'Pick of the Litter' for your home should be a puppy with an easy going, moderate temperament, one who would enjoy and adapt to family life with ease. 2. Let Temperament and Observation Over Time Rule the Day.
Watch individual pups in the litter.
Focus on finding a pup that isn't too energetic but isn't too shy. While you may have a certain personality type in mind, most families do best with a pup who is neither too bossy or too submissive. Look for a good-natured, middle of the road pup who doesn't growl or bite.
If you are considering getting a runt, it is advised to know the pup's health status and observe its behavior when interacting with the dam and littermates. Picking a runt puppy is okay if that means the puppy is the smallest pup in the litter but otherwise healthy.
All dogs fall somewhere on the dominance/submissiveness scale. In every litter, there's generally one puppy who's clearly “extra.” He's usually sort of noisy and busy. He takes toys away from his litter mates and he protects them.
Test temperament by flipping them over. The alpha will most likely continuously struggle, refusing to submit to you. If you want a dog that is eager to please, don't pick that one. The perfect temperament for me (maybe you), should struggle quite a bit, but eventually they will let you hold them in such a way.
The Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test (PAT) is commonly used. There are 10 items that test for social attraction, following, restraint, social dominance, elevation dominance, retrieving, touch sensitivity, sound sensitivity, sight sensitivity, and stability.
If your pup checks out as healthy but is just small, you're good to go. Runt of the litter personalities are usually very positive. Runt puppies often get handled more and loved on more, so they are usually well socialized and happy. They still need to learn boundaries, however, so don't spoil them.
Yes, it is perfectly ok to pick the runt of the litter, providing they are healthy and receive the necessary care after they were born. Always ensure they have passed health check-ups with a veterinarian before deciding.
In general, however, the best age to adopt a puppy is eight to ten weeks. This will give your puppy plenty of time to work through the developmental stages that take place while the puppy is still with its mother. It also allows you to make sure you're complying with any laws that might pertain to your area.
Furthermore, the temperament was affected by litter size and season of birth. One possible interpretation of this would be that it could be possible to affect adult behaviour of dogs by adjusting litter sizes and birth times, but the present data do not allow this conclusion.
The ideal time
Eight weeks after birth, the puppy is eating solid food on their own, they have benefited from socializing with litter-mates and observing mom, and they are well within the ideal timeframe to bond with new owners. Breeders may also opt to keep the puppies until 10 or 12 weeks of age.
Even among domestic animals, runts often face rejection. They may be placed under the direct care of an experienced animal breeder, although the animal's size and weakness coupled with the lack of natural parental care make this difficult. Some tamed animals are the result of reared runts. Not all litters have runts.
When the puppies are born, the runt usually (but not always) comes out last, and even at this incredibly young age, will appear to be smaller, and will weigh less, than the other pups.
In most cases, if the runt of a litter makes it to six to eight weeks, it will probably survive and likely grow close to full size, experts said.
There are some advantages to adopting the runt. For one thing, they're often more affectionate and grateful than their perfect-looking counterparts. They may also be less prone to certain health problems. On the downside, they may be more prone to behavioral issues and require more training.
If your puppy aggressively or viciously tries to bite or if a snarl or growl accompany the attempt to bite, you need to take action. It's also dangerous if your puppy tries to bite your face or if your puppy tries to bite other dogs, or other people, especially children.
Most puppies have one trait that's more noticeable than the rest. All puppies start to have a noticeable personality when they reach 7 to 8 weeks of age. You'll notice it especially when they're playing with other puppies or interacting with strangers.
A submissive dog will hold his head low, ears back, and slink himself down, trying to look smaller. Submissive dogs are easier to deal with than dominant dogs. If you do not feel you have a complete understanding of canines and what it takes to be a true pack leader to your dog, you should pick a submissive puppy.
The alphas always lead the pack. So if your dog lets you go through a door, then it's a sign that he is following your lead. A pack leader has the responsibility of leading and protecting the rest of the pack. Your dog will be looking for protection by letting you face anything dangerous on the other side of the door.
The easiest way to spot a dominant pet is through body language: a pup that holds their head high with a rigid tail and alert ears likely has a dominant personality. Other signs of dominant dog behavior include: Resistance to voice commands. Aggressive response to eye contact or verbal correction.
Typically, the more loose skin a puppy has, the more room he has for growth. Big parents equals big puppies. The best and easiest way to determine the future size of your puppy is by looking at both parents. Generally, whatever the parent's size and weight is, you can bet your puppy will be as well.