Picking day is exciting, and it can also be overwhelming. Every puppy in the litter is adorable, and you have one choice to make. This post covers what actually matters when you choose your Goldendoodle, what doesn't, and how to use your breeder's knowledge to get it right.
Start with your household, not the puppies
Before you look at a single photo, write down what your days look like. Do you have toddlers, teenagers, or no kids at all? Is someone home most of the day? Do you want a running partner or a dog who is happy with a long evening walk and a spot on the couch?
Those answers point you toward a temperament, and temperament is what you live with for the next twelve years or more. A busy, confident puppy can be a great fit for an active family and a handful for a quiet one. A gentle, laid-back puppy can be perfect for a home with small kids and a little slow to warm up in a loud one. Neither is better. The right one is the one that matches you.
Ask the people who raised the litter
A short visit or a few videos only show you a puppy for a few minutes, and that puppy may have just eaten, just woken up, or just finished wrestling a sibling. Your breeder has watched the litter every day since birth. Ask them which puppies are the explorers, which ones settle quickly in a lap, and which ones are first to the food bowl.
At Purkey Puppies, our litters are raised inside our homes by the Purkey, Stinnett, and Gentry families, so we see each puppy handled, bathed, and played with all day. When it's your turn to pick, we'll tell you honestly what we've noticed. You can read more about that daily work in how we socialize puppies from birth to 8 weeks.
Look at the parents as closely as the puppy
The best preview of your puppy's adult temperament, size, and coat is its mom and dad. Calm, friendly parents tend to produce calm, friendly puppies. Their adult weight tells you more about your puppy's future size than how big it is at six weeks.
Every Purkey Puppies breeding dog is genetically cleared at minimum, and most are OFA-certified for hips and elbows. Before picking day, take time to meet our parent dogs and see which pairing your litter came from.
Coat, color, and size: what you can and can't predict
Many families come in with a color in mind, and that's fine as a tiebreaker. Just know that Goldendoodle coats change a lot in the first year. Reds and apricots often lighten, and a puppy coat can grow in curlier or looser than it looks at eight weeks. Facial furnishings, the fluffy beard and eyebrows, are the most reliable early sign of a classic doodle look.
If low shedding is your top priority, the generation matters more than any one puppy. Our F1B Goldendoodles carry more Poodle and are the usual choice for families with allergies. For size, decide between a Mini Goldendoodle and a Standard Goldendoodle when you reserve rather than trying to pick the smallest puppy in a litter.
How picking works at Purkey Puppies
Selection is first come, first served in reservation order. Your $200 reservation fee holds your place in line and locks in your price for 12 months. When a litter is ready, families choose one at a time in the order they reserved. Every puppy is $1,700 in total, with the remaining $1,500 due at pickup, and every puppy goes home at eight weeks after its first shot and a vet well-check.
Being flexible helps. Families who are open on sex and color usually have more puppies that fit what they need. If you're still deciding between a boy and a girl, read our guide to choosing a male or female Goldendoodle. You can also check our available puppies and upcoming litters to see what's coming up in Midland and Red Oak near Dallas.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pick the best puppy from a Goldendoodle litter?
Pick the puppy whose energy level matches your household, not the one that looks cutest or runs to you first. Ask the breeder which puppies are the calm ones, the busy ones, and the curious ones, because they have watched the litter every day since birth.
Should I pick the biggest or smallest puppy in the litter?
No, size within a litter is a poor way to choose a Goldendoodle puppy. Small differences at a few weeks old usually even out, and adult size depends far more on the parents and on whether you chose a Mini or a Standard.
Does a puppy's coat at eight weeks show what the adult coat will look like?
Only partly, because a Goldendoodle's coat keeps changing until it is about a year old. Facial furnishings and a wavy texture at eight weeks are good signs of a doodle coat, but color often lightens and curl can loosen or tighten as the adult coat grows in.
How does puppy selection work at Purkey Puppies?
Puppy selection at Purkey Puppies is first come, first served in reservation order. When a litter is ready for picks, families choose one at a time in the order their $200 reservations came in.
See every step from reservation to pickup on our pricing and what to expect page.
What if none of the puppies in my litter feel like the right fit?
Tell us, and we can roll your reservation forward to a later litter within your 12-month price lock. We would much rather you wait for the right puppy than take one that does not fit your family.
We'll Help You Choose
You don't have to make this choice alone. Tell us about your family when you reserve, and we'll help you find the puppy that fits. Questions before then? Call or text 432-770-6013.
Ready to Reserve Your Puppy?
Join the waitlist for an upcoming litter from our Midland or Red Oak, TX program. $200 reserves your spot.