Puppy

[Jordan]

Its my grandsons birthday today. You might remember he loves doing the tricks with Domino. You might also remember they lost Maisy recently to cancer. Well today they collected their new puppy a Springer x Collie bitch called Millie. They decided to go the puppy route rather than a rescue this time as the kids are old enough to participate in the upbringing of one. So i gave him a trick training book to get him started. Hes really looking forward to it, hope it lasts and they do great things together, wish i lived nearer to give him a hand!

Havent met her yet but heres a photo of Millie they sent me once they were home. Domino is going to love her!

[Jordan]

Its been a week for puppies. I was in seeing my neighbours litter of 10 the other day. Was 11 but one was stillborn. Gorgeous they are mum is a hungarian vizsla and dad a red setter. Little Alfie was snuggling in nicely and Poppy was as well the rest were too busy playfighting etc. All are taken and scattered far and wide but Alfie is local so might bump into him one day. Made me wonder how on earth you choose one pup out of 10! What would you look for?

[kristina]

OH just adorable almost a Xena look a like mmm a Springer x Collie well I wish them all the luck in the world with this she is going to be so hyper too high strung crosses they have but such clever dogs they will need to just work her and am sure you will point them in the right direction on this.Xena never lets up just goes on all day until I have to say enough!! that would be about now although she is still charging around the garden with Connor,well she has just now come in and has laid down close to me,hopefully just tuckered out for today.

My nieghbors have told me that they too are getting a Springer Spaniel  but will be in a pen!!!! well we will see on that will keep you informed they work all day so I am not happy on that situ,country people they are old school but not me so will be interesting.Kristina

[Kimmikins]

Gorgeous!! Wow, she's going to be a lucky pup if that training book gets used, how exciting for puppy breath

Scrumpy was from a litter of 8, and it really was a case of him picking me. We had some rough ideas - we didn't want first pup, we didn't want last pup born, we wanted an inquisitive one that looked pretty confident but not too bolshy. It was between 2, both had one tooth starting to come through, but SJ fell asleep on my chest so that was it! He was the second born out of 8, second biggest or biggest I forget which, confident enough to come up but not too pushy with his siblings.

[Adrianne]

Choosing a Puppy from a Litter

These are guidelines to help you evaluate puppies between 6 and 12 weeks old. They should help you to select a puppy who shows good potential for developing into a suitable pet dog. When choosing a puppy from a litter, feeling especially drawn to one puppy over another is an important part of deciding which pup to bring home. However, if you want to improve the odds of having a positive puppy owning experience, your initial emotions aren’t the only factor you should consider.

The Benefits of Careful Puppy Selection
When selecting a puppy from a litter, thoroughly evaluating each of the puppies as objectively as possible will increase your chances of selecting one who will develop into a suitable pet. Some people are drawn to puppies who show extremes in behaviour—such as very shy or frightened puppies—in the hopes that they will be able to help one develop into a well adjusted, friendly, confident adult dog. Likewise, some people choose a puppy with apparent health problems so that they can provide the puppy with a good home that he might not otherwise find.

Choosing a puppy who exhibits problematic behaviour or physical health problems is a personal choice, but it should be an informed decision. Raising a puppy with health or behaviour problems can be a challenge to begin with and can be an even greater undertaking if the problems come as a surprise. Many behaviour problems can be modified with early training, but the amount of time and effort needed to do so is hard to predict, and the final result is impossible to determine beforehand.

There are no perfect puppy tests that will allow you to predict with certainty how a puppy’s behaviour will develop as he matures. There’s no guarantee that a pup who seems to be the “pick of the litter” will turn out to be a well-adjusted adult dog. But your chances of choosing a puppy who’ll develop into a well-adjusted adult are much greater if you know how to screen the litter of puppies for behaviour problems that might already be apparent.

Physical Health
A puppy’s physical health is just as important as his behavioural health, and a full veterinary examination should have been carried out by the breeder's vet to ensure that your new puppy is physically healthy. However, there are some general signs of good health that you can look out for when selecting a puppy from a litter:

•Energy level: A healthy puppy who’s well rested should appear alert and energetic.
•Eyes: A healthy puppy has bright, clear eyes without crust or discharge.
•Breathing: A healthy puppy breathes quietly, does not cough or sneeze a lot, and does not have crust or discharge at his nostrils.
•Body condition: A healthy puppy looks well fed, with some fat over his ribcage.
•Genitals: A healthy puppy doesn’t have feces or pus visible in or around his genital region.
•Coat: A healthy puppy has an attractive coat without excessive dandruff, dullness, greasiness or baldness.
•Gait: A healthy puppy walks and runs normally without limping or seeming stiff or sore.
•Hearing: A puppy who can hear properly should react if you clap your hands behind his head.
•Vision: A puppy who can see properly should notice a ball that rolls by slowly within his field of vision.


Behavioural Health
The following checklist is designed to help you look out for behaviours that often make puppies less suitable pets. Behaviour problems in puppies often improve with careful training, but they can’t always be completely resolved.

How Do the Puppies Interact with Each Other?
Why This Matters
Puppies who show good social skills with their littermates are more likely to develop into adult dogs who are sociable with other dogs. It’s true that any puppy can become antisocial with other dogs later in life—there’s no way to predict a puppy’s future behaviour with certainty—but a puppy who plays nicely with his littermates is much more likely to interact well with other dogs when he matures.

What to Do
Observe the entire litter in an environment that’s familiar to them, ideally at a time when they’re all awake and well-rested. Watch the puppies interact with each other.

What to Look For
•Notice which puppies seem comfortable both on top and on the bottom during play fighting and wresting games, and which puppies seem to only like being on top. Puppies who don’t mind being on the bottom—or puppies who are flexible and can play either role—will usually play well with a wider range of dogs as adults.
•Notice which puppies seem to like the company of the other pups and which ones seem to be loners. Puppies who like the company of their littermates are more likely to be interested in the company of other dogs as they mature than puppies who are asocial. (not always what you may be looking for - Cupar was a 'stand alone' puppy - he has great abilities to play with others but likewise has a neutral response to other dogs when needed, perfect for his career)
•Observe the reaction of puppies who get yelped at when they bite or rough-play with another puppy too hard. Puppies who ease up when another puppy says “Ouch!” are more likely to respond appropriately when they play too roughly as adults than puppies who ignore the yelping of their playmates.


After observing the entire litter, you’ll probably have a sense of which puppies you’re most interested in. You can then assess each puppy, one at a time, in a quiet area where the puppy won’t be distracted by noise, littermates, food or toys.

Does the Puppy Seem to Like People?
Why This Matters
Puppies who show an interest in being around people are more likely to mature into adult dogs who are sociable with people. If possible, visit the litter with at least three people: an adult male, an adult female and a child under the age of 10. This enables you to observe the puppies’ interactions with people of various ages and both genders.

What to Do
Sit or stand a few feet away from the puppy. Using a friendly and enthusiastic voice, encourage him to approach you. You can also tap the floor or your leg with your hands, clap your hands or make kissy sounds. Try not to make any noises that might frighten the puppy. If he approaches you, encourage him to hang around for a little while by praising him and petting him gently. Have each person with you do the same thing and observe the puppy’s level of interest in being with the different people.

What to Look For
•Puppies who like people will usually approach people willingly and seem happy to stick around if encouraged with attention, such as gentle praise and petting. Nipping and jumping up on people are normal behaviours for young puppies and don’t reflect antisocial behaviour.
•Puppies who are fearful of people may or may not approach them, and they’ll show one or more signs of being afraid, such as a tucked tail, tucked ears, rolling over and urinating, cowering or running away when someone tries to pet them.
•Independent puppies usually show no interest in interacting with people. They ignore people who try to encourage their approach, and they tend to wander off and explore the room instead.


Does the Puppy Respond Appropriately to Your Reaction When He Nips You?
Why This Matters
Puppies who respond appropriately to people and dogs who yelp in pain when they’re nipped too hard are more likely to develop into adult dogs with good control over the force of their jaws. Good jaw control allows dogs to get into scuffles with each other without causing injury. It may also make them gentler when they take food from people’s hands or play with people.

What to Do
Allow the puppy to mouth on your hands. When the puppy works his way up to a forceful nip, respond with a high-pitched “Yikes!” or “Ouch!” Then observe the puppy’s reaction. If he’s very excited, you might need to repeat this procedure a few times to give him a chance to notice your pain response and react appropriately.

What to Look For
•Puppies who are well prepared to learn to control the force of their jaws with appropriate feedback will notice your reaction and will stop nipping for a moment. They could very quickly return to chomping on your fingers, but that’s normal for this age.
•Puppies who are not well prepared to learn to control the force of their jaws with appropriate feedback will repeatedly ignore your reaction.


Does the Puppy Guard Things From People?
Why This Matters
Guarding valuable belongings is very common in dogs. This behaviour helps animals survive in nature, but it’s not desirable or safe for pets who live in our homes.

What to Do
1.Place some of the puppy’s food in a bowl and allow him to eat while you stand at least five feet away. Once he’s swallowed a few bites, approach him and pet him on the back and then along his neck. Place your hand in the bowl and gently press against the side of the puppy’s mouth. Stop at any point if the puppy stiffens, growls, snarls, snaps or tries to bite you.
2.Offer the puppy something to chew. Let him chew for a few minutes while you stand at least five feet away. Once he’s eagerly chewing, approach the puppy and pet him on the back and along his neck. Then gently take hold of the chewie. Stop at any point if the puppy stiffens, growls, snarls, snaps or tries to bite you.
What to Look For
•Puppies who are relaxed when people approach and handle them during a meal or while chewing something are unlikely to have an existing guarding problem. However, puppies who do not show any signs of guarding food or toys can still develop guarding behaviour when they’re little older. The advantage of choosing a puppy who doesn’t show signs of guarding is that, with proper prevention exercises, it’s unlikely that the puppy will become a guarder as he matures.
•Puppies who become stiff, snatch up their food much faster or behave aggressively when approached while eating will likely continue to do this as adults if they don’t receive specialised early training to resolve the problem.

Does the Puppy Like Being Handled by People?
Why This Matters
Some puppies are very relaxed about being restrained, touched and examined. Others aren’t. Puppies who aren’t comfortable with people handling them can be difficult to enjoy living with and a challenge to take care of. They can become fearful or aggressive at the veterinary clinic, during routine grooming and during day-to-day interactions with their human families.

What to Look For
•Puppies who remain relaxed and calm and don’t object to gentle restraint and body handling are less likely to behave fearfully or aggressively when restrained and handled as adult dogs.
•Puppies who scream, snarl, bite, have a tantrum, urinate or defecate when restrained and handled are likely to continue to react this way unless they receive carefully planned training. With training intervention, some of these puppies will become comfortable with restraint and handling, but others won’t.

Does the Puppy Seem Overly Sensitive to Sights and Sounds?
Why This Matters
Some puppies are very sensitive to certain sights and sounds, while others aren’t. Puppies who are sensitive can be difficult to take care of because they can spend much of their time frightened, and they might not be able to share in activities that you would like them to.

What to Look For
•Puppies who are initially startled by these experiences but then carry on with what they were doing or approach to investigate the suspicious sight or sound are more likely to cope well with the noises and objects they’ll encounter in everyday life as a pet.
•Puppies who react with extreme fear or any aggression to these experiences—by trembling, cowering, urinating, defecating, running away, snarling or attempting to bite—and puppies who don’t recover from a startling experience quickly aren’t likely to cope well with sounds and sights in their environment. These puppies will require specialised desensitisation training to improve their comfort level with these experiences.

Improving Your Odds for a Successful Relationship
You’ll increase your chances of choosing the puppy who’s right for you if you make your selection based on both your heart and your head. Be aware of your feelings toward the puppy you choose and your objective observations of his apparent physical and behavioural health.

[Kimmikins]

Excellent advice! Definitely worth a read for anyone thinking of choosing a new puppy to bring into their home.

There may be puppy breath in the forum soon...

[Jordan]

Think I'd be a sucker for the wee shy one or one with a problem. Dont know if i could be so calculating as to follow all the rules of choosing when my heart yells take the wee one nobody else wants. Guess i'm a glutton for punishment.

[Adrianne]

i had Cupars 'twin' sister earmarked as my stooge, (boo had fourteen pups - it was really obvious that 12 had twinned markings with another pup of the same colourway ..liver/white or black/ white ..weirdly in a mirror image too) Cupes 'twin' was a little girl, we gave her a litter name Chanel ('cos she was number 5)and ahe had a totally black front leg but for a white sock on the end, whereas Cupes has a totally black rear leg but for the white sock...facially identical! And still is!
we ended up choosing Cupes by letting his mum choose...Cupes was aloof from the other pups ..would join in, but would break away from play with them to play with mum, I often saw her single him out too ..that, and a lady who had lost a b/w female previously was so taken with chanel I just couldn't not let her go to a fabulous home. if I had to choose I would look out for a pup I would certainly go for one with the quality to walk away from the other pups and yet still be happy to join in.
it feels very wrong 'choosing' as they are all beautiful little deserving beings regardless of how they look or even behave..nurture plays just as big a part as nature, and as for disabilities/health issues..well they need knowledgeable homes and those of us with paw-print shaped hearts know that they are going to give us what any other dog can, they are members of our family.

[kristina]

Such good advice Adrianne on choosing pups when I went to collect Xena had only seen pics of puppies Xena was the only one black and white all others were dark brown but had been bought,house as I said was just awful but I could not turn my back on her when I went to see her but you know what she has been very hard work but I would not for anything give her up she is now my little girl and we are together it's taken awhile for me to just know how she ticks and what she can do but we are there now a few things to work on the pulling thing is one major issue but reckon that will come in time.11 Months old today she is and is getting better.Kristina

[Jordan]

Had a visit from little Millie today so Domino was very excited.

Millie got a bit of a fright with the neighbours dog charging at the fence barking as they got out the car so it took her a wee minute to calm herself down and realise Domino was okay but after that they were getting on fine. Shes quite a confident wee girl so Domino was showing some dominant behaviour so she knows whos boss. It went really well and Domino would have loved to run around and play with her, i'm sure they will be best of friends and have a lot of fun together when hes fit again.

[Kimmikins]

Oh! Isn't that just the most perfect photo ever!

Thrilled to hear that they got along so well, and really looking forward to hearing more about Millie how great for Domino to have a little friend.

[Jordan]

Such a shame hes out of action just now. Were missing out on some lovely dry and clean walks!!!!

Theres a lot of puppies around just now is there a reason for this or just coincidence. Think the puppies along at my neighbours are ready for the off. Saw one leaving this afternoon for its new home.

There seems to be one in the litter that sits yapping and whining all day pretty much. Why would it do that when its got 9 litter mates with it. Bored maybe? They are in an outside kennel and small run all the time except for meal times and toilet run around the garden. Mums not with them all the time and they have never been in the house since they were tiny so not a lot of socialising going on.