Choosing a Pup

I have had a couple questions about choosing a pup, so I decided to address it.  First, before you even go shopping around to different breeders, you need to figure out what it is you want out of a dog.  Think about 6 or 7 years down the road.  How do you want your dog to be?  For hunting dogs, say you want to have a dog that hunts.  What kind of hunting are we talking about?  Are we talking ducks 40 or so trips a year?  Are we talking pheasants a few weeks in the year?  Are you hunting in cornfields, on potholes, in deep cover?  So many factors come in to play here and for good reason.  There are over 300 dog breeds in the world; over 150 recognized by the American Kennel Club and 210 registered with the Kennel Club.  We as humans have mastered the eugenics for dogs.

So first, think about exactly what you want out of your dog; think long-term!  Next, develop a plan.  Are you going to train the dog, or will a professional trainer do that for you?  Do you have the space necessary or access to proper locations where your training plan can be met?  It is wise to sketch out a tentative day in the life of your dog.  Develop a schedule the best you can before hand, then when you get the pup, make sure that schedule sticks.

Third on our list is to choose a breed.  A lot of research should be done here.  You'll want to considers things such as lifestyle, trainability, size, temperament, natural ability, living space, training grounds, etc. After you find the breed you are looking for, then the color, appearance, etc. can be planned out.  Make sure you do your research on this one.  You'll be stuck with this dog for the next 12+ years, make sure it's one you like.  As part of selecting the breed, it's time to speak with various breeders.  They may be able to help you pinpoint exactly what you're looking for.  They may also have the pedigree you are looking for.  A pedigree is not everything, but when you're purchasing a pup, the only information you have to go off of is what its parents and grandparents have accomplished and how they behave.  You then hope the pup has a better chance of developing these characteristics.  Just like a human children differ even in the same family, each pup will have its own characteristics to make it something special.

Selecting the puppy itself really depends on what you are looking for.  When I went to look at Jack's litter, I took a couple of pheasant wings with me (it's what I had available).  I knew the pups couldn't see too far at this stage, but I kind of let the pups play with the wings.  All three pups available at the time demonstrated a keen sense of smell and a desire to pick up the wing.  What I noticed in Jack though is how calm he was.  Although I will be using Jack for hunting during the season, I also expect him to be very calm and obedient around our family as I will have multiple kids growing up tugging on just about every hair he has.  That is what I was looking for and I knew I wanted Jack.

A couple ways of determining personality in a dog:  first, pick the dog up by reaching completely around the ribcage with both hands and lift just slightly off the ground.  A squirmy, wiggly puppy is a bit bolder, while a still pup will be more mellow.  Second, cradle the pup upside down in your arms, putting just a slight bit of pressure on his head so it stays down.  Does the dog fight back?  This is a bold pup.  If the pup relaxes and even looks at you, this shows a dog who is ready to follow your instructions.

In the end, the decision all depends on what you are looking for.  If you need a dog with high energy and stamina, a bolder pup may your choice.  If you're like me where a family dog will help out in the duck blind, then a calm dog is perfect for what I need.

Introduction

My name is Caden.  I am 24 years old and am currently attending the University of Utah for a degree in chemistry.  About a year ago, my wife and I decided to increase our family size (not just with a baby which did come later in the year).  We purchased a dog of the breed my wife loved the most - a shetland sheepdog (sheltie) named Hazel.  Hazel is a smart dog and throughout her first year of life, she has mastered many tricks including a visitor favorite of ringing her bell to go outside.  People have seen how great my dog is and they have asked me about how I trained her.  That is somewhat how this blog is getting started.

For my graduation present (a year early), I decided to buy myself a duck dog, a yellow lab named Jack.  I bought him today at 5 weeks and 3 days old.  Yes, this is a bit early to get a puppy, I suggest puppies being at least 8 weeks old (we got Hazel at 10 weeks old), but due to the circumstances of both the breeder and myself, it was best to get the pup at this time.

I have decided to follow the training outline called the Wildrose Way taught in the book Sporting dog and Retriever Training (http://www.amazon.com/Sporting-Dog-Retriever-Training-Gentlemans/dp/0789324466/ref=pd_sim_b_3) alongside the DVD The Wildrose Way:  Retriever Training.  This training method sticks out to me for a couple of reasons.  First, the founder of the Wildrose Kennels (and subsequently the Wildrose Way) is a man by the name of Mike Stewart.  Mike Stewart has partnered with Ducks Unlimited and trains their rock solid retrievers.  Another reason is the main theme behind this training:  shaping the desired behavior, not correcting bad behavior.  Nowhere in this training will you find force fetch or electronic collars.  The one time I will opt to use an electronic collar is when introducing Jack to snakes (fake ones of course).  Other than that, electronic collars and negative reinforcement will not be used.  Instead I will focus on shaping the dogs behaviors into what I really want:  a calm, steady, solid hunting buddy.