Hi all,

Just wondering if any of you have any good advice or know some good websites that describe or explain what to look for when picking a pup.  I am due to pick up a male German Shepherd pup on Saturday...and have looked in 2 books so far which describe actually 'testing' them by making them carry out tasks. 

Is this what you all did? 

Is this a bit over the top or should i test them like this?? 

I have 5 males to choose between and i just want the puppy that is right for me and my girfriend and that we are right for the puppy.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

regards

Graham

Hi Graham!  Our puppy picked us!!  There are general rules about picking a healthy pup such as avoiding weak, unhealthy looking individuals - and even dominant, bossy pup's.  Once our bitch picked us, which she did by jumping all over us and licking our faces :D we gave her a general check over from head to toe.  Check its eye's for discharge, face and mouth areas, look inside his ears, feel all over for lumps and bumps, check out the skin condition by running its hair backwards, feel down the legs and onto the toes, check for possible signs of parasites, have a look around its tail and anus for signs of diahorrea.  Watch him move and play - hopefully the breeder wont mind how long you take to check these pup's!  He should be a bright pup with an interest in what is going on around him.  Less 'physical' checks would be of his pedigree and health tests in particular a hip score of his parents being a GSD (but I would assume you have this aspect pretty much checked out seeing as he is being picked up on Saturday)  Personally I wouldn't ask any 8 week pup to carry out tasks, apart from the obvious can he see and hear!
Sarah

Hi, I think Rozzer has covered most of it. Firstly you want a sound healthy pup. Make sure you see mom & that she looks fit & well,- but don't forget she's just finished rearing a litter so may look rough around the edges & may not be in good coat. Do all the health checks that Rozzer has suggested & observe the pups interacting with each other & with people. Don't feel pressured to make a snap decision & stay all day if you need to.
Lots of organisations do aptitude tests on young pups including Guide Dogs & the Met Police to try & pick out dominant / submissive pups. These tests can be done on a small scale, by clapping your hands / coughing etc & watching their reactions. Also you can walk around & observe which pups follow & which just do their own thing.

Chances are you'll walk in & your eye will catch one straight away & that'll be the pup for you or One pup will take a fancy to you & choose you.

Go with your instinct.

Good luck.  :)

a lot of people say to get on the floor with them and the one that runs up to you is the one you choose.
I my self prefer to just sit and look and what what they are doing, i.e playing with mates or hiding or running around being happy.
Always check teeth, ears and eys and rear end for cleanliness and do ask the breeder as many questions as you like be from the most stupid question to the serious ones.
My first GSD was picke4d at two days old but that was because i knew the family and i wanted the whitest, my second GSD she is now 8 months i picked her because seh was the one the looked funny rolling around in the kitchen witht he dirty washing, the one that came running up to me i did not pick because she attacked my fingers and having 3 kids i thought nope your not the one.
But i have to say each person has there own choosing method, both of my bitches are loving and soppy wioth my kids but great gaurd dogs aswell.

Cordelia

Thanks all.

Sorry i forgot to mention that i had already been to see the pups at 4 weeks old and went to see parents before thay were born.  I have also asked all the relevant health questions having researched the breed and researched breeders.

I would like quite a forward and dominant dog that is also quite energetic and will be keen to exercise and learn as i would eventually like to train the dog in agility or something else like that. 

Is there any way that i could see these traits in a puppy?

What do the police look for in the dogs they choose for training?  Is there a particular dog in the litter that will be easier to train or more keen to please?

Hi Graham

I think this is what you may have in mind?

If you do this to the pups bear in mind that although they generally wake and sleep at roughly the same time some do wake earlier so will be sleepy earlier and on a single test this can slew the results

If you are looking for a dog to compete with in say Working Trials or a police dog then you would be looking at a puppy that is very nosey, probably loves carrying things about, climbs, etc.  Working Traits are not necessary in agility and may in fact be contra indicated; what most people look for here is speed; which is difficult to assess in puppies, besides GSDs will never be faster than BC/WSD! (in general).

The tests the Met police do are done in a controlled manner, nothing that will upset the pups, but small tests to see each pups reaction. these tests really are for the pros as they are quite structured, but nothing stopping you watching pups reactions to different situations whilst playing with them.

It's always a gamble with any pup - even for the experts, I work for Guide Dogs & if we could tell at 6 weeks who would make it & who wouldn't - it would be great but we are not able to do that so we have to monitor how they develop & how they cope as they grow up.

As with your pup, you can only pick the one you think is most suitable, but there are no guarantees that the dog will be good in agility / obedience or any other aspect of work.

Remember too - it's not just about a well bred dog of a suitable breed, it's also about how much work you put in with training your pup. - If you're prepared to put the effort in, you'll see the results.

Sounds to me like you've done lots of research into this litter, go with your instict, you have a few pups to choose from.

Good luck.

You are probably thinking of the Volhard puppy tests which were devised to be carried out by a competent individual in order for the dogs to be placed in the ideal environment for them.  It involves testing the startle reaction, pain, following, investigation etc etc.

There are many people who swear by them, however an experienced breeder should be able to give you a pretty good idea of the personality of the pups if they are kept in the house and observed a lot. Certain pups may be more or less lively at the time you visit; this only gives you a snapshot view of that particular puppy at that particular moment.  Also you have to think about the line of the dogs; if both sire and dam are extremely sensitive for example you would probably not want the most sensitive puppy from that particular litter.  It also depends on what your needs are.  My heart always sinks when people say "my puppy chose me" as this is usually the most confident and pushy dog which, in some breeds, may be the least suitable for an inexperienced owner.

If you are not experienced you are not likely to gain anything by conducting these tests yourself; and I have to say that I agree with Jean Donaldson when she says if certain puppies do not react to say umbrella lifting this does not tell you anything about them other than that umbrellas are not an issue :D  Other things may be!

As Tohme says, if you have faith in the breeder and they are experienced in their breed, they should be able to pick out, or narrow down the number of pups which might be suitable for you. If you tell the breeder exactly what you are looking for, they should be able to point you in the right direction. It's quite often the way that the puppy you (as a breeder) have picked out for owners is the one who immediately acts exactly the opposite way to the way it has acted all it's life when the new owners come to choose!! if you want a fairly dominant pup, they are probably the easiest to pick out after watching the whole litter interact for a while - the one that's always there, being bossy, on top, in your face!
Take your time, a good breeder won't mind if you don't rush, it's a very important decision!
Good Luck

Hiya
I sat down and watched the pups interact together.  Saw the mum, looked at her pedigree and researched it on the net.  I played with the pup, made a fuss of the pup.  She was the only one left so I didn't have a choice of the others, but she was the one I would have picked.  I wanted her mainly for agility and when I saw her stealing the other pups toys and she was the biggest and the bossiest she was perfect :-D  And she has a fab ougoing nature so am glad I decided on her.

Gina

Thanks to all who replied.

Just to let you know, that i have now got our german shepherd dog and we have called him 'MAX', just to keep it short and sweet, and i think he looked like a 'MAX' too.  The other names we had planned for him just didn't seem right when we saw him.

I didn't bother with any of the puppy tests, as suggested by several of you...i just stood back and watched them all play around and eventually picked one.....funnily enough it was the same dog that my girlfriend wanted too, so we were both very pleased.

House training going very well as he won't do it in his cage and will let me know when he wants to go so that i can put him out.....i am VERY tired as every time i put him out, he then whined for about 20 mins when put back in his cage...he then settled down and later woke us when he wanted to go out again. 

thanks again

Graham

Excellent. Sounds like you picked the right pup!
Good luck with Max.
Hope he turns out to be everything you want him to.  :)

i guess you didnt read the thread re is my puppy herding us---in which i discussed dominance--to be told by many the dominant puppy is few and far between !!!!!   yet this thread discusses the tests etc to pick out the dominant/submissive etc     :D     so which is it, ??     i believe there are many dominant pups born, more so in working guarding breeds where boldness would be expected.

I have not mentioned the word dominant or submissive in my posts! 

this thread mentions dominance---i didnt say you had !!!