Hello again, I hope that my previous post wasn't too hasty...I have gone back over your questions and thought that I would try to answer them for you.
I am pasting them here and will respond following each question.
1) With 11 pups, the mother is already slowing down on her feedings and time she feeds. The owner is already supplementing with formula and giving them food. Is that too early at 3 weeks?
Three weeks is pretty young, but I supplement my puppies pretty early on too...trying to prepare them for weaning. It isn't because my girls run low on milk...I have one weaning mom running all over the house leaving white puddles everywhere she goes! :shock: So, this is really not troublesome for me.
2) The owner was willing to let them go as early as 4 weeks or keep them as long as 8 weeks if we wanted. I have read that 6-8 weeks is the earliest and 8 weeks is preferable. As long as there are a few pups with the one we choose up until 6-8 weeks is that okay?
In most states it is illegal to sell a puppy before it is 8 weeks of age. There are good reasons for this. It sounds like your breeder is willing to keep the puppies...but that they need some help and instruction regarding the care of puppies. I personally feel that they have been very irresponsible by having a pregnant female and not doing a crash course in how to raise them properly and what to do to ensure their health and well being...but that is now what you asked...so I will simply say that if they agree to keep the puppy longer, at least to the 8 week mark...I would also ask them to read up on the issue and find out why it is important to keep the mother and siblings together in this early stage.
3) How should they verify with me that the Father doesn't have any hip or associated problems?
They should have tested the parents BEFORE deciding to breed them...and only made the decision to breed after they received verification of good scores. If they did this, which I really doubt, then they will have written results that you can see...but if you want to know what the tests mean and what results are good ones, you will need to do a little studying too...I will be happy to give you links if you would like.
4) I have read that an F1b and curly hair doesn't always mean that it won't shed. But is there a higher confidence level and shedding is a rare exception?
This is true. You have a better chance of good coat quality in an F1B because you have 75% Poodle and 25% Lab. Shedding is not really a rare exception...most dogs do shed a little...the higher generation you get in a Labradoodle, the better your chance of low shedding. Also, all puppies will blow their puppy coat near the first birthday (1 year).
5) Since we don't like the looks of the father, do we have a pretty good chance that the curlier pups will look more like a multi-gen and not the father?
I am not sure if the father is the Labradoodle or not, I assume it is...and that you are referring to the typical F1 Labradoodle. A curly coat will probably make the puppy grow into more of the look you want. Usually a puppy with a curly coat, keeps the nice coat texture as it grows. But you won't get a multigen look. That is a pretty long process, getting the look of a multigen...and it sometimes happens in the F1B, but usually an F1B looks slightly different...however...not all multigens look like multigens!
6) No offense to poodle owners, but I don't want the LD to look like a poodle. Is a curly F1b more likely to look like a multi-gen and not like a poodle?
Actually, if you let the Poodle's coat grow, it looks like a multigen! I have had more people ask me if I am selling my chocolate Labradoodle...but I only have a chocolate Poodle! I just don't clip his coat that often and he NEVER gets a Poodle cut.
The Poodle "look" that most people dislike is due to the grooming...the cut and the brushing...if you let their coat grow and brush it, but not to "fuzz" it out...it looks very much like what you have in mind as a multigen coat.
7) This is probably a myth, but I had been told by a vet before that a male's urine is less acidic and thus less likely to kill the grass. I also thought a male lifting his leg to urinate on the bushes or tree is better than on the grass. But, I read in some of these posts that a neutered male may no longer lift his leg. Any comments here?
I don't have an answer regarding the acid content...but many dogs will lift their leg...and it still goes on the grass and not the tree. Neutering doesn't really make a difference there, I don't believe. Many male dogs, even intact ones, will squat to urinate. Some ADD lifting their legs, but still squat...it is an individual thing, not something that you can make a good guess at, I don't believe.
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My original answer to you was pretty opinionated, and I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable with a decision you are making. I reacted based on my belief system...and I stand by what I said, but I don't want you to think that I (or anyone here) would judge you if you decide to go forward and get this puppy...you will still find supportive and friendly people here, so please let us know when you get your puppy...and I wish you only the best.
thank you.
