# Question for hunting dog breeders



## slough (Oct 12, 2003)

Not a huge deal if you ask me. I would imagine most of the pups will make good dogs and having pick of the litter doesn't guarantee anything. But I guess you could just get a refund and wait for another litter if you really want pick of the litter.


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## templey_41 (Jul 19, 2008)

Being the first to pick doesn't mean sqwat. You've done your homework and you like this breeder and his program. obviously all the pups should be great and it shouldn't be hard to train any of those dogs from the litter. At the age they are at i assume 8 weeks ish is when you will be picking it up. the dog can be molded to however you want it. its all in the trainer and the amount of time you spend with it. Best of luck!

It would be one thing if you paid extra $ to have the first pick then I would say you have issues. Mistakes happen make sure the pups come with health clearances and warranties.


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## eagle_3464 (Apr 22, 2011)

So, did you follow through and get the pup? As previously mentioned, if you did your homework on the breeding and selected good genetics with parental health clearances (Hips, eyes, EIC, CNM, PRA) then I wouldn't worry about pick order. However, it sounds as though you may have selected a questionable breeder. May be promising 1st pick to multiple people in effort to boost sales. At any rate, a respectable breeder should be keeping better records than what you have indicated. If he can't keep better records, how can he raise quality pups. Puppy Mill????? Can you give a hint on who the breeder is? PM if desired.


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## Chaws (Oct 12, 2007)

Pick of the litter is extremely over rated I believe. If you're not able to actually spend multiple days with the pups and also have a great deal of experience of seeing pups go from the litter to adulthood and be able to make comparisons, you'd be better off just grabbing one out of the whelping box blind folded and calling it good. Also, typically a good breeder that has experience in raising and training dogs will influence your decision away from the pup they would keep if they had to in the end. If you were to have a litter of pups and ended up not being able to sell or place a couple at the end, wouldn't you like to keep the one that shows you favorable traits for when they're grown? There have been many many FC/AFC's that were the last pup taken.

Good looking pup. Now take the prong collar off and let the pup be a puppy for a while. Plenty of time in their lives for structured training once they're physically and mentally mature enough.


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Gotta agree with Chaws on this one!
First pick, second pick, 15th pick...doesn't mean a hill of beans unless you're wanting a specific color or something. 
Out of a 13-pup litter, my GWP was ninth pick. Got looked over by nearly every other person. Fast forward to today: he's a gal-durn hunting machine who scored perfect on his NAVHDA NA test. That leads me to believe that there are higher factors (i.e. socialization, consistent training practices, early and often acclimation with the outdoors and hunting situations) that will effect the eventual outcome of a dog, than when it was picked from the litter. It's all a crapshoot, and if you did your homework (which you obviously did) than all the pups from a given litter ought to have an equal chance of excelling, given they receive the proper care, training and opportunities.
But I'm happy yours is turning out well. She sure is a pretty thing!


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## gundogguru (Oct 7, 2003)

One of the best bird dogs I ever had was the runt of the litter. Just take your time let the pup be a pup. And it will all come togehter in due time.


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