How did you pick your pup?

[kingfisher7151]

I'm just curious how everyone chose their pups!

 

It's getting close to decision time with the litter my pup will come from, so I've done lots of thinking. The breeder is helping me out and has narrowed it down to 3 or 4 (litter of 9, with 6 males!) so I've got some choices! But unfortunately I won't be able to meet him until I pick him up, so I'm just having to go by pictures, videos, and the breeder's suggestions!

 

Did you go by the prettiest? Boldest? Shyest? Mellow? That special look in their eye?

 

I like the parents, so I'm sure I can't go wrong! As a first time BC owner though, I'm hoping for something a little on the mellow side!

[Gideon's girl]

The breeder of my first BC was the one to pick which pup went to which home. The guy that was supposed to get Gideon decided that he was going to have too much brown on him, because the breeder thought Gid was going to turn sable. I had just filled out an application and was expecting to have to wait until the next litter, when I got the call. Of all the waiting appliations she had I was the one that she thought would be the right home for that particular puppy. She told me what she thought his personality was going to be like and I thought he sounded great. We went to meet him at 7 weeks of age and found that he seemed to be exactly what the breeder described, so we paid him off and came back a week later to pick him up. Gideon recognized us immediately as his people and he has been the perfect dog for us ever since.

 

With Micah, he was the only red dog in a litter of black and whites. The kids wanted a dog that would look more different than Gideon, so at the back of the property, they could tell who they were yelling for. I went to meet the litter at 5 weeks old and found that they were pretty consistent in personality, so red or black didn't matter to me so I went with red. He is definitely a bit more of a firecracker than Gideon, but also a great dog for us

 

I personally prefer a knowlegable breeder making the choice, but you have to trust that the breeder knows what they are looking at.

[Tommy Coyote]

Most of mine were picked for me. I did get to pick out a couple of them but that was year's ago.

 

I trust the breeder to pick them out. Mine are pets so I certainly don't need the most aggressive pup in the litter. I think they usually pick the most easy going one.

 

I don't really care what they look like. As long as they are nice tempermented, healthy dogs that's good enough for me.

[Camden's Mom]

Did you go by the prettiest? Boldest? Shyest? Mellow? That special look in their eye?

 

Goodness, that's a wide variety of traits. If you wanted a tenacious little firecracker you'd probably go with the boldest. If you wanted a "chill" (for a BC) dog then I'd lean towards the most mellow. Prettiest... meh... who cares about looks... it's a border collie!

 

Seriously though, I think you should really consider what kind of "ideal dog" you want your puppy to grow up to be. Consider your lifestyle, activity level, etc. and what kind of dog would best fit into your routine. Share all of this information with the breeder and they should be able to steer you towards the best pup for you.

 

But it's worth noting that with puppies there are just no guarantees. The shyest pup might grow up to be the bravest dog and the mellow one might turn into a work-a-holic. The breeder is going to be in the best position to help you select the right puppy for you but I do think there is also some value in "going with your gut" when you meet the lil' fluff balls. Have fun picking your new pal!!! (oh, and you MUST post pics when you get him or her... a lot of us get our puppy fix vicariously through the boards, lol)

[Liz P]

I've always had the breeder choose for me. They should know their pups and be able to match them with the right buyers based on desired personality.

 

I have a litter right now and in about a week will be matching pups and owners. I know each pup's personality and will be able to make sure the buyer that wants the softer pup gets that one, the one who wants a pushy monster for ranch work gets that one, etc. If I let people choose based on photos, or even videos (which are just a few moments in time), they might be very disappointed.

[GentleLake]

 

But it's worth noting that with puppies there are just no guarantees. The shyest pup might grow up to be the bravest dog and the mellow one might turn into a work-a-holic.

 

Ain't that the truth! LOL

 

I once picked a nice, mellow pup from a litter. She really was the quietest one in the bunch, both the 2 times I saw the litter and per the breeder.

 

Brought her home and she turned into a whirling dervish! She was a great little dog, and definitely had an off switch when I chose to flick it, but she was a perpetual motion machine if you'd let her be.

 

She died very young (long, sad story), but Wren was aptly named. I'd considered naming her Zen on the trip home, but it would have been a totally inappropriate name for her.

[Smalahundur]

With Max I got first pick of the litter. I wanted a male for management reasons, and just picked the biggest of the bunch.

Figured he did well in the battle for the best spot at the milkbar, should count for something.

[Liz P]

Well, I know you really want the rare snow shoe pup from my litter. Unfortunately, he isn't the biggest.

[Covelo Dogs]

I let the breeder choose, has worked out well and I was pretty specific about what I was looking for in a working dog. They are all different in looks, but all are useful dogs.

Good luck and enjoy your journey.

[gcv-border]

All good answers above.

 

My last pup was chosen by the breeder for me based on what I said I wanted. He was passed over by other buyers, but that didn't bother me. He has turned into a great dog.

 

I am also getting a new pup soon, which will also be matched to me by the breeder.

[Gideon's girl]

Well, I know you really want the rare snow shoe pup from my litter. Unfortunately, he isn't the biggest.

That rare snowshoe pup would also do very well in the sugar sand that is the only excuse for soil in some coastal areas.

[Gary_and_Karen]

We adopted ours from an SPCA after seeing her photo and info online on Petfinder

 

Once we met her in person we were even moreso hooked on her.

 

So I guess the initial factor was how she looked, but meeting her in person really confirmed it for sure, she was feisty as a young pup, but very loveable !

 

(ours was adopted just as a family member, so herding ability was not a concern as it might be for those looking for a working dog)

[Pippin's person]

I picked the one I couldn't imagine anyone else having. I saw the litter many times, though, and watched the pups interact a lot. The litter was very even, but I didn't want the boldest or the shyest. And all else being equal, I prefer less white on the head.

[Oko]

I like Feist and a sister of hers from the photos I saw, I'm partial to dark faces. I got pick of the litter, and when I arrived to choose a puppy, she was the first one to race over, and she just had something about her I loved. It also helped that despite there being another 2 puppy buyers and my Mum with us, she followed me everywhere and kept on getting into my lap and staring up at me. Plus she was darn cute and a hell of a tail puller, and I liked the spunk. So there really wasn't a question.

[SS Cressa]

I picked my first border collie based on looks only. I wanted a unique one. She turn out perfect for me but I may be bias. my second one the breeder basically decided and that choice turn out to be wrong for me. My youngest pup it was a joint decision.I went back to my ooriginal breeder. She already knew what work well with me. And out of 6 pups I had narrow it down to 3 than I got it down to 2. The breeder helped me get down to the best pup for me and I adore my little guy. I knew the parents and really liked them so figure that I would probably been fine with ANY of them.

[Alchemist]

With Duncan, I ended up with the last pick. Not a one in the litter was a bit shy, and I've been thrilled with his temperament. With Ross, I asked the breeder's advice. (He narrowed it down to two pups, based on my stated wishes: I wanted a pup that would be a "good listener". I flew out to meet them, and Ross chose me). I also asked the advice of the person with whom I train. She advised me to beware of any particularly pushy or "needy" puppies - they might be good pets, but to look for signs of intelligence and some (but not too much) independence in a working dog.

 

I'd rather trust a breeder than trust to my own skills in choosing from a whole litter, but that's because I wanted a dog that could be a working dog as well as a companion. If I just wanted a companion, I'd either ask the breeder to choose, or choose the pup with whom I connected.

[Smalahundur]

Well, I know you really want the rare snow shoe pup from my litter. Unfortunately, he isn't the biggest.

yeah, and you know those reindeer showed up on our pasture about aweek ago. Unusual for this area, but there is alot of snow on the highlands, so they come down to the coast in search for forage. Not popular with the farmers.

Size is only a consideration when there are not more important features, like inbuild snow shoes.

[Jumpin Boots]

I couldn't decide, was just going off pictures, the breeder had given descriptions of their personalities. So my fiancé chose, I will admit I was disappointed with his choice. He chose the sort of pathetic, shy, pudgy one. However it ended up being the right pup, had we gone with my choice, whom was luckily picked by the owner of the stud dog I would have had a really tough time as he's turn out to be a lot of dog. And would have been too much for me most likely. The one advise she did give me when I was doubting our pup was that he had the stamp of the male lines, which apparently some people say to choose the one that looks like the parents?!? So I am now banned as the future puppy picker in our home.

[Mom of Mya]

With our first yorkie for our daugther there was no choice she wanted a female and there was only one. With her second, she wanted a male and we went to check them out. One ran up to her immediately and cuddled up to her so Dash came home with us. With our American Eskimo, the breeder said it was an unusual batch of pups as they all wanted to be aggressive and have male dominance. Bliz had been bitten on the head and had a scar and no one else would take him but it didn't bother me, he was just going to be a family dog and he came home with us. All of the above have been excellent dogs.

 

With our last, I have to admit I had never gone on looks alone before, but like Gary and Karen, Mya is a rescue pup. I saw her picture and fell in love immediately, even knew what I wanted to name her. When I went I did look at her sister too though but Mya was the runt of the litter, half the size of all of her siblings and the rescue people said not many people want the runts. Between the two Mya came right up to me and crawled into my lap while her sister was busy running about ignoring us. My dad used to raise pointers and I remembered he always said he kept the runt because if they had the strength to fight and survive they would be excellent dogs. So far Mya has been a truly wonderful girl.

 

So two of our dogs were actually picked because the dogs pretty much picked us.

[juliepoudrier]

I've said it before: I go for the one that "speaks" to me if I can. In other words, it's a gut feeling/intuition (Zen?) thing.So far it has worked pretty well for me. Having bred a couple of litters, I can also say that I wouldn't object to a breeder suggesting a pup or three for me to choose from, but I have found that I generally feel some sort of connection to certain pups....

 

My "favoritist" dog picked me. I kept his sister, since she was my pick (he was the one who convinced me that I just might like males).

 

J.