Is it wrong to be picky?

[bboylayz]

Just got news this morning from the breeder I've been working with (von ryanhaus) that the litter I had my heart set on is going to be tiny, meaning I don't get one yet. I know patience is a virtue, but we've been patient for 2 and a half years since we had our hearts set on a GSD. We were just waiting for the right time and the right breeder to come along. Plus we wanted to gauge our readiness and availability to train train train.

Ayways, my questions is, is it wrong to be picky about looks? I know that no GSD is a bad GSD regardless of color/coat/etc. But is it wrong to have a preference? She has a sable litter coming around the same time, but to be honest (and no offense to anyone that has one), I'm not the biggest fan of the darker sables. I'm not incredibly picky, I just want a black and red blanket/saddle/or anything in between with a east german working line structure. I used to be insanely picky (had to be black/red saddle perfect coat length + had to have great temperament) but then I realized I was setting my expectations way too high. And yeah, I do realize health/temperament should come first.

Anyways, I feel bad telling her I'd rather wait until her next black/red litter (next January) or go somewhere else. And it is looking more like go somewhere else since I'll be moving out of state just before the next litter, making it difficult for me. I'm I wrong in this situation? I feel so awful

[LaRen616]

I think that temperment is the most important thing to look for in a pup but I also believe that color is also important. JMO

I want a pup that has the perfect temperment for me but I also want to be attracted to that puppy.

[holland]

No-I think you can get good temperment and also get the color you like-but it is also important to like whatever litter you are getting the puppy from -so I don't think there is anything wrong with saying you want to wait or even go elsewhere

[GSDAlphaMom]

There is absolutley nothing wrong with having a color preference (of course temprament, health, etc are of great importance). If you want a black Lexus and the dealer only has red, white, and blue, you will probably wait until they can get you a black one or go to another dealer.

There are people that say you should not buy according to color and I totally disagree (again reiterating health, temprament are considered a given in the search).
We all have preferences. I like you don't care for sables, I appreciate their look and get that many people love them and I respect that but my preference is black and red...and I am picky...not black and tan, not black and sliver, black and red so that is what I get when I get a puppy/dog.

I don't get bashing people for their personal preferences and unfortunately it happens on here occasionally. Get what you want, it's your dog and your money. Don't worry about what anybody else thinks. If you've waited 2.5 years it sounds to me like you've done your homework.

[martemchik]

I don't think there's anything wrong with going to a different breeder. I think its crazy when people wait years for a pup from a breeder because they're 20+ down the line. As much as I understand the importance of a good breeder, I don't even know where my life would be in 2 years and am quite shocked that you've waited this long. When you made the decision to go with this breeder you didn't even know the breeding pair you were going to end up with, which goes against the "know the dogs your dog comes from."

There's nothing wrong with wanting a certain look. I thought I wanted a saddleback also so that everyone would know the kind of dog I had. Then I found the breeder, saw the breeding pair, and fell in love with sable, so I completely changed my mind.

[BOHICA Bay]

Originally Posted by GSDAlphaMom

There is absolutley nothing wrong with having a color preference (of course temprament, health, etc are of great importance). If you want a blackLexus and the dealer only has red, white, and bllue, you will probably wait until they can get you a black one or go to another dealer.

There are people that say you should not buy according to color and I totally disagree (again reiterating health, temprament are considered a given in the search).
We all have preferences. I like you don't care for sables, I appreciate their look and get that many people love them and I respect that but my preference is black and red...and I am picky...not black and tan, not black and sliver, black and red so that is what I get when I get a puppy/dog.

I don't get bashing people for their personal preferences and unfortunately it happens on here occasionally. Get what you want, it's your dog and your money. Don't worry about what anybody else thinks. If you've waited 2.5 years it sounds to me like you've done your homework.

I agree with everything stated above. Provided you consider health, temperment, etc - there is nothing wrong with then selecting a pup in the color you also want that meets the other criteria.

[Courtney]

I don't think it's wrong to be picky. I think it's a waste of time to be overly selective & unrealistic when it comes to appearance like some are when it comes to perfect color, perfect weight, etc. and not focusing on health, temperment & overal goals for the dog/owner. Which based on what you posted is not the case. To me there's a big difference in wanting a black/red vs sable.

This is a companion you will have for 10+ years. I say wait for the next litter knowing there are no guarantees, but you are happy with the breeder or look for breeders that have current litters or litters that will be available soon. You can always post the breeders name for feedback. Good Luck-I know it's tough

[Cassidy's Mom]

Looks should not be your sole consideration, (nor even your first consideration), but I don't think there's anything wrong with having a color or coat preference. I'm on my 2nd & 3rd LC, and I have to say that I vastly prefer them now and would probably never get a standard coat GSD again.

I realize that decreases the pool of potential pups since I'm going to be limiting my search for the kind of temperament that I want to breeders who produce the occasional LC in their litters, but that's okay with me. I know that even if I found a puppy who was perfect in every other way I would love it dearly but still always wish that it was a LC.

Funny thing, I was never a big fan of sables either until I started seeing LC sables, which is what Halo is. I thinks she's beautiful, and my appreciation for sables has definitely increased.

[Wolfiesmom]

When I went to ryanhaus, I was actually going for the new litter of pups. I was interested in a sable. My Chief was black/tan, and I was so heartbroken about losing him that I thought I wanted a dog that looked different. Then Wolfie, who was returned to ryanhaus because his new owners found they didn't have the time to take care of him properly, just attached himself to me and my husband. He was 3 months old at the time. He ignored all the puppy play and just followed us around. He would occasionally go off and play when the other dogs came over to tackle him, but he always ran right back to us. He stole my heart that afternoon, and even though I thought I wanted a sable, I ended up with my black/red baby. I never gave it another thought. The point of my story is that I think if you have your heart set on a black/red, then you should get one. However, it couldn't hurt to go meet the litter of sables. You may just find your dog, like I did.

[Konotashi]

I think it's fine, but don't make it your priority. The temperament of the dog/puppy and how well it will fit in with your family should be first, THEN looks.