Choosing a pup

[Guest never2manybcs]

Hi,

I am new to this list and have really enjoyed reading the posts. Some of my herding friends and I have been discussing choosing a pup, of course we each have our own ideas.

What do you look for when choosing a pup from a well bred litter? Male or female and why? What kind of temperament/personality do you look for? Outgoing, independent or one that checks back in regularly, a problem solver or one that kind of hangs back and ponders? Do you like the dominant ones or the more easy going? When you look at litter, what do you look for?

Thanks!

[Guest Penny Tose]

I like this question because there is no way to be right or wrong. I may answer two or three times.

 

Here is my bar none, favorite way: make someone else whose training skills you admire pick the puppy.

 

When the puppies are about three to four weeks old (no older), take all of them to someone whose skills you respect or have that person come to you.

 

Make this person pick the puppy. Do it even though the trainer is complaining mightily and angrily about how stupid you are and about how no one can tell anything at that age and so on but make the person give reasons. Even dumb reasons are okay...like "this one looks right at you" when you pick it up and hold it in front of you. Well, it's only 3 weeks or 4 weeks old, where the heck else is it going to look?

 

So what? Who cares about puppy vision for this test? Not I, anyway.

 

You will be getting an instinctive choice from someone who picks good pups.

 

I am not kidding about this test. I love it.

 

Try to employ the instincts of someone who has top notch dogs related to yours.

 

I don't know if I would ask a breeder who is into puppy testing or matching the right buyer with the right pup because those are conscious activities. I am looking for gut instincts.

 

Penny

 

<small>[ February 01, 2005, 08:05 AM: Message edited by: Penny ]</small>