Ugh, truly a first world problem. I’m in line to get a new puppy. I know both the Mom/Dad. Mom had the puppies over the weekend and now I have to pick. I can’t take them all 
I cannnntttt decide!!! I do know I want a girl so the boy puppy is out. The Mom owner said I can wait a couple weeks to decide. I fee like I should just flip a coin since I’ve got it down to between two.
Don’t puppies pick you?
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My last two were “the puppy nobody wanted” and the last one left. Both were wonderful fine dogs that I miss terribly.
The only one that picked us was in a litter in which we got first pick and the breeder waited until it was time to take them home. My DH got “picked” and she was his dog until the day she died at 14.
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What kind of puppies, what kind of litter? And - it’s waaaay too early to make a pick so don’t even try now.
Most of the breeders I know make the selections, or at least do the initial sorting. Based on temperament, conformation, size, gender, etc. And selection wouldn’t be done before 6 weeks but many breeders I know have been able to identify the “pick puppy” as early as 3-4 weeks.
Unless they live with you, I would trust the breeder to know the temperament better - they know which ones are very active, more mellow, the ones that annoy the shit out of all the rest. Those types of traits tend to stay the same.
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I got my new guy from a breeder 2500 miles away. English Shepherd. I knew the sire’s breeder very well, and watched videos of both parents working livestock. I talked extensively to the breeder. I told her, I don’t care what color or sex it is, I just want the pup who is confident, calm, curious, problem-solver, gets along with everyone, likes people, wants to please. I want the pup who is first out of the whelping box, the one who is first to recover from being startled.
She observed the pups very carefully over the course of their development, gave me updates all along, got some experienced people to temperament-test them at seven weeks, and made her selections for buyers after that.
I am SUPER happy with my puppy. He’s everything I wanted.
I’m convinced that the best way to pick a pup is to pick the BREEDER, and let them pick out your pup for you based on what you want in a dog.
The only thing you can tell about a pup at the age you are being asked to pick is their sex and (probable) color. Neither of those have much to do with how satisfied you’ll be with the next twelve or fifteen years.
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I agree with this 100%!
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Right? Came here to say the same thing. My dog of a lifetime was from a small GSD breeder. I went to visit the litter and had my heart set on an all black puppy. I’m glad I went to see them because the all black puppy did not care one whit about my presence, but her brother was all over me. Wanted to play, sit, and stand under me the whole time I was visiting them, didn’t leave my feet, and finally fell asleep on my shoes with my shoelace in his mouth! He obviously came home with me and was the best dog.
Go see them in person. Your puppy will make it obvious who s/he is.
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Great story, and one beautiful dog.
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Well, maybe. But the breeder will know, so trust them.
One of my dogs “chose” me but the initial sorting had already been done by the breeder. I knew which ones were not available, and I also lived nearby and helped with some of the puppy care from 6-8 weeks so I had an opportunity to get to know them.
My middle dog was chosen by the breeder as a pick show puppy out of a litter of 12. When I went to see them I was so overwhelmed by 12 puppies that I couldn’t even find him most of the time. So - it may not be possible to identify the puppy you want by visiting them once, even if that’s the choice the breeder gives you.
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I have gotten about ten or twelve pups from breeders in the course of my life, and my own experience is that I can’t tell squat about a litter of normal happy puppies from spending an hour or two with them. I have had duds, weirdos, and problem children by going with my instincts on the spot.
The two best dogs I’ve had, barring one I bred myself, have been the pup I have now (totally breeder-picked based on my clear preferences, as per above post) and one 20 years ago where I went out to a ranch where the breeder showed me a working Aussie litter that was the product of some eight or ten generations of her breeding, watched me with the puppies for awhile, then picked one up and told me “this your pup. She’s the right dog for you.”
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I’m pretty sure I know which description my hand-me-down dog fit when she was a puppy 
Thanks for all the thoughts. I know both parents, most of the puppies (this is the fourth litter), including the one that I had who passed away unexpectedly in December. Not a bad dog among them all. So, I’m confident that either puppy will be a wonderful dog! I’ve had Springer Spaniels in the past and most recently a shorty jack. This will be my second shorty.
It’s just hard to choose!
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I’ve known more than one successful working dog trainer whose technique consisted of putting all the pups in a box, closing their eyes, and grabbing one.
This presupposing that the parents are proven producers of the kind of dog wanted.
I’ve picked a lot of puppies in my day, both as breeder and as one buying from a litter.
Very unusual to do picks until just before they are ready to go home. Trust the breeder. They know.
If all else fails, pick the one that doesn’t have diarrhea.
We have always chosen our own pup or the pup has chosen us. Although it seems that a good breeder can match pup to family and everyone seems happy here that had it done.
@IndysMom if choosing the pup is up to you then do it when they are old enough you can see the personality.
When my daughter went to get her Mini Aussie it took her forever to choose! Turns out she chose one I never would have and my husband would have taken another and my choice was different from his. Turns out her choice was perfect for her.
My current pup Nellie I actually saw her online and I just knew she was for me . I did talk to her breeder about her over all personality and traits etc… but It has worked out wonderfully!
