Was your puppy worth the wait?

Question

I just answered a question about buying puppies without seeing them first from breeders and trusting your breeder to match you up perfectly with the right puppy. Several others did as I did and actually have purchased puppies and waited on a waiting list for months (even years) to get the right puppy.

I waited nearly a year for my cocker and would have waited longer had the person ahead of me in line not backed out of the puppy deal. My breeder did a fabulous job choosing the right puppy for me and my family and I wouldn't have done it any other way.

I'm the first to admit I don't know EVERYTHING about dogs or puppies. I of course did a fair amount of research while I was waiting for my puppy, but I wouldn't have had any idea which puppy would have best suited my family (considering I have little kids) or what "Show" or "Pet" quality would mean as a puppy. My dog is pet quality, I have no interest in showing.

If I ever buy another purebred dog again, I will do it the same.

I should add that my breeder took a 50 percent deposit with the application to put us on the list and the other 50 was due when we picked the puppy up and the deposit WAS refundable if we didn't like the puppy when we arrived to meet him.

I'm also the mommy of a mutt and did in fact have a couple other mutts in my life BEFORE my cocker. My cocker is the one and only purebred dog I've ever bought and I only bought him because I have a love for the breed that has been with me since my mother got me a cocker as a child. I fully support rescues and shelters, but I wanted to include a cocker into my family as well- which is why I went to a REPUTABLE and RESPONSIBLE breeder to get him- not a puppy mill. He's a family member- not a fashion accessory- and he has just as much a right to a loving family as any other dog. Thanks for your concern, though, and kudos to you for adopting.

Answer 1

One might surmise that the lack of answers to this question means that most people pick out their own pup when it's time for it to go to it's new home.

You see... your's was one of the few real answers I received to my question. I wasn't asking how or why, I was asking who honestly sat on a waiting list, and took the pup picked for them.

My point? The people here don't practice what they preach, and it's never a good idea to let someone else make your decisions for you, especially the big decisions.

I'm glad you enjoy your pup, and that you had a great experience, but I could never do that. I know enough about my breed, and personality preferences that I prefer to pick out my own little darling. Had someone else picked out my pup this past summer, I shudder to think what I might had ended up with! I picked my little girl because not only was she cute and to breed standard, but she's such a little firecracker! She's onery, emotional, loving, and such a spoiled brat, just the way I like her! The thought of wanting a calm puppy just scares me! I live for their personalities.

Answer 2

The two *main* objectives of puppy classes are early socialization with other dogs and people, and house training help. If you feel competent in both those areas feel free to undertake this training on your own. Keep in mind that puppies need positive experiences with both larger and smaller dogs during this time period so unless you have friends with friendly dogs of multiple sizes it might be worth it. Also keep in mind that most training schools will let their puppy class graduates into an obedience class directly, while other dogs must be a year old to participate. Most dogs hit their adolescent ("teenage") period between 6-9 months and they can be difficult to handle. Find out what the actual class entails. Pressing too much hard training on young dogs won't accomplish much but they can learn the basics. Most of all, classes should really fun for both you and your dog.

Answer 3

Hi PhotoMama,
As we haven't met before on YA, hello.
To answer the question, I waited 33 yrs before I was able to give a 'suitable' home for the breed, and then another 12 months for the actual puppy. I know my dog's mom and dad and many of her ancestors. She is from a professional breeder who always very carefully selects the sire and dam who were both hip scored (important in the Giant breeds).
She (the dog) has constantly exceeded everything that I had hoped for and continues to do so even now, after 3 yrs. If have one regret it would be that I didn't have a suitable home environment for this breed earlier.
I constantly meet caring, loving dog owners who got their dog cheap from a BYB and am saddened to hear of many of the genetic health problems their dogs have that could have been avoided by choosing carefully.
Having said that, there are lots of muts and purebreds around without these genetic problems (although this is more by good luck than good breeding).
My advice to anyone is, if you want a purebred, then you have to research the breeder and the bloodline very carefully !

Answer 4

waiting for your pup can be a good thing, it allows time to prepare, to research and get exactly what you want. My parents were breeders and now I am one too. My first litter, of dobermans, had 10 pups, the only buyers who did their own picking were one couple who wanted a show pup and have had dobermans for many years. Otherwise I picked for the buyers, living full time with the pups I had a good idea of personalities and did the matching from that. I am very happy to say that everyone is thrilled with their pups, and most have commented on what good match I made for them. Also, pups adapt to their new homes well, and easily find their place.
it is expensive to produce a litter of quality pups, the parents need to be health tested, many breeders, including myself, believe in getting a championship on the dog first, then their is the stud fee (often the price of a pup), shots (my first vet bill for the 10 pups was over $800), for dobermans there is the cost of tail docking and ear cropping (anohter $2000+), food, registration- it adds up, so the profit isn't what people think. The ones making $ are the puppy mills who don't test for health problems, just breed whatever they have regardless of what the offspring look like. I breed one litter a year, so that I have a new show dog and to fill the orders that have come in.
at this time I have 4 reservations for my next litter, my girl is in season now but I won't breed her till her next season, she needs a rest after the 10!
so, I've given more than was asked for but felt the need to share

Answer 5

I waited almost a year for my dog (10 months old). My mom has a registered German Shepherd and I wanted a puppy from the same breeders so I contacted them and they were in between heats. I would have had to wait longer, but the fact that there was already one of their dogs in my family bumped me up the list. My sister then bought my dogs brother too. So now we have 3 of their dogs. This is the best animal that I have ever had and I love my dog dearly. It was SO worth the weight and the price.

Answer 6

Oh for sure! We waited 3 1/2 years for our little Tri Colour Chihuahua Bandit, but each and every one was worth the wait. We have 4 dogs in all. All bred by the same person. 3 of the 4 from the same dam.

Our breeder sent us pictures every week and updates on how they were doing until they got to come home. We did not see any of them "in the fur" until 6 weeks as he does not let anyone see them until after the first shots then the wait for them to come home seemed endless. The only one I saw before 6 weeks was Snickers as I was there helping him feed newborn kittens when the mother got sick the day he was born so I saw him right from his first second on earth.

Thanks for bringing back the memories. I can feel that same excitment right now as I felt when we went to bring them home. Now i'm going to have to keep telling myself 4 is enough! *LOL*

Answer 7

I didn't have to wait, i saw him on line, and said "no ill find one that is reputable" so i went to the vet and asked if they had a "Lhasa breeder who was good, and reputable" and with healthy dogs etc. They refereed me to the lady whom, i had seen posted on line. Well i called her, went up there (day after thanksgiving) and saw my little boy, fell in love instantly (not that i hadn't on line but i wanted a Good breeder sense the shelters didn't have and smaller dogs, that were good with cats) And we gave her 100 down to hold the puppy till December 16 (i wanted to get him when i went on "winter" break so i could do the potty training instantly) and then she was so nice to let me make payments to her, with a signed doc. of course. But oh god i would had waited longer if i had to for him, he is just the best little one. I begged my mum to get me him for 3 years so i guess in a way i did have to wait for him to come along. He was worth it, i got him when he was just a little tiny puppy. He's so spoiled.

Answer 8

Yes she was. The 2 main benefits of waiting were that I took the time to get my head around having a growing puppy in the house, and she had lots of time with her mother and siblings to get socialised.

Answer 9

I didn't wait, because I got a cheap, healthy mutt puppy at a pound, rather than contributing to a puppy mill and fashion-accessory culture.

Answer 10

EVERY one I have gotten was worth the wait!!!!!!!