I'd like to leave it until at least 4 weeks old because then I'll have a better idea of what they'll look like and their temperaments. I don't want to leave it too late and end up having the last pick though. Think I'll ring the breeder today and see if she's decided which pup she wants and whether any of the other buyers have chosen.

I didn't choose Kali. He chose me, when he was three weeks old. I picked up one black and white squirmy thing out of a heaving heap and looked at its half-open eyes. It looked at me. "You're a handsome chap" says I, "but I have to look at your brothers!" - then I picked up the second squirmer and looked at him. He looked at me, then this little pink tongue came out and got me on the nose. That was it - I was in love! I must have been on the phone every day, asking when I could grab him!

The day he came! Malcolm reached over this low wall and pulled Kali out by the scruff of his neck - "Here's your one!", and plonked him in my arms. I remember people talking, and my telling Mrs S that my wallet was in my pocket, but, otherwise, all I remember is a pair of little blue eyes staring up at me. Nothing has changed. I still love him, he still stares up at me, and his eyes are still blue.

Snorri-dog chose himself, by being almost identical to his older brother.

Snorri

Kind of the same when I got Storm, with being new dog owners everyone said "when choosing, dont go for the dog who hangs back and dont choose the cocky one". Storm came straight upto me chewing my shoes and just being cocky, but all the advice was forgoten as there was something in his eyes what said he was the dog for me.

Spoke to the breeder, she is going to try and pick the one she wants tomorrow, she knows she wants a bitch and she knows which one she doesn't want. I think I want the girl with a black head but will decide when I go up next week.

Just realised that I'd only half-answered the original question!

Kali was 3 weeks old, Snorri-dog was 10 weeks.


Snorri

Seiko was the only pup left so there was no choice to make.. he was about 12wks..

When it came to Cruiser we had weekly pic updates and there was only 2 boys in the litter..light boy and dark boy.. I loved light boy and decided on him from the pics UNTIL the 6wk pics and I immediately fell in love with dark boy!!! Which shocked me a bit..But I decided it was dark boy there and then..
We met them at 9wks and light boy was very quiet and preferred to sit away from the rest of us and watch.. Dark boy was clowning around.. chewing on my daughters hair, eating my sons shoe laces, climbing over me and OH and generally just causing mayhem.. I was in love.. and we told the breeder.. its him.. its gotta be him.. We picked him up 3wks later and its still gotta be him!!

I picked Asta out at 7 wks,which is a good time to pick a pup. 7- 8 wks is the perfect time to check for heart murmurs etc,etc.Also the mother doesn't get too stressed at this age.My belief is nobody should really view a litter before this and if I were a breeder I certainly wouldn't allow anyone to view before 7 wks.

My breeder sends regular updates and has done since the moment the bitch began whelping. I think it's good to see the pups before you decide which one you want, you can't always know from looking at a picture which puppy is suitable.

I picked Fudge at 8 weeks. All the dogs had gone but i was not set on that so that did not matter. the rest of the pups were very different in markings. Some were pure white, although knowing how Fudge`s markings changed I am sure they did not stay that way. i did not pick the noisy one who was always barking to be fed. fudge came up to the wire and spoke to me, with little ooohs and whines....She seemed content in herself and wanted to meet me. Her split face markings were the deciding factor.

1 week


there was 2 i liked - i said whichever is the girl is the one i want

it was the markings

although i chose definately at 2 weeks when we could handle them more