“How do I choose the “best” puppy from a litter?”
This is a question tantalizing many of those who want to get a new dog. How do they choose the “best” puppy out of a litter. On what criteria do they choose their puppy? Some ask if they should perform those tests they read about on-line. Others ask whether it is important to get to be the first to choose a puppy from a litter , whether the order the puppies were born is of importance and more.
Let us start from the beginning.
Step1. Always start by choosing a trustworthy breeder.
Step 2. Answer the breeder's questions honestly. Without exaggerating about your capacity, the time you have to spend with the puppy and your experience. Always mention having no prior experience with the specific breed or with dogs in general.
Step 3. Take into account the breeder's advice on choosing the correct puppy for you.
This article could have very well ended right here with step three. Because once you have selected a trustworthy breeder and have answered all his questions sincerely then you have found the ideal person to choose the correct puppy for you.
There is no such thing as “the best puppy” in a litter
This is something everyone needs to understand. In a litter, there are no puppies better than the others. In a litter, there are puppies that are suitable for some people and puppies that are suitable for other people according to their lifestyle, goals, experience and more.
The puppy that is the best choice for me can be the worst choice for someone else and vice versa.
Being the first to choose a puppy from a litter
There is a theory circulating by which if you want to choose the “best” puppy from a litter you have to pay something extra so you can be the first to choose.
In reality, if you are interested in a litter, you pay up front to reserve a puppy and that is all that matters. Being the first or second or third to choose will make no difference if you are to ignore the breeder's advice on which is the right puppy for you.
Anyhow, the first to choose a puppy from a litter is always the breeder. When a breeder has a puppy he considers an appropriate candidate for his breeding program, the puppy will stay with the breeder.
I want/ don't want the puppy born first
Another widespread theory suggests that the puppy born first, will be the strongest, biggest, most dominant of all. This theory is entirely based on rumours spread by breeders of the past. There is no scientific research whatsoever suggesting this is true. There is no logic or proof of the theory either. Personally I see this as a marketing tool of a past era.
Personality tests
There exist on-line many a test aiming to help new dog owners choose their puppy. They are all worthless.
They are worthless because if these tests are performed by somebody who does not posses the appropriate knowledge:
1. Mistakes will be made during the test and these mistakes will result to the wrong conclusions.
2.Who will judge the test results? Let us suppose the test was performed correctly. Does the average person have the capacity to correctly interpret the test results? No.
3.The factors that will influence a puppy's behaviour at any given time are so many that no test can be objective.
4.A breeder that respects himself and his puppies will never allow a stranger to perform any kind of test to them. Why? Because inappropriate handling in a very young age can be harmful for the puppies.
I want the biggest puppy of the litter
There is no guarantee that the biggest puppy in a litter will still be bigger than his siblings when they grow up. The dog's size will have no effect on the dog's character. So, if anyone is mainly interested in the dog's size, they had better choose a puppy of a large dog breed. This way they will surely have a big dog and will be able to focus on the dog's character.
There is only one way to make the best possible choice of a puppy. Let the breeder choose the ideal puppy for you. The breeder knows his dogs and their blood line. The breeder spends a lot of time with his puppies and is therefore in a position to know the character of every one of them.
A breeder's goal is to match his puppies with the appropriate families because this way the puppies will have the best life possible. It is important for a breeder to offer his puppies the best quality of life. In order for the puppies to have the best quality of life they need to go to the appropriate families.
Quality of life does not only mean proper food and a place in the family. Quality of life means covering effectively all the basic needs of a dog including a dog's need to exercise. A dog with high energy levels in a family that has no time or intention to invest more time in the dog, does not have a good quality of life. If the dog's basic need to exercise and expend his energy is not covered, then he is repressed ; even if he's fed the best food and sleeps on the couch.
Remember that the advice we give to you is not just words. It is the way we work, train and breed.
At times, in order to fulfil our breeding goals we too get dogs from other breeders. We do it exactly the way we advise you to. We find a breeder we trust, let them know about the training the puppy will receive and our intention to include the puppy to our breeding program and let the breeder choose a puppy for us.
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