# Newborn puppy



## New poodle mom (Apr 10, 2021)

Hi!
I'm new to the poodle mom world. We have always had chihuahuas previously, so I'm not sure what to look for in a newborn poodle. I would love some help with this poodle we are purchasing. Thoughts on color, pigmentation and head shape would be great. Thanks so much for your help!
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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Before you ask about the puppy, ask about the breeder and parents of the puppy. Have the parents had all the recommended health checks performed and passed. Are they older than 2 years and have they earned titles in some dog sports - either Conformation, or perhaps Rally, Agility etc. to indicate that they have good temperament, have proper form and are worthy of breeding? Is the breeder doing the right things, looking to bring in sires for their bitches that will enhance and improve the breed or are they breeding the two random dogs they happen to have bought?

If you have a quality breeder, then they should know about the coloration and pigment of their puppies because they have all the information about the breeding pair.

It's such a young puppy, usually breeders wait to the puppies are close to going home, when they have watched the puppies for weeks and seen their personalities develop before the breeder can pick the right puppy for the right home. After all you may prefer a laid back puppy - and a rowdy, high energy puppy may not be the right choice.

I"m not knowledgeable about such a young puppy - the coat does look like it's getting the waves that baby poodles have before they get their soft wiry adult coat. It looks like it may be red - but depending on the parents genetics and fading genes the color of a puppy may be completely different from the adult. I have silver minipoo who you can see in my avatar. She was born inky black and looked as black as her litter mates that remained black. Over two years she faded to a medium Silver. Your puppy may fade too, or it may hold it's color - be aware that you should be buying for the dog as that deep red color may fade to pale apricot. There may be a hint about whether or not the color will fade when the puppies get their faces shaved around 4 weeks - fading puppies tend to having lighter faces. The nose color changes in puppies too - I don't know if your puppy will develop a black nose or a liver nose - maybe those more experience than I will know. 

What size poodle is this? If it's a toy, you would like the breeder to let the puppies go to their new homes around 12 weeks. For miniatures and standards, 8-10 weeks is the typical time to go home. Toy poodles being so small can have life and death issues with hypoglycemia and maintaining their body heat until they reach a certain size which is why they stay with the breeder longer till they are hopefully passed that point. If it is a toy, research hypoglycemia so you will be prepared - you might have had similar issues with your chihuahuas.

Welcome to the poodle world.

Did you meet both parents? See the babies suckling on the mother?


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## TeamHellhound (Feb 5, 2021)

Newborn puppies of any breed or mix are kind of just animated potatoes. Unless this is a breeder who just assigns puppies randomly by "I want this one" order (something that I've only seen really poor breeders doing, by the way), there really isn't any way of knowing which puppy in a litter will be yours, since there is no way of telling if their personality and temperament will be a good match for your home until they are several weeks old. 

My guess on color would be brown (or possibly a red/apricot with brown nose leather?), which can fade, and the head shape is "newborn puppy".


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## New poodle mom (Apr 10, 2021)

Thanks for all the info!! The breeder has had all the health checks and genetic testing on the parents. One parent is a deep red color and the other is a tad lighter. She has not posted these puppies for sale yet. I had contacted her about older puppies (5 weeks old) she had and she let me take a look at a new litter just born a few days ago. She seemed very knowledgeable and willing to answer all my questions. She also gave me references. I feel pretty comfortable about her knowledge and breeding. She is a toy poodle and will come home at 10-12 weeks depending on development. We are excited for her!! Thanks for all the wonderful advise!


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## Starvt (Nov 5, 2019)

Looks like it's liver (chocolate) pigmented to me- this puppy could be anywhere from a deep brown to almost-white (often with darker ears) when it is mature.
Color and pigment are virtually impossible to properly evaluate on a newborn, they change so much in a short time and can go either way. Same with things like head shape and ear set.
I know that so many breeders make these choices in the first few weeks, but it's always been something that throws me off. I would not want to make such a big decision with so little information.


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## Starvt (Nov 5, 2019)

TeamHellhound said:


> and the head shape is "newborn puppy".


Lol!!!!!
So true.
At the vet where I work, we occasionally see puppies a few days old for tail docking or dewclaws removal. Size is the only difference between, say, a Yorkie and a Doberman. They certainly looks totally different as adults!


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

TeamHellhound said:


> Newborn puppies of any breed or mix are kind of just animated potatoes.


Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! 🤣 So true.


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