Picking a puppy

[marysburg]

Works for us old folks too, I'm over picking the zippiest pup in the bunch. Now I want one that I won't have to butt heads with every day, but with drive in the field.

[Sharon]

Smart.:-) I haven't learned that lesson yet - still buying JRTs.:-)

[Ugo]

I look for the smartest pup and not necessarily the "craziest" pup. I look for balance because after all, they are just young pups. I look at conformation because it was once said that the pup you see at 7 weeks will go through many changes before reverting to an adult version of that 7 week old pup. There are certain traits that I look for in that young pup that will most often make him/her display strong natural ability traits as well as trainability, once formal training is initiated. I look for pups that are confident within themselves. I look for tail set as much or more than I do how they are carrying that tail at any given time because that will have a tangible value when they grow up. I look at their eyes because when you have been around dogs for some time, the eyes can tell you a great deal.
I stay away from big, silly-bold pups (too often not the brightest and their edginess can become an issue) or wall flowers (lacking fire/drive/self confidence).
Then my intuition kicks in........

[dlabrech]

Probably a newbie question, but why are you dead set on picking a female?

[BurlyGirl]

Probably a newbie question, but why are you dead set on picking a female?

While that specific question deserves a specific answer from the original poster, I do have an opinion on this topic as a whole. Some people have a specific preference to male or female. It could be related to past experience, the existing dogs that are in the house, etc. I myself like my girls for a number of reasons, none of which I can be talked out of. One argument against getting a female is that they come into season. The easy answer to that is to get them spayed (which also has many factors, repercussions and things to consider). I find male dogs and I are not suited for each other for a number of reasons: I dislike marking, I dislike that if they smell a female, the brain *tends* to go out the window, I dislike the potential for aggressive behaviour toward other males as they are going through their growing pains (and with some dogs, those pains never end). While I am also a firm believer that ALL of these things can be addressed through good training, they are still things that I'm not crazy about. I lean toward a female every time. Put me in a room with a litter of puppies, and I will gravitate toward a female nine times out of ten. I just spent last fall looking at a litter of ten or eleven black puppies. All identical. There was one girl in particular that I kept noticing, long before the pups had their coloured collars on to identify them. What it all comes down to is you like what you like. No one can tell you you're wrong for liking what you like.

[The Wife]

Generally speaking, I like a calmer pup that also shows alertness and interest in its surroundings. For me, it doesn't have to be full of beans to be an alert and attentive dog. It doesn't necessarily have to be male or female but over the years, I seem to have mostly chosen females. I do find females somewhat easier to train. The males have tended to be more affectionate. The one thing that will rule out a puppy right away is if it whines for attention or for no reason. I also like to consider what the breeder has to say about each pup.

[Jakezilla]

Well said BG. Some people just have a preference and some people have specific reasons. I know people that prefer males because some females can get squirelly when they are in heat and don't do well in competition during their cycle. I know people that prefer males and they have a list as long as BG's about why they don't like females. Like BG said, it comes down to what you like and there is no right or wrong.

[Jakezilla]

Ugo I understand what you are saying but I don't necessarily look for the same things as you and we all have our reasons. I have some specific things I want in a pup, reasons why I want them and "crazy" is open to interpretation. I would like the pup to have everything but few, if any do, and we need to prioritize our desires because there are trade offs. I have a few experiments going on with dogs right now and it will take a few more years to find out if I am right, wrong or somewhere in between. I don't want to go on and hijack this thread but when it comes to puppies I am interested in the thoughts of yourself, Krakadawn, Crakered, Tim Tufts, Werner, Dakota Creek as well as a few others with the reasons behind everyone's thoughts. The different personalities, disciplines and training methods will lead people to look for different things in the pups and I would like to hear it from the experienced folk. If we could keep it specific to hunting dogs/trial dogs while keeping the googler's and armchair trainers at bay we all just might learn something.

[ebenezer]

I have a preference for females. Over the last 20 years I have had 2 males. The first was from my first litter. I wanted a female then but was presented with 6 males puppies. I loved my boy and really felt his loss. I now have a male, again my breeding. He is a good dog but has been much harder to bond with than the females this may be because he spent time with a pro trainer as a puppy. I have 2 intact females and my sister has 2 intact males. Bringing a 4th male in to the mix just doesn't fit. There are times when life becomes a really juggling act.
I am hoping that the new pup will have the drive and trainablility of her dam and sire. I am looking for that pup which shows the boldness and curiousity that will make for a good partnership. I was once told you can take it out of them but you can't put it in.

[werner.reiche]

I'm like Jakezilla, I want my pup wound right up, the one the kids run from, cuz when it's training time I'd rather reel em in then try to turn them on....

Agree there.