Most of my inquiries come as a result of a litter announcement on my web site. I rarely get generic calls. I document my process there so it is clear up front, so I generally do not get these questions when I talk to them.
I recently had a puppy buyer put it well I thought, as far as "first pick". It is not "first pick that matters, but the right pick of the litter". This was a new buyer to me, and while at first I was hesitant, the more I conversed with him the better I liked him. He told me some preferences (pup was to go to a hunt test home, so drive, and birdiness was most important). The buyer was most willing to let me pick the pup. At 10 weeks, the buyer emailed me back, and said he was so pleased, and that she was already "retrieving" ducks and was so very pleased with herself when she did!
Another buyer of the litter was originally fine with me picking his pup. he stated his preference, and when I said I picked the smaller female for him, he hemoraged. He thought I he was getting a runt. Pfffttttt. I invited him to come see the litter and judge for himself the pup I had picked for him. the buyer could not even see the size difference (it was indeed minicule). She was so birdie with a pheasant wing, that the buyer was instantly pleased and contracted to bring her back for her basic hunt training.
