Me, pregnant?? Not on yer life! I'm 50 years old, have 4 children & 15 grandchildren! Human babies are not on my agenda at all! However, thanks for asking!

Hi
My Fred was the only Pup left when i enquired about a pup. The Breeder told me we would have the last one, So i guess as there was about 7 more in the litter the other buyers had there pick, Now how they think they can pick a Champion from six to seven week old Pups i do not know, Having been at the top of the Pigeon Sport all my life and at the least 40 years at the highest peak, I cannot tell a Champion Pigeon when i take it away from its Parents, People may think they know and if they turn out to be correct then it is mostly down to luck
Our 14 year old Charlie was the last one left in the litter a Reject by other peoples standards, But no one could have a Better more intelligent and a great companion that he has been I always thank my lucky stars that i was the one to get him
Ask the Breeder Questions as to why it is left
but if you have that gut instinct that you like him, then take him home and make him what you will, I have always relied on my instincts and rarely have they let me down if ever
Steve

Hey, Steve, I agree about it coming down to whether she likes THAT pup or not. I think it's a catchphrase to get the last pup sold, but the fact that she IS the last pup doesn't necessarily mean a thing. In every litter, there's a last pup to be sold!

My favorite dog ever was from an unplanned litter in which the pups were taken to a pet store and sold on consignment (family friend owns the pet store, or I'd never have considered buying a dog, regardless of how cheap, from a pet store). I got the last one, and I'm sooo thankful I did. Best friend you could ever want. All it meant to me was that someone else connected with his brother a little better. I'd have zero problem with the breeder saying- "you're in luck; I've got one left." Saying that the last pup happens to be the pick of the litter is a bit shady, IMO.

BUT-she's talking about a lot of money, and a deeper issue, possible misrepresentation by the breeder. I think it's more of an issue of principles than actual "pick" or not. If she falls for this pup and is comfortable with the breeder upon meeting him/her and the dogs, then by all means, she should go with her gut and buy this pup-
"pick", "reject", or whatever in between.

I don't think you guys should be jumping all over this business about "pick". I know a few breeders who evey once in a while, for whatever reason, end up with pick as last pup. I'm not talking about low end breeders desperate to sell a dog. Also, puppies develope differently. If the litter was uniform, maybe this pup developed slower, chances are all the puppies end up catching up with each other. Finally, she's just looking for a companion, not a dog for show, sport or work - emphasis on companion. If she's not comfortable with the breeder she should walk away. I know for sure, none of us can judge this breeder based upon the information provided on this thread.

There's more info on the breeder being exchanged in PMs ; to clarify, she did mention an "inate" protectiveness, which as we all know, is a difficult thing to find, especially in a showline. I did tell her that it's entirely possible a deal fell through on a previously reserved pup or that since POL is simply one person's opinion, the buyers simply didn't share the breeders opinion! Doesn't mean there's a darn thing wrong with that puppy.

I would be much more concerned and diligent about hip guarantees and this little girl meeting her expectations in the department of protectiveness than I would about if the breeder has gone a bit overboard with his marketing.

I think that the questions that came to my mind are valid. I am not jumping on any breeder, but when a breeder calls someone out of the blue, whether they want a companion or a working dog, and says they have a POL pup, I feel that there are questions that need answered.

Just to clarify, the breeder called me this morning because I had called him a few weeks ago to question him as a breeder, and about his litter. He really seemed to like the fact that I was doing my homework before getting a puppy. He did say to me this morning that he called me back because he was impressed with my intention, and what I had learned so far, and he thought I would make a good home for one of his dogs. He also shared that this female is "far more advanced than the rest of the litter". I have been watching his site for a long time, and all of the other pups were reserved quite a way in advance of the whelping. I was/am trying to find a reputable breeder in my state of Virginia, as I personally don't like the idea of transporting dogs in any method other than via car unless absolutely necessary. (JMHO) You guys and gals are such a wealth of knowledge! Thanks so much for all of your help!

Edited by Krista Breuninge (06/23/2007 12:49 PM)
Edit reason: more info

 Quote: Krista Breuninge

Just to clarify, the breeder called me this morning because I had called him a few weeks ago to question him as a breeder, and about his litter. He really seemed to like the fact that I was doing my homework before getting a puppy. He did say to me this morning that he called me back because he was impressed with my intention, and what I had learned so far, and he thought I would make a good home for one of his dogs. I was/am trying to find a reputable breeder in my state of Virginia, as I personally don't like the idea of transporting dogs in any method other than via car unless absolutely necessary. (JMHO) You guys and gals are such a wealth of knowledge! Thanks so much for all of your help!

Now this changes the whole, call up the buyer thing a bit.
I was under the impression that he called you out of the blue.

I would still ask about POL though, just for my own piece of mind.

Krista, Who are the sire & dam of this puppy?

They are Waldo and Isabell, link follows:
http://www.germanshepherdpuppiesnva.com/waldoisabell.cfm