worried and about to buy a puppy HELP!!!

[Cazzie]

I wouldn't want to buy a puppy from a litter where the mum growled at me pups remember an awful lot of information and the last thing you want is it growling at you later on.

It is a natural instinct for a mother dog to protect her young especially when the pups are of a young age. I would far rather my dog protected her young than couldnt care less about them. After all as many posts on behaviour issues on here suggest she is only warning you. 

[Cob-Web]

I wouldn't want to buy a puppy from a litter where the mum growled at me pups remember an awful lot of information and the last thing you want is it growling at you later on.

It is a natural instinct for a mother dog to protect her young especially when the pups are of a young age. I would far rather my dog protected her young than couldnt care less about them. After all as many posts on behaviour issues on here suggest she is only warning you. 

I understand what you are saying Cazzie - and three weeks old is very early to visit a litter; a lot of bitches might get distressed or tetchy about the presence of strangers 

However, in this case, the breeder was very open about the fact that the bitch displayed this behaviour even before she had puppies; and imo, should not have been bred from at all 

[Cazzie]

I wouldn't want to buy a puppy from a litter where the mum growled at me pups remember an awful lot of information and the last thing you want is it growling at you later on.

It is a natural instinct for a mother dog to protect her young especially when the pups are of a young age. I would far rather my dog protected her young than couldnt care less about them. After all as many posts on behaviour issues on here suggest she is only warning you. 

I understand what you are saying Cazzie - and three weeks old is very early to visit a litter; a lot of bitches might get distressed or tetchy about the presence of strangers 

However, in this case, the breeder was very open about the fact that the bitch displayed this behaviour even before she had puppies; and imo, should not have been bred from at all 

Exactly so this is why the lady should walk way, but I do not want people to think that it is unacceptable for a bitch to growl at people when she has young as its not.

I would like to add, breeders should ask you to wash your hands remove or disinfect your shoes before seeing the pups. 

[Jane S]

It is a natural instinct for a mother dog to protect her young especially when the pups are of a young age. I would far rather my dog protected her young than couldnt care less about them. After all as many posts on behaviour issues on here suggest she is only warning you. 

But these pups are 3 weeks old not newborns. Yes bitches can be very protective of their puppies especially during the first week or so but I still would not expect a Cocker dam of 3 week old puppies to growl at visitors and as the breeder openly admitted this bitch has a history of nervous behaviour, this suggests the growling was more fear based than motivated by any natural desire to protect the puppies.

[jan67]

Thankyou again for the input.
It is so helpful to have different viewpoints.  I would not be alarmed by the growling alone, because I was not concerned by that at the time.  I was more disturbed by the comments by the breeder regarding the cowering in the corner.

Thanks again. It's fantastic having a forum with so many well informed owners to advise!!!!