Buying a puppy?

Question

I am thinking about buying a puppy and need lots of advice. I have a breed picked out. What should I look for in the puppy in regards to personality and intelligence? I was told to hold the puppy in my hands on its back and if it stays calm it will be a mellow dog. Do you know any other traits or tests I can use to do the best job picking out my new pal. Thanks. I am getting a Chihuahua, if it is a girl her name will be Emily and if it is a boy his name will be Thomas.

Answer 1

Wave your hand in front of the puppy to make sure it can see. Snap your fingers to make sure it can hear. Most of all if when you see it you fall head over heels in love and it is attentive to you, then you have the right puppy. Good luck and have fun.

Answer 2

Neither of those names are conducive for training. When you pick a name you want a hard consonant or the dog rarely hears it.
With the name Emily the odds are that the dog will only hear the lee and only lightly.
For a female a name like candy is good or max for a male, but you get the idea.

Have you considered the Humane Society? You will also get a much better bang for you buck there.
Before you get the dog home it will have all its shots, be fixed and a vet will have checked it over for just a fraction of what you pay on the outside. Not to mention there will be lots of knowledgeable dedicated persons there that will talk to you free of charge.
The best dogs come from there also.
If you are not in a hurry and you are lucky you can get the exact breed you want, there is no rush.

Answer 3

When you go to see all the puppies, see if it's the first one out of the gate or the last.

The first - dominant and secure
The last - timid and insecure

...being last is not a bad thing - just depends on what kind of personality you want. If this is your first dog you own for yourself, I would definately choose the latter of the two or maybe one in the middle. Watch the dogs interact - you can pretty much tell which ones are the "alphas" and which ones are more mellow.
Cute names, have fun with your new puppy!

Answer 4

Best "age" to get a puppy: 6-8 weeks. You must first watch if it goes/runs away from you or approaches you. select one approaching. Tail up? ok. Pick it in your hand and raise it a few inches off the ground. It must stay calm (sort of) and not to squeak. Also when it's turned face up (like someone already told you). remember to do also the senses tests (seeing, hearing mentioned above and also scent/smell - show it a treat and watch if it can trace it ... well, try to, at least). If you got till here, you allready got yourself a puppy!!! May God keep it safe and healthy!

Answer 5

There is only one way to to for sure that a dog's temperment when older will be what you want it to be...adopt an older dog (1 year or older)

If you do go for a pup, make sure you education yourself on training techniques.

Also, consider going through a rescue group instead of a breeder or the classifieds. Not only will a rescue usually cost less, but the fee will also often include the first year's worth of vaccinations and spay or nuter. (quite a bargain)

Answer 6

Spend about 1/2 hour just watching the puppies and talking to them. After they settle down (from seeing someone new) watch to see which one is more interested in you. The loaners want to be with their pack or off doing something else. The people dogs are more interested in seeing people. This really needs to be done one by one. So take the one you are interested in away from the others and see how he relates to you.

Answer 7

aww how cute. you might want to go to the vet and see if he can give you some pointers and once u have bought the puppy take him to the vet and just give him a good check up .
happy trailings with the lil pup.

Answer 8

I always look in their eyes. If there is a connection I get the dog. So far it has worked fairly well. My oldest dog I got because she came to me and got in my arms, when I looked in her eyes I knew she was mine. Good luck in finding your new friend, you will know which one is here for you.

Answer 9

lol. I was going to reccommend you don't get a chihuahua. I have a male, and while I love him, sometimes I can't stand him. He was great when we got him, and for the first few years, He's about 7 years old now, and he's grumpy, and pees anytime he gets excited. That and we can't have company. He hates strangers.

Answer 10

I like puppies.