Went to visit the puppy...

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poiuytrewq

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We chose puppy ages and ages ago as in we knew the breeder and parents we wanted, we also knew the colour and sex we wanted.
So 6 weeks ago a long awaited litter with our puppy arrived :)
Out of 8 there was only one that met our requirements! So we stuck with our original plan and instead of choosing had that one.
We visited at 2 wks first and were pleased to see a chubby shiny puppy feeding well- the biggest of the litter.
We visited again yesterday and bless him, the rest of the litter were a bit mad and playful whereas he is the quiet laid back, slightly nervous character.
Still the biggest and feeding incredibly(!!) well.
Would his personality be really set in by now? I'm a bit worried he will find our house terrifying with our snitch slightly grouchy jrt and absolute nut job (but incredibly friendly) 18 month lab.
We aren't going to change out minds of course but I think my o/h was a bit disappointed! - it's a pressie from me to him and is to be a working dog.
In other peoples experience is this going to work or could it actually be even better as once he trusts us perhaps he will be more loyal?
Very very excited!
 
What breed is he? It is very hard to know, particularly when they are to be a working dog how their personality will develop once they leave mum. I had a litter of Springer Spaniels at the beginning of this year. We kept three which have obviously all been brought up in the same environment. Their personalities have certainly changed and developed, I would say that we weren't widely out on our prediction on personalities but their working abilities have been different than expected.

I have kept in touch with all but one of the other pups in the litter and personality wise they have turned out pretty much as expected, however there was one that was quieter than the rest but is not at all when it is working. A couple of pups have come out of themselves once they left the litter.

What I am trying to say is - if he is quiet and laid back now, it is very likely he will be as he gets older - this does not necessarily mean he will not fit in with your other dog or not be an exceptionally good working dog. It's so hard to pick a puppy, if he ticks all the boxes and you like the look of him I don't think you will go far wrong :)
 
personally if I didn't like the pup now I'd pull out and re-evaluate, as you may resent it for any little thing you felt you could attribute to the behaviour as a pup and better to start on a positive note!
 
poiuytrewq said:
he is the quiet laid back, slightly nervous character.
....... I think my o/h was a bit disappointed! - it's a pressie from me to him and is to be a working dog.
In other peoples experience is this going to work or could it actually be even better as once he trusts us perhaps he will be more loyal?
Very very excited!
Click to expand...

You sound very happy and really looking forward to your new addition.....which is, of course, how it should be! :) HOWEVER, there are a couple of things you have said that make the alarm bells ring for me.

Firstly, it is a present from you to your other half.......presumably therefore you would want to give him something that makes him happy and is really what he wants? Yet, you say your other half was a bit disappointed at the pup's behaviour/personality when you saw him last.

Secondly, not sure what breed or how experienced your other half is in training working dogs (am assuming, maybe wrongly, we're talking shooting here???), but personally I would never pick the nervous one from a litter as a potential dog that is to work in the shooting field. You need a dog that will accept and be comfortable with all the noise, the shouting, the flag waving, the horns, the shooting and the miriade of other dogs that abound etc etc. With SOME nervous dogs you can train and train and train and overcome their lack of confidence; with others you can train until you're blue in the face and you never will. Training a working dog is a labour of love and involves much in the way of blood, sweat and tears, so I would always want to start with the best possible raw material rather than give my (limited) training skills the handicap of having to contend with a pup that I think may not make it from day one. To ensure maximum success the handler (your OH) needs to gel with and LIKE the pup. Mis-matched pairings are usually a disaster.

If you get this pup and he fails to make the grade, will you be able to get another in due course for your OH to work? Not sure how important the working aspect is to you guys. In my house/kennels I have space for a finite number of dogs, and whilst I may take in the occasional waif and stray on a temporary basis, I can only accommodate so many working dogs.....space and time constraints, as well as money! :) Just food for thought....

Finally, you ask if the pup will be more loyal when he trusts you.....IMO timid dogs, at best, turn into what I call boot-lickers, and I suppose that some people may interpret this as loyalty, but it is NOT what you want in a working dog. To clarify, a boot-licker is a dog which sticks by the owners side and won't range. (Sorry, if teaching grandmother to suck eggs!! :) )

To end on a more positive note.....not sure how long you spent with the pup on your last visit but it is possible that he had been rampaging around before you came and therefore was tired and a bit more quiet when you were there. Your breeder who is with the litter 24x7 is the one to ask......what does she think of his personality? Where does he fit in with his litter mates? Is he being bullied?
Also, how good are your resident two with pups.....have you taken them to puppy training classes as adults to ensure that they have manners around youngsters?

Genes are wonderful things......in the past I've been excited about various matings and then been totally disappointed at what was produced. Maybe talk to your breeder about any other litters she may have upcoming in the next year?

Sorry if this post is not what you wanted to hear, but better someone says it now and you have time to think and talk it over with your other half so that you are one hundred per cent sure that this is the right move for both of you!

Good luck!
 
gunnergundog said:
You sound very happy and really looking forward to your new addition.....which is, of course, how it should be! :) HOWEVER, there are a couple of things you have said that make the alarm bells ring for me.

Firstly, it is a present from you to your other half.......presumably therefore you would want to give him something that makes him happy and is really what he wants? Yet, you say your other half was a bit disappointed at the pup's behaviour/personality when you saw him last.

Secondly, not sure what breed or how experienced your other half is in training working dogs (am assuming, maybe wrongly, we're talking shooting here???), but personally I would never pick the nervous one from a litter as a potential dog that is to work in the shooting field. You need a dog that will accept and be comfortable with all the noise, the shouting, the flag waving, the horns, the shooting and the miriade of other dogs that abound etc etc. With SOME nervous dogs you can train and train and train and overcome their lack of confidence; with others you can train until you're blue in the face and you never will. Training a working dog is a labour of love and involves much in the way of blood, sweat and tears, so I would always want to start with the best possible raw material rather than give my (limited) training skills the handicap of having to contend with a pup that I think may not make it from day one. To ensure maximum success the handler (your OH) needs to gel with and LIKE the pup. Mis-matched pairings are usually a disaster.

If you get this pup and he fails to make the grade, will you be able to get another in due course for your OH to work? Not sure how important the working aspect is to you guys. In my house/kennels I have space for a finite number of dogs, and whilst I may take in the occasional waif and stray on a temporary basis, I can only accommodate so many working dogs.....space and time constraints, as well as money! :) Just food for thought....

Finally, you ask if the pup will be more loyal when he trusts you.....IMO timid dogs, at best, turn into what I call boot-lickers, and I suppose that some people may interpret this as loyalty, but it is NOT what you want in a working dog. To clarify, a boot-licker is a dog which sticks by the owners side and won't range. (Sorry, if teaching grandmother to suck eggs!! :) )

To end on a more positive note.....not sure how long you spent with the pup on your last visit but it is possible that he had been rampaging around before you came and therefore was tired and a bit more quiet when you were there. Your breeder who is with the litter 24x7 is the one to ask......what does she think of his personality? Where does he fit in with his litter mates? Is he being bullied?
Also, how good are your resident two with pups.....have you taken them to puppy training classes as adults to ensure that they have manners around youngsters?

Genes are wonderful things......in the past I've been excited about various matings and then been totally disappointed at what was produced. Maybe talk to your breeder about any other litters she may have upcoming in the next year?

Sorry if this post is not what you wanted to hear, but better someone says it now and you have time to think and talk it over with your other half so that you are one hundred per cent sure that this is the right move for both of you!

Good luck!
Click to expand...

all of this
 
Excellent post gunner dog...I agree with all points.Id say if the breeder has ticked all your boxes re health testing and has a great reputation in the field it is worth going back for a second visit.
...the pup may well have simply been a bit flat due to being tired.
Do ask the breeder for his evaluation of the pup and specify the life that he is destined to lead. You can then make a decision together,so that you have seen pup on a different occasion and given him a realistic evaluation.
 
Our golden retriever pup was quite tired and low key when we visited him, but has grown to be a delight. As said, visit on another occasion and just be honest with the breeder! communication is key to -everything, really.
 
My two are both essentially the same personality as they were when we first met them. Actually my 2yo is exactly the same as he hasn't grown up yet!

Nothing more to add, ggd's post above got it spot on imo!
 
Thanks- all interesting info.
We have his full brother from another litter who temperament wise is just the best dog I've ever known! He's all mine tho' and comes to work with me.
We also had the mothers uncle (I think!) again a beautiful dog, we lost him suddenly In January this year aged 13. He's been perfectly healthy til that point.
They are Labradors. We are experienced dog owners but no, not gun dog trainers! My partner used to shoot a lot when he was younger and has decided to take it up again- however he wanted another black lab dog long before making this decision so the working bit isn't the be all and end all.
The breeder did say the litter had been very active and to be fair they all flaked out pretty quickly (until dinner appeared!)
We are going back next week. I'm sure he will be fine. Both parents are really lovely dogs- in fact knowing our luck he will be the crazed house destroyer!
Will see how things are next week and have a chat with my partner and see what he honestly thinks.
 
I have one of LJRs pups , one day when we went to see him he just wanted to sleep and every time we put him on the floor he went back to his bed . Maybe it's the lurcher background I have but it didnt bother me at all that he seemed quiet , I like a quieter dog . But he's brilliant , so trainable , happy to be left whilst we work etc , loves the kids, watches fireworks out the window and isn't scared of anything apart from my mums cat . Maybe arrange one more visit this week at a different time of day . Our pup still sleeps after his breakfast and tea and is unresponsive when he's in a food coma !
Take a soft dog toy with you (this is how my dad choose his cocker ) throw it and see if your puppy reacts to it . Beau loved his pheasant toy from the minute we took him home :) he unfortunately killed the pheasant toy by taking it in the garden a month ago and leaving it with my lurcher :/ poor poor pheasy !! Lol

Some brilliant points made here . If the working dog is not the be all and end all then go for it ! Maybe a quieter one will settle your crazy lab !
 
First time we saw ours she was much quieter than her sister. Second and third she was the loopy one - and still is! Good luck with him, and where are the photos!?
 
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