Question about an experience I'm having with picking a puppy - Page 3

Interesting thoughts, Jenni. My little sable girl has been a determined little bugger from the beginning. She, along with 2 others, are the smallest of the litter, but she has always been the most determined when it comes to pushing her way in for food. When she was set down as a very small pup, she'd crawl all over the place, but as soon as I picked her up, she'd be perfectly content to stay put. She went through a stage about a week ago where she didn't even want me to hold her for long, but now she's back to being happy to be with me. She's wiggled and insisted to be put down for pretty much anyone else who has held her from the beginning. The howler, who is quiet at the moment, has always been the noisy one of the bunch. The other female I like has always been extremely adventurous, the first to climb on things and absolutely unafraid of any surface or angle she's set on or at. There are some others that have made pretty drastic changes back and forth as they're growing, so it will be very interesting to see if they revert back to where they were in the very beginning.

It's great you get to observe these guys from early on; I would just consider all until it's time to make your final decision, then choose; also by that time you will be able to see and know the traits you definitely want and the ones you do not want... Best of luck, Nan

Blackthorn made a very good point: " Perhaps you could get someone else to video her running wild just to make you feel better?"
That´s a very good idea - Without proof you´ll never know - and you don´t know if other people interpret "temperament" the same as you do.

In case this puppy really shows the drive you want to see, I´d go for it, otherwise I´d go with the female you mentioned in your last post ( the adventurous one - but keep in mind, she might become very independently ).

For me my gut ( followed by my eyes ) always made the decision, never used my brain that much...

Worth remembering that the other, more adventurous
and independent pup may turn out to be a little TOO
daredevil and full of herself - an accident waiting to
happen ? Got a good Vet. lined up ?

Hund, it´s way easier to slow down / educate a temperamentful dog than to build up a lazy / uninterested one...

It´s always about the personal goals.

I would pick the one who picked you, having read your last post. She sounds strongly set in her temperament- confident, full of character, clear and consistent. Nothing crazy or out of character from birth until now, it sounds like. She will very likely be what you're seeing- happy to do as you wish, but far from boring. Susie is correct- the last pup sounds intriguing but could end up very independent, which is fine, but a more biddable pup, more focused on you, as "your" girl has been, will be the easier dog to train.

The type of dogs favored by police, military, and competitive sports are the "do before they think" dogs. Those can be fine as I have had some and have one now. The only problem is that you must think for them and they do well under the condition they have trained for but may have their wheels come off if they are thrown into a new situation without you there to think for them. I prefer the "think before they do dogs". Much easier and safer dogs to live with. The "think before they do dogs" are a millisecond slower than the "do before they think dogs" but much more level headed and dependable under a wide range of known and unknown conditions. The bedrock of any relationship with your dog is trust and respect in that order. You must trust and respect your dog for who they are and what they can do and likewise for you from the dog's perspective. Which puppy can you trust and respect the most based on what you know about your choices and that is the correct puppy for you.

 Bubba.  I agree.  Susie, you are right BUT there

is always the chance that the fall, or the run into some

danger occurs before you have trained for that situation;

you cannot cram all life lessons into the first month while

the puppy is still on it's "invisible elastic".

You have been chosen! Don't ignore it.
I have had this happen. My husband at the time and I went to pick out a pup the breeder had picked out for him (a male) for sport. We ended up with 2, a male and female. He was drawn to the female.
The plan was I was going to work the male and he the female. That plan was changed on the 10 hour drive home. The pups picked who they wanted. The female kept landing in my lap, the male in his. There was no point in fighting that.

When I went to pick out my first (in forty years) German Shepherd Dog, I wasn't looking for a dark sable puppy. I went to buy a black one. I soon found out color wasn't everything. Primarily, it was temperament and attitude that became everything to me at that moment in time when I saw the ONE. Sarge came prancing out of the dog house with his little self-assured self, and it was love at first sight for me. He came over to me (not the other four other people in the area he'd not seen before). I forgot all about the black pup. I have never regretted picking out my dark sable, feisty German Shepherd Dog I call Sarge. I would go with my gut feelings. It appears this puppy has chosen you too!