Hi everyone,
My wife and I are planning on getting a husky in the next 12-18 months and so we have been reading plenty of books on the breed in order to get some research in. While we both feel we know what we are getting in to, we are unsure of how we should go about finding a puppy. I have looked at the SHC referred breeders and while we are okay traveling to pick up a puppy, it is pretty important to my wife to get a puppy with two blue eyes (reminds her of a childhood pet). Other than putting down deposits with multiple breeders, do you have any suggestions on how we could go about getting the right pup?
Our concern is either having to put multiple non-refundable deposits or put a single deposit and wait until we get lucky and the breeder ends up having a blue eyed pup for sale.
Thanks!

The thing is, I wouldn't put all of your eggs into a puppy with two blue eyes. Your quest for blue eyes may turn you away from the RIGHT puppy. Rather than finding a puppy, find the right BREEDER. They will help you decide which puppy is right for your family.

What to expect from a responsible breeder:
http://www.keahisiberianhuskies.com/blog/how-to-decode-puppy-ads
http://www.keahisiberianhuskies.com/blog/why-choose-responsibly

What a responsibly bred siberian will look like:
http://www.mikulov.org/links/analysis.htm

OFA; where to find the parents listed for hip and eye certifications:
www.offa.org


How to approach a breeder:
https://rufflyspeaking.wordpress.com/2009/04/26/puppy-buyer-ettiquette/

I wouldn't be dissuaded from wanting a puppy with two blue eyes, or any other trait like a specific sex or color. Understand however that if you are choosing a puppy before it is eight weeks old (when it can go home with you) that you may not be able to tell with certainty what color its eyes will turn into. Maybe the most important thing to understand is that within 20 seconds or so, maybe less, of seeing a Siberian puppy for the first time you will already be in love with it and it won't matter what you had your heart set on before!

Good Luck!

7 Tips for Picking the Right Puppy from a Litter
by Lauren Cochrane
http://lifestyle.allwomenstalk.com/tips-for-picking-the-right-puppy-from-a-litter

"So you've decided that you have the time, money, and patience that is needed to raise a puppy. Great! Hopefully you've also researched different breeds and found the perfect one that fits your lifestyle, whether it's a mixed or pure bred. Now comes the best part, picking the right puppy from a litter! Just like people, every puppy has a different personality and temperament. Choosing the right puppy can help guarantee that you will both fit into each others lives perfectly. To help you make the best choice, here are 7 tips for picking the right puppy from a litter!


1. OBSERVE FIRST

At first, watch the puppies in the litter without disturbing them. Look to see how each puppy interacts with each other. It can be hard to resist wanting the shy puppy in the corner with the big sad eyes. However, you’re best to avoid this type of puppy, especially if they are going to be around kids. This kind of puppy often has anti-social tendencies which can lead to biting out of fear. On the other hand, the dominant, pushy pup is not the best choice either when picking a puppy. This particular pup is likely to grow into a dog that wants to be the boss and leader of your family. For first time dog owners and people who have children, it is suggested that you find the "middleman" puppy, or the puppy that isn't overly dominant or overly submissive.

2. ENERGY LEVEL

It's important that the puppy you end up choosing has energy levels that are similar to your lifestyle. Remember though that you don't know which puppies were active and which weren't before you came to visit them. A tired puppy may not necessarily be a lazy puppy. Ask the breeder what the puppies did before you came to visit them. Perhaps some of the puppies were napping before they came so they are more active then others who didn't. It's best to see the puppies after they have all woken up from sleeping so they are lively and ready to play!


3. REACTION TO NEW PEOPLE

When you walk into the puppy area, see which puppies come up to you first. Don't think the first one that comes up to you is destined to be yours. This just shows which puppies seem to be better when meeting new people. Puppies who are more interested with their surroundings and not new people tend to be more independent in nature. At 7-8 weeks, puppies shouldn't show any sign of being shy or fearful, so be wary of any pup that is. After conducting these first three tests, you should probably have a sense of which puppies you’re most interested in. You can then assess each puppy, one at a time, in a quiet area where the puppy won’t be distracted.

Read also: 7 Housetraining Tips for First-time Puppy Owners ...
4. PICK THEM UP

Next, pick the puppy up and hug and cradle him. If he reacts by whining and wiggling and doesn't settle down, that is not a good sign. A little struggle is okay, but it should be followed by quickly settling down and looking up at you. Make sure to cradle him with his belly facing upwards as this is a vulnerable position for the puppy and will show how trusting he is. Touch the puppies all over their bodies including paws, mouth and ears. A puppy who has been handled from a young age should have no problem being held. If they seem to have an issue with being held, it may show a lack of social contact with #people.

5. THE FOOD TEST

Give the puppy some food, and then take it away. If your puppy nips or growls at you when you reach for the food, this may be a sign that he is territorial and has issues with food guarding. A puppy like this may not be a great pick for families with small children or other pets that may try to take away your dog's food.

Read also: 7 Reasons Not to Get a Puppy ...
6. SEPARATION ANXIETY

After you have spent some #time in a room alone with the puppy, leave for a few minutes, then come back. See if you hear barking or whining coming from the puppy when it's alone. This may mean that the puppy has an issue with being left alone and if you have a busy work schedule, may not be the best fit. When coming back in, make sure the puppy comes to you and is happy to see you.


7. NOISE TEST

When the puppy is not paying #attention, drop something on the ground like your keys that will create an unexpected noise and watch the reaction of the puppies. A puppy that runs from a loud noise and hides is a nervous pup. A puppy that barks or lunges at you is more likely to be an aggressive pup. #Look for a puppy that looks up at you and maybe cocks its head a bit wondering what caused the noise.

I'm going to put on my curmudgeon hat here, then I'll try to be more diplomatic.

@jmscott I've liked that response every time I've seen it posted across the web; it is indeed surprisingly good guidance for someone who's choosing their first pup.  However, it behooves one - IMHO - to give credit to the site from which something like this is copied even if it's difficult to give credit to the original author.

@medoucha Arctic Fusion Siberians has a good page regarding eye colour in Sibes.  I think there are two operative points:

• Puppy's eye change colour; just because you choose a blue eyed pup doesn't mean that you're going to end up with a blue eyed dog.
  
• As ArticFusion states outright, they will "not sell puppies based on eye colour" and I think that most good breeders will subscribe to the same philosophy.
  

Curmudgeon hat back on ... I think it pretty safe to say that few good breeders are going to encourage a buyer whose interest is primarily in eye or coat colour.  The feeling that *I* have when someone asks that type of question is that they're interested in a fashion statement which has little bearing on the dog - it's about them (the owner), not the dog

Sorry .... now to go back to freezing!  Three days of overcast skies severely limit my on-line time and temps in the 30's limit my doing much of anything but staying inside and reading (Gregg Bear Darwin's Radio) - I WANT my 90's back!!!!!

Ah, I thought the Author's info had been attached! Thanks for pointing it out. I'll track it back down and edit!

If you don't mind disclosing where you're located, some of us may be able to chime in with some good breeders in your area too. I personally wouldnt bet on eye color either - honestly it never mattered to me, not even when I got my first Siberian Husky. My current working line puppy has brown eyes but she has the personality and the working drive I was looking for - it's just a bonus thats shes cute

jmscott wrote:

Ah, I thought the Author's info had been attached! Thanks for pointing it out. I'll track it back down and edit!

Thanks Jamie, I looked and thought it might have been hers but it's been plagiarized with minor changes so many times that I thought it best to let you give credit where you found it.

Meduca

I don't think the responses so far have quite answered your original question, which was how to find a blue eyed puppy. The problem is with the timing of the color change in a puppy's eyes. All pups have bluish eyes at birth, and if they change from this it happens somewhat gradually and you might not know for sure until the pup is maybe 12 weeks old. You probably will want to take the puppy home when it is 8 weeks old, and you may have to make your decision on the puppies that are available from a given litter earlier than that, possibly as early as 4 to 6 weeks.

Our experience with Myka, whose puppy picture is my avatar photo, was that the lady ahead of us on the wait list wanted a black puppy for show purposes, so she passed on the two grey puppies that were left. Honestly we could have picked either one as they were both beautiful. If I remember correctly the pups were only about 6 weeks old at this point, so eye color was really unknown. Had we decided to pass, we would have gone back on the wait list for the next available litter. We are really glad we didn't pass on Myka!

If you are really committed to finding a blue-eyed pup, have you thought about adopting a slightly older rescue? Lots and lots of huskies end up and in rescue just out of the puppy-puppy stage, around 9-18 mos. Petfinder.com and rescueme.org are two sites that seem heavily populated with Siberian Huskies. The advantage is, usually, no potty training needed, they are most likely already neutered/spayed and that young, you still have lots of puppy behavior and they are young enough to still be highly trainable. And you are doing a service, these guys NEED a home.

aljones wrote:

jmscott wrote:

Ah, I thought the Author's info had been attached! Thanks for pointing it out. I'll track it back down and edit!

Thanks Jamie, I looked and thought it might have been hers but it's been plagiarized with minor changes so many times that I thought it best to let you give credit where you found it.

I haven't made any changes, but if this is different, can you point me in the direction of the original?