Pick Of the Litter

[Torres]

Please can someone explain to me the concept of the pick of the litter.

I assume the owner of the stud dog if given the choice can choose between taking a cash fee or having a puppy in lieu.

If they choose a puppy then ordinarily at what age would they be expected to pick it?

I assume as they would want the one that best suited their needs then they would want to wait until they are getting about a bit before making their choice?

[Crackley]

To add to the question.... If the owner of the stud gets pick of the litter, does he or she get first choice over owner of the dam should he or she want to keep a pup. I guess there is no 'rule of thumb' but just something the individual breeders need to agree on??
Shane

[Rookie]

Make sure you make the agreement prior to the mating.

If the stud dog owner wants a pup, you both need to agree whether it's the first or second pick. If it's a small litter then someone might be disappointed. Far easier if it's just cash that changes hands but the world doesn't work like that.

Personally, I wouldn't expect anyone to make a choice before the pups have got to a decent age. If the stud dog owner waits till they're 8wks old to make a choice, everyone in the queue behind him will just have to wait as well. That's a much better age to make a choice anyway.

[pontbeck]

I've bred lots of litters and have always paid a stud fee. If the owner of the stud wanted a puppy I would ask him to pay my price and give him a choice after I had chosen mine , as I only ever breed to keep a pup.
If the owner of the dam agrees to the stud fee as 'the pick of the litter ' that's what the stud owner gets, first choice of the pups and I would never agree to that , because first choice is mine as that's the reason I bred the litter

[Judy]

Having read the above I would just like to add the best dog I have ever owned was the one left after everyone else had chosen theirs and was undoubtedly the one I would have picked anyway. The pick of the litter can mean different things to different people but if I were to breed then I would prefer to do things as Pontbeck says above. If you breed a litter because you want a pup then there is little point in giving that pup to someone else!

[pontbeck]

There are no guarantees when picking a pup. I 've seen pups I've let go and realised they were better than the one I kept but I want that choice.
Also, the stud fee can often , and should be, in most circumstances, less than the price of a pup

[WGD]

I've got three dogs at present, two were what was left and one was a choice of two out of a litter of 11. None have disappointed me, but in each case the breeding/parentage was right before I even considered having a pup.

[Torres]

Thanks for the responses so far. I know it takes a very lucky person to pick the best pup out of a litter, thats another question.

My question was more about the principle of the agreement.

Is it customary to allow the stud dog owner the first (or second if the dams owner would like a pup) pick before allowing other pups to be picked??

If this is the case then I assume that all those wanting a pup would have to take their chance behind the stud dog owner.

[lee-kinsman]

Whilst I don't have a problem with people charging or paying a stud fee. I would much prefer to have a pick of the litter agreement because it just feels a more responsible way of breeding dogs but that I'm afraid is an idealist view.

What do I look for?...... I look for whether I like the pup or not, whether that be a fuzzyy feeling in my tummy, the character or just something that I can't particularly put my finger on. I think a person is much more likely to do well with a dog that they like than one that everyone else thinks will be the next Championship legend but they personally can't gel with.

[whistleshappy]

Thanks for the responses so far. I know it takes a very lucky person to pick the best pup out of a litter, thats another question.

My question was more about the principle of the agreement.

Is it customary to allow the stud dog owner the first (or second if the dams owner would like a pup) pick before allowing other pups to be picked??

If this is the case then I assume that all those wanting a pup would have to take their chance behind the stud dog owner.

Is there such a thing? How would you ever know?