How to Find YOUR Pick of the Litter Puppy Dog

You've found the right breed and breeder for you. Now how do you choose which puppy from the litter is right for you?

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Assess YOUR Needs ~ What sort of dog behavior is appropriate for your family? Are you an active family with bold personalities? Do you want a bold puppy who will become a bold dog? Or do you prefer a gentle, submissive dog? Will your dog be spending a lot of time alone during the day? Do you need a dog that you can take to various social functions? Decide what personality would fit best with your family.

2. Identifying Puppy Personalities ~ When you greet the litter, do so calmly. Do not deliberately attract their attention. Instead, wait to see how each puppy responds to your presence. When a puppy runs up and playfully jumps at your legs without fear, you can be sure they are a 'bold' puppy. Bold puppies are engaging, playful, and social. Some puppies will only approach after others have sniffed you out to make sure you are okay. These puppies are generally more submissive followers in the pack. They will likely lie at your feet, or roll on their back, offering their stomach for your to pet. These are all gestures of submission in a litter or pack. Submissive puppies can be just as playful as bold puppies, however, they generally first interested in establishing a friendship. Other puppies will not approach you at all. Some may even scurry away from you or cry when you attempt to reach them. These are fearful puppies. Fearful puppies may require extensive exposure to new individuals before they are willing to interact. Some fearful puppies may even panic when approached by a stranger and resort to biting or hiding.

3. Bold Puppy ~ You may be charmed by the puppy that runs up demands your attention. However, this is more about the puppy than it is about you. Puppies with little or no stranger fear are generally the alphas or leaders of the pack. You can count on their bold and vibrant personality continuing into their adulthood. This can be good or bad, depending upon your needs. POSITIVES ~ Bold dogs are generally more independent and less needing of attention than their submissive counterparts. Once trained, they can feel comfortable on their own for hours at a time and may even keep other family pets in line with the rules. They are also very active and make great hiking, swimming, sporting partners. They have a wonderful way of influencing the house my asserting their positive energy. While this may be appealing in a puppy, it can cause difficulty in an adult dog. NEGATIVES ~ Bold puppies can be more difficult to train. If you are not a bold person, or you have children, there will likely be power struggles to establish dominance over the household. Bold dogs can also be difficult to include in social functions due to their unbridled enthusiasm and constant efforts to establish hierarchy. Bold dogs are often happy to be left alone, but unless adequately trained, they may cause damage when unsupervised.

4. Submissive Puppy ~ The slow approach to play and interaction may give the impression that a puppy is lazy or unfriendly. This is not true. Puppies know that there is an important social structure they must respect. Submissive puppies interact slowly in an effort to respect your position in the social structure. The fact that the puppy approaches you at all, or at least doesn't run when approached, is a good sign that it is interested in socializing. POSITIVE ~ Submissive puppies are generally easy to train. They walk well on a leash and will conform to the rules of their environment more easily than 'bold' puppies. They are often cuddle-bugs who enjoy physical affirmation of the bond they share with family members. They do well in various social settings because of their intuitive respect for hierarchy. They may briefly struggle to establish dominance over children, but resume their submissive attitude once the hierarchy has been established. Submissive puppies and dogs require lots of exercise, but more for health reasons than behavioral ones. NEGATIVES ~ Submissive puppies and dogs require lots of socialization to feel comfortable. While they are very obedient in the presence of humans, they may resort to inappropriate or destructive behavior when isolated. This is because submissive dogs feel uneasy outside the structure of the group. Submissive dogs may be more demanding of attention and affection, even to the point of being an annoyance.

5. Fearful Puppies ~ While all puppies may experience some fear, a 'fearful' puppy takes it to the extreme. These puppies may run or hide when in the presence of unfamiliar persons. They may also cry or give unfriendly nips when approached. POSITIVE ~ Fearful dogs can be extremely loyal companions. Once they grow comfortable within a family, they may assume a more dominant personality. They can be great protectors of their families. NEGATIVE ~ Fearful puppies become fearful dogs. Fearful dogs often display intolerable social behavior. While your fearful dog may be quite comfortable with family members, their fears often return when faced with unfamiliar people or environments. Fearful dogs can be unfriendly barkers. They may also be biters. When left alone, they often resort to destructive behavior. Most importantly, 'fearful' says nothing about a dog's true personality. It is only when the dog is in a comfortable situation that their personality traits can be assessed. While it may seem logical that a fearful dog may also be submissive, in a comfortable situation, a fearful dog is as likely to become a leader or even a bully.

6. Cuteness ~ Never, never, never choose a puppy because they are physically cute. Their physical appeal gives NO indication of their personality. Basing your selection on the physical appearance of a dog may lead to a traumatic end to your time together. Puppy behavior can give you a great indication of how well the dog will fit into your lifestyle and family. Don't make an unwise decision that will lead to heartbreak. Too many cute puppies turn into unwanted shelter dogs because their owners made an uninformed decision.

Tips & Warnings

• Puppies often urinate when greeting people. While this is often due to their personality, it is a behavior common to all puppies for various reasons. Urination is as likely a sign of under-developed bladder, over-excitement, or lack of physical awareness as it is a sign of their personality.
• If possible, observe puppies at mealtime and playtime. How they interact with each other will give a better indication of their personality than how they initially interact with you.
• As the breeder about the personalities in the littler. Who do they think is the leader, the follower, the fearful one?
• Never pick a dog or puppy because they are cute.
• Never overlook clear signs of personality conflict.
• Remember that cute puppy behavior can develop into problematic or dangerous dog behavior.

Resources

• How to Night Train or House Break a Puppy
• How to Clean a Dog's Teeth Naturally with Ice
• More Articles
• Cute Puppies
• Cute Dogs

[danny123]

on 10/27/2008 good info

[3-Point]

on 7/6/2008 Another excellent article that is thorough and concise. I wish I had had the benefit of your wise advice when choosing my last puppy. Thanks again.