Cherry pick can also be used in a positive way, meaning take only the best. . If you are looking for opportunities in business, be aware that there are many. Cherry pick the ones that are going to work best for you.

Hi Cherry picked is a term with a negative connotation because it implies that there has been unfairness or corruption in a selection process. I work in education so I hear this a lot: if certain (high performing) students are selected to participate in an assessment for example, the results won’t be representative of the school as a whole. “Left with dogs” is quite dramatic but would mean that the good ones have been taken and the remaining choices are all terrible.