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Things breeders hear constantly

6K views 29 replies 20 participants last post by  mzilke 
#1 ·
As people are looking for ways to stand out and get a puppy from a good breeder, I thought it might be useful to list some of the more common things breeders (or at least I) hear from potential puppy buyers. Some of them are just common, others inspire an automatic eye roll. Just be aware.

"I'm looking for a therapy dog." -- I hear this constantly. And 90% of the people saying this have never had a therapy dog, and never follow through.

"I'm looking for a calm dog that will cuddle with me." -- Good luck. For the first 2-3 years, Goldens can be very energetic. Just look in the puppy forum and see all the threads complaining about that.

"We want a Golden Retriever that will be good with our 2-year old." -- Ummmmm, okay. Needle sharp puppy teeth, boundless curiosity (by puppy and child), and no sense of what conduct is appropriate (by puppy and child), what could go wrong? Rather than saying that, try to explain why pairing a puppy with your toddler is going to be a good idea for either of them.

"I'm looking for an English Creme because they don't get cancer." -- Never, ever say this. If you don't know why, I can't help you.

"I just want a pet; I'm not interested in a show dog." -- Out of a litter of 10, there might be 1 show dog. Guess what the other 9 are? Yup, pets. And you're not getting a show dog anyway, so don't say this. It just makes you sound like you don't care about the puppy, just getting a good bargain.

"My kids are old enough to learn responsibility, so we want to get them a puppy." -- Big red flag for me and lots of breeders.

"What color will the puppies be?" -- Other than some shade of "gold," from light to dark, there is usually no way to know until they are on the ground, as the color of any ancestors from generations back could be expressed in a particular puppy (but see English Creme).

"I'm looking for first pick male/female." -- This is just a pet peeve of mine. We don't have "picks." And besides, don't people feel like they are getting a leftover puppy if someone is stuck with "last pick?"

"We might want to breed down the road." -- Saying that might get you crossed off some breeders' lists.

"We don't want to crate train. That's just cruel." -- If you say this, you sound uneducated. Maybe the breeder will educate you, or maybe they will just move on. I guarantee the breeder crates her dogs, and now you've just insulted her. Nice.

"Can we make payments on the puppy?" -- No. No, you can't. Save up.

What else? I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch of things.
 
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#2 ·
^^^^ This 100%+++++ :)

Flipside of this, fwiw... I went to the local bakery to get my own birthday cake (LOL) and had all my dogs with me.

Stopped to chat with a couple people and have to say that the things the one person said just made me SOOOO HAPPPY. Mainly because this was somebody who knew the breed and was up to date on a lot of stuff. Not often you run into people like that.

They were looking for a puppy - but everything they said, you knew these were long time and up to date golden people.
 
#3 ·
Not a breeder, but when I paid a visit to mine before the pups came there was another couple there doing the same, and they kept saying they wanted a 'calm' puppy. I about went cross eyed. Sure, some puppies may not have as much energy as others, but I've never had a "calm" puppy of any breed.
 
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#4 ·
Funny story from when I bought Luke: The breeder had told me I was the first one to put a deposit down, I would get first pick of the puppies. Those were her words as I did not ask for first pick. Well, something happened where we had to be out of town and by the time I picked up Luke he was the last puppy and she said the runt of the litter. He was so beautiful and sweet. He ended up being 24" tall and weighing 72lbs. He also ended up being what my husband called my soulmate. I couldn't have loved him more and he returned it doubly. It was meant to be. Best came last (haha.)

One more: After Luke passed -- and when I decided I would go ahead and make arrangements to get another dog six to eight months down the road, someone said to me "You know you won't be getting one just like Luke." Well, of course I know that and it isn't like Luke came out of the womb the way he was as an adult. Oh, do I remember the puppy teeth. The energy. The woodwork chewing. lol Thank God for Bitter Apple Spray and chew toys. I have fond memories of training him, but I also remembered being pulled down the road like Cesar Milan's "How not to walk a dog" video. Walking properly on a leash took a while for Luke, but he heeled like a pro. Anyway, it eventually came and we walked many happy miles together.

It took a lot of work to get a well-trained mature dog - and most of it I loved, but I do very much so remember the puppy behavior.
 
#6 ·
I raised two Golden puppies before Rukie so I knew what I was getting into but I still asked for a lower energy dog. I don't want to get bashed here -- but I may have said couch potato and Rukie is a calm dog. Sure he had his puppy zoomies and biting phase but it doesn't take a lot of work to keep him exercised enough to be a calm dog. One of his favorite things to do is lay on the back of my couch to look out the window. He actually lays across the top of the couch. He's ruining the couch but he's happy. Don't worry, he gets a good romp every night with the neighbor's Golden. Dana, I know you breed high energy dogs but do you see different energy levels among your individual puppies?
 
#9 ·
Dana, I know you breed high energy dogs but do you see different energy levels among your individual puppies?
1. I don't breed high energy dogs. Where did you get that notion? I breed athletes. High energy dogs are tough to live with. Mine aren't, and if I'm sitting I have at least two draped over me pretty much all the time. But I don't breed low energy dogs, either. On a scale from 1 to 100, where 1 is a rug and 100 is vibrating, my dogs are a 65-75. They have a zest for life, but spend most of their day lounging.

2. Yes, of course. Every puppy is different. That's the absolute joy of it, isn't it? :) But it's not a wide swing. I won't have one puppy unwilling to move while another keeps bouncing off the walls. They are all within a fairly consistent range. It's one of the things I breed for, actually.
 
#7 ·
I find that "calm" puppies are generally to be avoided, when choosing from a litter. (mine are usually farm dogs)

A puppy should be adventurous, curious, and outgoing.
Here are were my friends puppies..very well socialized with his children and farm animals. (that rooster is nothing to mess with..LOL) He gifted me the only female (the purple collar one) and drove 2000 miles to bring her to me.
 

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#22 ·
Uh, no.
A calm puppy can be adventurous, curious and outgoing when it's appropriate but also calm and laid back when the situation calls for it.
A calm puppy tends to be more focused and easy to train, not to mention easy to live with.
My Tito was born an old soul. He's the definition of calm. Oh and he's also a CH VCD3 UDX VER RA TDX MHU SH MXP MJP MFP T2BP DJ WCX VCX CCA CGC (and UCH UUD HR UH URO1 UJJ AN), and probably a few I forgot. And an ADA mobility assist service dog. But around the house I have to nudge him to be sure he's alive. He's been that way since 8 weeks old.
Never puppy nipped people. Never jumped on people. Never tugged on the leash. Wouldn't dream of stealing anything off a counter or table.
He produces amazing, calm puppies who excel in multiple high level sports but are easy to live with.
Give me a calm puppy any time!
 
#11 ·
I think when people say they want a puppy to take hiking with them, they’re more trying to convey to the breeder that the dog won’t just sit in the backyard or go for slow walks around the neighborhood. They intend to actually exercise the dog. That’s how I’ve always looked at it. I honestly don’t know any dogs that can’t handle a hike, so I don’t think you need to ask the breeder to pick one for you that can handle it!
 
#16 ·
“Oh, I really like (insert unique feature) puppy.”

I honestly hope everyone one of my litters has nearly identical puppies. I dread the lighter puppy, the darker puppy or the one with the noticeable cow lick. Inevitably all my companion homes want the “unique” puppy even when it is clearly not the best fit for their home.
 
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#20 ·
That's so funny. Ned's litter had a HUGE range of coat colors. One of the boys looked like an "English Creme" and another boy was straight up mahogany red. The rest of the pups were somewhere in between. Apparently, everyone on the waitlist kept asking for the red puppy. I have to admit I was was even intrigued by him. Him owner named him Mars, which is the perfect name. I follow him on instagram and it's been fun to see how dark he's become. He has the same head shape and structure as Ned, but is 10 shades darker.
 
#26 ·
After buying a several golden puppies over the years, you kind of figure out what you want. If you're into dog sports, you'll get exposed to a lot of dogs at events. Getting to know the sire/dam/sisters/brothers, etc. of your soon to be puppy, really helps to know what you are getting. My last 2 puppies, I knew their parents, some of their grandparents, and their cousins. I knew what I was getting before I brought them home. That helps tremendously.



And my last puppy came from a farmer. They had goldens, an apple orchard and boarded horses. A variety of things going on all day that the puppies were exposed to.
 
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