I just had a little bit of nerves as this is myself and my husbands first dog and it has been on the cards for a few years and since last year we have been making more concrete plans and even doing some courses with our local dog rescue. Some of the replies have definitely eased my mind which I really appreciate. I sat in with the pups and the one I picked was the one who made its way over to me stepping over his sleeping brothers and sisters and fell asleep in my arms. Some very good points too as we won't actively know it's true colour until it's a bit bigger and whilst we can speculate a bit now based on its ears his coat colour will change. Either way we will be paying another visit soon when the pup will be 8 weeks before we take him home at 12 weeks so im sure il see more of his personality then as he was only 3 weeks old when we picked him up.

Do whatever feel is right for you op. The majority of people are lying when they pretend that they dont immediately look for the nicest looking dog when they're picking a puppy, whether they end up choosing it or not. I'd also avoid mn for dog advice in future because everything you do in every single situation will be wrong 🙄

FastFood · 31/03/2022 19:13

When I had my puppy, initially, I wanted him to be red. Finally the breeder said that she didn't have any red pups yet, but there was a nice black, tan and white. He was just born at this stage, we didn't really know his personality. I said yes I'm taking him.
And I had the privilege to share my existence with the most adorable and handsome corgi for 15 years. And never looked back at my decision to go ahead with the "wrong colour".
He was the best looking corgi in the world. At least for me.
And I'm sure every corgi owner who saw him thought "mine looks better".
And I'm sure everyone who had "the wrong colour" now feel the same about their dog.

Motorina · 31/03/2022 22:27

My breed (I suspect the same as @Stellaris22's) comes in two colourways - tri, and tan and white. I've twice now had the last of the litter, which means I've twice had the 'leftover' tan and white.

Both have been the best dogs ever.

I reckon if you go to a good breeder, of a breed that suits your lifestyle, then any puppy you pick will be a good one. So you might as well go for a colour you like.

It seems like such a big deal, picking the puppy from the litter. Honestly, it's not. Pick a good breeder. And pick the right breed. Then make sure you socialise well with the activities and experiences that your puppy will need in adulthood. And you'll be fine, whichever you pick.

My current pup? I had second pick. And went for the one tan and white. I guess now I have a soft spot for them, even though they're unfashionable.

She's the best dog ever, too.

FinnRussell · 31/03/2022 23:08

Our dog's breeder said she would choose the puppy for us out of the litter. She learned about our family and the puppys' personalities and matched us. I was slightly disappointed, dreaming of choosing our own dog but in retrospect she was exactly right and luckily we have ended up with the best dog in the world.

Stellaris22 · 01/04/2022 07:23

@Motorina ours was the last of the litter, but in a litter of tri's. I also thought I'd only want a boy but got a girl, she's perfect. I knew I wanted a tri but didn't care how the markings themselves looked.

I don't think how you want your dog to look is unimportant, in the same way people have aesthetic preferences for a breed.

TheUsualChaos · 01/04/2022 09:44

@FinnRussell

Our dog's breeder said she would choose the puppy for us out of the litter. She learned about our family and the puppys' personalities and matched us. I was slightly disappointed, dreaming of choosing our own dog but in retrospect she was exactly right and luckily we have ended up with the best dog in the world.

This is exactly how it should be done. We had preference for a girl if it worked out that way but temperament/personality to work with our family was more important. Luckily most of the other owners wanted boys anyway. Out of the three girls from the litter, one would have been too shy for our family and the other one too boisterous and also harder to train. She got it spot on.

Piper22 · 01/04/2022 09:52

Someone who picks a puppy from a little based purely on their colour, shouldn’t be picking a puppy

muddyford · 01/04/2022 12:44

Our breeder picked our puppy too. After lots of questions and talking about our lives, I said I wanted a bold dog puppy, so she picked the boldest boy. The boldest bitch went as a disability assistance dog with a national charity. I had always picked my own puppies previously, but this has worked superbly.

wetotter · 01/04/2022 12:51

I disagree with others, if you have already chosen your breeder and checked health, COI and early environment, there's no particular reason why you would not be happy with any puppy from the litter. So choosing by sex and colour sounds fine to me, once you are at that stage.

Colour, like puppy behaviour from day to day, is changeable. So you can't ever be sure that factors that led to your choice will be enduring, but the considerations of health and early socialisation will make a huge difference and to me are the key factors.

The breeder chose which home got which puppy for current DDog. I'd chosen the breeder and the dam, which was my important choice.

Stellaris22 · 01/04/2022 12:58

I don't see how caring about the appearance of a dog is such an issue, you're spending years with a dog so makes sense to have one you like.

I'm assuming the aesthetics of a breed choice plays a part in most peoples choice of dog. Picking a breed that is most suitable to your family is important, but you aren't going to choose a breed you don't like the look of eg I like hounds so getting a chihuahua or pug is never going to happen.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 01/04/2022 13:02

I don't see how caring about the appearance of a dog is such an issue, you're spending years with a dog so makes sense to have one you like.

It's not - but personality and other things are way more important than colour, which often changes anyway as the puppies mature. I know so many dogs whose colour changed dramatically in those first 12-18 months.

I'm assuming the aesthetics of a breed choice plays a part in most peoples choice of dog. Picking a breed that is most suitable to your family is important, but you aren't going to choose a breed you don't like the look of eg I like hounds so getting a chihuahua or pug is never going to happen.

But picking a breed based (at least partially) on appearance is IMO very different to not getting a dog/puppy that's ideal for you just because it's the wrong colour.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 01/04/2022 13:02

@FinnRussell

Our dog's breeder said she would choose the puppy for us out of the litter. She learned about our family and the puppys' personalities and matched us. I was slightly disappointed, dreaming of choosing our own dog but in retrospect she was exactly right and luckily we have ended up with the best dog in the world.

Yep, ours did the same.

We got to pick the sex, but otherwise it was our breeders choice.