Let's Get the Party Started!

With a lift on some of the restrictions for social gatherings, people are starting to have parties both in their homes and in their backyards. I've gotten two calls this week from clients whose dogs were "party-poopers" during last weekend's festivities!  One client indicated that her dog was obnoxiously trolling guests for food, jumping up on people and tables, and sniffing crotches!  The other client's dog was totally freaked out about having strangers in the yard and proceeded to spend the entire party dodging people trying to pet her and barking at anyone who came within 10 feet of her.  The really unfortunate thing was that this dog followed a guest into the house and nipped the woman on the rear end as she was headed to the powder room during the party.  None of this is good; we certainly don't want our dogs overly involved with our guests, pushing/shoving for treats and attention, nor do we want our dogs so overcome with anxiety that they feel compelled to nip a guest.  

As you might have already guessed, both of these dogs were "pandemic puppies," acquired during last year's shutdown and now experiencing "normal life" post-pandemic, for the first time.  They have very little experience with new people, and have certainly never seen lots of new people on their home turf.  While one dog saw this as an opportunity to sneak food and behave inappropriately, the other became anxious enough to bark on and off for 4 hours and ultimately nip a guest. Even dogs with appropriate social experiences pre-pandemic may find large social gatherings on their home turf somewhat challenging given that they've not been expected to attend one in well over a year!

So, what can you do to increase your odds of success with social gatherings in/at your home?  First off, be honest with yourself about who your dog is. If your dog is shy to begin with, hyper-vigilant in public settings, uncomfortable with strangers petting her, overly territorial in your yard, etc., then it's a better idea to plan to have your dog confined to a crate, a safe room, etc. before the party starts.  This isn't punishment, but prevention.  They will be happier in that crate or safe room where they don't have to worry about people they don't know interacting with them.  Make sure you tell your guests to leave the dog in the crate/room alone!  Even well-meaning dog lovers might think it's okay to open that safe room door or stick their fingers through the crate, so letting folks know your dog is uncomfortable with party situations and is confined for their safety and comfort is key.  And if you are going to have houseguests for several days it might be in your dog's best interest to board with a trusted friend or family member to insure that nothing unexpected occurs while you have guests overnight in your home. Remember, you will want to focus on your guests and having to constantly watch and supervise your dog isn't going to be easy if you're also trying to be a good host.

If your dog loves meeting new people BUT they don't always do that in the best way, you will want to work with them before, as well as, during your social gathering.  Put them on leash and have them practice friendly, unobtrusive greetings.  Stand on the leash so that they can't jump up, keep them tethered to you with the leash so that they can't pursue people, sniffing crotches, for example.  Have them lay near you while people are eating, or go ahead and confine them while there is food around.  You can practice their good table manners before your guests even arrive by taking your dog near the food tables etc., and teaching them that staying off those tables and away from the food is more rewarding than being there.  Direct them away saying "OFF" and reward them with treats for looking and moving away from the food.  Work with your dog until they get to the point where as they approach a table or food you can say "OFF" and they move away, looking to you for their reward.  If you have time, work on dropping food/spilling food on the floor and telling your dog to "LEAVE IT" and rewarding them with high value treats when they do so.  That way, you don't have to worry about your dog getting something they shouldn't have that might fall off the serving table or someone's plate.

Having realistic expectations for how social gatherings will go is important, but so is being prepared.  Don't just assume your dog will be fine if you've never put them in that situation before. Practice does make perfect.  Let your guests know that you are working with your dog on their greeting behavior, behavior around people eating, etc.  Most of your friends are likely dog lovers as well who are more than happy to help you and your dog be successful.  Because, frankly, if you are successful, you will likely host more parties in the future and who doesn't like a good social gathering that we don't have to plan and execute ourselves!

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

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The collies love a good party.  As you can see, they were good about not surfing the cake table at my son's high school graduation party a couple of years ago.  Ozzie is actually next to me while I'm taking this picture, and you can see Desi nearby, but not in the way.  These positions guaranteed that they'd be rewarded with dog appropriate treats during the party!

Puppy Walks

"Some of our greatest treasures we place in museums, others we take for a walk." Roger Caras

I've always loved that quote and I keep it on my bulletin board above my desk as a reminder of how nice it is to leave my office and walk with my dogs. While it would seem that we can all agree that our dogs need to go for walks, how long those walks should be, how far our dogs should walk, and what they should be doing on those walks does seem to vary between dog owners.  I know I've talked about walking adolescent and adult dogs several times before, so this time around, I'd like to focus on puppy walks.

Many new puppy owners are afraid to walk their pups in public because they've been told that they shouldn't until their puppy's vaccine series is completed.  While it's true that you shouldn't be walking your minimally vaccinated puppy in a busy park or on sidewalks frequented for toileting purposes by other dogs, this does not mean you need to keep your puppy cooped up inside the house!  While you can certainly practice loose leash walking in your house, it is a skill that does need to be practiced outdoors, with distractions, for best results. Walking your puppy around your own yard or property will work just fine to get your puppy outdoors and on a leash.  If you can add in some new people (friends or neighbors works just fine) and some friendly, well-behaved, vaccinated dogs of other ages to your yard for these walking practice sessions, all the better. 

Another big mistake puppy owners make is walking their puppies too far or for too long. A good rule of thumb is 5 minutes of walking on leash per month of age, twice daily.  Thus, an 8 week old puppy can be walked twice daily for 10 minutes per walk. I find that most of the new puppy owners I meet are walking their puppies 1-3 miles each walk for a minimum of an hour walk each time!  No wonder their puppies are sleep deprived, mouthy, and over threshold!  These puppies are being over-exercised! We all know that too little exercise is a bad thing, but so is too much. Even if your puppy appears to want to walk further or for a longer duration than outlined above, don't let them.  Keeping those walks short and sweet also ensures that you aren't stressing your puppies bones and joints which could lead to injury.

Leave yourself and your puppy enough time to, well, just be a puppy. Puppies like to sniff and explore on their walks, but they also like to stop all the time to assess their surroundings.  Some puppies, quite literally, take 5 steps and then sit down for a few minutes to assess their surroundings, before getting up, walking 5 more steps, and then stopping again. I realize this can be quite frustrating for the human on the end of the leash, but this walk isn't about you!  Puppy walks are about social experiences, sniffing, exploring, and assessing.  If you drag your puppy along, you'll make them hate their walks and you keep them from fully assessing and absorbing their surroundings which increases their comfort and confidence while on leash.

Do work on good behavior while on leash right from the get-go.  Don't allow your puppy to jump up on people, even if those well-meaning folks say that they don't mind. YOU mind!  Stand on your puppy's leash to prevent jumping up.  Use treats to redirect your puppy away from sniffing or picking up things they shouldn't.  Work on "leave it" and redirecting to the treats or toy you've brought with you for this purpose.  If they've already picked something up that they shouldn't, have your treats ready to do a trade while saying "drop it." 

Make the focus of these short outings with your puppy be about sniffing and exploring while you maintain a loose leash.  This is actually harder than it sounds given that puppies race off, then slam on their brakes for those assessments!  Do your best to keep the leash loose, work on keeping your puppy walking on the inside of your body, away from street traffic, and allow sniffing. Don't worry so much about the "perfect heel;" worry instead about the quality of your puppy's exploration time away from home.

Finally, don't neglect mental exercise for your puppy!  When your puppy isn't napping, out for a 10 minute walk, eating, or training, they should be doing some independent activity that keeps them busy.  Interactive toys such as those from the Kong company, Busy Buddy, Starmark, and Outward Hound are designed to challenge dogs of all ages, rewarding them with treats/kibble for their efforts.  Each of these manufacturers has a rating system for their interactive toys, allowing you to choose the ones that will work for the age of your dog.  For puppies, begin with the easier interactive toys, like a basic Kong, for example.  As they have success and gain confidence, you can work up to the harder puzzle toys.  A good balance between physical and mental exercise is the key for us all, including our puppies.

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

I love this picture of my daughter, Jessica, walking with 8 week old Ozzie on the sidewalk in front of our house.  Look at his confident little stride and that nice loose leash!  Bravo Jess and Ozzie!

Housetraining an Adult Dog!

I've had four clients this week who are having trouble with their recently adopted adult dogs. Not big problems like aggression or separation anxiety, but a nagging problem nonetheless. You see, all four clients are dealing with adult dogs who are not housetrained. Each of these dogs is very different: one, a Maltese, is a former show dog.  Another is a former street dog from Mexico. The third dog is a Collie who spent his first year of life living in an outdoor kennel and the last dog is a shy little Chihuahua mix from a local shelter.  While all four dogs are urinating in the house, they are doing so for different reasons.

Let's start with the former show dog.  He's an intact male and came to a home with an intact female dog and an older neutered male dog. This little guy is marking in my client's house; he urinates on doorways, furniture corners, and even the other male dog! The owner will be neutering this dog soon, but has to wait a few weeks before doing so.  His marking behavior is definitely hormonally influenced, so neutering him will help, but it won't fix the learned behavior of marking.  I suggested that she put a belly band on the dog to save her house from further marking until the dog can be neutered.  Once neutered, she will be confining him and only letting him out supervised and with a belly band on until such a time as the hormones dissipate and his desire to mark decreases.  She may have to leave a belly band on him long term anytime she can't supervise him, particularly when her female dog comes into heat.  

The street dog from Mexico and the Collie who lived outdoors in a kennel are both accustomed to toileting whenever and wherever they please.  Even though both are adult dogs, they must be taught how to live inside, just like you would with a new puppy.  These two dogs need to be confined whenever they can't be watched (both owners have set up crates in their kitchens) and tethered to their humans when they are home (leashed to the humans' belts).  Anytime the dog pulls away from the owner, they must be taken out to their bathroom area and told to "go potty!"  This way, the dog learns that moving away from the owner results in a trip to use the bathroom. When the dog can't be watched or tethered, it must be in the crate.  Both dogs will be taken outside to toilet every 45 minutes to begin with until the owners can determine how long each dog can hold it before needing to go outside after eating, playing, waking up, etc. Both dogs will receive treats and praise for toileting outdoors where they are supposed to.  Accidents in the house will be cleaned up without any punishment involved; it's not the dog's fault that they were raised outdoors!  Accident clean ups must be done with a good enzymatic cleaner and the area blocked off so it can completely dry.  Since neither dog has a clear signal that they need to toilet, we are hanging bells on the back door of both owners' homes and ringing the bell every time the dog is taken outside.  Fingers crossed that the dogs associate the bell ringing with the door opening and learn to ring it themselves to go outside!

The little Chihuahua mix not only has a little bladder (she's 4.5 lbs!), she also submissively urinates. Accidents in the house are not an uncommon issue for the toy breed dogs to begin with, and this little dog is very shy; if you move toward her too quickly, raise your voice, or if she hears a loud noise, she will drop down and urinate.  The owners need to focus on limiting where she explores unsupervised in their house, taking her out every 30 minutes for a chance to toilet, and work on building her confidence.  She needs to be trained using a soft voice and obvious rewards; punishing this dog, or getting frustrated with her behavior, will only make the problem worse. 

While adopting an adult dog is often described as "easier" than adopting a  puppy, it is still a lot of work, particularly if the dog has issues with regard to housetraining.  This can be a very frustrating issue and one that doesn't immediately go away; it takes work and diligence on the part of the new owners to establish schedules and routines and consequences that these dogs can clearly understand in order to help them learn what is expected of them.  I fully expect that each of these dogs will succeed in their new homes.  They have wonderful owners willing to do what it takes to help them become full-fledged family members.

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

My daughter really lucked out with Westley.  She adopted him at 9 months of age and he came to her crate trained and with the ability to ask to go outside by standing at the door. This means my daughter can allow him time alone and out of his crate. Which you can see that he uses to his full advantage as he's laying on her bed!

What Happened?!

 I received a funny email from a client who took puppy class with me, and is now the less than proud owner of a rambunctious, adolescent dog (those were her exact words!).  "What happened to my sweet puppy?!  This dog is crazy!," she lamented.  I reminded her that adolescence is fraught with (sometimes) painful growth, boundary testing, rule-breaking, and patience straining...and that's true for adolescent humans, as well as dogs, right?  Everyone always focuses on doing "everything right" with their puppies, forgetting many of these much-needed rules and guidelines when those same puppies hit adolescence and adulthood.  Just because a dog isn't a puppy anymore doesn't mean that rules and structure don't apply or aren't appropriate.  Let me give you a few examples of where folks seem to get messed up.

1.  Not using treats: I know we've talked about treats before, but having them readily available to reward your dog of any age is truly a game-changer.  Whether you are marking and rewarding that near perfect off leash recall, or amazed with how well your dog restrains themselves at the front door, you need to be ready to dish out rewards that your dog will appreciate and remember.  Treat-based rewards are not just for puppies and puppy training!  Research clearly shows that dogs who receive praise alone or praise and a pat and the head, are not as motivated to perform new tasks, and don't learn as quickly, as those who are given treats for their work.  And while giving kibble is fine for filling a Kong or burying in a snuffle mat, you will want to use higher value treats (as defined by your dog's preferences) when working on new behaviors, speeding up recall, or working on redirection. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. We all like to get paid.  And those treats need to be readily available. If you have to go to the kitchen, open a container, and cut up a treat, you've lost the chance of your dog associating the reward with their behavior. So, yes, you should always have treats in your pocket!

2.  Repeating yourself like a broken record: When you ask for a behavior, give your dog at least a few seconds to process what you said.  Human language is not their primary form of communication, so you need to give them a chance to hear what you said and turn that into a behavior change on their part.  Repeatedly saying "Sit," for example, won't result in your dog sitting any faster. In fact, repeating the command over and over in quick succession pretty much guarantees that they will sit more slowly as they've learned you don't have to sit when first asked, you can wait until the request is given multiple times to do the behavior being asked.  And remember: don't reach for that treat in your pocket until the dog has completed the behavior you've asked. If you reach too soon, you are rewarding the dog for thinking about doing what you asked, or worse still, you are allowing yourself to be blackmailed. If you wait a few seconds and your dog doesn't come when called, no need to repeat the word. Instead, pat your leg, bend down, whistle, make goofy sounds, run the other way, etc. This way, you're not repeating yourself, nor are you diluting the value of the request. You are simply adding more value to what you asked them to do.

3.  Delivering harsh corrections:  Just as you were patient while training your puppy, you need to be patient with your adolescent and adult dogs as well.  "Popping the leash," yanking them by the collar, etc. doesn't teach the dog anything other than to hate being leashed or having their collar grabbed.  The purpose of the collar and leash is to keep your dog safe when out in public spaces.  Remember that!  It isn't about control, per se.  It's a mutually beneficial situation; we keep our dogs on leash and near us so that they can be out in public and so that we can keep them safe.  You walk WITH your dog.  Make it enjoyable for you both by choosing the right tool for the job.  The right tool can change over time depending on the age of the dog.  While a flat collar and 6 foot leash might be fine for a puppy, you may need an 8 foot leash and a head halter or body harness for your active, adolescent dog.  And your senior dog may need more (or less!) leash depending on their vision and their abilities as they age.

4.  Practice does make perfect:  You worked with your puppy every day on new behaviors.  You doled out lots of treats and praise for every step in the learning process.  You knew that while they seemed to figure out what "Sit" meant the first time you guided them into the behavior, you would need to continue to mark and reward that behavior until they really  understood it.  Well, the same goes for adolescent and adult dogs.  You can't expect them to have perfect, off-leash recall if you've never practiced that.  If you have a pandemic dog, your dog may have only ever worked in your home and yard with any regularity.  Now, they are out in public spaces where there are a lot of distractions!  You need to work on the behaviors you want them to execute reliably out in those spaces and with distractions if you have any hope of them being successful.  Take your time and be patient.  It took you more than one day to learn to drive a car, learn to ski, or write in cursive.  It will take your dog several sessions on a long line practicing recall before they are ready to practice without a leash at all.

5.  Recognizing when your dog is apprehensive or afraid:  Remember in puppy class when you scooped up your puppy and reassured him when he got rolled by another puppy during play?  You recognized that he was overwhelmed and afraid and you stepped in to let him know that you had his back.  So, why aren't you doing the same thing for your adolescent or adult dogs? While puppies do go through fear stages, fear isn't something that only happens in puppyhood.  The world is full of scary things and a chance encounter with a runaway shopping cart at Home Depot may be all it takes for your dog to be afraid of wheeled objects.  Acknowledge that they are afraid and work with them to move past it at their own pace.  This will likely require repeated exposures and desensitization, along with the delivery of rewards as they move through their fear. And if they don't move past it?  Try not to get frustrated and ask for help.

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

You can clearly see the treat in my daughter's hand as she is teaching Westley to fist bump.  He's definitely interested in learning the new behavior. And looking quite dapper doing it, if I do say so myself. 

Never Play Tug-of-War With Your Dog & Other Falsehoods!

At least once a week, I field a call or email from someone who was told/read online/or saw a post on Facebook that said they shouldn't be playing tug-of-war with their dog because it will make the dog aggressive.  I'm glad that the people telling me this over the phone or via email can't see my face as I'm sure I'm gritting my teeth and my eyes are rolled back in my head.  What a load of nonsense!  Playing tug-of-war with a dog most certainly does NOT make dogs aggressive. If it did, I'd have had nothing but aggressive dogs in my home my entire life!  The game of tug-of-war itself doesn't make dogs aggressive; aggression is something that dogs inherit or something they develop as a consequence of their environment.  Meaning, for example, if your dog keeps getting repeatedly beat up and bullied by other dogs at the dog park, he may very well become aggressive toward other dogs as a response to those negative experiences.  Tug-of-war is a game that most dogs really enjoy.  It allows them to use their mouths in a safe way with their humans.  They will tug and pull and growl and shake their heads to try to get the tug toy away from you.  And you will do the same, hanging onto the toy for dear life, grunting and maybe growling to make sure you get to keep the toy.  Fun times!  I love playing this game with Ozzie as we both turn in circles, growl, and jump around.  My one chance to be like a collie!  We play tug-of-war daily, sometimes he initiates the game, other times, I do.  He comes to the humans for the game because Desi won't play tug with him.  If Westley is home, however, he'll play tug with Ozzie and that's fun to watch for sure!  You see, dogs play tug-of-war with each other and with us. It is a game of strength and skill, but it's still a game.  If you want to play it with your dog, that's fine.  If you are concerned about your kids playing the game with your dog, then by all means, set some ground rules.  With kids, I suggest that the child start and end the game, not the dog and if the dog gets overstimulated and begins grabbing at the child's hands or jumping on them, then the child should drop the toy, firmly say, "Game Over!" and walk away from the dog and ignore them.  Dogs quickly learn that if they want the game to continue, they have to play by the human's rules.

Another falsehood I hear a lot is that dogs shouldn't be allowed to walk on leash in front of their owners as that means the dog is in control.  That's simply ridiculous.  Can you see my eyes rolling up in my head again?  Most dogs like to walk slightly in front of their owners and this isn't about them controlling you, it's about them assessing the environment you are walking into.  They are scanning the area, sniffing the air and the ground, etc.  They are making sure it's all good in your neighborhood.  I'm not suggesting that you let your dog tear your arm out of the socket and drag you down the street; rather, I am saying, if your dog wants to walk slightly in front of you, don't take this as some sort of affront to your status.  You are walking WITH your dogs, meaning it should be enjoyable for all parties. Staying at your knee in the heel position, looking adoringly up at you for an entire walk is not particularly pleasurable for your dog. Letting them trot ahead to sniff or look for squirrels, and then circle back to see what you are up to, makes for an enjoyable walk for everyone.  By all means, bring your dog back into the heel position if you are walking on a busy sidewalk or need to pass someone on the street, that's where teaching a dog to heel truly has the most value.  

Finally, there's the client I saw last weekend who told me she was sad that she couldn't let her dog sleep on the bed with her anymore.  I was figuring either she was allergic to the dog's fur or he snored or was restless, thus making sleeping with him on the bed uncomfortable.  Nope, that wasn't it.  She'd read in a Facebook dog owners group that letting dogs sleep with you or be on the furniture meant you were giving them power and they would thus not want to listen to you or be "obedient."  I was astounded by this!  Sharing your bed, your couch, or your favorite chair with your dog isn't what makes them ignore your requests or be disobedient.  That's crazy!  The only dogs who shouldn't be on furniture are those that try to guard those places from other pets or from their humans. If you can't sit on the couch because your dog will growl at you if you do, then yes, your dog shouldn't be on the furniture!  If your dog scoots over to make you a spot, or waits until you sit down to see if you'll invite them up there too, then sharing the couch isn't a problem.  If your dog doesn't hog the bed, growling at you for disturbing them, then it's fine to have them up there.  There have even been studies that show that women who sleep with a dog on their bed get a better night's sleep and rank themselves as happier overall!  If having your dog on the bed makes you sneeze, however, or keeps you from getting a good night's sleep, then by all means they need to sleep on a dog bed or in a crate in your bedroom instead.  You are still sleeping together then, just not co-sleeping. 

I hope this makes you feel better about that dog on the couch who likes to walk in front of you on your daily strolls and loves a good game of tug-of-war.  You see, I have one of those too and I wouldn't have it any other way.

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

Ozzie takes up a lot of room when he sits with you on the couch, but he's always willing to share his spot and loves trying to sit, at least partially, on your lap!

What Breed of Dog Do You Think He Is?

 This is one of my favorite questions!  My dog trainer friends and I have a blast guessing what dog breeds went into some of the mixes we meet everyday. In the old days, you looked at a dog and made your best guess based on their color, coat style, head shape, body size, and to a certain extent, their temperament. Lots of dogs were just "shepherd mixes" or "lab mixes," but again, those dogs looked "shepherdy" or behaved like labs. Times are different now; you can actually send in a sample of your dog's saliva in to a company and they will give you your dog's DNA results.  There are so many of these companies out there, however, so how do you know which company to choose? My favorites are the companies that provide not just information on your dog's breed (s) makeup, but information on genetic diseases that they may be predisposed to experiencing in their lifetime. Thus, these are the two companies I recommend for DNA testing, to those clients seeking answers to that age-old question, "What do you think he is?"

Wisdom Panel Dog DNA Test:  I like this one a lot because they offer two versions, an essential version that gives you your dog's breed mix down to about 1% accuracy and information on 25 possible medical complications your dog might experience, and the premium version which tests for over 200 possible medical issues.

Embark Dog DNA Test:  This one is quite popular and I think that has a lot to do with their targeted advertising on social media!  Nonetheless, I like this company as they've been in business quite a while, so they do seem to have figured out how to make their results reliable and worth the expense. They, too, have two tests you can purchase.  The first is a simple "breed ID kit," which simply helps you identify your dog's breed makeup.  Though they do now offer an additional feature where you can find your dog's relatives through a family tree feature!  Reminds me so much of the "23 and Me" program for human DNA testing!  The Embark Breed & Health Kit offers everything the breed ID kit has, plus identifying over 190 health conditions your dog might experience. 

I love when clients send me a copy of their dog's DNA results after they've received them.  So fun to see if I was even close to right on what I thought their dog's breed makeup likely was!

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

This is an old picture of the mixed breed dog I had all through college, grad school, and my early married life.  She was a "border collie mix."  Would have loved to know what else was in there (if anything!) as she was the smartest dog I've ever shared my home with and I still miss her every day.

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!