# what age do i pick out a puppy



## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

as far as i know you can tell the color they are going to be by the color of their ears...are you getting the puppy from a breeder? my breeder wouldnt allow visitors til 5 weeks of age and i didnt get to pick my puppy. i got to pick my top 3 choices as she was going to have them evaluated at 8 weeks. i didnt know which puppy i was getting until the day i got him, i got first choice pick anyways.


----------



## stoushr (Jun 1, 2008)

*picking out a puppy*

she already has 2 of the males spoken for and there is 4 left

she wants me to look at them.


----------



## Usha Maceio Brazil (Apr 21, 2011)

The person I got Kelly from does not let anyone near the babies until they have their first round of vaccines. Is it safe to visit puppies at 3 weeks old? Or my breeder is just a control freak?


----------



## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

I would think you really could not tell too much at 3wks. I am not sure why she is letting people come in and touch and hold the pup at such an early age. I have first pick out of three pups I have no idea which one I will get. I have asked my breder to help me and gave her all the requirements I have.


----------



## HoloBaby (Mar 30, 2011)

Same here, we didn't know till the day we picked up our puppy. Our breeder didn't even fully know who was getting which dog until she evaluated them at 8 weeks. We told her which ones we liked and based on our requirements she told us which ones would suit our needs.
The temperament of the dog should come first. Even if you pick the prettiest one there and it also ends up being the most domanet....I don't think that will work with having 2 young kids.
I imagine you wouldn't even know their temperament at 3 weeks...... I think that would be vary important to you as that you have 2 little ones. I'm sure your breeder would be able to help you. She is the one that is with them 24/7. 
At 3 weeks, they are just beginning to learn how to be a dog and socialize with their litter mates. They develop so much from now till they get to go home. Your breeder is putting a lot of pressure on you as to having you pick out your puppy right now. Maybe you have a friend that knows dogs really well that can go with you. Have you read up on how to pick a puppy and how to evaluate them. It might help.


----------



## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

You really cannot tell much of anything at 3 weeks. As has been mentioned, they are really just forming their personalities. If possible, ask the breeder if you can wait until they are 7 or 8 weeks old to pick. Temperament testing is usually done at 7 weeks, for a good reason.


----------



## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

In my experience it is a red flag when a breeder asks you to a. Pick a puppy yourself and b. Does so when the puppies are so young...

Did you get heart, eye, elbow and hip clearance papers?


----------



## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

Last two were at 8 weeks and that is working well.
With that said no way on God's Green Earth would I take one at 3 weeks and I agree about the breeder being suspect.


----------



## Loki'sMom (May 16, 2011)

our breeder didn't let us visit until 5 weeks. We spent over an hour just sitting on the floor and getting to know the pups, asking the breeder lots of questions, as well as them asking us lots of questions. At that time some were spoken for but we did get to choose which pup we wanted. I agree 3 weeks seems a little to young for visitors. 
Hope this helps!


----------



## aerolor (May 27, 2011)

I think it would be very difficult to make a choice at 3 weeks. You could see differences in colour and size, but little more. 
Because I knew the breeder, I did see the litter our pup comes from at 3 weeks, and choice was easy as there were only three bitches in the litter, one large pale coloured pup, and two similar sized pups - one of which was a bit darker shaded gold than the other. I said I would like to see them again later to choose, but I thought to myself that I liked the look of the smaller darker pup. The breeder very kindly said I could have first choice anyway and I went back at nearly 6 weeks of age to choose. We pick her up on Saturday, when she is 8 weeks and I expect she will look different again. 
The important things are to ensure that the health checks are done, the parents are good stock and are what you would like your own dog to be. The breeder should be knowledgible and ethical - you must trust he/him - and the pups should look healthy (well fed, wormed, etc) and be in a clean environment (in a home in preference to a kennel). The pup should also be purchased subject to a vet check. You should not expect to take your pup home until it is 8 weeks old.


----------



## Discoverer (Feb 3, 2011)

Usha Maceio Brazil said:


> The person I got Kelly from does not let anyone near the babies until they have their first round of vaccines. Is it safe to visit puppies at 3 weeks old? Or my breeder is just a control freak?


I am wondering how the wolves or for that matter any wild animals survive without vaccination? :


----------



## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

IMO, you can't tell much about a 3 week old pup... 5-6 weeks, you start to see personalities. As far as health concerns puppies are susceptible to things like herpesvirus infection 3 weeks prior to birth and 3 weeks after. When in utero, it can kill them or cause them to be stillborn. And the reason it is dangerous after birth is that newborn pups cannot thermoregulate, so they cannot mount fevers to fight infection....


----------



## Discoverer (Feb 3, 2011)

stoushr said:


> today i am going to look at 3 week old puppies. should i pick one out now?
> there are 4 males left and really want a male.
> 
> i already have a 3 year old golden and want another.
> ...


There is nothing wrong to see, touch, pet and play with young puppies but I don't think it's possible to determine the personality and temperament at that age. And those are way more important than color of the nose and coat. That is why most reputable breeders won't let to pick a puppy until 6-7 weeks. If your breeder forces you to make selection now - it's a red flag. If she wants you just to visit and see the pups, I won't think twice - go ahead ! But you'll be amazed how much they will change in 3-4 weeks.


----------



## Discoverer (Feb 3, 2011)

Sally's Mom said:


> IMO, you can't tell much about a 3 week old pup... 5-6 weeks, you start to see personalities. As far as health concerns puppies are susceptible to things like herpesvirus infection 3 weeks prior to birth and 3 weeks after. When in utero, it can kill them or cause them to be stillborn. And the reason it is dangerous after birth is that newborn pups cannot thermoregulate, so they cannot mount fevers to fight infection....


This is very old concept, which is disproved already. The immune system of the young puppies is very strong and will fight virtually all viruses. And those puppis that caught the infection most likely will have the health issues in a future, sorry nobody canceled yet the natural selection ...


----------



## Sophie_Mom (Jan 21, 2009)

Our breeder picked our puppy for us, and that worked perfectly. He knew us and knew what we were looking for in our puppy. They knew the puppies WAY better than we ever could. I drove them crazy and tried to pick favorites from an early stage, but I knew it was up to them. Eventually, they gave us a choice between 2 puppies, but I told them I wanted them to decide for us. They picked perfectly (as they did with Sophie as well) and we couldn't be happier.


----------



## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

Breeders picked out my last two. Worked out very,very well. So far got exactly what I asked for. Both at 8 weeks.


----------



## Zoey's Mommy (May 16, 2011)

I didn't see or even know about my pup until she was 9 wks old. I kinda decided at the last minute to check out some puppies. My husband and I really like golden retrievers so I went to visit 2 different breeders. Zoey's breeder was my last stop. It was hard to pick at first because I had 6 pups to choose from. I wanted the puppy to pick me and that is exactly what Zoey did. She was the puppy that stayed at my side and wanted me even when her brothers and sisters wondered off. She is still always at my side to this day. She is a mommy's baby.

I agree you shouldn't pick until they are older. It's best to pick a pup according to their personality, to see which one will fit with your family the best. I saw a couple of pups that I ruled out right away because of their personalities. I didn't like how rough they got and the dominate nature. At 3 wks old you will have no idea what they will be like.


----------



## Bob-N-Tash (Feb 24, 2008)

If you are selecting a puppy for showing or breeding... then by all means it makes a difference. 

But if you are selecting a companion dog you often make the decision based on some invisible intangible element of attraction. Assuming that you are looking at a healthy litter, I don't believe there are any wrong choices. 

4 years ago we bred our Natasha. So we were able to watch the development of the six puppies from day one. No outsiders were invited or allowed to visit until the pups were 5 weeks old. Our rational was twofold: no need to chance anyone bringing in some infection that may spread through the litter and 'intruders' would possibly distress Natasha. By six weeks old each puppy demonstrated a distinct and unique personality.. (generally speaking, the smaller puppies tending to be feistier and the larger pups more laid back.) No one puppy was better than any of the others... they were simply different. 

As the breeder, I didn't get my first choice... or my second or third choice. We kept the puppy that was left, we called him Bob. And, it turned out that he was exactly what we wanted. Or more accurately, we love Bob just as he is.

Then, last year one of the adopting families found it necessary to rehome their puppy and one of our puppies came back to us. Casey's coat, her size, the shape of her head, her personality... all different from Bob And it turns out that we love Casey as much as the other two. 

Bottom line, in my opinion, if you feel an affinity to a particular pup feel free to choose now. If you are unsure about which one then leave it up to the breeder or fate. In either case it is the combination of genetics and environment that will untimately shape the personality of your dog.

As far as the nose and hair... you really can't tell at 3 weeks or for that matter at 5 or 8 weeks. You look at the parents assume the puppies will inherit some or most of the traits you desire and hope for the best.


----------



## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

Discoverer, Would you like me to quote from my endocrinology textbook or is it ok if I paraphrase? "Canine herpesvirus is an acute fatal disease in neonatal pups..." It can result in mummification if the bitch is infected early in pregnancy, abortion if infected mid pregnancy, and premature still births if infected later in pregnancy. Not making this up... it is here in black and white. I watched a friend of mine who worked in a kennel have 3 litters of still births/neonatal deaths... to herpes... I don't take any chances.


----------



## Discoverer (Feb 3, 2011)

Sally's Mom said:


> ... if the bitch is infected early in pregnancy, abortion if infected mid pregnancy, and premature still births if infected later in pregnancy.


Do they suggest to keep the pregnant bitch away from any visitors during all pregnancy?  Pregnancy complications and their relation to health of the puppies is an entirely different topic, which I believe we are not discussing here. The healthy neonatal pups don't need to be isolated from their normal surroundings, including exposure to variety of viruses, so their immune system will boost properly, unless you want to keep your dog in sterilized environment all his life. 



Sally's Mom said:


> I watched a friend of mine who worked in a kennel have 3 litters of still births/neonatal deaths... to herpes... I don't take any chances.


That's really sad, but I am pretty sure the bitch has already been infected when pups still in utero, so again it has nothing to do with showing pups to the people at first few weeks.


----------



## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

The textbook on endocrinology that I have specifically mentions the 3 week window 3 weeks prior and 3 weeks post birth of the puppies.

In 2006, I bred one of my girls and she aborted. She was shown a lot in conformation and had just returned from Canada and was showing in the US. She was taken to the stud dog owner and bred. She was pregnant, then she started to look less pregnant, then one week before her due date, I radiographed her. There was one pup, my husband ultra sounded her.... there was one pup left with a heartbeat... her due date (9/11) came and went. Then it was obvious everything was dead... So the vet experts in Mass recommended oxytocin for 3 hr, but a c-section if the pup didn't come out. My husband did the c-section... and afterwards my girl went on to deliver (naturally) 3 litters of pups. 

My point is that once everything goes wrong, one makes a point of having everything go "right." There is nothing like telling prospective puppy owners that there are no puppies. I am careful because of my line of work to minimize what I bring to my dogs. I do not want to have a litter of 10 pups coughing from kennel cough just when they need to go to their new homes.


----------



## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

stoushr said:


> today i am going to look at 3 week old puppies. should i pick one out now?
> there are 4 males left and really want a male.
> 
> i already have a 3 year old golden and want another.
> ...


Wait until they're older. 

Regarding coat and pigment, the parents will give you as good a guess as anything else on three week old pups.

Also, consider that temperament and energy level are more important than coat style and how dark his nose is ... given that in addition to *looking* at him, you must also be able to *live* with him ... and what he looks like physically won't have anything to do with his personality.


----------



## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Sally's Mom said:


> Discoverer, Would you like me to quote from my endocrinology textbook or is it ok if I paraphrase? "Canine herpesvirus is an acute fatal disease in neonatal pups..." It can result in mummification if the bitch is infected early in pregnancy, abortion if infected mid pregnancy, and premature still births if infected later in pregnancy. Not making this up... it is here in black and white. I watched a friend of mine who worked in a kennel have 3 litters of still births/neonatal deaths... to herpes... I don't take any chances.


 
Perhaps Discoverer would like to share his/her credentials with all of us so that we, too, can contradict everything that a respected breeder/vet might have to say? :uhoh:


----------



## Discoverer (Feb 3, 2011)

Pointgold said:


> Perhaps Discoverer would like to share his/her credentials with all of us so that we, too, can contradict everything that a respected breeder/vet might have to say? :uhoh:


fftopic: If you have something to say to me personally please use PM. I will not respond to any provoked posts.


----------



## Mssjnnfer (Aug 9, 2009)

Discoverer said:


> fftopic: If you have something to say to me personally please use PM. I will not respond to any provoked posts.


Er... you just did...


----------



## Photosbykev (Jun 12, 2011)

We selected Bailey when she was 5 weeks old and then had to wait until she was 8 weeks old before collecting her. It was a case of sitting on the lawn and playing with the pups until you get a feeling for one of them. To be honest I would of taken them all home I couldn't chose between them but my better half eventually chose the one she wanted.

I think we were lucky with our choice of breeder as she constantly sent us pictures of the pups during the last three weeks so we could see their development.


----------



## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Discoverer said:


> fftopic: If you have something to say to me personally please use PM. I will not respond to any provoked posts.


Discoverer - 

_Perhaps you might like to share share your credentials with all of us so that we, too, might have reason to disbelieve/contradict everything that a respected breeder/vet might have to say? :uhoh: 
You state in another thread that you have strong reasons to disagree with a breeder/vet here on the forum, and the texts that she backs up her (educated, informed, and hands-on) statements with. Without understanding what your reasoning is to do so, it would appear that you are making posts contradicting her simply to provoke.

I am saying this to you on forum vs PM because it is a public issue.




_


----------



## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Discoverer said:


> This is very old concept, which is disproved already. The immune system of the young puppies is very strong and will fight virtually all viruses. And those puppis that caught the infection most likely will have the health issues in a future, sorry nobody canceled yet the natural selection ...


I know Sally's Mom already kind of dismantled you herself, but I feel the need to also chime in.

The amount of literature on the susceptibility of newborn dogs to infection is absolutely overwhelming. Most of us can confirm from personal experience that the literature is accurate as different folks have personally battled worms, giardia, coccidia, parvo, lepto, Lyme, and other diseases that are much more dangerous to puppies than to full grown dogs.

It's not an old wives' tale when experience and research confirm over and over that it's true.

And to your other comment about wolves, which I initially thought was a joke but now realize was meant at least partially seriously, do you know what the mortality rate is among wild mammals? In the wild, a litter of five wolf pups might result in only one or two animals that live to a year old, and that's if they're lucky. Most dog breeders like to shoot for a slightly better survival rate among their puppies.


----------



## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

And to another point raised in this thread, my breeder did let me visit the pups at 6 weeks, but I had to wash up like I was going into surgery, and she sprayed my jeans and shoes down with Lysol. Most breeders have either experienced a litter-wide dangerous infection themselves or have firsthand knowledge of a colleague who did. Some of the precautions may seem a little crazy to the non-breeder who comes to buy a puppy, but that kind of personal experience makes you wisely cautious.


----------



## luverofpeanuts (Jun 9, 2011)

While I'm an newbie here, I figured I'd chime in with my recent and first experience with a breeder. Our breeder would allow us to visit her, but only to meet her and the parents of the pups until around 5 weeks old. Then we could visit and interact with the pups, as long as we agreed to not be among other animals before our visit. 

Putting a deposit down secured a choice of male or female in order by deposit date. 

She also requested we fill out a questionnaire to allow her to understand our lifestyle and desires for the companion Golden(s) we were seeking (at a very high level, of course). She said after 3 or 4 weeks she starts taking notes about the personalities developing in the puppies in the hopes that it can guide her to matching pups and potential owners.

We visited the pups at about 5 1/2 weeks. Of course, it's a nearly impossible thing to "choose" among the joyous bundles of love. 

Personally, after viewing many breeder websites and reading about various experiences, i just thought it was important to meet my breeder face to face to really re-enforce that she was true to her beliefs and philosophies that were described on her website. I think that that is nearly as important as meeting the pups! She's almost like family now!


----------



## stoushr (Jun 1, 2008)

*puppy*

i do want to thank all of you in adding to this thread. it did seem it got out of hand. all i wanted to know of what age i should pick out a puppy, and it seems that i decided to wait and look at the puppies when they are older.


thank you all


----------



## Discoverer (Feb 3, 2011)

stoushr said:


> all i wanted to know of what age i should pick out a puppy


The best time to pick up the puppy is 7.5 - 8 weeks


----------



## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

The best time to pick up the puppy can vary. For some puppies it may be 8 weeks, for others, up to 10. I have held puppies for families up to 12-16 weeks with no adverse effects.


----------



## dexter0125 (Mar 20, 2011)

I got to meet Dexter at 4 weeks, I was the first person to see them and got my pick of the litter after at least an hour - hour and a half of playing with them, getting to know them, and questions going back and forth between the breeder, myself, and my parents. They'd just started getting their personalities. I remember when I chose Dexter I said, "Daddy, I think I got a biter.." BOY did I. Lol. Anywho. She felt I picked the right puppy for me but warned me that I wouldn't be able to recognize him when I came back to get him, or that I may change my mind about who I wanted. She also offered to allow me to see him whenever I wanted to in between the time I picked him and when I picked him up. I couldn't go see him though, because of school. Meh. She was right though, when I went back to see him, I had no idea which one he was other than his pink painted little toe nails and the wrinkles on his nose 

If the breeder allows you to visit, I think you should. If they allow you to come back in between the time you pick him / her, do it. I wish I could've, but my schedule simply didn't allow. I knew when I saw my boy, though. I could not take my eyes off of the nameless little fella that would be Dexter the entire time I was there. I held others and played with them, but Dexter was the one.


----------

