Selecting the correct puppy

Hopefully this article will help you make your decision when choosing your next puppy. We are always available at Riverforest Vets to give any advice on your latest pet.

The best puppy for you is the one you can live with and everyone else can too. When choosing a puppy, you must be able to visualise what the adult dog will be like physically and behaviourally and how he will fit into your home facilities as well as your life.

Don't pick a breed on its looks alone - you could be surprised

A puppy's adult personality will be shaped by a combination of 3 factors:

• his breed
• his individual genetic behaviour
• the socialisation that he receives during the first 4 months of life

As you study the different breeds to make your choice, note the history of each one. This informs you of the specific reasons for which they were bred and the purpose they served for their humans, and gives you an idea of the built in behaviour and attitude of those breeds.

Dogs are descended from the wolf whom we know to be a hunter, herder (directing his prey in a certain direction), a guard (protecting his food supply or den of puppies), a team player (working together to run down its prey), an athlete (loping across many miles), and an aware animal (having intensely acute senses of sight, scenting and hearing). These qualities are called the instinct of the specific breed.

Understanding how the instincts occur in different breeds will help you select the puppy that fits most comfortably in your family pack. The different breeds were selected to emphasise one or more of these instincts, which then become part of the dog's personality.

For example:

• Border Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs and Corgis, were bred for herding sheep and cattle and you might find yours herding a group of children
• The Huskies and Malamutes were selected in their gene pool for pulling and going forward continuously. Your Husky would need to stay on a lead or he might decide to take off on a run.
• The purpose of the Labrador and Retriever breeds, is to find game, with the Retrievers specialising in returning the game to their owner. Your will find them picking up and carrying things around the house.
• The scent hounds, Beagles and Spaniels have an intense scenting ability and when they catch an interesting scent, they follow it regardless of what you say.
• The Terriers, bred to hunt and catch small animals, are quick moving with high energy and are always ready for a chase.
• Working dogs such as German Shepherds and Rottweilers know that they have a job to do for their humans. They were expected to protect flocks from wolves and mountain lions, as well as to protect their humans.
• Toy breeds were bred to be companions to companion dogs and prefer spending time close to their humans.

But, all these breeds still bond to their owners. This is the basic difference between dogs and wolves.

When you select your own puppy, think about the characteristics that were bred into that particular breed, which of the instincts are strongest, and what that tells you about the future behaviour of your dog. Try to be objective when you decide whether those characteristics will fit in with your own personality. Think about the dog's need for exercise, his activity level in the house, his attitude towards visitors (and vets!) and his trainability.

Once you have decided on your breed, you will find a range of personalities within that breed - some more quiet, others more dominant. You will look for the pup that fits the image you have for your canine companion.

A good source of information about the breed in which you're interested, is the kennel club which can give you the names of breeders. See Kennel Club link here.

When buying a puppy, you are not just buying a pedigree - you're buying the expertise, the understanding of the puppy's needs and the advice that the breeder can give you based on experience with that particular breed.

We cannot recommend buying pedigree puppies from puppy farms or sellers where you cannot learn anything about the parents and you know nothing of the treatment that the puppy received during the sensitive stages of birth to eight weeks old, nor about hidden health problems.

When you have selected the breed that has a size and disposition best for you, it is time to consider the individual personality that you want your pup to have.

A good indication of this, is the personality of the parent dogs. Behaviour is a hereditary factor, just as are the appearance, length of coat, and certain health defects.

Behaviour is of great importance to most buyers. Therefore, if either parent is very shy or very aggressive, you will want to look at other litters before making a choice. Conversely, if the parent dogs like people and are pleasant to be around, you will know that there is a good chance that the pups will have the same qualities. The puppy will not be a carbon copy of either parent, but will likely have some of the behavioural characteristics of each.

The third aspect of the development of a puppy's personality (after breed and heredity), is the socialising that he receives from his new master.

Selecting a puppy is often a matter of deciding which pup most likely fits your personality. For example, if at 8 weeks of age, a Labrador puppy is running around as fast as he can, crashing into you and when you are down on your knees, jumping up into your face, then you can certain that this puppy will be a handful. Another Labrador puppy in that same litter may be quiet, may come to you slowly at first, and may lick your hand and face. This pup will be easier to train, and because he's a Labrador, you know he will be sufficiently lively when he is acquainted with his new home. Which pup is best for you?

You make the ultimate decision and we are here to guide you along the way.

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