About Weims:How to Find a Pup
How to Pick a Pup
By: Stephen C. Rafe
(c) 1995, 1999. Stephen C. Rafe. All Rights Reserved.
Want to pick the perfect pup? You probably have heard the standard tips, so let’s check these off quickly and move on to some tactics you may not have heard about.
Negotiate
Start by deciding what breed of dog you want, and make sure your family agrees. The pup will need the support and attention of every member of your household, not only during the first weeks at home, but also for the rest of its life. So it’s important that everyone goes into the deal ready to like the dog. Make sure you all agree on the breed from the start.
Talk beforehand about what the pup’s job will be once it matures. Do you and your family agree on whether the pup will become a house dog or a pet? Do you plan to compete with it? Do you have some other purpose in mind -- such as hunting? Unless everyone agrees, you could have problems later -- especially when you need help in caring for the dog. Whether you decide that you want a dog that will hunt, be a family pet, or compete in obedience, show, agility, flyball, or another sport, decide in advance on who will be responsible to help make that happen.
Next, make sure everyone agrees on whether this dog will spend most of its time in the house or in an outdoor kennel. Some family members may believe it’s less work and mess to feed and water, and clean up, after a dog in the house. They may also like having a dog around for affection and protection. Others take a different approach: They say that keeping a dog in outside kennels reduces the problems that occur with loose hair, dirt, and other sanitation issues. Some find a house dog to be messy and annoying. Still others may have allergies. Finally, some owners prefer to not have family members interact with the dog too much because they don’t want the dog spoiled or inconsistently trained. Discuss and negotiate these points up front. You’ll have a better chance for success with the pup you pick.
Sources
You already know better than to buy a pup at a pet shop. You have probably been cautioned not to order a pup by mail unless you know the breeders well and trust their integrity. You should also already know it’s a good idea to have seen pups from their breedings as matured dogs. You should also be satisfied that the parents will produce the kinds of offspring that fit into your plans. If you must buy a pup by “mail-order,” you can increase your chances for success by looking only at repeat breedings where you have seen the get from a previous litter.
Your best bet is to ask around. Talk to friends who have the kind of dog you’d like. Include members of organizations that participate in the kinds of activities you have in mind for your pup once it matures. Depending on your interests, this could include hunting clubs, field-trial organizations, show or obedience groups, and so on. You could also ask your veterinarian.
Listen carefully to everyone you ask: Don’t assume anything. For instance, when you hear that a particular female is about to have a “fine” litter of outstanding pups,” make sure you know what your source is really saying. The words may not have the same meaning as you give them.
Zeroing In
While pedigrees and proof of registry are helpful, they don’t tell you everything you need to know. It’s almost impossible to assess a pup’s potential hunting ability from a piece of paper. What’s more, many owners of fine dogs don’t choose to pay to register them -- especially if they don’t compete them. So keep your options open.
Try to line up three or more litters of the breed you have agreed upon. Make sure the parents, and even the grandparents, did well at whatever you have in mind for your pup. For example, if you want a pup that will grow to become a close-working hunting dog, you probably don’t want to pick it from parents who were field-trial champions in all-age stakes. By the same token, a pup that comes from a line of fantastic pheasant dogs in South Dakota may not be your best choice for hunting grouse in New England. Make sure the breeding supports your expectations.
Although geneticists tell me there’s no scientific validity for a belief I’m about to share here, hundreds of owners have followed this suggestion to determine whether a pup in a given litter is likely to mature into the adult they have in mind. Look to the dam’s mother -- even more so than to the sire and dam -- as the best indicator of whether the traits you desire will be present in the pups. Consider the sire’s mother as the next-best indicator. While the geneticists are probably right, the technique seems to work in the opinion of those who’ve tried it. Even if it’s just “luck,” it’s far better than tossing a coin -- and the technique does require a closer look at the pups’ bloodlines.
You might also ask to see photos of the adults doing whatever they were bred for. Talk with buyers of pups from previous litters. Doing both will help you learn more about what the pups may be like as adults.
Closer Inspection
When you find litters you like, look at the mothers as well as the pups. Do they look healthy and alert? Check their surroundings. Does their area look clean and well taken care of? Is it dry and free of drafts? Is it located where people can check the pups frequently, and get them used to people? Every day handling also helps make the pups more resistant to stress.
Find out what the mother is being fed. Is it a quality food? Is she receiving supplements? Learn about the whelping. Were there any problems with the deliveries? Which pups were born breached, if any? In what order were they born? Which was born first, and last?
Many owners feel that first-born pups tend to be dominant and last-borns tend to be submissive. Since there’s no guarantee, check it out as well. Also, the largest pup could become a strong, independent, sometimes willful adult: The smallest one may tend toward submissiveness and shyness. This is something else you’ll want to determine.
Selecting
Be sure that a veterinarian has examined the parents and found them free of disease, and has checked the pups for good health. A good breeder should have no problem with telling you the name of the veterinarian so you can speak with him or her yourself.
Ask where you stand in the sequence for picking a pup. Having first pick could cost a bit more, but it could be worth it. Take a close look at the pups from the standpoint of what will be left when it comes your turn to make your selection. Don’t engage in wishful thinking. Ask yourself the hard questions now and you’ll be less likely to be disappointed later. If you don’t happen to like which pups will still be available when it comes your turn, politely say “no thanks,” and go elsewhere.
When you find a breeding where you’ll be satisfied with your selection, please go beyond the quaint advice to just close your eyes, reach in, pick up a pup and take it home. While a statement like that underlines the value of choosing a good breeding, it says little for selecting the right pup for you. The tests that follow provide a better way and you can use them even if you can only see the pups just once. The objective is to gain some further indication of what the pup may be like both now and later on.
Testing
If you have the good fortune to live nearby, ask the breeder whether it would be all right to come over periodically. Most breeders are okay with this provided your visits are brief, focused on evaluating the pups, and don’t interfere with the breeder’s own schedule. During these visits, with the breeder’s permission, interact with each of the pups by doing the following with one pup at a time:
- Make squeaking sounds with your lips and see which ones a) come to you, b) ignore you, or c) run from you.
- Once the pups are mature enough to be walking with confidence place them on the floor near you and walk slowly away. See which ones a) follow you, b) ignore you, or c) go in the opposite direction.
- Turn each one over on its back and see which ones a) twist back over right away, b) struggle then settle, or c) don’t turn at all.
- Lay the pups on a towel and stroke them from the tops of their heads to the tips of their tails in one continuous motion. Note which ones a) struggle and resist strongly, b) resist slightly then relax or c) try to squirm away.
- Lift the pups a few inches off the ground by spanning your hands beneath their stomachs. Note which ones a) struggle and don’t cease, b) squirm then relax, or c) lay still and don’t move.
Keep track of the results for each pup that interests you. Naturally, each of the pups may test differently on a given day, and the results may depend upon whether they’ve just slept, eaten, played, and so on. Also, what you see in the pups now may change depending upon their surroundings, interactions with people and other animals, and so on, as they mature. However, the tests help you gauge what you’re most likely to see when the pup reaches adulthood -- all things being equal.
Results
Using the tests as your guide, the pups with the largest number of “A’s” over time are likely to become the most dominant adults and could be difficult to train. Conversely, the pups with the most “Cs” over several tests are likely to be overly submissive and possibly even timid as adults. The ones with the most “B’s” will generally mature into biddable adults that fit into most family situations.
Final Step
If you see the pups early enough -- say right after they have their senses working -- ask the breeder whether you can try this: Take all the pups away from the mother. Put them on the opposite of a barrier that is easy for her to cross. For indoor litters, you could put the pups in another room and block the door with pillows. Now, release the mother and allow her to go to them. Watch which one she gives her immediate attention.
If it happens to be one of the pups you have in mind, and is one that’s available to you, go with momma’s pick. Personally, if it were my decision, I’d give some serious thought to taking that one home -- even if it hadn’t been my first choice.
While mother may not know best when it comes to which pup will fit your particular needs and preferences, her natural instincts will lead her to pay closest attention to the one most consistent with nature’s rules for preservation of the species and also for the survival of the fittest
Stephen C. Rafe is the author of Training Your dog for BIRDWORK, Your New Baby and Bowser, and numerous manuals and pamphlets on training and behavior. His cure systems for dogs that fear gunfire, thunder or fireworks are considered the most effective available. He takes no personal income from the outreach program he has maintained since 1982 to help dogs and their owners.
For free information on Steve's products and services:
Stephen Rafe
Starfire
P.O. Box 8241
Reston, VA 20195
Tel/Fax: (703) 476-9119