Some of the Best Puppies Are Chosen Last.

There's something funny that happens when families start choosing puppies. The ones picked first tend to get all the attention, while the ones chosen last can leave people wondering what everybody else saw that they didn't.

But after 14 years of raising doodles, I can tell you something.

Some of the best puppies I ever raised were chosen last.

They really were passed over. Families had their choices, and they chose other puppies. But that didn't mean there was anything wrong with the ones left. Sometimes I couldn't believe which puppies were still available!

We called it Puppy Draft Day.

My puppy families participated in choosing their puppies. Could I have just assigned everybody a puppy? Sure. But don't get me started. 😂

I knew my puppies, but families knew themselves, too. They knew their homes, their routines, their children, and what they hoped life with their new dog would look like.

That didn't mean everyone automatically got the puppy they wanted. I wasn't going to place one with a family or lifestyle I didn't think was right for that dog. And not every family who wanted one of my puppies got one.

But I wanted families to have a voice in choosing the dog they were going to love for years.

And sometimes the puppy had an opinion, too.

I had one woman who knew exactly what she wanted. A girl.

Except one of my little boys apparently had other plans. He wanted her.

She chose a girl anyway.

Then she called me back. She wanted the boy who had wanted her.

I loved it.

And then there was the family who asked me to choose their puppy for them. Oh, the pressure. 😂

I knew those puppies, but I also knew this was going to be their dog for years. I took that responsibility seriously.

I've always been emotional about this stuff. Sometimes that meant saying no to a family. Sometimes it meant a puppy waited a little longer.

And I was okay with that.

Because being the last puppy chosen was never the same as being the least wanted.

Sometimes the puppy everybody passed over was exactly the one another family had been hoping to find.

Choosing a puppy is exciting, but there's a lot to consider beyond which one catches your eye first. After 14 years of raising doodles and helping families make those decisions, it's something I still love talking about.

That's one of the reasons I now offer doodle consultations. Whether you're just starting your search or trying to decide between puppies, I can help you think through what matters when choosing the right dog for your family.

Because we weren't waiting for just someone. We were waiting for the right someone.

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