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How to pick a puppy from a litter.

June 14, 2021 by creeksidekennelsut Leave a Comment

Picking a puppy is a big decision. You may be wondering how to pick a puppy from a litter. It is important to take into consideration your needs as well as the puppies individual traits. After deciding what breed will best fit your family, and finding a responsible breeder, you are ready to pick a puppy.

How to pick a puppy- Your needs

What do you need from a puppy? Here are some things to consider about yourself:

Do you have children at home?
Do you plan to have children in the future?
Are you retired?
Is one member of the family home full time?
How active is your lifestyle?
Will your dog have a specific job? (Such as a hunting companion)
Are you looking for an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?
Looking for a service or therapy dog?

Here are a couple of traits to keep in mind as a general rule of thumb:

Type of Home	Desired Traits
With young children	Human focus Low sight sensitivity Low sound sensitivity
Emotional Support Animal	Human Focus Low sight sensitivity Low sound sensitivity
Service/Therapy Dogs	High confidence Low sight sensitivity Low sound sensitivity High motivation High nerve strength/resiliency High touch tolerance Human focus

These are just a rule of thumb that can get you thinking about what you might look for to decide how to pick a puppy from a litter.

How to pick a puppy from a litter- Puppy evaluations

There are two ways to discover what traits a puppy has- Interacting with the puppies yourself, or asking the breeder. While your observations while being with the puppies is valuable, it is such a small snippet of the puppies life that I would strongly suggest relying on the breeders evaluation of the puppies. A responsible breeder will be able to tell you a little about each pups personality and traits. A Badass Breeder will be able to give you the results from their extensive puppy evaluation. This evaluation places puppies in categories of High, Medium, or Low for each of the following traits.

Assertiveness
Confidence
Motivation Level
Nerve Strength/ Resiliency
Touch Tolerance
Energy Level
Sound Sensitivity
Sight Sensitivity
Prey Drive
Human Focus
Tender Hearted
Dog Friendliness

This extensive evaluation gives the breeder a good idea of what each puppy will be like throughout their life. They will be able to help match you with a puppy that fits you and your family.

Something to Remember

Remember: there is no such thing as a perfect dog. Working with your breeder, you can find a puppy that will fit in with your life very well. However, you will still need to put time and effort into training and socializing your pup. Any puppy will require patience and time. Please, do not expect your puppy to be perfect.

Finally…

In conclusion, working with your breeder you can find a puppy that will match with your family and lifestyle. Puppies are a living thing, so there is no way to find a perfect one, however, they can be a joy in your life and a lifelong companion.

How to pick the right breed of dog.

June 8, 2021 by creeksidekennelsut Leave a Comment

What breed of dog should I get?

When you are ready to add a dog to your family, deciding what breed is an important decision. There are over 100 breeds of dogs, and each one has different characteristics. These questions can help you examine your life and decide what characteristics you are looking for in a dog.

What is your experience with dogs?

Are you new to dogs? Do you currently own a dog? Have you owned a dog in the past? Some breeds are easier to train than others, some are higher maintenance, some have higher energy levels. For a first time dog owner, looking into dogs that are eager to please and lower maintenance may be a wise decision. Dog breeds with a lot of energy may be better suited for a dog owner with more experience. For example, a Labrador Retriever is very eager to please, making them easier to train. This would be a breed a first time dog owner would want to consider.

How much time can you put into training?

A little time (1-5 hours a week)
Some time (6-10 hours a week)
A lot of time (10 plus hours a week)

All puppies require a significant amount of time. However, some breeds do take more time than others, especially once they are an adult. If you do not have as much time to put into training, you will want to find a breed that is easy to train and is fairly independent. If you are wanting to spend many hours a day working with your pup, you may want a breed that is more attached.

What is your home like?

The size of your house does make a difference in what breed of dog will be best for you. Do you live in an apartment, a house with a small yard, a house with a large yard? Size and energy are the main two things that will need to match your living space. For example, a small studio apartment may not have room for a giant Great Dane. Remember though, just because you don’t have the “ideal” housing situation does not mean you won’t be able to provide your new puppy with all its needs. And on the flip side, just because you have an “ideal” housing situation doesn’t mean that you don’t have to put work into your puppy. While housing is a consideration, the time and energy you put into your new puppy will matter more.

Do you have young children?

Do you have children under 10 years of age? This is something to consider when choosing a dog breed. Some breeds are better around kids than others. Do your research about the breed you are interested to make sure they will be patient and kind with children. This is a good place to start your search.

What is your lifestyle like?

Are you always out doing something active? Do you spend most of your time watching TV? Is relaxing on the porch after a long day at work your thing? Are you road tripping often? These kinds of lifestyle questions can help guide you to the perfect dog breed. Consider the size, activity level, eagerness to please, grooming requirements, and nutritional needs of each breed you are interested in. Think about how they would fare in your everyday life considering these attributes.

What job will your dog have?

Dogs need jobs. Having a job helps them fit in the pack, is good for their physical and mental health, and adds joy to both of your lives. A job could be a traditional breed job such as herding cattle, retrieving ducks, or pulling carts. Other jobs that are common for many dogs include: going running or hiking together, offering emotional support, and fetch or other games.

What traits are you looking for?

Why do you want a dog in the first place? The answer to this question can guide you to discover what traits are important to you. Maybe you need a dog that can run long distances with you or a dog that can offer emotional support or a dog that has a loud bark to scare off intruders. Think deeply about what these traits are. Do you need a dog with high energy, a small dog, a fast dog, a quiet dog? Choosing a breed with the characteristics that best fit you will result in a lifetime of joy with your new puppy.

Remember: Choosing the right breed of dog for your life and family is crucial. However, don’t forget that their is no perfect dog. No matter what breed you choose, you will need to put time and effort into training. Choosing the right breed will put you on the right path, but you will need to keep working to have an enjoyable companion in your dog.

How to find a responsible dog breeder?

May 10, 2021 by creeksidekennelsut Leave a Comment

Finding a responsible dog breeder makes the puppy buying experience so much better.

How to find a responsible dog breeder

When purchasing your new puppy, it is important to find a responsible breeder to purchase from. A responsible breeder not only provides the necessities, but also starts socializing puppies and empowering them to become confident dogs. You may be wondering “how do I find a responsible dog breeder?” Finding a responsible breeder is important, but honestly not too hard. Here are some questions you can ask when determining if a breeder is responsible.

What are you doing to improve your program?

A responsible breeder knows that while they are striving to do their best, there is always room for improvement. A responsible breeder will have something they are doing to make their program better. Find out more about how we are improving our program here.

How are you bettering the breed?

A top goal of any responsible breeder is to better the breed. This means producing puppies that are representative of the breed standard. A responsible dog breeder will honor the breed characteristics and strive to improve the breed.

What experience do you have with breeding dogs?

While it is totally fine to buy a puppy from a beginning breeder, this question will help you determine why they are breeding. A responsible breeder has put effort in to learn about dog breeding as well as their specific breed.

What measures do you take to keep your dogs healthy?

Finding a responsible breeder means they look out for their dogs health. A responsible breeder will have systems in place to keep their breeding stock healthy, as well as the puppies they have available.

In conclusion: how to find a responsible dog breeder

These four questions will help you answer the question “how do I find a responsible breeder?” Finding a responsible dog breeder to purchase a puppy from is important to ensure you have a healthy, well-bred puppy to bring joy to your life for years to come.

Comment below if you have any other questions you ask breeders when you are looking for a puppy.

Want to learn more about finding a responsible breeder? Check out this resource from AKC.