3 AUGUST 2025. GETTING A PUPPY. THE LONG VERSION

How long is the process? To be honest, it could take years <sigh> I’ll try to explain but so much depends on YOUR patience, YOUR preferences and YOUR selection of breeder. Buyers these days are more savvy and may I say—paranoid. Both are good things because that buyer is doing the research and interviewing. Yes, the Buyer should interview and investigate in deciding on from whom the puppy comes. Don’t necessarily rely on rumors or self-serving on-line breeder “analysts”; do look deeper. For every dissatisfied buyer, there are a dozen or more who will return to that breeder for their next puppy purchase.BUT, how long to get YOUR puppy? The production timeline goes like this: The two appropriate dogs are safely mated—no, they are NOT just tossed in the back kennel and left to themselves. Some breeders have equated the time length and number of “ties” to the number of puppies to expect. (If only…<G>) Then, the dates are charted to the 58th day. At that point, the breeder might have an ultrasound run to get a more positive count to expect. Sometime between 63 and 68 days the breeder will whelp (birth) the puppies. So now, the fun begins. For the next ten weeks, the puppies experience as many of the Rules of Seven and enrichments as possible; they get their first shots and worming, microchipped, and nails clipped and perhaps potty and leash training. Now comes the selection of which puppy is to be YOURS. New breeders are likely to let you choose and it is “Hi-Here-Goodbye”. Others are more likely to have spent time with you to understand what you need. Others have done testing or provided suggestions for your vet; still others (the old Guard) may prefer that YOU be chosen by YOUR puppy. BUT though that is my process, it also has requisites. Returning families, prior Irish Wolfhound owners, and Locals are on the “A” List. Yes, I give preference to that List however, I also include first-timers so I can educate (hummm, read “indoctrinate”??) on living with this breed and I am their resource on the antics and foibles of the breed. The Irish Wolfhound breed is like no other and I’ve been “in dogs” from setters, Dobermans, Toy Poodles etc for over 80 years! As succinctly as possible, from phone call/eMail, through birth and socialization for ten weeks, your wait time is roughly six months, at minimum. It primarily depends on Mother Nature…sometimes it is “yes”; sometimes it is “no”.