Some of the things you might want to know (continued):
You've narrowed down your choices, and have decided on the breeder you want to get your new family member from.
Now, how do you pick the puppy? Honestly, sometimes you don't and often that's the better choice. A good breeder has spent many hours watching the litter grow and change, and knows which puppy will be a good match for your family. In your answers to their questions, they'll get a good feeling for your lifestyle, what you expect to do with the dog, how you would like the dog to behave, etc. and they can pick the puppy with the best chance to succeed in your home.
- If you're given the choice of two or three puppies, here are some tips to help you narrow your choice down to the one that's
best for you.
- Generally speaking, you don't want the puppy that tries to
hide from visitors. That puppy will be shy, and will take a lot of
work to help it come out of its shell. And if you're not careful,
could easily help create a fear biter. Unless you have lots of
experience with Siberians, you don't want the one that comes
dashing over to you and climbs all over you, either.
- The first puppy in a litter to go exploring and to meet new
people is the boldest, which can be very good if you want a lead
dog on a sled team or a fabulous show dog, but can be hard to live
with if you just want a calm family member.
- When holding the puppies, turn each one upside down and cradle
it like a baby in your arms. Does it look calmly at you, right in
the eye? That's a puppy that cares what you think but isn't afraid
of you, and that's a very nice temperament to live with and to
train.
- Do you see the whites of it's eyes as it clutches onto your
arm, trembling? Too shy.
- Does it fight to turn itself upright, maybe looking you in the
eye a bit harshly? Too outgoing for a first-time Siberian owner.
- If the breeder will allow it, pick up the hindquarters of each
puppy carefully, leaving the front feet planted firmly on the
ground. Try to hold the puppy there for 30 seconds. A
well-tempered, trusting puppy shouldn't struggle very much, if at
all. It should be a new game to them. Praise to the skies when you
finish with each puppy, whether or not it passed the test.
- Again if the breeder will allow it, take each puppy to a quiet
place, play with it a bit, and then introduce a loud, sharp noise.
The puppy should startle but recover quickly. You don't want a
puppy that runs and hides or that submissively urinates when
startled. And again, praise and play with the puppy when the test
is done. One loud noise for each puppy will tell you what you need
to know.
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