Pick - a - Pup
I chuckle when pondering a couple, with kids, with puppies bouncing around, everywhere! Everyone has their favorite and you only wanted one! How do I know this? Oh, I think you know...
Yes, everyone has their preference. Usually starts with choosing between genders and moving on from there. If you have kids, be prepared for conflicting opinions on which puppy should come home with you. The spouse, if it's not for them, probably is more concerned about who is going to feed it and - “Oh, the house training”?! Who ever the pup is for should handle all of that.
Choosing a single puppy from a wonderful litter can be difficult - especially if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
It varies but choosing a pup generally takes place between week five and six to determine the order of selection before pick-up date; week 7 - 9, depending. There are probably as many different ways to pick the best pup as there is to pick the winning horse at Pimlico and some perhaps as bizarre!
If you are purchasing a pup from a great distance, trust the breeder. Give a detailed description of your living situation, dog experience; wants and desires for the dog. Believe me, when time comes to pick a pup, the breeder will know their personalities and is your best chance at matching them with yours. A good friend with field trial hall of fame credentials once told me, "It doesn't matter; they're all good". And that is most likely the case. They all have the same genetics and therefore, the major variable will be YOU! That being said, here's my tried-and-true method of choosing a pup.
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Let'em all go!
Watch for the pups that explore tall cover and unfamiliar objects. The bolder will move towards these and the timid will remain at a safe distance until it has been thoroughly checked out by its siblings. The next test is the most fun! Sit down on the ground with them. They will all pile on you for affection which is very much part of the fun!
Slowly, one by one, they will all get distracted and wander off. The last pup remaining, in my mind, is the one that is the most interested in being with me - the human component of the team. That's a people dog! Sure, flipping a coin would probably work just as well but I wouldn't have as much fun! In the final analysis, asking the breeder’s advice would be your best option.
“First Pup to the Feather”, is likely as legitimate as any other way of choosing.
