I found this article on the web and thought it
had some good advice. Although it is mainly for Cocker Spaniels the
advice is sound and is a must read for prospective new owners.
Many breeders will have "waiting
lists", for their puppies, especially for litters of popular parents or rare
breeds.
Often breeders will have been observing their puppies during their development,
& obviously know them better than potential owners, they will often make
the decisions regarding which puppy goes to which home based on these observations
& the information you have provided to them. Therefore, it is unlikely
that you would be able to “pick” your own puppy, unless there is more than
one that fits your individual needs. Contrary to popular belief, there
is much more to picking a puppy than choosing the first one that comes to
you!
However, if you should be in a position to be able to choose, you need to
consider closely what type of personality you are looking for in your puppy.
This is especially important if your plans for your dog go beyond being an
"ordinary family dog", but also important when choosing a family dog.
If you feel unqualified to make the right choice, bring someone experienced
along or ask the breeder for help. The breeder, who has seen the litter
develop, should be able to pick out a suitable puppy for you.
Generally speaking, the puppy should be interested in people, seem safe
& healthy, not react with fear or anxiety when hearing relatively common
sounds, calm down quickly if frightened, seem awake, & be interested
in what goes on around him/her. Notice how the puppy reacts when handled,
whether with fear, or acceptance. Please note that depending on the
time of your visit, the puppies may all seem quiet, they could well have
just finished playing & are ready for their nap, on other occasions the
puppies may be very lively, in this instance it's probable that they have
just woken up from their nap & are ready for "action". Do consider
all these things when viewing puppies as it's quite easy to make a wrong
decision based on first impressions.
Watch the pup play with his littermates. How does he deal with being
taken away from his littermates? Does he seem tough, anxious or calm?
All puppies are individuals, some will be very forward & will rush head
long to explore each new event or person, others will be more reticent &
will prefer to weigh up the situation before going to explore. Some
puppies will be very laid back & will not go & explore but be happy
to watch what's going on from where they are! All of these traits are
quite normal & you needn't feel that the quiet pup is in any way inferior
to the one that rushes over to greet you!
By noticing these things, you get an impression of what sort of personality
you are dealing with & it will help you make the right choice.
When it is time to pick up the puppy, check the same things over again &
especially that the pup seems healthy. Clear eyes, normal motions, shiny
fur, & not too thin or obese are signs that the puppy is in good health.
Before the puppy leaves home, a good breeder will have cared for a puppy
well, socialised & loved him/her. Puppies do not go their new homes
as trained, well-mannered finished products! It is up to you to complete
the job they have started. You are responsible for the further development
of the puppy’s personality, through structured discipline, training, guidance,
patience & love.
Dog or Bitch?
Well when choosing a puppy, your first question to ask yourself is dog or
bitch?
Before we go into the differences, we need to look at the most important
point – have you chosen a good breeder? A good, knowledgeable breeder
will have a good idea about the puppy’s characters & may well not give
you a choice of pup. There is nothing at all wrong in this provided
you have been honest with the breeder about your circumstances & what
you want to do with your pup. A breeder would give a calmer natured
pup for instance to a first time owner, to older buyers or if they had young
children, one with show potential to someone who wants to show & a lively
pup to someone who enjoys outdoor pursuits & wants the puppy to accompany
them etc. You have to sit down, have a good think about what you want
from your dog & a good breeder will help you with the choice of a suitable
pup.
If you already have a dog, the choice is easier for you – your Cocker should
probably be the opposite sex to the one you have. Although you can have
two or more of the same sex, this can lead to squabbles if the personalities
clash. Generally speaking, you should aim to (regardless of gender)
match a placid, easygoing dog with a more lively & dominant dog &
visa versa. Two dogs with similar personalities have the potential to
clash.
Males tend to be a little more pragmatic (unless their natures are the same
& you can have constant challenges), bitches tend to hold grudges &
once you have two bitches fighting, it’s very difficult to resolve.
If you want to introduce a dog of the same sex, it’s advisable to introduce
a puppy rather than an adult as all dogs normally take to puppies. The
other key element is to have a good age gap between dogs of the same sex
– if you have two dogs or two bitches of similar ages & personalities;
you have a greater chance of some squabbling. However, the most important
element is character, if you are introducing adults; don’t put two dominant
ones together. Once again, a good breeder will help you select
a puppy of a suitable nature, where everything being equal, the match of puppy
to existing dog should be favourable.
Bitches tend to have a stronger pack drive in our experience. Pack
drive is the definition of the dog’s ability to interact with the pack &
the desire to be part of that group. Pack drive is important in training
& bitches tend to have the edge here.
The bitch tends not to “wander” as much off the lead as the dogs – if you
have a dog & a bitch, you will notice that the dog scampers off all over
the place where the bitch tends to stick with you more (although this is not
a hard & fast rule!).
Bitches have sharpness & the craftiness element we think! They
are much more subtle in the way they do things than the males. They
can weigh up situations & pull them to their advantage without you even
knowing about it! When owning a dog & bitch the bitch is usually
the boss (very few exceptions to this rule). In dog/wolf packs, although
the pack is run by an alpha pair (male & female) the male is more there
for “show” due to his larger stature, in the event of threats or problems,
it’s the bitch that does the thinking & resolving! This is important
to remember when choosing between them.
Dogs tend to have a more outwardly superior nature of “look at me, I’m just
great” & he will push his behaviour to show this (bitches tend not to
because they are of the opinion, “look I know I’m great & I don’t have
to prove it”).
Dogs tend to be more headstrong & can be a little more difficult to
train than the bitches (though again this is not a 100% rule)
Male & Female Traits:
Clearly, another difference between the sexes are sexual characteristics.
Females will (unless neutered) have regular seasons. The frequency of
these varies from breed to breed, however in Cocker Spaniels we have found
that parti-coloured (all colours save for solid colours) tend to have seasons
spaced approximately 10 - 11 months apart. This effectively means they
are in season only once a year. Seasons tend to be more regular in the
solid colour cockers and the frequency is more likely to be every 6 - 9 months
apart. Generally speaking a season lasts for around 21 days, the middle
days of the season are when the bitch is likely to be at her most fertile
(although this is not a hard & fast rule, some will be fertile much earlier
or perhaps later) and would willingly entertain a male.
During a bitch’s season she will loose some blood stained discharge, the
quantity of this varies from bitch to bitch, with our own girls we find the
discharge is quite light and certainly doesn't pose a problem in terms of
keeping the house/furniture clean. At some stage during the season (approx.
9 - 15 days after the onset) the bitch will be fertile and if mated (deliberately
or accidentally) she is likely to conceive a litter of pups. It is
advisable, that if you are exercising your bitch away from home whilst she's
in season, that you keep her on a lead at all times to ensure that she doesn't
encounter a male dog on her travels!
Un-neutered males are interested in bitches in season all year round.
With our own males we haven't found this to be a problem, none of our males
has every escaped our garden in search of bitches in season in the locality,
neither have they made a nuisance of themselves in any other respect.
Scent Marking:
Most dogs and some bitches will engage in scent marking (passing frequent
small quantities of urine at designated spots) at some stages in their lives.
This process is certainly more noticeable and annoying with males than it
is with females.
When you walk your male dog, aim to go from A - B without stopping, don't
allow him to sniff every lamp post you pass, if he stops to sniff he will
want to leave his mark! Once you arrive at your destination he can,
have a sniff around and pass urine if he needs to. If you allow him
to stop, sniff, and leave his mark every few feet he will learn that it's
OK to scent mark when he chooses.
If you follow the advice above you should find that you don't have a male
who feels the need to lift his leg on everything he sees (including your furniture
on occasion?)
In conclusion, we are back to the most important thing – choosing your breeder.
You are responsible for teaching your puppy manners & the social graces
but genetics play an important part. If your puppy comes from temperamental
stock, you will have a lifelong battle to stay on top, as you will be constantly
masking the undesirable traits, which are in the bloodline.
A good breeder will have started the socialisation, basic training &
house breaking process with your pup. Don't under estimate the benefits
of this. The early days with your puppy will be much enhanced.
Please also look at our Breed Information & Questions To Ask pages
for further information on the breed & how to determine a good breeder
& tell if you have a healthy puppy.
