What to look for when picking a puppy from the litter?

C

Cubby

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Hi there! I'm Nicole, and I'm new to the forums. My hubby and I are picking a sheltie puppy in 2 weeks. Neither of us are new to owning puppies/dogs, but we are new to the breed. We would like to choose a puppy that has a relatively docile demeanor (can handle cats), and one who does not bark as much (yes, I know you can also help this with proper training). We are going to name our new pup Cubby, hence the username.

Basically, any advice in choosing a pup from a litter would be appreciated! We've done a lot of research already but I feel it is sometimes better to hear from direct experience and anecdotes :)
 
My boy is Cubby too! Cubby as in Little Red Caboose or Cubby Caboose.

I recommend you get and read The Art of Raising A Puppy by the Monks of New Skete (available from Amazon for digital download and is a REALLY fast read). It talks a lot about the psychology of puppies and also includes a set of tests that helps you determine if the pup is what you are looking for.

Best wishes!
 
The vet behaviourist. Dr Ian Dunbar, has some good info on selecting a puppy on his website http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/how-select-good-puppy. He also has other excellent (free) resources including the books Before you get your puppy and After you get your puppy. You'll need a free login to access the material but it's well worth it.

Couple of things to look out for. The puppy should be okay with people. Generally you want the one that looks confident (ie doesn't hide) but not boisterous. You're trying to avoid two problem traits - shyness and fun-barkers. It doesn't always work but it's a good start (my female was a hider but actually adores people - I got her for dog sports tho). Make noise around the pups and see their reactions. While it might be cute you may want to avoid the one that thinks the noise is fun (Shelties like to bark at things for fun).

I'm not sure you can select for a non-barker (except go for a different breed). My female came from a family of barkers, my male didn't, but he's a barker and she isn't. Shelties are more likely to bark in multiples so don't be tempted to walk out with more than one pup!

And remember everything you laugh at as a puppy can be darn annoying as an adult. Shelties are clowns and pleasers, so if they get a laugh out of you they'll keep doing it for life. There are just some things that Sheltie pups need no encouragement to do, like barking at plastic bags, electrical things, attacking the broom or rake - don't laugh at them when they do it. I learnt this the hard way and sweeping has never been the same since.

As for cats, I've always had cats and shelties and its never been an issue. Shelties are quite gentle and I don't think you could get a better breed for cats. I think the only issue would be a high drive sheltie may get over-stimulated when the cats play and bark at them.

If in the end you are tossing up between a male and female I'd recommend a male. I've seen more high drive females than males and it sounds like you want one a little laid back.
 
Dont forget that the breeder will be able to give you the best information to the puppy's character, he or she will have had at least 8 weeks of watching the development and interaction with Mom and littermates.

If you trust your breeder, seek their input! Hopefully this experienced breeder will match you to the best puppy for your lifestyle!

Enjoy the process!
 
When we got Annabelle, there was another female that was the cutest puppy I've ever seen (Do NOT tell Annabelle she wasn't the cutest puppy :hide ). But that cute little puppy wiggled herself out of my arms and right out of the room where I was trying to decide. She did this twice, and I decided that even though she was cute, this wasn't my puppy. So I had a choice between Annabelle and a tri-color puppy. I didn't want Annabelle because she looked so much like the dog I had just lost and I was afraid I was going to do the comparison thing and she just wasn't Brodie. But of the two puppies, this little sable with a blaze seemed to like me the most. She came to me, crawled all over me until I picked her up, kissed me. Went inside out to get my attention. Well, I'm not sure what happened to that tri-color puppy. And the one that looked like Brodie became our Annabelle. She was NOT an easy puppy. But she is the best dog. She still turns herself inside out to get loving from her humans.

I am a firm believer in letting the animal have a say in who they live with.
 
Yes, trust you breeder but also trust yourself. You will know if it feels right

In reality, personally, I've never met a Sheltie that I didn't like or I could not train to my minimum standards. And I don't have high standards!

But having learned through all Bacca's health issues, I would drill the breeder about liver and hypo thyroid disease. Very prevalent in Shelties. Maybe Kidney too.
 
look-a-likes

Kaleigh is my 3rd sheltie in my life, when I went to get her I was relieved that she didn't resemble my previous 2. I had lost my 17 yr old 1-29-14, and it was as hard as losing a child. Kaleigh was whelped 2-14-14, and she had a brother but he didn't survive. I held her at a week old, never held a puppy that young before. We bonded then, and my visits following just made it clear she was FOR me. I have wanted a playmate for her, and have been waiting for the breeder to produce one. They told me not to get another girl until she was spayed, my vet concurred, because lil gals can be fiesty and territorial. The two girls I am considering are fair sable pups. Kaleigh is often mistaken for a border collie as she is mostly black and white, with touches of tan on eyebrows, jaw line, and back legs. I think she is quite distinctive, though her parents are tricolored she really doesn't have their coloring, just their features. If I get one of these other pups, I will have "ebony and ivory" we have to see if we bond. My previous pups chose me, they walked over and stayed. Kaleigh didn't squirm at all when I held her, she settled as if she recognized me, and now is a velcro dog. Shelties are such a great breed, they have such fun personalities, but there are one's that just "belong" in your life is my take.
 
The right puppy

When Mom, Dad and I chose my first Sheltie, I chose the sable girl who was pulling the heads off of all the daffodils in her breeder's garden and pulling at my shoestrings. And our heart strings. She was the only puppy I saw, out of a litter of 7.

She was the dearest and most beautiful fur girl in my childish world, and she lived to be a happy and healthy seventeen.

The art of choosing the right puppy...it's a mystery.

The scientific method--Today, I focus on health tests and an understanding of,parentage. And I flip the puppy onto her back to see how she responds. Not too frantic, not too passive.
 
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Each pup I go for I try the tests, etc. but in the end I rely on my gut instinct, which of those cute balls of fluff speaks to me? They may not have such agility potential as other pups, or they may not be the colour or sex I was expecting, but I will always go for the one that speaks to me first.

Take Sparrow, before I got her I would have said I didn't like liver and white cockers, in fact mostly white dogs at all. I was planning on getting a black dog or maybe Black and Tan. Then I meet Sparrow, a mostly white dog, the colour I said I didn't like. But the instant I saw her I just knew we were a match. I even picked up her totally black sister, because that was the colour I had considered. But my eyes kept drawing back to Sparrow.

I followed my heart and I don't regret it. In fact I have fallen head over heels for liver and white cockers.

So do the tests, listen to the breeder, but also listen to your instincts, because you are going to be living with this dog for the next 10-15 years and you need to be a match:wink2:
 
My puppy test is always the first puppy to come to me and kiss me :lol:. I usually have 2-4 already in my head before I go picking because we want an Agility pup. I always like the more adventurous and rambunctious. Ruutu and a few of his litter mates hopped out of their whelping box when they were 3 weeks old. Ruu also was fearless with everything. And he rocked the wobble ball my breeder had in with him. When I went to see him, I had 3 in my mind, but 1 was taken by the 2nd picker so went down to 2. In the end, my husband said he liked Ruutu's color better than the other so we ended up with him. :lol: That being said, when I was sitting in the pen, Ruu was the first to come to me and kiss me.
 
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