Advise for picking pup?

B

BarbRuth

Forums Novice
Looking for advise. I will be picking a puppy to come home with me next week. Are there any tips, tricks, tests to choose a pup with a good temperament? Any and all advise is welcome. This will be my first Sheltie.
 
I have always requested input from my breeders. They knew their puppies and helped with info and questions. But I have to say all my puppies CHOSE me. Play with the puppies, watch them interact and you can usually get a sense of temperament/personality. Shelties are such great dogs, if you invest time with them they turn out to be such kindred spirits. Some need more repetition than others, not because they aren't smart, it is because they are too clever. If you end up with a lil diva furbrat, let me say they can grow out of it. If you look back on my posts about Savannah, I had my doubts- lots of challenging days with her, but now she is 1 1/2 and WAY better:) Life is BETTER with a sheltie, and once you have one, you might feel like it isn't enough. They are quite addicting. Shelties like to chat, bark, respond, if that bothers you, let the puppy know from day one how much they are allowed to bark, otherwise it can and will be an issue. Happy choosing!!!
 
Know what range of temperaments you want or would fit with you. Talk to the breeder and let you help and ask her to describe the personalities. Most good show breeders have a vested interest in breeding great temperaments and in early socialization of their pups and want a good match for their puts. I also went with my gut and did research on my breeder beforehand as i am sure you did too, so I had trust in wha their breeding intentions are.
 
The right temperament is very much about what is right for you. Temperament is also about nuture. And there are parts of temperament that can be hard to predict how it will turn out. Deska was confident and adored me from the moment we met, and he has separation anxiety. Tully wouldn't come near me, the breeder selected me for her because I wanted high drive, yet Tully has the sweetest nature, as long as there isn't something to chase.

So before you view the pups have a look at you own lifestyle and what you plan on doing with your pup. Do you work full time, you may want one that shows some independence. Are you very active or intend to agility or jogging with your dog, if not then think about one with a lower drive. Before telling the breeder what you want and before interacting with the pups ask the breeder to tell you about their personalities. That way the breeder will be frank about what s/he thinks and you won't be as influenced by cuteness. Then think about how that would fit in your lifestyle and talk to the breeder about it.

Btw - don't always go by looks. Tully was the ugliest pup I'd ever seen, she grew into a swan.
 
Btw - don't always go by looks. Tully was the ugliest pup I'd ever seen, she grew into a swan.

That is so true, I look at the puppy pics, and how my girls matured. Not what I expected at all. They all looked ugly during the coyote phase:sick:
 
As was already said, let the breeder guide you.

Before you go, make a list of traits you want in your dog; really think about this and don't just say 'friendly'. Think about what you want to do with your dog and base your traits around that. For example, if you just want a pet that will lay around the house and take the occasional walk, you'll want a dog that's more laid back, not high energy, still willing to work (since you'll want good leash manners), and sociable. If you are interested in performance sports (rally, obedience, agility, etc.) your list of traits changes slightly and might include higher energy level, willingness to play/tug/fetch, solid work ethic and desire to learn, structurally sound, etc.

Share this information with the breeder and let them help guide you to the right do to fit your life. If there isn't a dog that's a good fit, no matter how cute they are, be willing to continue to wait for the right dog. You won't be disappointed.
 
Last edited:
This is all so true! Layla was my first puppy as an adult. My breeder asked what I planned to do with my Sheltie. I told her, "Therapy work at Walter Reed with wounded soldiers." When I arrived, she handed me Layla and said, "This is the puppy I have selected for you." Layla grew to be the most perfect Sheltie ever: calm, cooperative, and utterly "bomb-proof."
 
Totally agree with what has already been said. A good breeder is your best resource. Remember that puppies are little babies. While I love the old adage that you should let the puppy choose you, sometimes it's not always that easy!

I still remember thinking that I would pick the friendliest pup, the one that wanted to play with me, when I went to pick a puppy out of Lexi's litter. If I had stuck with that, I would have gone home with 9 puppies! They were all crawling all over me the whole time! I also heard once that it totally depends on the time of day. It could be that the most active puppy in the litter had a crazy morning and when you came to visit was just totally zonked out. If you wanted an active puppy you may overlook him because of circumstance.

When we decided we wanted another puppy I think I sent our breeder about a page long description of what we were looking for! Is the puppy going to be exactly what you THINK you wanted? Probably not, but the breeder knows them best and I've found it usually turns out that you get exactly the puppy you needed, even if you didn't know it at the time!
 
I wouldn't be too much help- two were picked from pictures as the breeders were 6 and 8 hours away.
the one puppy that I did meet beforehand- I wasn't looking for a puppy then but 6ish weeks later brought him home since he was what I wanted in my next dog (2-3 yrs down the road)- but there he was 2 yrs early:winkgrin:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top