|
Let’s assume
you’ve isolated the group of puppies from which you want to
make your selection. They could be within the confines of a
large cage at a shelter or in a room in the breeder’s home.
Remember as you try to make your selection, just as every
person is different, so are dogs. Your goal is choosing a
particular puppy that matches your image of the perfect dog.
Many authors and dog fanciers emphatically believe that it
is impossible to judge an adult dog’s personality or
abilities from its behavior as a puppy. One of our close
friends, Delmar Smith, is a very famous dog trainer. He once
visited the Queen Elizabeth's kennel. It is renowned for
producing numerous field and obedience champions. Delmar
asked the senior resident trainer responsible for the
majority of these wins about his method of consistently
picking puppies that would be future winners. The old
gentleman smiled and simply replied that he let everyone
else pick the pups they wanted and then worked with whatever
was left. He believed that through 7 to 10 weeks of age, all
puppies were equal.
We would agree that it is far from an exact science, but
most people who involve their lives around dogs believe
there are better methods than relying on some form of random
selection. Most of us do not want a puppy that will mature
into an overly aggressive animal. Neither do we want one
that is excessively timid or shy. We want a dog that will be
reasonably easy to train, cause little damage to our home
and friends and adapt well to our family and household.
Spending a little time with a group of puppies and being
observant can usually help to isolate those with good,
outgoing personalities. They’ll be in the midst of puppy
play, being neither overly dominant nor submissive. If you
crouch down, friendly pups will usually run to your feet.
When picked up and supported well, they normally won’t fight
or struggle to get down. Ask yourself some obvious
questions. Does the puppy seem to enjoy being with people?
Is it overly afraid of stimuli such as sounds or sudden
movement? Most of this is common sense and can be done by
anybody without any preconceived ideas. Anything is better
than saying simply, "I want a brown one with lots of spots."
There have been books and articles written on puppy
selection. Some are very good while others seem to lead
readers down a long and difficult path. Most good methods
use a testing procedure that measures the puppy’s responses
to some sort of stimuli. This attempts to eliminate most
subjectivity. We feel that there are two very good and
useful books on this subject. They are straightforward and
easy to use. One is written by the Monks of New Skete and is
titled "The Art of Raising a Puppy" and the other is Clarice
Rutherford and David Neil’s book, "How to Raise a Puppy You
Can Live With". They both explain and guide you through an
evaluation system of the individual animal’s personality.
Both books also give an excellent treatment on the
behavioral development of dogs through their first year of
life. We would strongly recommend them to any prospective
puppy owner.
Although we endorse these methods, remember that they only
judge the puppy on that particular day during one stage in
its life. Findings done on another day could vary
significantly. Keep in mind also that the environment in
which the animal lives and matures will greatly affect its
behavior and personality as an adult. This means that you
will have an opportunity to affect the puppy after it is
living with you. The more time you spend with your new
friend the better chance you have of her growing into the
animal you want. Regardless of the test or selection method
used, you cannot expect the animal to continue to develop
without your guidance.
You’ve picked out your puppy and paid the bill. It is six
weeks of age and you want the puppy now! However the breeder
says you can’t take it home for seven more days. They say
they always keep the puppies with the mother and littermates
until they are 49 days of age. Exactly seven weeks! While
you may be disappointed, in our opinion you are very lucky.
You are working with a breeder who is worried more about
doing what is right for the dog than getting out of an
additional week of puppy cleaning duties.
It may seem very subjective, but it has been shown by
several animal behaviorists that this is what’s best for the
puppy. They should stay within their litter situation until
they are 49 days of age and then immediately go to their new
homes. Through seven weeks of age, the pups are still
gaining from the interaction with their mother and
littermates. This will help the puppy later in life when she
is confronted by other dogs. Being in the presence of its
littermates gives the puppy more confidence when she
encounters new experiences. These could be anything from a
loud noise, fences that need to be climbed over or through,
a large object like a tree or the sound and sensation of the
wind in her face.
The puppy still needs to be around people. That will never
change. In fact, it’s very important for a six-week-old
puppy. If the breeder does not have young children play with
the puppy or is running short on time, you should plan on
spending time at the kennel during the next few days if it’s
at all possible. Your responsibilities started the day you
said you wanted that puppy.
|
|
