Selecting a puppy from a litter
So, you have decided to get a puppy and then spent countless hours thinking about which breed you like based on your lifestyle choices and then spoke to a bunch of people at work, school or in neighborhood who possibly referred you to a breeder who says they have a new litter. You are ready to visit them over a weekend and select a puppy and bring home. Wait, how do you select a puppy? Do you take the one that comes running to you, that is playful busy playing with its littermates or the one the breeder suggests you? Quite simply, whichever option you take, it is important that you spend time learning about how to select a puppy. Afterall, this puppy is going to be such an important part of your life.
There are three broad areas you want to focus on as you narrow down the puppies and select the one from the final list.
From my own experience of having shared my life several godsend creatures, I have learned a lot and want to offer a few words of advice here. Read on!
Three areas of focus
There are three broad areas you want to focus on as you narrow down the puppies and select the one from the final list.
- 1. Health
- 2. Physical traits
- 3. Behavioral traits
After deciding whether you want a male or a female pup, just spend some time watching how the littermates engage with each other. In general, the ones that are active and playful tend to become better at what the breed is originally meant to be. For example, if you are picking up a Doberman puppy, the ones that resist the others from piling on them or the ones that bark actively would make good guard dogs. In the same breed, if the puppy seems to be quiet and let others have a go at them, they generally tend to become less boisterous and quieter when they grow up.
Once you have shortlisted 2 or 3 from an overall check, time to move to the specifics.
1. Health
Talk to the owner: Ask about the general appetite of the chosen ones. Some specific questions to ask are whether all puppies eat dry food, do they ever vomit or had excretion issues and how they respond to deworming. If you are seeing the litter after 4 weeks, they would have had at least one deworming done by that time.
Overall appearance: Especially, a few things to note are how they puppies walk, sit, run and look. One general test you can perform quickly is to make some noise and see if the puppies look curious in the direction of the sound. Given the breed you are considering, check also whether the color markings, coat, ear, tail and hind legs broadly confirm to the generally how the breed looks.
If you are a professional show enthusiast, you probably know these things anyways, but, if you are picking up a pup of the breed for the first time, you might want to consider reading about your chosen breed before the visit. Read about breeds here
2. Physical traits
At this stage you probably have one or two to pick from.
Eyes: Check the eyes to see if they are clear from redness or any drainage. See if the pups itch around the eyes – you can tell from whether there are any patch marks, i.e. hairlessness.
Ears: If the ears have any infection or issues, you can tell from how they smell and from any visual signs of discharge from the ears. In general, any obsessive scratching at the ear is not a great sign.
Nose: See if the pup breaths easily without any discomfort or panting. Noses are expected to be slightly wet and some extra moisture is fine.
Head: The top of the head may have a small soft spot. If the soft area is larger than a dime, this could indicate future problems associated with “open fontanelles” which are openings between the bones/plates of the skull.
Mouth: The pup’s gums (should be moist and pink in color. The top and bottom teeth should align in general.
Belly button: See if the belly button area is looking normal without any unusual protrusion. If there is a large bulge, it could be umbilical hernia. It is not a big deal but a small surgery might be needed.
Skin: The skin should be generally smooth. Patches of hairlessness throughout could be sign of generic skin issues and could be lifelong problem.
3. Behavioral traits
It is impossible to perform a thorough temperament testing is not possible at only a few weeks old, you can still gauge the overall personality to a reasonable degree. IF the pup is interested in playing, actively sniffing and approaches you fearlessly, nudging your hand around and likes head rubs or belly rubs. If your answer to these checks is an affirmative yes, then that pup wll grow to be a n easygoing dog, easier to train, easier to socialize and generally be a more obedient pet.
If the pup doesn’t like to play much or doesn’t want to lay down for your belly rubs for long but would instead run around and sniff elsewhere, they probably have a more independent nature and could grow up to be a good guard dog. Again, these traits vary greatly based on the breed you are interested in, but these are good general guidelines and you can only do so much to make sure you have done your bit in picking up the best that suits your needs.
It is also an ethical responsibility on your part to make sure you are offering one of the godsends a lifetime of joy, purpose and fulfilment. They don’t ask you to pick them, instead it is you who is making a choice.
Also, keep in mind that in general, female puppies across breeds are more sociable, more by-the-side and easier to train than their male counterparts.
If you are looking for a new pup to adopt, find some of our most adorable pup litters here
For more information about pets and how alldogs.in can help you, please drops us a note at AllDogs.in
