# How do I pick / choose / buy from a litter of pups??



## SJB (Jul 2, 2003)

My female chocolate is 11 years old and we want to get a new puppy. I was gifted this dog and did not choose her from a litter. 
How do I go about the process of selecting a puppy?
Yes, I have read that we need to find a respectable breeder. 
THEN WHAT?
Thank you in advance of your replies.
Sam


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## Horsager (Aug 31, 2006)

If possible get into an area with all the puppies, say 20'x20' or so. Let all the puppies loose, after a few minutes one or two will show more of an interrest in you than the rest, make your choice from the pups who seem most interrested in you. It's very difficult to tell how a dog will turn out from its behavior at 6-8 weeks. I do think your connection to a dog that has chosen you will be stronger than just picking an arbitrary pup. There will be others who comment who are much more experienced than I on the matter though.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

Forget looking at the puppies it will tell almost nothing, ask to see both the parents hopefully in the field.

And above all be honest with yourself about the dog you want, don't say you want a super charged dog out of field trial lines if you really just want a calm easy to a handle dog. If you tell the breeders what you want they will probably point you to the right breeder, they know who breeds for what types of dogs, then when you narrow in down to a couple prospective breeders ask to see the parents of the planned breeding.

If you like the parents then you get to use the scientific method of picking a pup.

Close your eyes and reach in a grab one.


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## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

At six and seven weeks you can tell nothing about a pup. Starting at 8, you can. I do these simple tests. I like to see how people oriented the pup is. The more they enjoy people, the more tractable in training they will be. First actual test is to roll them on their backs and HOLD them there. The one's that fight a little then submit will be easier to train than the ones that fight and nip at you. See if they'll retrieva a live clipwing pigeon. They should be doing this from six weeks on. Introduce different noises and objects and watch the reaction. A pup that investigates everything fearlessly will be a difficult pup to train and my not be as intelligent as the rest. The pup that gets terrified and hides in a cornes will be too reclusive. Look for the one that studies the noise or objiect and cautiously investigates. That's your pup. Last, see if they can remember more than one mark. Throw two short (15') marks widely spaced. The pup should bring one back and when you hide it behind your back, run for the last one. If he'll do two, try three. The better the memory, the more intelligent the pup. That's about it. Good luck and enjoy the new pup!!


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

pick one with the best appetite... they are usually biggest and strongest and first to respond to their mothers, making them the dominant pup and they will be less intimidated by anything.


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

And if they have white butts pick one with a white butt because it is the easiest color to see in the cattails or low light conditions! Just one man's opinion!!!!


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## BigDaddy (Mar 4, 2002)

Bob's right. If the dog comes from good bloodlines, close your eyes and pick one.


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## brianb (Dec 27, 2005)

Spend all your time picking the litter, then when they are ready go and play with them, bring a pigeon, bring a sock whatever. Then take the one that feels right to you. Picking the litter is the rational part, picking the pup is a gut feeling.


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## Jared Vergeldt (Apr 4, 2006)

You're probably gonna have to live and learn on this one. All have different opinions or ideas. 
I have tried the "roll over method" with pup on back etc. I picked out one i thought was mellow. She turned out to be high strung. Great in the field but not so much at home. One thing i think works, at least did on my current pup is like someone else said. I played with all pups and pulled each one out individually. I personally don't want the one that charges up and is real agressive..probably the dominant one and may be hard headed. I didn't want the chicken sh!t either. I like the one that might be a slight apprehensive but then is bold enough to approach you. Others are right too, seems there is always the bully and always the big baby. All the ones in between are all the same.
Just my experience.


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## wirehairman (Oct 31, 2005)

I prefer to choose the litter solely on the parents before they ever hit the ground. When choosing the litter, I personally give the female more weight (say 60%) in the selection than the male. Once they're on the ground, I just take the one that tickles my fancy, whether its a quirky attitude, markings I like, or whatever.

One piece of advice. Don't go look at a litter you're not sold on because you'll likely come home with a puppy. It's tough to look past a cute little furball to the dog it will become without doing the research first.


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## SJB (Jul 2, 2003)

I want to thank each and every one of you who replied to my posting question. As was stated, "you have to live with it for a long time." 
One more question please.
When choosing the parents of a litter, what are some things to look for and perhaps more importantly, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR??
Sam


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## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

Sam; you look for FC,AFC, MH, etc in the pedigree. It should be loaded with them, both mothers and fathers side. Then, if you can, you call people and see how these champions were to train. Some dogs become FC's, but they are very hard headed and very tough. You don't want a dog like this. Look for one that the breeder says was very willing and easy to train. It's tough and there aren't a lot of great chocolates to choose from. Try to buy from an old established kennel and from a well respected breeder. Tell the breeder exactly what kind of dog (temperament) you want. The rest is up to God.


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

Lots of good advice with the above posts. 
I read an article on this by some dog writer for an outdoor magazine. He went over all the above theories of what the pup should do, how to choose, etc. 
Then he finished the article by summing up - research the parents, make sure all the medical stuff was done prior to breeding, decide if you want a male or female and put all the ?males? or ? females? in a pile, close your eyes and grab one! He claimed all the "predictors" were pretty unreliable so just pay your money grab one and run!
I absolutely agree with gonehuntin - you may not want a pup from the field trial winner line. Often they are bred too"hot" and can be tough or frustrating to handle around the home (they have to be a good mellow pet 99% of the rest of the year) and in the practical hunting field unless you are a darned good trainer yourself and have lots of time to work them constantly! Been there, done that! 
My best field trial champ is a great hunter, but too hot and hyper to be a really mellow good house dog - next dog I get will be a quiet mellow reject from the field trial circuit, one too slow to win but good bird finding ability and trainability! One you don't have to be on his/her butt all the time! The canine equivalent of the 10 year old dead broke gelding ranch horse - dead broke and stays dead broke even when not ridden for months at a time! No hyper triple crown winners, please!
Decide what you want and be sure to tell the breeder that! If he/she is a reputable breeder they will be honest with you.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

A reject from FT lines will not be mellow.

Find a breeder that breeds specifically for close working easy handling dogs. Most hunters are happier with dogs they don't have to hack all the time.

Ask for references a good breeder will be happy to supply them and if your happy with the dog you should let the breeder know your willing to be a reference for him


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