Allocations - "to divide and give out (something) for a special reason or to particular people, companies, etc." aka...the process by which it is decided which puppy goes home with which family! :)
One of the biggest questions people have is about how we do allocations. It's also the most important part of the process! As breeders, we want you to know that we have the same goals in mind as you. We want the best for our puppy families and certainly, we are 100% committed to the future of our puppies. We know you are looking for the absolute best experience possible and that's what we intend to provide to each and every one of our families. We are going to share with you the process by which we do our allocations. It is important that you are 100% comfortable with our process before you move forward with us as breeders. We hope you will feel that you are not going this alone and are in good hands with Winding Creek Ranch. :)
Understanding the puppy's brain - The days leading up to 7 wks old, the puppy's brain is developing and maturing. By 7 wks of age, the puppy has the neurological development of an adult dog. This is the prime time to perform temperament testing on the puppies because the puppy is considered a clean slate. It is the only time known to give a true result and insight into the puppy's tendencies. Due to the influence of socialization, training and environment, the test gives us tendencies, not a perfect picture of what a puppy will grow into as an adult. As the puppy ages past 7 wks, he becomes influenced by experiences he has had and learned from. He is learning by association. Therefore, testing beyond 7 wks will yield completely different and much less accurate results.
This explains why puppies will act shy and unsure of things when they are 6 wks old and be the most confident puppy in the litter at 7 wks old and vice versa. We simply cannot observe puppies when they are 6 wks old and know what kind of personality each puppy will have. This is the reason why asking a family to come and choose a puppy when the puppies are 6 wks old, isn't a good idea. The behaviors are not predictable just by spending lots of time around the puppy so a family can't be expected to make a wise choice. Through that past several years of dog breeding, we've watched many families choose puppies. I've seen people choose a puppy who came to them first, thinking the puppy chose them. The experts DO NOT recommend this. We've seen people choose the one that lays on their lap the whole time and won't get down because the puppy is "cuddly." That puppy is probably just looking for security in a situation where he doesn't feel confident. We've seen people dismiss the one that sits there and does nothing or the one that seems to be terrorizing all the other puppies, only to have the temperament testing, a week later, show us a completely different puppy. Surprise, the puppy's personality has begun to change as well. There is no way a family can be expected to make a wise choice on their own. It's too difficult and it's completely unpredictable. Sometimes, a family will get lucky, of course. Perhaps a family will say that they have always chosen their puppies and it turned out fine but was it the absolute best it could have been? I mean, an active family will love a quiet, couch sleeping dog but was it the best fit for the family or the dog? No. I've seen how many improperly matched puppies are being adopted into families and it often leads to a rehome. We want to do everything we can to prevent that. Challenging puppies going to first time pet owners. Puppies with higher prey drive going to homes with toddlers. If we have a tool to make sure placements are done right, we should be using it! We are very experienced in this process, having placed 100's of puppies. We are committed to working hard to assure the highest level of compatibility for your family.
Temperament Testing - When the puppies are 7 wks old, the temperament testing is performed. Each test will be scored but there is no total or combined average. There are no failed tests either. Depending on the family/client, one or two tests responses may be the primary focus. It simply gives us insight that allows us to make sure the puppies are going to homes where they will be most compatible. We want you to be able to do all of the things with your puppy that you dream of and we also want the puppies to be in homes where they fit it and can flourish. A slightly more active puppy will be great in a house with an active family, especially when kids are involved. It would not be happy with a quiet, homebody type home or a single person who works away from home. A quiet, submissive puppy might feel overwhelmed in such a chaotic, fun home, wishing to retreat somewhere in the house. The family will not appreciate this type of puppy either. A puppy with higher drive will be fun to go hiking with, teach agility, have as a jogging partner, etc. It would not be good in a home with toddlers where it might mistaken an always moving, clumsy, child's floppy hands and legs as something to grab, even playfully. I could go on and on with scenario after scenario. I hope this is enough, so far, to help you understand the value of temperament testing. We use this information to prevent mismatches.
The Questionnaire - At some point, prior to the puppies turning 6 wks old, the families are asked to respond to some questions that will give us insight into that family's dynamic and what makes them unique. There are some specific questions & answers that will really help us to make sure each family gets the best possible choice puppy in the litter. This comes in the form of an email titled Allocation Questionnaire. Once you reach this point, you've already committed to a specific litter. If you have really specific preferences, please be mindful of your place in the picking order. It is a really good idea to choose a litter, to place your reservation with, where you will be happy with most of the puppies. Our allocations are focused on making sure families get a puppy that is highly compatible with their household/family dynamic.
Final choices - After temperament testing is performed, we will immediately begin allocations. They will be done in order of deposit and either in-person or via Zoom. You will get to choose your puppy and we will assist in any way we can. If we see that a particular puppy will be completely incompatible, we will inform you so we can remove that puppy from the available options. We recommend narrowing down your choices to no more than 3 puppies so it isn't overwhelming. Especially if you are doing a Zoom, you will have a much more difficult time if there are too many puppies. If you would like us to narrow it down for you, based on some important compatiblity factors, we can do that, no problem. We absolutely will not show a puppy that we know would be a poor fit. We want the puppy to become a permanent member of the family and mismatched puppies tend to end up being temporary. :( We really hope you can appreciate our concern and that you share the same one. With this method, families are still able to choose their puppy but with selections filtered for a much improved chance of success! :)
The Big Day!! - This is the day every family can hardly wait for! Since we will do a group Zoom meeting, to cover all of the "go home" materials and questions, our pick-up is now done curbside. In some cases, depending on timing, you may be sent a pre-recorded version of the Zoom Puppy Class. Pick-up appointments are typically done on weekday afternoons. Fridays are a good pick-up day so you have the whole weekend to acclimate your new puppy. However, we typically try to offer a few options to choose from. Please make sure you're OK with the go-home dates of the litter you have chosen. If your puppy is being brought to you by a flight nanny or you are flying in, we also typically shoot for a weekday and will try to find the best fare while coordinating with your schedule. In those cases, we will still be looking at the same week as when the rest of the litter leaves. If you need extra weeks, your options are to ask us about the availability of our 4 wk training program or choose a litter that goes home at a later date. Families should take the go home dates/times into serious consideration before committing to a litter. This is such an important time so families need to be sure they can schedule around the puppy's homecoming. There will be plenty of time to prepare for this day. For working families, it's great to get the puppy on a Friday so you have the whole weekend to get the puppy settled in. I know everyone is busy but this is a very important event. It also helps to have a passenger, aka puppy cuddler, to tend to the puppy on the way home. :)
Note: Please only place a deposit with us if you find our allocation process agreeable. By doing extensive health testing on our parent dogs, we have made health top priority. You need not worry about whether or not your pup will be attractive enough because we believe our Doodles to be some of the most attractive out there! Because we are careful about the disposition of our parent dogs, are strategic in how we pair our parents dogs together, and by taking the steps explained on this page, we have temperament covered too. :) Temperament and compatibility are the #1 most important considerations of a successful allocation.
We are so excited to work with you to find you the absolute best companion Doodle for your family. Whether you are single, a family with children, a retired couple, newlywed couple, an active family, a quiet & subdued family, etc., we feel confident that our process will be a success for you.
Thank you for choosing Winding Creek Ranch!
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