One of the most exciting moments for our puppy families is puppy selection! ❤️ At Stargazer Labradors, puppy selection typically takes place when the puppies are 6 to 7 weeks old. By this age, their little personalities are beginning to shine through, and I have had several weeks to watch them grow, play, explore, interact with people and their littermates, and experience new things. This is such a special time because the puppy you have been waiting for is about to become your puppy. 🐾
HOW PUPPY SELECTION WORKS
Families choose their puppy in the order established on our waiting list, based on deposit date, gender, and color preference. When it is your turn to select, puppy selection can take place in person or from home through current pictures and videos sent by email or text.
No matter which way you choose, I want puppy selection to be a fun, personal, and exciting experience for your family.
IN PERSON PUPPY SELECTION
We love welcoming our puppy families to Stargazer Labradors, and in person puppy selection visits are welcomed whenever it is safe for our puppies and dogs.
However, there are times when in person visits may need to be postponed or changed to a picture and video selection.
VIRUSES AND SUCH If our area is experiencing a high risk of contagious canine viruses, I may temporarily suspend in person visits. Viruses can spread like wildfire, and young puppies are especially vulnerable because they have not yet completed their vaccination series. Viruses can also unknowingly be carried from one location to another on shoes, clothing, hands, and other surfaces. For this reason, I ask that you and everyone attending your visit do not visit other breeders, pet stores, animal shelters or rescues, dog shows, or other places where you may have contact with unfamiliar dogs during the 7 days before your visit to Stargazer Labradors.
Our priority is keeping your puppy and every puppy in our care safe. ❤️
NEW LITTERS AND MOTHER NATURE 🐾There are also times when an in person puppy selection visit may need to be postponed or cancelled because I am delivering a litter, expecting a mama to deliver, or caring for a new litter of newborn puppies. Mother Nature doesn't always follow our calendar! A mama may begin labor earlier or later than expected, and when puppies are arriving, my full attention needs to be with her and her babies. I also limit visitors when we have newborn puppies in our home. Those first days and weeks are incredibly important. Mama deserves a quiet, comfortable environment, and her newborn puppies need to be protected from unnecessary exposure. Because of this, occasionally an in person visit may need to change, even at the last minute. I truly appreciate your patience and understanding when this happens. ❤️
If your in person visit needs to be postponed, you will not lose your place in the puppy selection order. We can either reschedule your visit when it is safe to do so, or your puppy selection can take place through current pictures and videos sent by email or text.
CHOOSING YOUR PUPPY FROM HOME
If you live too far away to visit, cannot make an in person appointment, or visits are temporarily suspended, that is completely okay! I will send you current pictures and videos of the puppies available for your selection. We can communicate by email or text, and I am happy to answer questions and tell you what I have observed about each puppy. You will never be at a disadvantage simply because you cannot make the trip to Stargazer Labradors.
WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING A PUPPY?
It is very easy to fall in love with a puppy because of an adorable face, a certain expression, or simply because you feel an immediate connection. Sometimes a puppy just seems to tug at your heart. ❤️ But I also encourage families to think about their lifestyle and what they hope to do with their Labrador. Are you looking for a family companion? Do you have young children? Are you hoping to participate in therapy or comfort work? Do you enjoy hiking and outdoor adventures? Or are you looking for a Labrador who will be happiest spending quiet evenings curled up beside you? These are all helpful things for me to know. By the time our puppies are 6 to 7 weeks old, I have spent countless hours with them. I have watched them eat, sleep, play, explore, interact with their littermates, meet people, experience new sounds and environments, and participate in our socialization activities. One puppy may be a little more adventurous and want to investigate everything. Another may stop and think before approaching something new. One may constantly seek out people, while another may be more independent and enjoy exploring. These observations can help guide you when making your selection.
DON'T JUDGE A PUPPY BY ONE SHORT VISIT
One of the most important things I remind families is not to base their entire decision on what happens during a short puppy visit. Puppies are babies!
The puppy sleeping peacefully in your lap may have spent the previous hour running, playing, and wrestling with littermates. The puppy bouncing around and acting like the life of the party may have just woken up from a wonderful nap and be full of energy.
A short visit is only a tiny snapshot of that puppy's day and personality. That is why my observations over the puppy's first 6 to 7 weeks can be so helpful. I have the opportunity to see each puppy at different times of the day and in many different situations.
THERE ISN'T A "BEST PUPPY" ❤️
Families sometimes worry that if they aren't first to choose, all of the "best" puppies will already be selected. That simply isn't how I look at a litter. Every puppy is an individual. The puppy another family chooses first may not have been the puppy you would have chosen at all. One family may immediately fall in love with the outgoing puppy who wants to investigate everything. Another family may feel a connection with the quieter puppy who wants to sit beside them. There isn't a first place puppy and a last place puppy. There are simply different puppies who may be wonderful fits for different families.
THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL ❤️
Puppy selection is one of my favorite milestones because it is when everything suddenly begins to feel real. The puppy you have been waiting for now has a face. That little puppy is yours. 🐾 Then the countdown begins until your new family member comes home at 8 weeks old. Whether you choose your puppy while sitting with us at Stargazer Labradors or from miles away through pictures, videos, emails, and texts, I want the experience to feel personal, exciting, and special. Because after all, you aren't simply choosing a puppy. You are meeting the newest member of your family. 🐾
❤️Wendi Shaw
Stargazer Labradors
