# Placing Puppies with New Owners



## murieics (May 10, 2009)

As a breeder, at what age do you start suggesting puppies for owners and/or allowing owners to choose what puppy they want? 

I know that most breeders take deposits, and after they decide what pup or puppies they want to keep back, pick order usually will go in the order deposits were received (although I guess this isn't exact either, since a breeder would more than likely allow a show home with experience to choose a puppy prior to a pet home- right?).

But at what point are decisions required/ made? What if the person that has first pick wants to wait until the puppies are older to make a decision? Do they get bypassed and those who already know which puppy they want get to pick theirs ahead? Or does everyone else wait until that person chooses? 

I know when I look at some breeders' websites, puppies are spoken for when they are just days old- but if conformation changes over time, and you can't tell personality until puppies are older- how do you know exactly what you are getting at three days old?? And how does the breeder know they are placing the appropriate puppies in the appropriate homes at that age?  :wacko:

I feel like I am just full of dumb questions today- but I am also really curious to know what the answers are.  :nod:


----------



## neVar (Dec 25, 2009)

not dumb questions. 

I think it's a big difference between 'good' breeders and Great breeders. 

Great breeders won't let you choose. They will ask you preferences (female, color etc) but what your NEEDS are is what gets you the pup. 

So 'first pick" behind the breeder (be it first deposit in- or that show home) will get the dog that meets their needs most. That leaves 5 more pups. 
Then second in line gets the dog that meets their needs most. 4 pups left. 

and down the line. If you get to person 6 on the list and that last puppy isn't a match for what they need- that's when the breeder either returns the deposit- or holds for next litter etc.


----------



## murieics (May 10, 2009)

This is what I was hoping. I would like to be able to discuss more extensively with my breeder what I am looking for, and then hope that based off of that discussion, the breeder will pick the puppy that will be most suitable for my situation. 

I was just getting anxious, as it seemed like some breeders (even those that are highly recommended sometimes) showed puppies as already placed at very young ages, when it seems like it would be difficult to know personality, show-quality, etc.

Part of the reason I think I was getting anxious is that I am most likely getting a puppy from a breeder in Canada, and living in Texas, I won't really have a chance to meet dam/sire or any of the puppies until I actually drive up there this summer to pick up the puppy- so I didn't want to be responsible for looking at puppies in pictures, and trying to decide based off of those which one was the right one. 

Thanks for the reassurance.


----------



## neVar (Dec 25, 2009)

you can get a basic idea of the personality of the dogs at a younger age... we were pretty sure with my aussie she was coming to me by 3-4 weeks. Structurally she was the nicest of the girls (show dog, must be female was my rec's) 

although i met the dam- truthfully i can't tell you that much about her personality. I was going off of lines- a breeder that i liked. The dog had shown/finished - i did meet two from her first litter. but the stud throws in temperment there too. 

I ended up with the more drivey personality (which as i do flyball was OK for me) because that got me the better dog. However she wasnt' the 'best' temperment- and was a pup that would have been more difficult to place in some ofthe homes on the list (more beginner dog owners)

To me what was important was a breeder i felt listened to me- discussed what i was looking for who i trusted to pick for me what she felt was the best match. 

No matter what it's not going to be exactly what you want. I wanted blue merle- the other girl was blue- i was not allowed to have her (no drive, not structurally good enough to point no disqualifications or anything- but just NOT show quality). but until the last week even though i knew which i was LIKELY getting- i didn't know forsure. Same with Bella


----------



## murieics (May 10, 2009)

This is where it's going to be tough for me. I definitely want a male. But what is most important to me is personality. I want a dog that is calmer and more laid-back. 

I think it would be fun to show a dog in conformation, but I am realistic- I recognize that as a first time poodle owner, it is highly unlikely that a great breeder is going to place a show-quality poodle with me (If I was a great breeder with a waiting list and tons of options with whom to place show-quality dogs that had experience with the breed, I wouldn't place a show quality dog with me either. ). I am ok with that. If my first poodle isn't show quality and just has an awesome personality, I would be completely and totally happy with that. If I decided, after having more experience with the breed, that I still want to show in conformation, I imagine that I would be more likely to be able to convince a breeder that I would be a suitable show home (especially if me and my non-show dog had competed in other types of competition and been successful). 

I also understand that a more laid-back dog is likely to be less flashy and less suited to showing than a more energetic, dynamic dog. So the exact personality that I am looking for might preclude me from having an awesome show dog. (And as a side note, I do know that poodles are a more energetic breed to begin with- when I talk about calmer- I don't mean bulldog calm, just that I don't want a super energetic bouncing-off-the-walls dog. I've had both sporting breeds and terriers before, so I can deal with a certain level of energy  ).


----------



## Feralpudel (Jun 28, 2010)

Both of my poos' breeders matched puppies with owners based on what the puppy buyer was looking for, temperament test, and their own assessment of temperament and suitability for performance work, etc. Dexter's breeder did have a male that wasn't placed yet, so she said I could have him if I wanted instead of the one she had in mind for me. I never even asked her which one it was--I trusted her judgement. 

Pick a breeder you like and trust, and trust her to pick the puppy for you. Also, think about which things you care about most, because the more constraints you put on (sex, color, size, performance potential, show potential) the harder it is. So think about where you might be flexible, e.g. sex, color.


----------



## Cdnjennga (Jul 30, 2009)

Yep Nevar summed it up at least for how we placed our current Pwd litter. We of course observed the pups from day one and took notes. We encouraged the families to visit weekly so we could get to know them better and see what pups might fit. And we did ask the families which pups they felt drawn to just to get an idea of who they liked and why. But the ultimate decision came after the temperament test at 7 weeks and after my mom picked her pup. We told families who they were getting and while some maybe had their eye on a different one all are thrilled with who they're getting.

The last 8 weeks just confirmed to me why the breeder should allocate the pup rather than the family choosing. There's no way you can know a pup as well after a few visits as the breeder who has spent 8 weeks with them and also has the temperament test results.


----------



## Winnow (Jan 2, 2010)

We had our first litter this year.

I did not let anyone "choose" there pup, I did it for them.
First of all I told all my buyers that we would temperament test the pups at 7 weeks and go from there. 
I had all the people tell me what they where looking for in a dog and after the temp test I sat down with the dog trainer discussed each home and we found out what pup would go where.
Of course the people had there favorites and I had them tell me that before the temp test.

It worked out great and today everyone is super happy with there babies.

There where two pups left after the temp testing so when I was looking for home for them I said that one of them would fit well in any home but the other was very independent pup and needed a experienced owner.

I will to the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test again I loved it.

I would never let anyone choose there pup before 7 weeks old that is just not right with me.


----------



## murieics (May 10, 2009)

Winnow,

that's good to know! It's great to hear that lots of breeders actually pick puppies to go with their owners, based on personality, experience, and what the owners are looking for.

I'm so glad to hear that everyone has had positive experiences with this method, and that it seems to be what most reputable breeders do.

This leads me to another question- if you place a puppy with a family (you choose- or if you are an owner, your breeder chose for you) and that puppy doesn't end up working out due to a personality conflict, what do you do?


----------



## Winnow (Jan 2, 2010)

murieics said:


> This leads me to another question- if you place a puppy with a family (you choose- or if you are an owner, your breeder chose for you) and that puppy doesn't end up working out due to a personality conflict, what do you do?


Well if I still had pups available I would let the switch if that was what they wanted.
But then you have to think what is the personality of the pup and what is the way he has been brought up.

So with every pup that I placed I gave the new owners one hour with a dog trainer that comes to there house and helps them if they ever run into problems. 

And its not like you force the pups on the new owners you tell them that this is the dog I think will fit best with your family but if they don't agree then they don't have to buy that pup.


----------



## murieics (May 10, 2009)

That makes sense.


----------



## elstrong (Jan 1, 2011)

Winnow, I'm interested in learning more about temperament tests. Where do I get one, especially the one you mentiond-Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test?


----------



## Beach girl (Aug 5, 2010)

Elstrong, if you do a google search for Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test, you will find a lot of info about it.

Here is the Volhard site: Volhard Dog Training and Nutrition: Behavior and Training: Behavior


----------



## Winnow (Jan 2, 2010)

elstrong said:


> Winnow, I'm interested in learning more about temperament tests. Where do I get one, especially the one you mentiond-Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test?


Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test

The test its done when the pups are 7 weeks old.
You have to do it with people the pup has never met before and in a room or house they have never been in.
I cant remember if the trainer who did my test said they should be 48 or 49 days old.

We choose homes for all pups according to this test and now 11 months later nothing has gone wrong with the dogs or there owners


----------



## cbrand (Aug 9, 2009)

I tell buyers that they can give me color or gender preferences but that I don't guarantee anything. 

First, everyone comes second to me and what I am keeping and I don't know what I am keeping until around 7.5 weeks of age. Next, although families think they want a certain gender et al, it really is about the individual dog.

In my second litter, I had a buyer who only wanted a Black bitch. From the beginning he was adamant about it. Although there was a bitch puppy available, I told him that one of the Black boys was a better fit for him and I showed him why. He agreed and today, they are like two peas in a pod! Another family in my last litter got hung up on one of the boys. They were quite upset when he was allocated to another family. They insisted that only a boy would do and they backed out of the purchase. I referred them to another breeder. What did they end up with? A adult Black bitch who was being retired from breeding. She is the love of their lives. :amen:


----------

