Judging drive, focus, temperament & suitability

[bornfreenowexpensive]

Say you're me; a pet owner looking for your first working dog with the intention of participating in training and some sort of dog sport (tracking-type work, obedience, but not protection work). You already have pretty well developed marker training ability and have identified a professional dog trainer in your area to work with. You want a dog that is intelligent and focused to make training easy and fun, but you also want a dog that is going to be calm in the house and make a nice pet as well. The major thing I want to avoid is ending up with a dog that has a stubborn, "alpha" type temperament. That personality is very challenging for me to work with. I need a biddable and responsive dog.

So, with that said: How do you choose the right dog out of a litter of puppies? What should I look for in how they interact with me, the environment and each other?

I'm asking here because breeders have told me that I should just pick the sex and color that I want, have told me that their litters are all "medium drive" and "uniform in temperament", and I should just pick the one that seems to like me best. That's fine with me, but I thought I'd check with you all to see if you have suggestions. I doubt that any litter is completely uniform in temperament, but how do I (as a buyer) test the puppies to see which one is best for me?

Also, if a breeder has 12+ week old puppies from previous litters, should I stay away from those puppies since they were not picked by other buyers? Should I reserve a future puppy so that I can have my choice of more? This is all very new to me, so I appreciate your patience!

[sagelfn]

Originally Posted by bornfreenowexpensive

Say you're me; a pet owner looking for your first working dog with the intention of participating in training and some sort of dog sport (tracking-type work, obedience, but not protection work). You already have pretty well developed marker training ability and have identified a professional dog trainer in your area to work with. You want a dog that is intelligent and focused to make training easy and fun, but you also want a dog that is going to be calm in the house and make a nice pet as well. The major thing I want to avoid is ending up with a dog that has a stubborn, "alpha" type temperament. That personality is very challenging for me to work with. I need a biddable and responsive dog.

So, with that said: How do you choose the right dog out of a litter of puppies? What should I look for in how they interact with me, the environment and each other?

I'm asking here because breeders have told me that I should just pick the sex and color that I want, have told me that their litters are all "medium drive" and "uniform in temperament", and I should just pick the one that seems to like me best. That's fine with me, but I thought I'd check with you all to see if you have suggestions. I doubt that any litter is completely uniform in temperament, but how do I (as a buyer) test the puppies to see which one is best for me?

Also, if a breeder has 12+ week old puppies from previous litters, should I stay away from those puppies since they were not picked by other buyers? Should I reserve a future puppy so that I can have my choice of more? This is all very new to me, so I appreciate your patience!

This is why it is important to buy from a REPUTABLE breeder. A good breeder will screen you, know what you want, what you need, what you can handle and match you with the dog that best suits you. A good breeder has been evaluating pups to know what ones are best suited for what.
From what you have said the breeder(s) you are talking to do not have their pups best interest or yours at heart.

[Elaine]

I agree with Brandi: you need to find more knowledgeable breeders. If you are interested in a sport dog, try the workingline breeders that breed, train, and compete in SchH.

When I was beginning to shop around for my current dog, I was directed to a reputable breeder like this even though I had no plans to do SchH, just obedience and agility. I told them what I wanted to do with my dog and what I was looking for in a dog and that my dog had to be male, color wasn't even a consideration. They picked out my pup and handed him to me when I drove up. I have been in love with my dog ever since and couldn't be happier with their choice. I did discover SchH after I got my dog and do that now too.

Good breeders like this do all the matching puppies to people as they are the best judge of what their puppies are like.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

Originally Posted by Elaine

I agree with Brandi: you need to find more knowledgeable breeders. If you are interested in a sport dog, try the workingline breeders that breed, train, and compete in SchH.

These aren't Craigslist people, these are people who are charging $1000+ for puppies, their dogs compete in SchH and other sports. Some were recommended by this forum. Maybe it's the economy or maybe I just sound like a super home for any dog.

Someone sent me a wonderful link to a breeder who does extensive temperament evaluations on their puppies which is fantastic. If I don't get a good feeling from anyone this weekend I guess I will contact her.

[onyx'girl]

Take your time, why make the decision in a weekend?
I would only go with a breeder that chooses a pup for me based on what I am looking for. The breeder knows the pup much better than what you would observing for an hour.
12 week old pups that are "leftovers" are probably fine, if you know what you are looking for....but I wouldn't rush into anything!
Look at what the breeder has produced in the past, contact the other owners of those pups(that have grown up) and get their experience with the dog they are living with. Look up the registered names and see what titles they've earned if they've gone to working homes.
If they won't share the owners names with you, then I would wonder why.
Most puppy owners are happy to support their breeder and having their name given as reference (after screening) should be fine.

[Castlemaid]

Would you mind PM'ing me the link? I'm not very familiar with New England breeders, but I'm curious how an experience breeder who competes in performance events ends up letting a newbie pick their own pup.

would you be open to having a pup shipped?

[holland]

People on here say over and over that you should let the breeder pick the pup-I ended up taking the pup that liked me best-she still does. So contrary to what is written on a web board every thing does not have to be done the same way

[Samba]

If I wanted to do tracking, I would look for people who really understand that ability in their dogs. I have had good luck with folks who place animals in SAR, detection etc and have dogs from their kennel who people have done well in tracking with. IF I want biddability, I also would go with a breeder who really knows what this is and selects for it. I guess you can get a decent dog and do a lot of things with it. Over the years, I have learned to look for real talent in the areas I wish to compete in or enjoy.

I have had several GSDs now and I can tell you the breed is quite varied! The breeders are quite varied also. This is unfortunate because it makes it something of a challenge to find the right place.

[Elaine]

Originally Posted by holland

People on here say over and over that you should let the breeder pick the pup-I ended up taking the pup that liked me best-she still does. So contrary to what is written on a web board every thing does not have to be done the same way

Nobody is saying that if you pick your own dog, your dog won't like you the best. What we are all saying is that if you want the best fit for you, your life style, and what you want in a dog, the breeder is going to do a much better job.

As a for instance, a friend of mine was wanting to get another Dobe and wanted to do sports, especially SchH, and AKC conformation with it. She took a puppy from showlines - against my advice - that had a showline SchH 3 sire. The breeder, while being a very nice guy, had no clue about what to look for in a sport puppy so let her do all the evaluating and picked her own pup. She ended up with a beautiful cryptorchid male that she can't show in breed and the dog doesn't have the drive for SchH. This is why you go to an experienced breeder that knows their dogs and does the picking for you.

[holland]

I understand what is being said but just because you and every one else writes it does not necessarily make it true