Hi everyone. I am new to the Sheltie Forum and don't even have our pup picked out yet. What I need help with is how to pick that one special puppy out of a litter. We have three pups to pick from who are now just over 4 weeks old. Temperament is the most important attribute we are looking for. We would like a sweet, confident dog, that is smart, playful and loving but not over the top with energy nor the opposite of being too timid. What should we look for when we observe the individual puppies and at what age in weeks will these characteristics become noticable? Thanks so much for your input.
Help Picking most suitable Puppy from Litter
- Thread starter MarleneK
- Start date
Cindy
Premium Member
You really need to trust your breeder.
a good breeder can pinpoint personality/temperment at an early age.
I never would have gotten gavin without my breeder when I had pick of the litter at 2 weeks old. But she already knew which dogs were going to be calm vs not (she called the more demanding pups diva's as they were all girls). Of course, I just had 1 quality to look for
Be careful what you wish for, though, and really examine the qualities you think you want. Some people say they want a really loving/snuggly dog, but do you really want your dog asking for attention all the time? or the separation anxiety that might go with an overly attached dog? Or if you want a more independent dog, are you OK with a dog that isn't at your feet whenever you want him or her? And which would fit with your lifestyle the best (not necessarily the same as what you want, btw)
a good breeder can pinpoint personality/temperment at an early age.
I never would have gotten gavin without my breeder when I had pick of the litter at 2 weeks old. But she already knew which dogs were going to be calm vs not (she called the more demanding pups diva's as they were all girls). Of course, I just had 1 quality to look for
Be careful what you wish for, though, and really examine the qualities you think you want. Some people say they want a really loving/snuggly dog, but do you really want your dog asking for attention all the time? or the separation anxiety that might go with an overly attached dog? Or if you want a more independent dog, are you OK with a dog that isn't at your feet whenever you want him or her? And which would fit with your lifestyle the best (not necessarily the same as what you want, btw)
tofu pup
Moderator
You really need to trust your breeder.
a good breeder can pinpoint personality/temperment at an early age.
I never would have gotten gavin without my breeder when I had pick of the litter at 2 weeks old. But she already knew which dogs were going to be calm vs not (she called the more demanding pups diva's as they were all girls). Of course, I just had 1 quality to look for
Ah, you beat me to it!
You need to communicate with your breeder as to the qualities that you're looking for. With all due respect to you, the simple fact is that the breeder probably has a great deal more experience with puppies than you do... and because s/he has lived with them since Day 1, the breeder has more experience with these puppies in particular!
When you do visit the litter, don't put too much stock in what you see during the thirty-to-sixty-minute window that you observe. Again, your breeder lives with these puppies, day in, day out (and lives with their mom, and possibly other relatives, too!). Trust your breeder, and help him or her to help you by communicating openly and honestly about your family and your needs in terms of a dog.
Good luck!
SheepOfBlue
Premium Member
I would also recommend you tell the breeder WHY you want the quality. Not only will this help them it might help you on realizing what you need vs want.