How Do I choose the Best Puppy?

labrador training The first question is do you want a female, or do you prefer a male? If you’re not planning to breed your dog, you’ll definitely want to have it “fixed” - females get spayed, and males get neutered. Altered animals make better house pets and better pupils during labrador training. So many exceptions to the conventional thoughts on which is the better sex have rendered the stereotypes virtually useless in helping to decide which will make the better companion.

Your best chance at getting the disposition you want is to observe the parents, especially the fathers, as they seem to pass on their personalities to their offspring with few exceptions. Puppies start to develop their personalities and their independence at about five weeks old, and that’s an ideal time to choose your puppy even though he won’t be able to come home with you for another two weeks, at least. Sometimes the breeder will have separated the puppy from its mother if you pick it up a little later, and that makes the transition a little easier when you take him home and place him in his crate the first night. Here’s what to look for the first time you see the litter: Does the litter look healthy? No discharges or sores? The puppies should be excited when they see people; they shouldn’t act afraid. Does one puppy stay back from the litter and not join in play? Does one puppy keep pushing his littermates aside?

Avoid the second and third types of puppies, and look for the ones that are neither too timid nor especially aggressive. Once you’ve eliminated a few of the possible candidates, remove the ones you’re interested in from their kennel for a better look. What you’re looking for are the inquisitive, alert puppies that immediately want to explore. Spend some time playing with them. It’s good to bring a wild bird feather or tail with you to entice the puppies into chasing it. Again, you don’t want the puppies that ignore this entrancing plaything, as that indicates a lack of bird drive and interest. Sometimes behaviors that you see in the puppies on your initial visit aren’t valid indicators of the puppies’ traits. Many factors can contribute to false patterns of behavior – excitement over seeing strangers, feeding time, nap time, play time – the possibilities are endless. You really need to get up close and personal, so to speak, with each puppy in which you’re interested to determine whether or not you think it would make a good companion for you. When you call them to you with a clap or maybe a whistle, see which puppies come straight to you.

A puppy should snuggle down in your arms for at least a brief period when you pick him up. He shouldn’t be wrestling about from the first second of being held. It’s true that puppies don’t rest for long, but he should at least spend a short time enjoying the feel of being cuddled. Watch to see which puppies like to hold things in their mouths; obviously, this is a trait of value in all hunting dogs, no matter what the breed.