shad Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Hi all, I've been a reader for a while now... first post! We're getting our labrador puppy (Kirri) in 3 weeks !! so excited. Went to visit her on sunday as our breeder said we could choose our puppy when they were 5 weeks of age. Unfortunately for us, we couldn't go on the Sat ... so when we went on the Sun there was only 1 female left. She's absolutely gorgeous !!.... but she seemed very timid and a bit shy. we picked her up and had a bit of a play with her but she just didn't seem as interested as the rest of the litter. ... who were licking and biting and very inquisitive. The breeder said there's always one in a litter who gets picked on a bit and she could be that one. She didn't try to run away or cry when we were holding her though. We still plan on taking her home in 3 weeks.... just wondering if there's anything I should be careful about? Or note... while we train and take care of her? Was also thinking that maybe i'll assess her again when I go pick her up .... make she she doesn't run away from me as I approach her..? Thoughts? Thanks in adv for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie1 Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Hi all,I've been a reader for a while now... first post! We're getting our labrador puppy (Kirri) in 3 weeks !! so excited. Went to visit her on sunday as our breeder said we could choose our puppy when they were 5 weeks of age. Unfortunately for us, we couldn't go on the Sat ... so when we went on the Sun there was only 1 female left. She's absolutely gorgeous !!.... but she seemed very timid and a bit shy. we picked her up and had a bit of a play with her but she just didn't seem as interested as the rest of the litter. ... who were licking and biting and very inquisitive. The breeder said there's always one in a litter who gets picked on a bit and she could be that one. She didn't try to run away or cry when we were holding her though. We still plan on taking her home in 3 weeks.... just wondering if there's anything I should be careful about? Or note... while we train and take care of her? Was also thinking that maybe i'll assess her again when I go pick her up .... make she she doesn't run away from me as I approach her..? Thoughts? Thanks in adv for the help! She looks very cute! I have no advise for you except maybe post something under the lab thread under the breed threads as there are loads of breeders on there who could give you advice. I pick my lab pup up next week saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 In what way was the puppy timid and shy? Did she run away from you? Was she reluctant to approach? The fact that she wasn't as interested as the other puppies doesn't mean a great deal, she may have been playing flat out five minutes before you arrived and was simply tired. Puppies are generally either highly energetic, playful and inquisitive or they're zonked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvsdogs Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 (edited) Hello & welcome to dol. The puppy is very cute. The main thing to be aware of is not to cuddle & pat her if she shows any shyness. This will tell her its ok to be like that & make it worse. As with all the things she does, ignore the bad & praise the good. A good website where you'll be able to download the book for free "Before You Get Your Puppy" by Dr Ian Dunbar a veterinary behaviourist. It takes you through to puppies 1st month at home. You can also access exerts from his other book "After You Get Your Puppy". If you use the search engine you can find info on everything dog including radio broadcasts with Dr Dunbar & video clips on various subjects & puppy/dog classes. www.dogstardaily.com It's also a good idea to enrol into a good puppy preschool so she can get used to being with other puppies b4 she's finished her vaccination schedule. Then a positive obedience club. And socialise, socialise, socialise to everything & everybody young & old that she will encounter during her lifetime. Good luck with your new puppy & we look forward to pictures & how she gets on when she comes to live with you. Edited May 26, 2009 by luvsdogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvsdogs Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 (edited) Something else I just thought of. Can you take a baby blanket that you've had around you or an old t-shirt to the breeders the week b4 you pick her up. The breeder can put it in with the pup & that way she will be familiar with your smell. Also a good excuse to see her again. Edited May 26, 2009 by luvsdogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 The puppy is very cute. The main thing to be aware of is not to cuddle & pat her if she shows any shyness. This will tell her its ok to be like that & make it worse. All puppies are cute, but if this puppy is genuinely timid and shy I would recommend that you purchase another puppy, a puppy that shows these signs at five weeks is likely to show the same behaviours as an adult, sure proper socialising and training may improve the problem, but the predisposition to shyness will always be present. There are plenty of normal puppies around, don't pay good money for a puppy with a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 (edited) Something else I just thought of. Can you take a baby blanket that you've had around you or an old t-shirt to the breeders the week b4 you pick her up. The breeder can put it in with the pup & that way she will be familiar with your smell. Also a good excuse to see her again. Don't forget that all the puppies are housed together, your blanket probably won't last very long However as you appear to have doubts regarding this puppy's temperament I would say that another visit before you actually pick the dog up would be a very good idea. Edited May 26, 2009 by Miranda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 If you have doubts- then don't buy ..... don't feel that you 'have' to take this pup. This pup wasn't chosen by you... she may not be the right one for you... then again she may well fit in beautifully Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 (edited) Are you buying from an ANKC registered breeder that has had their breeding stock health checked for hips, elbows, heart and eyes? If not, buy elsewhere. I'll confess to being mildly concerned about the idea of a breeder allocating the pups on a "first in, first served" basis. I don't buy the breeders explanation of the pup's shyness either. Any breeder I'd be interested in would know about about the pups temperaments from observation, not guesswork. You'll have 15 years to regret buying the pup if you make the wrong decision. I'd definitely want to go back and if I saw shyness again, I'd not be taking her. Good quality labrador pups from responsible, registered breeders aren't exactly rarities. Edited May 26, 2009 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shad Posted May 26, 2009 Author Share Posted May 26, 2009 well she didn't run away from us or anything like that. and as we were leaving the pups were going for a snooze and she settled in well with the rest of the litter. The breeder thinks she'll be fine and that they had a really shy puppy last year ... that turned out just fine once it was settled into its new home. i would like to go visit again.. but the breeder is a bout 3 hrs away and i'm unsure if i'll have the time to go before we pick her up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 The breeder thinks she'll be fine and that they had a really shy puppy last year ... that turned out just fine once it was settled into its new home. Shy puppies generally are fine when they're at home, it's when you take them out of their own environment that the timidity becomes apparent. Seriously if you have any doubts about this pup's temperament you must go and see it again, don't buy a shy puppy, shy pups can be extremely hard to manage and if you want a puppy that you can take out and about and do things with you could be in for a lifetime of heartbreak. I also agree with poodlefan, I don't let people pick pups on a 'first come, first served' basis either, I always try to match the puppy with the buyer. And health testing is a must, if it hasn't been done I would definitely give this breeder a miss. Have you been told the hip and elbow scores for the sire and dam? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 What are your hopes with this pup & what is your family set up including extended family & social family?? Consider your lifestyle & be honest with yourself.If you feel this pup may not be for you & what it will have to cope with then for the pups sake aswell say "no" If you feel your lifestyle is very laidback & your not a great social butterfly then yes this pup could be very perfect once away from the other litter mates. Some pups dont thrive as a pack & do wonders once in there new one on one home. If you trust your breeder & they feel it will be fine once home i would be inclined to believe them as they would also see the pup at other times. As for order of pups as all breeders know we can all place pups to the homes we think best suits but someone always has to get that last choice & depending on how was first on the list & waited the longest we will give them the choice of the pups we feel will best suit also keeping in mind the other homes. I agree 3 hrs isnt fair when it comes to making sure this pup is the right one. Personally though we dont have people out seeing pups at 5 weeks.All pups develop at different stages & some pups at 5 weeks are just still grasping the whole new world idea & in 2 weeks time those pups can all have flourished in different ways & taken on new personalities & also have so much more confidence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shad Posted May 26, 2009 Author Share Posted May 26, 2009 (edited) i think as a family we are fairly laid back. we don't have kids, and the extended family visit every now and then but not very often. we have friends over sometimes but by no means are we social butterflies. we would prefer to sit at home more often than not. i'm new to all of this so I can't really say if I trust the breeder or not. They have been easy to deal with so far .... friendly .... nothing that would make me wary. However, I was planning on assessing the pup again when i go to get her in 3 weeks. And I think I'll let the breeder know that will be my intention. hm... or maybe i should just go again in 2 weeks.... also. the parents scores are all available... the pups will be vet checked etc. papers.... everything is (appears to be) above board. Edited May 26, 2009 by shad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joan of Arc Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 (edited) Shad have PMd you I should have also invited you to join us in the Labrador thread where you'll meet lots of like minded people who are all owned by their Labradors. Edited May 26, 2009 by mercedes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 The puppy is very cute. The main thing to be aware of is not to cuddle & pat her if she shows any shyness. This will tell her its ok to be like that & make it worse. All puppies are cute, but if this puppy is genuinely timid and shy I would recommend that you purchase another puppy, a puppy that shows these signs at five weeks is likely to show the same behaviours as an adult, sure proper socialising and training may improve the problem, but the predisposition to shyness will always be present. There are plenty of normal puppies around, don't pay good money for a puppy with a problem. Agree totally with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 If i had any doubt, i wouldnt get the pup... i know how hard it is, i got a kitten last year, found a breeder who had a few kittens i could pick from, i was so excited, but after talking to the breeder, i had to say no, there was just something i wasnt happy with... The right kitten and right breeders did come around, but it sucks having to wait!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam&Saki Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 This pup doesn't sound overly shy or timid from just the description of behaviour here...? I deliberately chose the one pup in the litter who was the least dominant, who hung back and waited after all the other pups had jumped all over me before coming forward for her turn. She was still licking me and checking me out long after the others were off playing amongst themselves again. I supposed this could have been classed as shy behaviour, but she has certainly not grown into a shy or timid or fearful dog in any way whatsoever x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 The puppy doesn't sound shy or fearful to me either, but I wasn't there and if the OP has the slightest doubt about the pup's temperament she needs to go back and check out the puppy again. Some puppies are more outgoing than others and as I said before the puppy could just have been tired. I would be very wary of a puppy who avoided hand contact, a puppy that ran away when I entered the yard or a puppy that refused to come out of the kennel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 However, I was planning on assessing the pup again when i go to get her in 3 weeks. And I think I'll let the breeder know that will be my intention.hm... or maybe i should just go again in 2 weeks.... I think in all fairness to the breeder you need to make some type of arrangements sooner than latter. To be honest i would be peeved if you waited till the pick up day & then decided it wasnt the pup for you because in the mean time you are turning people away. It sounds like you need to have a good family talk & i would suggest making another time to visit the pup explaining to the breeder your concerns.They will either be very helpful or may be a tad annoyed.For us personally we would sooner be told upfront so both parties can either work something out or decide that maybe the pup just isnt the right one. As a breeder i would hate to sell a pup where you had these feelings before it went home & would like to now all these concerns. As i say i dont believe the pup is shy or fearful but just a pup thats 5 weeks old & still doing alot of new world experiences.5 weeks is a big learning curve for pups & not all a courage s at that age. For the first time ever we allowed some puppy owners to come & look because they wanted to even though we explained its a "non special age" They told us which pup they liked & why /When they came back at 8 weeks they picked a different pup The pups had changed so much as expected but they couldnt appreciate this when told on the phone. Sometimes you just have to say no & then other times make that extra visit.A visit now is better than taking pup home & then returning it a few weeks latter & wishing you didnt take it,hard for the pup aswell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giraffez Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 (edited) Hi Shad I had the same response with my puppy when i went to visit him for the first time. But it was due to wrong timing. I visited just after it was fed so it was a bit sleepy. I breeder assured me that he was playful and that i was visiting at the wrong time. So lo and behold i visited him at a better time the next week and he was up and playful. I have since brought him home and he hasn't stopped running around since! This was my post: http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?s=&a...t&p=3662981 alot of people in that post reassured my concern and could help you answer some of your concerns. Edited May 26, 2009 by giraffez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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