Pick of the Litter!

 I've known this client for almost 15 years.  We met when her first dog was a senior and experiencing dementia.  Her last dog was a rescue who had never been on a leash or inside of a house when she got him, so that took some work, but he ended up being a delightful companion.  Sadly, he passed just before the pandemic. My client and I talked about different breeds and temperaments and she decided on a breed and a breeder for her next canine companion.  She's super excited as she is going to pick out her puppy next week (she's been on the waiting list for almost two years!) and she gets first choice from this litter of eight puppies. She was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the choosing process and called me to get some tips on picking a puppy when you have eight to choose from!

My client is fortunate.  A lot of times, new puppy owners don't have an opportunity to see the litter their puppy is coming from.  Not seeing all the puppies together, with their mother, really puts a new puppy owner at a disadvantage.  You don't get a good idea of the litter dynamics (e.g. is someone a bully?  bigger than the others? is there a puppy who is more timid?) if you don't see all the puppies together.  And seeing them with their mother gives you an idea of what to expect from your genetically related puppy!  If you get to meet the father dog (and/or other relatives), you will have even more information on what your puppy will be like going forward. I know that a lot of breeders share videos with clients, but that just isn't the same as observing a litter of puppies yourself. Plus, unfortunately, videos of litters can be altered to highlight certain things and gloss over others. Better to see the litter with your own two eyes and make a well-thought out decision.

When I temperament test a litter of puppies for a breeder or for a client, I look at several factors, none of which have to do with how cute they are or how much they cost!  I like to test every puppy in a litter, even if some of them are already spoken for.  In order to compare siblings, you need to evaluate all of the puppies.  I look at the following factors when choosing a puppy for a client and you can look for these things as well:

1.  Responsiveness:  Call each puppy using a friendly tone of voice and actions designed to get their attention (e.g.  say, "Puppy Puppy Puppy!" while patting your leg, snapping your fingers, or clapping your hands gently together). Does the puppy gallop your way, ignore you/hide, or run off to play with his/her siblings instead?

2. Assess their curiosity and visual tracking ability:  Get the puppy's attention and then roll a ball across the floor.  Does the puppy follow the ball visually?  Does the puppy chase after the ball?  Does the puppy run away from the ball?  Does the puppy ignore this whole exercise?

3.  Reactivity:  blow a whistle, click a clicker, stomp your feet, etc. to see if the puppy is interested, nonplussed, scared, or curious.

4.  Handling: Pick up each puppy and touch them all over.  Cradle them on their back in your arms and hold them just behind their front legs, letting the back legs dangle.  Can you touch the puppy's ears, mouth, tail, and feet?  Do they squirm to get away or do they seem entertained and interested in this exercise?

5.  Trust:  With the puppy on the floor, roll him/her onto their side and then back.  Do they struggle, vocalize, resist, move away from you and not return?

6.  Social Attraction:  Position yourself about 6 feet away from the puppy and make sad, whimpering sounds.  Does the puppy feel bad for you?  Does the puppy walk away from you?  Extra credit points for the puppy who goes and gets a toy to cheer you up!

7. Hand shy test: Raise your open hand above the puppy's head and make a downward motion (do not, of course, actually make contact with the puppy's head!).  Is the puppy flinchy or fearful?  Does he sit there thinking this exercise could lead to petting?

8.  Follow the leader:  Loop a leash onto the puppy and start walking, calling the puppy in an upbeat tone of voice.   Does the puppy follow along?  Does the puppy frantically resist?

Generally speaking, puppies between 9 and 16 weeks of age are all about exploring new situations and meeting new people.  They are very responsive to being engaged in a friendly manner.  They are generally more curious and exploratory at this age as well, making these tests easy and effective in choosing the puppy that is right for you.  Puppies this age aren't afraid of new people, new situations, or new sounds and are easy to handle.  And puppies this age should show empathy for someone making sad noises, and are likely to lick the face of the sad person. 

My client intends to use this outline to test the puppies she will be seeing next week.  She did say that she may narrow it down to a couple of pups and then FaceTime me to show me the puppies so I can help her make that last decision of who to bring home.  I'm really happy for her and love that this breeder is giving her the opportunity to meet the entire litter, the mom, the dad, and a grandmother as well. I think the breeder has made a good choice choosing my client for one of her puppies and vice versa.  And it goes without saying that I'm looking forward to working with her new bundle of joy when they return home.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me. 

Ozzie was chosen for me by a dear friend who is quite knowledgeable. She temperament tested his litter to find the one she thought would be a good match for me. I have to agree, he's perfect!