Choosing from a litter

PorkChop

PorkChop

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Hi all, after reading another thread with regards to how to choose from a litter of pups, I was wondering what advice you could offer me :)

I am hopefully getting a Rottweiler bitch from a litter due in September :D I have had a Rottweiler before, and we have just gone with our gut instinct, and have been thrilled with said puppy - best dog we have ever had.

This time I was intending to choose the most outgoing pup, because our household is full-on and I spend loads of time with my dogs as I am at home all day, we live on a farm and there is always lots going on. I have spangles which work and all my dogs run with me every day, or get taken to the beach. As I have managed to de-bounce my spangles ;) I was intending to choose the pup that bounced up to me straight away.

What do you think? Should I not be focusing on this quite so much and go with my gut instinct?
 
Go with your gut
I’ve chosen the most outgoing (after lots of advise) and it went against my gut, that dog was so powerfully independently minded that she wreaked my head. I loved her to bits but boy did she know her own mind and constantly test her boundaries. I’ve recently gone with the pup I liked, simple as, usually somewhere in the middle and looked polite is the best term I could use. Both dogs I have now had that ‘polite’ nice to meet you air about them and have turned into model citizens (more or less lol!)
 
I'd say go with your gut. Each litter will have a different dynamic - it will surely partly depend on the number of pups, and also on the parents as a 'top' pup from 'top pup' parents will surely be more of a challenge than a top pup from less dominant parents? That makes sense in my head anyway!

We had a middle pup who was more than happy in our mad family and quite challenging enough, thanks:D
 
If the breeder knows what they are doing they should be able to guide you.
If you have the choice of all the puppies find another breeder as if they are not breeding for one for themselves just why are they breeding?
Drive & boldness are not the same.
 
Thank you for the replies!

Will go with my gut instinct then, obviously all dependent on which puppies they decide to keep, and other's that might be higher on the waiting list, very excited :)
 
Depends on the litter really. I once saw a litter (with a fairly protective/aggressive mum) which included a pup which growled and raised its hackles at its litter mates at 5 weeks! Never seen anything like it before!

Personally I like a puppy that is interested in people, some wander off and won't respond to a high pitched, excited voice or toys or food, so I prefer the ones that come to me. However, I quite like the pup to be able to 'switch off' as well, some pups will just play and play and play well after all the other litter mates have chilled out in a corner.
 
Again, depends on litter and what you are looking for, I like the Volhard aptitude test which can be found online, it is pretty exhaustive!! And take very close notice of the Mum too, no nervous nellies for me. Would walk away from anything with noticeably overly submissive or shy pups.
 
All depends on what you like. OH deliberately chose the most outgoing, I chose the one that let me cuddle him and shove his head down onto my shoulder.

What kind of pup do you want?
 
CaveCanem said:
Again, depends on litter and what you are looking for, I like the Volhard aptitude test which can be found online, it is pretty exhaustive!! And take very close notice of the Mum too, no nervous nellies for me. Would walk away from anything with noticeably overly submissive or shy pups.
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Thank you :) Oh my, that certainly is a thorough test! Puppy is coming from a top breeder so I am confident that it will be a super litter :)
 
cinnamontoast said:
All depends on what you like. OH deliberately chose the most outgoing, I chose the one that let me cuddle him and shove his head down onto my shoulder.

What kind of pup do you want?
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Absolutely, would really like a confident, outgoing and independent pup. Just wasn't sure if this translated to the boldest in the litter, I suspect not necessarily :)
 
Don't forget to have a good look at the pup, check its mouth and legs, as important as buying a foal to be honest. Have seen some horrible puppies with queen Anne legs and people still buy them
 
s4sugar said:
If the breeder knows what they are doing they should be able to guide you.
If you have the choice of all the puppies find another breeder as if they are not breeding for one for themselves just why are they breeding?.
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For exactly the same reason anyone purposely breeds a litter, reputable breeder, puppy mill or anyone else - money. If they say otherwise they are fibbing, unless, of course, they are giving them away. Funny, I've never read any adverts from showing/working kennels where they do that.

http://www.volhard.com/pages/pat.php
 
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When I got my first JRT I chose a real in your face pup called Gromit.
When I went back to collect him he was to busy being naughty to even come near me.
There was one little pup who no-one had shown an interest in & he clambered up my leg (I was sitting on floor) up my shoulder & sat in the crook of my neck
Albert Einstein because of his ruffle.

Best dog ever, although he lulled me into false sense,as he went on to chew my bosses best leather mules, ran off & destroyed a pair of policeman's gloves which he stole from the police car, got wedged under my car seat which had to be removed to retrieve him, got stuck under a road in a rabbit hole, chewed more bandages & brushes than I could ever count & got my bosses bitch pregnant. whoops.

So he chose me & I hadn't even noticed him on the first puppy viewing.
So go with an open mind & heart.
 
Enfys said:
For exactly the same reason anyone purposely breeds a litter, reputable breeder, puppy mill or anyone else - money. If they say otherwise they are fibbing, unless, of course, they are giving them away. Funny, I've never read any adverts from showing/working kennels where they do that.
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That's only true in part. The working Kennels will retain a puppy or two, and it's those which are sold, which all so often and going to the right homes, will promote the good name of the kennel.

I have a litter of 4 puppies here, and they are firstly, very well bred, and secondly out of a first class working bitch. One I shall retain, two are going to potential trial homes, and if the last doesn't follow suit, then he'll stay here. Money isn't always the driving influence, I assure you.

Alec.
 
Kaylum said:
Don't forget to have a good look at the pup, check its mouth and legs, as important as buying a foal to be honest. Have seen some horrible puppies with queen Anne legs and people still buy them
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Thank you, yes I agree, conformation is very important when we want them to live long and active lives :)
 
partypremier said:
When I got my first JRT I chose a real in your face pup called Gromit.
When I went back to collect him he was to busy being naughty to even come near me.
There was one little pup who no-one had shown an interest in & he clambered up my leg (I was sitting on floor) up my shoulder & sat in the crook of my neck
Albert Einstein because of his ruffle.

Best dog ever, although he lulled me into false sense,as he went on to chew my bosses best leather mules, ran off & destroyed a pair of policeman's gloves which he stole from the police car, got wedged under my car seat which had to be removed to retrieve him, got stuck under a road in a rabbit hole, chewed more bandages & brushes than I could ever count & got my bosses bitch pregnant. whoops.

So he chose me & I hadn't even noticed him on the first puppy viewing.
So go with an open mind & heart.
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Thank you, good advice :)
 
Alec Swan said:
That's only true in part. The working Kennels will retain a puppy or two, and it's those which are sold, which all so often and going to the right homes, will promote the good name of the kennel.

I have a litter of 4 puppies here, and they are firstly, very well bred, and secondly out of a first class working bitch. One I shall retain, two are going to potential trial homes, and if the last doesn't follow suit, then he'll stay here. Money isn't always the driving influence, I assure you.

Alec.
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It's a shame that dog breeder's all tend to be regarded with suspicion, we should not forget that reputable breeder's are striving to improve their chosen breed, whether it be working, or show.
 
I would say that people who breed the same dog and bitch (with no health tests) back every season and never keep any of the pups for themselves would be those who breed for cash and cash alone - but thankfully not all breeders are like that :)
 
Alec Swan said:
That's only true in part. The working Kennels will retain a puppy or two, and it's those which are sold, which all so often and going to the right homes, will promote the good name of the kennel.

I have a litter of 4 puppies here, and they are firstly, very well bred, and secondly out of a first class working bitch. One I shall retain, two are going to potential trial homes, and if the last doesn't follow suit, then he'll stay here. Money isn't always the driving influence, I assure you.

Alec.
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^^^^ this. Not everyone is in it for money and with the amount it costs to heath test and rear a litter ii'd be hard to make a profit anyway! If and when I breed that elusive litter I can assure you it will be for a dog for myself - the others I would happily GIVE to the right homes.

OP I agree with everyone who says go with your gut. I would make sure the pup is actually interested in people, shows an interest in playing with you and being handled. Those who are fiercely independent and prefer other dogs to people can be hard going.
 
NeverSayNever said:
OP I agree with everyone who says go with your gut. I would make sure the pup is actually interested in people, shows an interest in playing with you and being handled. Those who are fiercely independent and prefer other dogs to people can be hard going.
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You make a very good point, I hadn't thought of it quite like that, thank you :)
 
Pups do tend to pick their owners :) . It is a good idea to be guided by the breeder who should know the individual pups characters. Re breeding I can say hand on heart that I mated evie to get pup for myself, if she had only had one bitch pup I would not have been bothered. If money was the incentive I would be mating her against the end of the year to supply all the people who want a pup from her, instead she will be spayed in October.
 
MurphysMinder said:
Pups do tend to pick their owners :)
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You're telling me! There I was, scanning the whole litter carefully, there was Zak, chucking himself at the OH (the only one who'd worked out how to get out of the cage!) and the OH grinning inanely, saying 'This is the one' without even looking at any others. :rolleyes:
 
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