Hi, I need some advice please. I have first choice of a litter of pups and I have been visiting them around three times a week since they were born. I have been looking and thinking hard about which pup I want to suit me. I am not looking for a show dog but a working dog so I feel that you can see small traits from the pup I have chosen. Anyway I know its not all about conformation so I have been watching each pup individually as far as personality goes. I felt very pleased with my choice because the pup was lively and was not shy. Their was a pup who always had his head down and looked a bit sickly, and a couple of others who I felt were not right for me. Since I have picked my pup he seems different, not as freindly, and the pup who has not found a home yet is shining above the rest, not frightened, happy and wants to be playing with you all the time, and this was like the puppy I had choosen but not anymore. I secretly think the breeder took a liking to my pup, but as soon as I chose him the breeder has lost interest and feels sorry for the unsold pup, therefor is giving the pup all the attention for the wrong reasons. Please tell me if this will affect my pup when he is older, it seems a real shame because he was full of life but now very drawnback, I feel very let down by the breeder, all the pups should be treated equally. Please give me some advice.

Hi guest, It is a bit difficult to comment without knowing what the breed is or how old they are now.

Puppies personalities will change as they develop, it may not be anything to do with the breeder that it now seem withdrawn, it could be the litter mates are just getting a bit bolder.  You don't say what type of working you want the pup for, but if I was looking for say an obedience dog, I would be looking more for a one to one interaction rather then say the boldest while with the rest of the litter. 

Depending on it age, lets say it is around six weeks I would take it right away from the rest of the litter and get down on the floor and play with it.  Use a ball of crinkled paper or something attached to a piece of string.  Does this puppy find you more interesting then it's surroundings? This is what you want from a working dog, if it ignores you, or gets fed up with you very easily and goes off sniffing in another direction, then it is less likely it will work for you.  Throw the crinkled paper, does it pick it up and at least make an effort to come towards you, or does it pick it up and run in the opposite direction?

But most of all, you have to like the puppy, if you don't it is not the one for you, walk away and look for another litter.

Hope this helps
Sandra

Also once away from the litter puppies change hugely.

In my litter of four one of the girls seemed quieter, in that when things got rough she would take herself away from the thick of it.  she was no coward, as if someone got too much for her seh would give as good as she got.

She lives close by and we meet her at training clas.  Out of the two sisters she seems to be the real rufty tufty and wan5ts to play really rough, while mine is more ladylike, though the dominat one in the litter.

The other pup livew with a 9 year old spayed bitch, who is not a very forceful character.  Mine lives with four older generations of her family, all who treat her a bit differently, but all expect respect from her.

Pups have some character traits from birth, but most of their charater is shaped by experience and training.

They do change dramatically and it could also be that you are visiting at the time your original pick is sleepy because it has been charging around more than the others.  People often don't pick a puppy that is asleep in its bed when the others are all up and doing but that one could have been awake for hours beforehand.

Christine

When we picked our girl she was the more quieter, laid back one out of them all but she always came to us and seemed to have a sweet nature :) Boy how things changed when she settled with us lol. She still shows the sweet nature and is generally not as boistrous as her brother (who we see regulary) but she gained so much confidence with us via training and classes that she came into her own and is a joy to have around!!