How to Choose a Puppy in a Puppies

After careful consideration, you decide from now on your family will have a new member – a dog as a companion in the house. You’ve researched dog breeds to choose a dog that’s right for your lifestyle and found a reputable breeder ^{[1] X Research} has just welcomed a new litter of puppies. Now you need to choose a dog in the pack, the final step to finding the right dog. Remember that there is no perfect way to choose the best one in a flock. Instead, you need to focus on finding the right dog for you and your family.

Table of Contents

Visiting the puppies

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Try to buy puppies from a breeder instead of at a pet store. You can easily be seduced by the cute look of a puppy in the pet store and want to bring him home right away, but it is quite risky to buy this kind of puppy. Most puppies sold at pet stores are housed in individual small cages, so you don’t get a chance to observe how the dog interacts with its littermates. This will make it very difficult for you to assess the dog’s personality and behavior. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Most puppies sold at pet stores are weaned too early, so they don’t have the opportunity to learn manners from their mother or their littermates. A puppy that is weaned at 5-6 weeks of age and brought to a pet shop will not receive training from a mother dog or from an experienced breeder. Without this guidance, the dog will most likely become fearful or aggressive instead of attaching to humans.
You should also understand that store-bought puppies are often born in kennels (big dogs locked in cages for life!) in poor conditions. Don’t buy these puppies if you want to end this horrible practice.

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Make an appointment with the breeder to visit the puppies soon after they are born. You don’t want to pick a puppy out of a half-sold pack, do you? The best puppies will usually be purchased first, so you should try to schedule an appointment to see the puppies as soon as they are born. ^{[3] X Source of Research} Although breeders will usually only let you visit puppies when they are 7-8 weeks old, it is best to be the first on the client list.

Bring the smartest person in the house or someone you trust with you. Thus, you will have more ideas to refer to when choosing a dog, because this is an important decision in life.
Before the puppies are born, you should keep in touch with the breeder. They will regularly let you know the status of the mother dog and the due date of the puppies.

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Do not buy puppies in the first litter of the mother dog. Ask the breeder about the mother dog of the puppies. Ideally, you should choose a puppy from the third litter of the mother dog with the same father. So you can rest assured that the mother dog has given birth to healthy puppies with the same father.

The mother dog has a great influence on the health and temperament of the puppies. Bad-breed bitches will often produce weak puppies, even when mated with healthy male dogs. Therefore, it is important that you take the time to visit the mother dog before the puppies are born and talk to the breeder about the mother’s health.

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Talk to the seller about the health of the litter. A good breeder will know the health and behavior of the puppies. They will also be confident in the mother’s health and allow you to interact with both the mother and the puppies when you come to see them. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Once you’ve found a reputable breeder and visited their facility, you’re probably on good terms with them. If so, you can trust the breeder to narrow down the selection. They are the ones who watch the puppies grow up so they will know which one is dominant or stubborn, which one is shy or naughty.
When you come to see the puppies, don’t be afraid to ask the seller about the puppies. However, you also need to check the dogs yourself to confirm their health and temperament.

Check your puppy’s behavior and attitude

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Observe all the puppies. Notice how the puppies interact with each other. You may want to choose a dog that is active and happy, but you also need to avoid choosing a bully or overly shy dog among puppies. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Make sure the pups are friendly, curious, and trusting when in the pack or around you. They will swarm around your feet, untie your shoelaces, swoop in your lap and stare at you. They even begin to play with you and/or wrestle with each other.
If there are four dogs in the same litter and three of them run away or bark with caution, you probably won’t find a satisfactory dog in the pack. The other dog, though not afraid or aggressive, is too timid. Shyness and skepticism can be inherited, and this leads to an antisocial personality as the dog gets older.
Don’t listen to the seller laugh and dismiss it when it comes to a puppy’s aggressive or timid temperament. If the puppies are too aggressive or too shy it is a sign that the breeders are not doing their job well. They have to communicate with the dogs so that they feel comfortable around humans.
Avoid buying the biggest or smallest dog in the pack. Instead, you should consider the number of puppies in a litter. In general, the more puppies there are in a litter, the healthier they are. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Determine which puppy personality type is right for you. Think about what kind of temperament you are looking for in a dog. Do you and your family prefer a dog that is affectionate and eager to please its owner, or should the dog be more independent? Talk to the seller about the dog’s personality type. Puppies have many personality types, including: ^{[7] X Research Source}

Dominance: A dominant puppy may at first glance seem to enjoy socializing and interacting. However, you should pay attention to see if it has pictures of other dogs’ toys or rough play. The dog may also try to climb out of the kennel or jump on the back of others in the pack. This is a sign of assertiveness, intelligence and strength, but its bully nature may not be suitable for your life. You will need a lot of time to challenge and take care of this puppy. So, if you are always busy with work or have a lot of pressure in your life, a dominant dog may not be the right fit for your family.
Rebellious: These puppies are very bright, love to play and cuddle. They can be playful and energetic like the dominant type, but are more sensitive and less aggressive. Rebellious puppies are adorable without being stubborn, so they are perfect for active owners or families with older children.
Independent Thinking: This type of puppy is very happy and social, but they also like to sit around or play with toys alone. These dogs are suitable for a quiet and peaceful home, usually with elderly people or families without children.
Eager to please their owners: These dogs have very clear expressions. After all, who doesn’t want to have an energetic and passionate dog by their side? However, you must be an outspoken and determined owner if you want to keep them. Dogs with this temperament need a lot of training and reinforcement, but with good training and discipline, a dog that is eager to please its owner will be very cooperative. They will make great family friends.
Calm: Puppies with this personality may not be as agile as their siblings, but they know a great balance between play, interaction, and sleep. They will be very suitable for comfortable, pleasant owners. Look for such a dog if you find that this personality matches their breed and you want to create a cozy atmosphere for young children.
Timid: These puppies do not have strong self-esteem at birth. They may crawl to the ground to get close to you, or arch their backs in submission. Their shy and gentle nature may soften your heart, but a shy dog requires a lot of patience and time to encourage self-esteem and make it comfortable around others. They are more suitable for single owners with more training and care time than for a family with young children.
Don’t forget that dog breed often influences their personality. Talk to the seller about the dog’s temperament to understand how the dog’s personality corresponds to each breed.

Check your puppy’s health

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Observe each puppy with your eyes. Puppies must be chubby, cute, but not fat, and absolutely not skinny. Even petite breeds such as Greyhounds or Whippets are a little plump until they’re about 4 months old.

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Check your dog’s eyes, ears, gums, teeth, and tail area. A healthy puppy should have clear, bright eyes with no discharge or tears. The dog must also have clean ears, gums, and teeth. ^{[9] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}

The dog’s coat should also be shiny and free of dirt or grit on the body or tail area.
Around the dog’s genitals should be clean, free of pus or feces.

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Test your puppy’s hearing and vision. Once you’ve narrowed the selection down to just one of the two dogs, do two tests to make sure they have good hearing and vision. ^{[10] X Research Source}

To test hearing: Clap your hands behind the dog’s head and make sure the dog responds. You can also stomp your feet in the back or drop the keys near the dog. Remember that it can be difficult to tell if a dog is deaf among a group of dogs in a fence, so you must perform this test when the dog is alone.
To test vision: Roll a ball within your dog’s line of sight and see if it responds by running closer and playing with the ball.

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Pay attention to your dog’s breathing and gait. Puppies have quiet breathing, do not cough and sneeze much. The dog’s nose should also be clean, with no rust or mucus around.

It’s important to watch closely to make sure your dog has a normal gait and runs without limping or appearing stiff or in pain. That means the dog doesn’t have any hip or joint problems that can develop into major problems as they mature. ^{[11] X Research Source}

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Test your puppy’s jaw control. Do this test by letting your dog nibble on your hand. When you feel the dog gnaw hard, squeal, “Wow!” and observe its reaction. If the dog is excited, you may need to repeat the test. Notice if the dog understands your pain response and shows fear or anxiety instead of excitement. ^{[12] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}

If your dog notices your reaction, pauses for a moment, and then continues to nibble on your hand, there’s nothing to worry about. This is a normal puppy reaction.
Puppies that respond well to pain are often better able to control their jaws as they get older. This means they can wrestle each other without causing injury. This ability will also help them to be gentler when taking food from their owners or playing with them.
Puppies that react to your pain are also more likely to be obedient.

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Take your dog to the vet after being home for a few days. Bring vaccination and deworming certificates as well as other medical records. The breeder will provide these documents when the dog is delivered to you. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Talk to your veterinarian about how to care for your puppy.

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Plan to keep your puppy indoors until he is 12-16 weeks old, with the exception of vet visits. Puppies inherit protective antibodies from their mother, but there will be a period when they are not immune when they are older without being fully vaccinated. Therefore, before the puppy is 16 weeks old, you should keep the puppy indoors, except for veterinary visits. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Advice

Choosing a puppy from a litter of puppies is just the first step in the journey of raising and caring for dogs. Proper puppy care is the next big step. Talk to your breeder about the roles and responsibilities of a good owner and find great tips and advice on keeping a dog. Stay in touch with your veterinarian and don’t hesitate to ask with any questions about puppy care.
Be sure to observe how your dog interacts with your entire family, not just one person.
Never buy a puppy without seeing the mother dog there, do not listen to the seller’s excuse that the mother dog is very aggressive, is at the vet clinic or is walking, etc… Maybe the puppy has a source. from a dog breeder.
Dog breeders will usually let you know what brand of food the puppy is eating to help make the transition home a smooth one.

Steps

Visiting the puppies

Check your puppy’s behavior and attitude

Check your puppy’s health

Advice

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