Speaking from experience...
I delivered my first litter of puppies in 1983. 42 years ago. 😳 I was 12 years old and my mother was raising Yorkshire Terriers. Everyone was gone but me, and of course her pretty girl Tasha decided to have her puppies while they were gone. A couple hours and 3 puppies later, my mom walked in and with big eyes said, “Did you do this Jeff?” “No,” I said, “Tasha pretty much did it all.” 🤣
As many of you know, we’ve been around puppies and dogs most of our lives. (Click here to read a little more about us.) Pets and working dogs, giant dogs and tiny lap dogs. Bird dogs, cattle dogs, active dogs and lazy dogs. We’ve seen and experienced a lot! And we’ve raised many litters and watched hundreds of families choose puppies and then grow older with their pups who came from our family.
As far as puppy selection goes, I’ve seen people make good selections and bad ones…so let me share what I’ve learned about picking a puppy that’ll be your loyal companion for life, not just your prettiest yard ornament.
It's a long term commitment, so be smart.
Before I start, let me make sure you understand that I don’t really think there are “bad puppies”. Wrong puppies, yes. But not really bad ones. Not very often at least. If you’re selecting a puppy from a good kennel or breeder, with good genetics and great parents, then you’re probably going to get a great pup. But, it might be great in the wrong ways! Let me explain…
The Beauty Trap
I’ve watched hundreds of families choose puppies. While most of our families understand our philosophies and approach, I have seen folks walk into my kennel and fall quickly for the flashiest pup in the litter. The one with perfect markings, the brightest coat, or the most striking eyes. But this “prettiest puppy”, while a great pup, wasn’t in line with what the family wanted as far as temperament goes. (We no longer allow kennel visits, but this still happens some times! Click here to read about that policy change.) Believe me, I can tell you a few stories. And they’re worth hearing, so feel free to ask me sometime.
One other note – I’m not talking about personality, which tends to be more influenced by a puppy’s family and environment after she goes home. There’s a difference between puppy personality and puppy temperament. (Click here to read more about the differences.)
What Actually Matters, potentially for the next 10-15 Years
After watching many puppies grow into adult dogs, I can tell you that certain traits, beginning sometimes as early as 3 or 4 weeks old, can be strong predictors of adult temperament. Here’s what I look for and what I advise my puppy families to consider:
1. The Steady Confidence:
This puppy explores with purpose but doesn’t panic when they encounter something new. They’re curious, but not desperate for attention. They interact well with littermates without being pushy or submissive. These dogs typically develop into well-balanced adults.
2. The Velcro Personality:
Some pups will follow you everywhere from day one. If you want a constant companion who’ll be happiest by your side, this works. If you value independence or travel frequently, it might not.
3. The Independent Spirit:
These puppies are content to explore on their own and don’t seek constant validation. They make excellent dogs for people who want a companion that doesn’t require constant entertainment, but they may not be the cuddly lap dogs some families expect.
4. The Social Connector:
This pup wants to meet everyone and everything. They’re typically easy to train and great with children, but they need proper socialization to prevent over-excitement issues later.
Note: I’m doing a little bit of over simplifying here, of course, to make a point. Most puppies are some combination of these traits. The key is being able to spot those traits when the puppy is young!
Reading the Signs Early
Temperament testing isn’t guesswork—it’s observation. We evaluate each puppy’s response to handling, new sounds, separation from litter-mates, and interaction with humans. A puppy that startles easily and stays nervous *might* be an anxious adult dog. (See this post about anxiety, fireworks and thunder.) This isn’t necessarily always a bad thing, but it might not be a good fit for you. One that shows “resource guarding” at eight weeks *might* have those same tendencies at eight years, for example. (Click here to read more. We highly recommend Baxter & Bella!) So, a family with other pets might not be the best home.
The puppy that recovers quickly from a surprise, approaches new situations with measured curiosity, and accepts gentle restraint without panic—that’s often a very stable adult dog and that might matter to your family! And remember, all this, regardless of their coat pattern! 😊
Why Pretty Doesn't Predict Performance; And sometimes pretty changes!
I’ve bred dogs whose coloring changed completely as they matured. Not common, but it does happen. Puppies with perfect markings whose ears stood up when they were supposed to flop, or flop when they were supposed to stand. And size predictions can even be off sometimes, too! Genetics aren’t perfect science!
But temperament? That stays remarkably consistent. The confident puppy becomes the confident dog. The anxious puppy sometimes remains anxious without proper intervention. The pushy puppy grows into an adult dog that might be a little more demanding of you!
Making the Right Choice
Before you do anything, honestly assess what you want in a dog. Do you want a hiking companion or a lap warmer? A dog that’ll greet every visitor or one that’s more reserved? A pup that wants lots of mental stimulation or one content with moderate exercise? Do you want a traveling buddy, trips to the lake or Starbucks or the dog park? Or will she be at your feet by a fire while you read or binge watch Outlander? Or some combination of these things?
And I can’t stress this enough, use your research to not only find a puppy, but first to select a great kennel or breeder! A proven kennel and breeder will likely have great lines, superb dog parents and he/she most likely does a good job helping families choose the right puppy with the right temperament.
How do I find the right pup?
Where’s the best place to go to see a breeder’s reputation? You can look at Google or Facebook reviews, perhaps. Or maybe even better than that, take a look through their Instagram page. If their page is dominated by puppy pictures looking for homes, that’s ok…but it doesn’t tell you a lot about what those pups are like when they’re grown. And it might not really paint a picture of what their puppy families think about them. (Everybody’s happy on pickup day! Rather, what are people saying about the breeder years down the road?)
We take pride in being as transparent as possible. We stay close to most of our families and communicate with many of them very often. We love posting pictures of our puppies grown, years later, living with their families. Those are the best testimonials, in our opinion!
Like I mentioned earlier, a terrific kennel and breeder with a great reputation will tell you a lot. This usually means he/she has great lines, great parent dogs and does a good job of matching puppies with families. This is 80% of the battle!
Let an expert help
Let the experts help you find the best puppy for you or your family. We have the benefit of knowing the parents and often the grandparents very well. Very often we’ve seen other families adopt puppies from previous litters from these very same parents, so we’ve potentially seen your pup’s siblings (from a previous litter) grow into adults.
And additionally, and maybe most importantly, we get to watch the puppies grow from day 1 until go home day, in the context of their siblings, so to speak. It’s very hard to determine a puppy’s temperament if she’s alone, especially in one visit. Maybe she’s nervous…or even over stimulated because of the situation? Are you getting true picture of that puppy’s temperament on your one visit to the kennel to select your pup? Maybe. But maybe not.
Allow the breeder to give his/her input on observations made over a longer period of time and in the context of experience with the breed, the parents and possibly previous litters. And focus on temperament…not just beauty!
But the good news is...
…our puppies here at Lost Creek are all also very beautiful! 🥰
