The most challenging part of training dogs for a living is working with their owners. And, the most challenging part about breeding dogs is trying to accommodate all the potential new puppy owners.
Some people like a unique appearance or markings and, at a week old, they can tell me they want a specific puppy. On the other end of the continuum are folks who cannot seem to make up their mind, even after spending hours with the puppies. And, in between those extremes, I must help everyone find their “perfect” puppy, even though I know there is no such thing – just like there is no perfect puppy owner.
Then, there’s the whole “pick order” thing. I must be fair and I want people to be part of the selection because I think that, psychologically, if a person picked the puppy (rather than having me do it), they are more apt to be wholly devoted to the pup (which, of course, is my main goal in all of this). So, my strategy is to give first pick to the first person to send a deposit, and so on. The problem, there, is that when the person who has first pick cannot make up his mind, I cannot inform anyone else which puppies are still available. For some people, this will make or break whether they choose to send a deposit. They “must” have the tri-colored female, or they will NOT take the tri-colored female or they want a smooth coat and won’t take a rough coated puppy. People want to fall in love with their puppy before they get here to pick it up. They want to show their kids that the third male down the page is THEIR puppy. They want to think about naming it, and most people need to see the puppy before they name it (if even in a photo, only). So, for me, the sooner folks decide on “their” puppy, the easier it is. People tend to believe that they will bond better with an 8 week old puppy and that a 12 week old puppy is “too old”. So, there is this “shelf life” associated with puppies and so, while I don’t mind keeping a puppy for a year if I have to before I find the right home, I also want the puppies to get into their new homes sooner than later.
Curiously, albeit I can fully understand all the various emotions associated with acquiring a new, four legged family member, I have no problem getting a puppy “sight unseen”. In fact, I just did that in mid-August (I also acquired Sage and Yoli without “picking” and I went to pick up Opal having viewed just one photo of her). So long as I know the pedigree (which is a good indicator of work ethic) and I know the parents have their health screens and so long as I know the breeder is competent to raise up a litter of puppies with appropriate stimulation and socialization, I am cool with whatever personality the puppy may present as his authentic self. After all, one cannot choose whether their son will aspire to be a Master Chef and their daughter will choose to play professional sports when their new baby comes into the world. Parents cannot control the innate personality of their child. But, they can raise a well mannered, social, respectful individual, regardless of whether the kid is destined to become an accountant or a nurse or a rodeo clown. For the most part, I think that is what people want of their new dog, as well; a well mannered pet. “Personality” differences (such as Sage is more pensive and Boon is more happy-go-lucky) are what make owning a dog a delightful experience. None is the same as another. But, both can be raised to be very entertaining, engaging, polite and devoted companions.
For me, if the world were a perfect place (and I do not expect it to be so), it would be most simple if I could know what puppy a person desires at around 6 weeks old, so that I could inform the others on the pick list which puppies have been chosen. But, that is not always how it goes down. I recall a visit with a lovely gentleman a few years ago. All the females but two had been chosen before he sent his deposit. So, he was choosing between just two girls. I sat and watched as he engaged one and then the other for over an hour. Then, he asked if he could take each one outside, alone. He carried the puppies outdoors and walked about looking for some sort of characteristic that he felt might provide some sort of insight towards his decision making, I suppose. He left for a moment to go fetch something in his car. He brought back the little collar he had chosen for his new puppy. He finally called one pup to him and with great pomp and circumstance (at least to me, at that time), he ceremoniously donned one pup with the collar. Whew. I thought it was finally over. But, no! Before I could utter, “so, she’s the one”, he took the collar off pup number one and with as much caution and care as he had buckled it to the first pup he strapped it to the other one then sat back and admired his work. By that time, I felt it was better that I not speak rather than interrupt his three hour long process. He took the collar back off puppy number two and dressed his new puppy (number one) with the red collar. She was sound asleep by that time, as eight week old puppies simply cannot remain awake for hours on end. I was feeling a bit exhausted at the time, too, even though I had done nothing but watch the event!
The idea that an 8 week old puppy can be assessed for long term potential as a well mannered pet is simply irrational from the point of view of someone who makes a living rehabilitating unbalanced dogs. No dog is born anti-social. However, humans can push them to become that way. Dogs are born as communal canines and equipped to mesh into a pack (human or dog) via their hardwiring and their capacity to learn and adapt to new situations. So, the breeder’s job to provide a positive first eight weeks is important. But, thereafter, it is critical that the new owner offers the right environment for the puppy to thrive and develop into the companion that he wants. When a prospective puppy buyer places too much emphasis on the puppy’s “personality”, I often become concerned that he does not recognize his responsibility to maintain the puppy’s social etiquette and to manage and train the dog appropriately, for the rest of its life. Boundaries for behavior must be set, communicated and enforced. Dogs ache for discipline so that they can understand what is expected of them. Only then can they actually “please” their owner, which is what a well bred, herding-working dog is designed to do.
Certainly, one does not want to choose a puppy that seems to have social issues at 8 weeks old. That’s not about which I am speaking. But, when the whole litter is gregarious and loving, then, I would suggest that a person go ahead and pick the puppy that has the markings he prefers or that otherwise strikes his fancy for what ever reason. The rest is up to the owner, at that point. That is more likely to be the scenario when a puppy buyer selects a reputable breeder who knows how to raise a litter properly. In essence, the quest to find the perfect puppy becomes the goal to continue raising a socially balanced pup into a well mannered dog.
Photos: Eight day old Border Collie puppies.
December 8th, 2009 at 1:15 pm It’s so nice to see all this from a breeders point of view and your website answered a very pressing question for us. We recently got a Border Collie pup from the South African rescue association. We went and visited the pups and immediately fell in love with a lovable, white faced pup with a blue eye now named Zoe. She was all fluffy as a pup and now that she’s reached 5 months her coat is shining but short. We often take her to the vet shops with us when buying food or treats and one of the shop attendants told us that there’s no way she could be a pure bred because of her shorter coat. So I’ve embarked on a mission to prove that there are smooth coat collies out there… So thanks for being so informative! If I could adopt more border collies, I would!