Going to see the litter

[Shaft]

Sorry if this is the wrong forum

My wife and I have put a deposit on a new pup and will be going to visit the litter in 2 weeks. I am super excited to go see the little buggers. And more excited about getting to take one home. The pups will be 6 weeks old when we go see them. Is there anything that i should look for in these pups while im there, like temperment, size, etc.... I know the breeder will ultimatley tell us which pup will best suit us but i just want to see if there is anything that i should look for. Thanks

[Sharon Marples]

Oh how fun for you! Nothing more exciting that going to see your new puppy prospect! How old will the pups be when you go to see them? Your post didn't say.

If they are at least 5 weeks of age or older (and I hope this breeder is not going to send one home with you until they are at least 7.5 - 8 weeks of age), you should be seeing confident, outgoing, well socialized puppies.

They should be willing to come to you without hesitation, and have no shyness. They should also be willing, when they are in a group, to walk off and go and investigate things on their own. You don't want to see a pup sitting in a corner all by himself, not wanting to play or interact with the other pups or visitors.

Of course, this all depends on how old the pups will be when you are looking at them. You are looking for confidence, socialization and a happy puppy.

[BostonRott]

You forgot one crucial piece of info in your post! How old will they be? You said they would be "weeks" old....but how many? You can expect to see varying levels of activity, depending on the age.

[Shaft]

Sorry i have edited my post, the pups will be 5-6 weeks old when we go see them. The pups were born on june 4th and i have the most confidence in my breeder. I am no expert and this is my first rottie. The breeder says the pups will be ready around the first week of august but i will be going away the week after so we will not pick up the pup until after we return. Bring her home before we leave would not be fair and prob confuse her. The breeder was most accomodating to this which made me all the more comfortable. The breeder does socialize all the pups. He does owns both sire and dam, we met both and they were both wonderful, great looking and great temperment. They were very friendly and even the dam while in the whelping pen was very friendly. Hopefully all this leads to a great pup. I have done lots of research on what to look for in a breeder and this breeder seems to meet everything. He was very thourough when we went to see the litter the frist time. He was weighing them everyday and had charts on all the pups. He had all the paperwork on the parents. Within a week of birth he had tails docked and dewclaws removed. He gave a great feeling that he cares for all his dogs tremendously. He was the first breeder we went to and i know i might catch heat for this but we liked the breeder, sire and dam so much we had to put a deposit.

[SonnyRott]

Yes, how exciting!

My only question/advice would be....did you get copies of the pedigree and copies of the OFA certificates for the sire and dam so you can do your own research in the meantime?

[Shaft]

The OFA is listed on the akc site, which is how i found the breeder. He did show us pedigree which he will give copies of. He also had certificates for the sire in his therapy completions as well as the awards for competitions won.

[BostonRott]

At 5-6 weeks, they should be getting their co-ordination figured out and "chase" becomes a great game! They should also enjoy playing with you with toys, just keep in mind that their eyes aren't too mature yet and they can't see very far away.

Have fun playing with them!!

[Sharon Marples]

Originally Posted by Shaft

The OFA is listed on the akc site, which is how i found the breeder. He did show us pedigree which he will give copies of. He also had certificates for the sire in his therapy completions as well as the awards for competitions won.

What you have stated does NOT cover any health certifications (unless your statement that "the OFA is listed on the akc site" means that you have seen the certifications on both the sire and dam).

The breeder should give you the above PLUS (and more important in my mind), copies of the OFA certifications (hips, eyes, hearts and elbows) on each dog. Each certification will be listed on a separate document. They may not have elbow certifications, but they should definitely have hips, eyes and heart certifications. If not, it would be my suggestion to ask for your deposit back.

If the breeder does not have his certifications or does not give you the option to see them, go to the OFA website (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) and do a search on the sire and dam's name. Their certifications should come up showing you what they have been tested for and passed. If nothing shows up for either dog, you can assume that this breeder does no health testing and if that is the case, then Buyer Beware!

I hope that they have all the necessary health certifications so you can continue looking forward to a puppy from this litter. You also need to be sure that the puppy is sold on a contract with guarantees for health and temperament. You can do a search on here to look for "puppy contracts" to see what should be included in their contract.

[Shaft]

The links of the akc site go directly to the sire and dam which both have hips listed as good. He also does provide a health guarantee.

[Sharon Marples]

Originally Posted by Shaft

The links of the akc site go directly to the sire and dam which both have hips listed as good. He also does provide a health guarantee.

And what about hearts and eyes? He should have health certifications on those as well. Does the health guarantee cover them in case they come down or are diagnosed with HD? Many breeders offer health guarantees that do not cover the dog until they are old enough to be tested and films submitted to the OFA (final determination on hip x-rays cannot be done before the dog is two years old). Hearts can be done at a year, eyes can be tested for cataracts much earlier than that.

Just wanting to be sure you are covered. If you are going to purchase a pup, make sure it has the best start in life that it can, and that includes ALL health certifications on the sire and dam.

[TrishB]

Bring a new toy from the store, something funky that they haven't seen before (clear this with your breeder first - they'll want it to be brand new, so that they know other pups haven't played with it). See how they react! They're often like kids and will play with the box too.

Watch how they interact, if they follow, if they're confident.

Do not get sucked in by the 'shy one' and feel sorry for him / here. You're looking at the next 12 years and 'shy' will get old very quickly when they're 100lbs.

See how they react to noises. They're allowed to react, but do they recover and investigate? Do they regulate each other during play? Do they change positions or is one always the bully?

Enjoy it - this is one of my most favourite times - wee ones with their litter and Mom just enjoying life!

[Shaft]

Thanks for all the replies. These tips and concerns are great. I will make sure to find out some more info on the health certs and will take another look at the contract when i get home tonight. I do remmeber the breeder mentioning about eyes and heart but dont remeber if he showed certs for them. There was so much paperwork he showed it is hard to remember everything.

I'll be sure to observe the pups and look for all these different things. When we did go see the pups the first time the breeder did ask about children, fence and if we had other dogs. He was concerned about other dogs and kennel cough. He has also stopped his other rotties from competitions in fear of bringing kennel cough home. I do beleive this is a very responsible breeder and have good faith in the pups he is raising.

[observer]

Here's a thread to look at to see what all the OFA certs and other certificates should look like. Hope it helps-- have fun with the puppies!

http://www.rottweiler.net/forums/bre...look-like.html

[Lola B Marie]

Congrats on the new pup. Went through all then same wonderful excitement same time last year. Have you chosen a vet? There is a wonderful vet in Oceanside if that's not to far. His name is Barry Buchalter 516 766 6060. He actually loves rotties and it took me forever to find a vet who did. Tell him Lola sent you. He is the most caring and concerned vet I have ever gone to. When Lola was spayed, he came out to tell me that he kissed her on her snoot before he put her under.I can't say enough about this man. Good luck with the pup
Jane

[Shaft]

Thanks, we pretty much have a vet in mind. We know someone who goes this vet. But many thanks for the consideration and i will keep this in mind.