Which Puppy is Right for You? - Choosing Your Puppy
So it was time, the breed selection is done and the breeder is carefully chosen. Now it's time to find the right sibling. Which of the puppies is the best match for you?
Search yourself and be honest with everyone
You have chosen your breed. But the dog's personality is not a given; they are all individuals. The breeder often picks out puppies for the buyers as they know the puppies best. However, not you. Pairing a dog with its owner is matchmaking that requires both parties' knowledge.
So be honest when you tell your breeder about yourself. Before the conversation, look inward; What do you want from your dog? What suits your personality? Do you find it easier to handle a tough and independent dog that you need to calm down, or do you prefer a more cautious dog you can gradually strengthen? Is it essential that your dog is social, or can you handle a reserved dog?
How are you?
If the anxious puppy holding back makes you feel sorry for him, you may not be the right person for him, as someone who can be supportive without pity may be needed. Will you be able to give outlet and handle the energetic puppy who rushes towards you? If you're not an active, outdoorsy person but intend to become when you get a dog, it isn't likely you'll enjoy hours of trail running, despite a dog.
What do you want?
Ransack yourself regarding which behaviors provoke you and which personality traits you prefer. You may appreciate an energetic dog who goes its own way, while someone else will grow gray hairs trying to handle such independence. You may be provoked by an introverted, shy dog, while someone else interacts best with that softness. Knowing which puppy will fit you best is essential to know yourself, your family, and your living environment. Write everything down and share your thoughts with your breeder to make matchmaking easy.
Puppies being shaped into dogs
Dogs are influenced by experience and training, so your upbringing and handling of the dog continue to shape them as an individual. You can reverse fears, shape independence, and reinforce initiative that was not there. But the basic characteristics the pups bring home from the breeder present different challenges. So even though you will influence who your dog becomes, you cannot change the dog's personality.
First meeting
Before "testing" a puppy at the breeder's premises, inform the breeder of what you want to do. If the puppies are not already marked, ask the breeder to do so before you arrive so that you can tell them apart. Colorful cloth strips as makeshift collars work well. Memorize or record who is who and keep a record of your test results so you can review the insights afterwards without being colored by cute puppy eyes.
THE PUPPY TEST
1) Observe quietly
Stand at an appropriate distance and observe the litter without them seeing you. Be quiet and watch how they interact with each other. Who tags along, backs off in social interactions, goes head-to-head with the dog mom, and does their own thing? If you can't stand whining, listen carefully. Verbality is individual.
2) Review the expectation
Then ask the breeder if they can go into the puppies. Note how they meet someone they know. Here you also get a clue of the puppies' expectations of the breeder. Are they positive or back away? It gives you information about how the puppies have been handled. That's important.
3) Step in
Now step up to the puppy pen yourself, stand up for a while, and see how the puppies react to your arrival. Who is the fastest to investigate, who seeks eye contact immediately, who waits, who uses their nose the most, who looks up only to turn and go their way? Set your observations against the characteristics you desire in an adult dog.
4) Interact
Squat down and offer close contact. Is someone more contact-seeking than the others? Does someone argue with their littermates? Does someone elbow their way forward and push the others away? It can be an important personality trait.
5) Manage
Ask the breeder to handle the puppies one at a time while they hold the others at a distance so you can focus on one puppy at a time. Squat down and pick up a puppy in your lap. Pat slowly from the chest to the tail, grab a leg, hold an ear gently, stroke and grab the tail, and lightly tap on a claw. The aim is to get a feel for what your puppy does when exposed to handling, is it perceived as something new or scary? Does your puppy turn towards you and notice your touch, or does it turn away? Does the little one squirm and wants to be reunited with its siblings, or does it soften and make eye contact with you? The puppy may try to bite, get away, or is extra sensitive or afraid of an area of the body. Nothing is right or wrong. You want to know what you’re getting.
6) Trust
Now ask the breeder to handle the puppies and note if you notice any differences in the reaction of the puppies when someone they should trust handles them. Those who were previously cautious may be comfortable with someone they know.
7) Sound
Now do a sound test. Play an unusual sound on your mobile, a meowing cat, a car breaking, or fireworks. Keep the sound level low, so no one is startled, and increase the volume gradually. Observe each puppy. What are they doing? Do they look interested, back away, or face the sound source with curiosity? Do they bark at the sound or try to bite the phone? Does the tail wag happily, ears perk up in curiosity, or does the puppy you're considering seem completely unfazed? The reactions say something about the puppy's personality and relationship to sound. If you see a tendency of sound phobia at an early age, be aware this can become troublesome in the future.
8) Mammatics
Now ask to see the puppies interacting with their mother. Observe how she handles them. Is she a loving mother, or is she insecure around the little ones? Differentiate between withdrawal for weaning reasons, a female dog with several lactating puppies may be tired of wild puppies. But there is a difference between being tired, angry, and emotionally distant.
9) Outdoors
Ask to see the puppies outdoors, perhaps in a playpen. Note how they take in their surroundings. If they are used to being out, they are probably environmentally trained. If not, you have a journey ahead of you. Insufficient environmental training while growing up can lead to insecurity. If you don't want your dog to be interested in hunting, watch how your puppy acts when it sees birds, smells the neighbor's cat, or sees you pulling a ball on a rope back and forth. If the interest is great and difficult to divert, you may have a hunter in front of you.
10) Connect
Now hook one puppy at a time to a leash. Take a step back from your puppy. What do they do? Does your puppy follow you with curiosity? Or do they stand still and look at something other than you? Does your puppy walk off in a different direction? Is the leash bitten, or is the situation accepted, and your puppy trots after you as if this were the most natural thing in the world? All approaches are acceptable, none suggest anything wrong, but it tells you a lot about the inherent personality and gives you information about what to expect in your future dog.
11) Mata
Dinner time! Ask the breeder for some puppy food, hand-feed them one by one, and observe. Does anyone become shy and pull away from their littermates? Does anyone growl when the others approach (this may indicate resource aggression as food is associated with competition)? Is your puppy biting your hand hungrily and jumping around for more? Or does your puppy wag its tail, seek eye contact, and "ask" for more? Then you have a communicative puppy in front of you that naturally sees value in teamwork and social interactions. Someone might be uninterested in food (such a puppy can be difficult to train if you mainly want to reward with treats).
Development at a rapid pace
It is important to remember that many characteristics are changeable, and many can change in the puppies in the first few months. For example, the shy pup may have found courage between your first and second visit. Keep that in mind, and don't be afraid to reevaluate your first choice. Ask your breeder for help. They see the puppies daily and have greater insight into their personality and development. As buyers, we should know what we are buying, what the challenges may be, and be able to match the puppy's personality with ours and what we seek in our future furry friend. However, the breeder often has the greatest knowledge of the puppy's traits, needs, and demands in life.
Consumer power
Excessively shy or fearful puppies are at risk of fear problems as adults. If you don't have the time or inclination to help the dog, start with a safe and stable puppy and the odds are in your favor. Don't try to 'rescue' a puppy you feel sorry for from a substandard kennel environment or if several puppies are shy and fearful. The purchase risks contributing to rogue breeding. If you want to do something constructive about an unfavorable situation, report your observations to the SKK and the animal welfare inspectors in the county you are in, you can be anonymous.
By following the puppy test and working closely with a reputable breeder, you can increase your chances of finding the perfect furry companion for your lifestyle and personality.
Written by: Caroline Alupo
Caroline Alupo is Petli's co-founder. She has a master's degree in ethology and is also a trained dog trainer and dog psychologist. She has 19 years of experience as a professional dog trainer. Read more about Caroline here.
Your personal dog trainer on your mobile
Petli is the app where you can train your dog in a fun format, get personalized coaching from dog experts, meet like-minded people in a warm community and exclusive discounts on great products.
