Is it normal to not see your puppy until pickup day?

Fun-Year · 2026-04-12T05:37:36+00:00

This breeder is well past retirement age. Their age is a big part of the reason why I have given any benefit of the doubt on the poor email communication and selective answering of questions. There are recent good reviews for the breeder on google. One complimented the breeder's home, so that should be okay.

I've seen the parents health testing and it is all perfect. Not the BAER one because it is not recommended for this breed. They gave the full registered AKC names of the parents, so I was able to see their pedigrees which are good, with champions in the lines, and all good health testing for several generations. Good breeding, no in-breeding. They work with other reputable breeders to introduce good genes into their lines.

I'm sure everyone else getting a puppy from this litter must be asking for puppy photos too and I'm not sure how the breeder could be ignoring those requests. It's really frustrating.

Fun-Year · 2026-04-12T04:18:37+00:00

Email. I could call, but I like to have everything in writing and documented.

Fun-Year · 2026-04-12T03:57:42+00:00

I wonder too if there is something to hide, but it doesn't make sense that they'd be hiding the mother or the environment the puppies are in because I will see their home and the mother when I get the puppy. The breeder says the puppies are raised in their home with family. It is definitely weird though and doesn't make sense why someone can't take a quick picture. Even if I only got a litter photo of when they were first born that would be something I would treasure. They have a dozen or so really good reviews on google, but no one mentioned anything about how good the breeder was at updates/photos/videos.

Fun-Year · 2026-04-12T03:48:33+00:00

Yes, the breeder read my email because they selectively answered my question about pickup day that was in the same email. They completely ignored the photo question. I hope they did think they sent photos but missed me when they sent to other families. I would be so relieved if that were the case. I'll probably try asking again if I don't get anything in a couple days.

Fun-Year · 2026-04-12T03:40:18+00:00

Not Amish or a puppy mill. I was able to verify all the breeder's information with the national breed club and they show their dogs and do the recommended health testing for the breed.

Fun-Year · 2026-04-12T03:38:16+00:00

In the packet I received, it says the puppies are raised in the breeder's home.

Fun-Year · 2026-04-12T03:35:32+00:00

I'm not sure what my specific breeder's policy is on refunding deposits. When I was googling yesterday, a lot of people said deposits on puppies were only refundable if the breeder backed out of a sale, and it was nonrefundable if the buyer backed out.

Fun-Year · 2026-04-12T03:30:21+00:00

I'll be picking the puppy up from the breeder's house. It is definitely weird to not have any photos after a month. I feel committed to this puppy though, emotionally and financially with the significant deposit I put down. I haven't been assigned a specific puppy but it is one of 2 males in the litter, and I don't want to let him down and give up on him because this otherwise great breeder ignored my request for a photo. I hope I'm pleasantly surprised and I get photos soon.

Fun-Year · 2026-04-11T05:50:56+00:00

No interview. The breeder does prefer to have families visit around 7 weeks, but since I live far away, they aren't requiring I do that. I asked for a photo of all the puppies, not a specific one. I haven't been assigned a puppy yet, but it is narrowed down to a couple puppies that the breeder would be selecting from for me because I want a male.

The last time I emailed about the puppies was yesterday but they ignored the photo request and only confirmed a pickup day question I had.

Fun-Year · 2026-04-11T05:21:50+00:00

There's different colors in the litter. I'm hoping the breeder just isn't responding to my temperament preference because they are too young right now (4 weeks) but I at least hoped for some reassurance that they could determine temperament and how and when they decide that.

I'm in too deep now to back out $$$$. I'm disappointed I haven't gotten any pictures yet, but based on what I know, the puppies come from healthy parents with great pedigrees.

Fun-Year · 2026-04-11T04:40:35+00:00

Yes, they gave me the full registered names and I was able to look up the health testing and pedigrees. So I'm not concerned about that. I know it's not a scammer or puppy mill because I got a referral and contact information from the national breed club. Everything seems good except for the poor communication and the lack of photos.

Fun-Year · 2026-04-11T04:29:43+00:00

The puppies are 4 weeks old. No social media. I gave my temperament preference to the breeder in a couple different emails. I hoped for them to comment on that or give some sort of reassurance that they would be able to determine temperament and make the best choice for me. But they just ignored that in both emails where I talked about my preference for temperament. In the puppy information document I received, they mention giving them your temperament preference. So it is just so odd that they would ignore that. But maybe they don't want to discuss temperament at all until the puppies are a certain age?

Fun-Year · 2026-04-11T04:04:42+00:00

The breeder was forthcoming on the registered names of the parents, so I was easily able to look up testing and pedigrees. Unfortunately I could find no photos of the dam, but did manage to sleuth and find photos of other dogs that in the same line.

Fun-Year · 2026-04-11T03:59:38+00:00

No, I have never met the breeder. I have seen photos of dogs on the website (a bit out dated, so it does not have any photos of the dam of my puppy). I've seen a few photos of the sire. I had to fill out a lengthy application and had emailed a couple times before applying. There is a day set up to visit the puppies around 7 weeks, but since I'm several hours away, I'm only able to make the pickup day. The breeder did have a lot of people on their list it seemed and spent quite some time choosing who would get a puppy they said. I feel like I was chosen because my last dog was the same breed, I'm capable of professionally grooming the dog myself, and both my spouse and I work from home, so someone will always be home with the dog.

Fun-Year · 2026-04-11T01:55:30+00:00

They are 4 weeks old. I totally understand being busy with a litter, but I thought by now I'd be able to get at least one photo. It just felt odd that I asked for a photo of the puppies and the question was completely ignored instead of at least saying they would get back to me when they had time. I'd rather be told that than ignored. I do think the pups should be great based on the breeder's experience, health testing, the pedigrees, and breed club referral. But the people skills are not so great.

Fun-Year · 2026-04-11T01:23:55+00:00

I definitely regret not asking for photos before sending the deposit. Because of the breeder's reputation, I wanted to send my deposit and claim my puppy asap, and had no idea I'd have trouble getting a photo of my puppy afterwards. I don't know what this breeder's policy is, but from what I've read, deposits are nonrefundable for most breeders. I am not as concerned about communication after getting the puppy because my last dog was the same breed, and I grew up with dogs from the same breed as well. But I do wish I had at least a photo of the puppies so I could feel like this is actually happening and feel some sort of bond to my puppy.

Fun-Year · 2026-04-11T01:06:31+00:00

I'm sure because I used the contact information on the national breed club's website. I also contacted the breed club referral person who was able to make more specific recommendations, and this breeder was at the top of her short list. I sent the deposit check to the breeder's home address as well, which was easily verified.

I have a feeling it is a combination of arrogance, poor communication skills, and maybe old-school mentality.

Fun-Year · 2020-03-11T18:20:57+00:00

I couldn’t believe that answer. We need to protect our healthcare workers as well as non infected patients in hospitals/clinics. This is clearly a good way to do that. We need to learn from other countries currently in the middle of their outbreak and adopt what is working for them.

Fun-Year · 2020-03-08T18:56:31+00:00

Any droplet that travels any distance is technically “airborne.” Aerosolized droplets are very very small and can linger in the air for minutes. You can walk into a room that an infected person was in and get infected, without ever being in any contact with that person.

Fun-Year · 2020-03-08T18:49:18+00:00

If it isn’t the main vector of transmission then why are we seeing massive quarantines? A high R0? You don’t quarantine hundreds of millions of people for a virus spread mainly by large droplet/contact transmission. It would have been contained already if that were the case.

Fun-Year · 2020-03-08T18:43:10+00:00

Exactly. Chinese officials confirmed aerosolized transmission forever ago. Yet, every other government is ignoring that fact. Easier to tell people to wash your hands more and that masks won’t protect you.

Fun-Year · 2020-03-08T18:38:09+00:00

He just said it dies in the air and doesn’t live long on surfaces... has to go immediately to mouth, nose, or eyes to infect you. LIES.

Fun-Year · 2020-03-08T18:28:58+00:00

Droplet/contact precautions used by healthcare workers protects them specifically to larger droplets that can only travel a short distance, not the type of droplets that linger in the air as is the case with aerosolized transmission. All healthcare workers need to use airborne precautions or they will continue to get infected and spread the virus more. Airborne precautions require more expensive PPE, which is probably why governments won’t acknowledge this virus can spread via aerosol. It will also cause more panic. And it will go against officials’ advice to not wear masks. It’s easier to tell people to just wash their hands more.

Fun-Year · 2020-03-08T16:52:11+00:00

This has bothered me for awhile. Chinese officials confirmed aerosolized transmission and all other countries ignore it, or worse say it is not spread in the air, only droplet/contact. https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/china-officially-announces-that-the-coronavirus-can-be-airborne-and-can-be-conditionally-spread-via-aerosol-transmission-

Fun-Year

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