How do I know that the puppy is healthy and active??

Question

I am thinking to buy a Labrador Retriever, but the person is having many puppies, how do i select one from them, what r the things which I should check in puppy to get insure that the puppy is healthy and active enough...
I said active becuase one of my friend has bought puppy 2 years back, but it turns out to be very quiet, inactive, it never barks except when he is hungry, not even on cats or other dogs.. I want puppy which is active enough and playfull... so how do i check..
Please help.. thank for the answers..

Answer 1

When you go to get the puppy, watch for the one that gets the others started. The one that comes at you and not the "me too" one but the "let ME" one. Give the little guy a push back on his chest. If he resists or comes right back at you, you'll know it the one.

Answer 2

Go to see the puppies. An active, playful puppy will grow up to an active, playful dog. Look for the one who comes bouncing right up to meet you, starts the tussling with the other puppies, and has bright eyes and an eager manner.

Watch out for dull eyes, a sleepy manner, discharges from the eyes, nose or anus. Ask to see the parents - a lot of dog breeds have genetic flaws that will show up in the parents, so seeing the parents lets you see that they're not affected by them.

You say that the person has a lot of puppies - is this a puppy mill? Check the conditions in the kennels if they have them (a lot of the best breeders won't have kennels at all, the dogs will be family pets rather than only a source of cash) and make sure that the kennels are large, clean and well-maintained. Bad sanitation and small cages are signs of breeders who are only interested in the money, not in improving the breed, and that's the kind of breeder who sells puppies which wind up having health problems and genetic flaws.

Good luck, and enjoy your new puppy - I hope you have a long and happy life together!

Answer 3

Some simple puppy tests are:

Take a toy that makes noise and watch to see what puppy shows interest. If one jumps away and cries or shakes pass on that puppy as it will probably be fearful as an adult.

Roll a puppy gently onto it's back and check it's reaction, if it squirms like a mad thing or growls/bites at you pass on that puppy as it will probably be dominant and possibly aggressive as an adult.

Sit quietly away from the group of puppies and watch to see which one comes over to investigate you. Walk away from the group of puppies and then call them and see which one comes to you the fastest or shows the most interest in you.

You also want to look for a puppy with bright clear eyes, red gums, active and without a potbelly as any of these can indicate a sick puppy.

You never get a gaurantee of a certain adult energy level when buying a puppy but some of the things that help are playing often with the puppy, exercising regulary with the puppy as it ages, making sure puppy grows into a healthy dog and feeding a high quality food such as Canidae, Timberwolf or Solid Gold.

Answer 4

If you are going to a reputable breeder she should help you when selecting your puppy.

You need to study the litter very carefully and watch how they interact with each other in the litter. Check to see if their eyes are bright and clear. Check that they have been wormed every two weeks from the age of two weeks old. You should continue with this regime until the puppies are 3 months old, then worm them again at 6 months. Check they are in a clean environment and that they don't have any diarrhoea. or any fleas present.
It is essential that you see you see the Dam with them Check on her temperament.. Labs are normally very sturdy little pups.

Usually labrador puppies are very friendly and outgoing with lively personalities . They are great chewers so make sure you have plenty of toys for the puppy and get a Kong which you can fill with his kibble and also get him a smokey bone which he can gnaw on for his teeth. You can use a Bitter Apple Spray to spray anything which you don't want him to chew,e.g. the legs of tables and chairs etc. They don't like the taste and it will deter them from chewing on these objects.

I wish you well with your new puppy. I'm sure you will have great fun with him/her.

Answer 5

Adopt an adult dog if you are looking for a specific personality. All puppies attitudes change alot during the first two years even with the "puppy tests". That is one of the reasons there are so many dogs in shelters, they did not grow up to be what their owners expected. There is no way to know what you will end up with with a puppy.

Answer 6

Check to see if the puppy perks up when you enter the room where the puppies are being held. See if the puppy makes any sound or makes any attempt to recognize you either by coming to you or jumping around excitedly--wagging its tail, sniffing, jumping up on you slightly--some kind of movement on the part of the puppy. If, on the other hand, the puppy just lies there and seems to be "lifeless", then, obviously, you want to avoid this one b/c how it acts now is a true measure of how it will act later, generally speaking. Of course, puppies generally adopt their owner's personality to a certain extent. In other words, if you show it love and affection, and you, yourself, are peppy/active (i.e. jog, exercise regularly, walk, etc.), then, the puppy will do the same, as a rule. Good luck!

Answer 7

I would say that you want to watch the puppies interact with each other see which one if more playful, active. You don't want one with a large belly as this could be a sign of worms, look into their mouth and it should be pinkish colored. Take a dog toy with you and see which is the most interested in the toy. This one will propably be the most out going puppy.

Answer 8

ask if you can just spend a couple hours with them. Also keep in mind that some times they change as they get older. One of my puppies was the most active out of the litter so we choose him. Now he's really calm. He does play though. Our other puppy was really quite and calm when we got him and now he's a terror (we still love him). Sometimes to keep the dog active and playful you have to load them with toys and play with them every day. Find out what kind of toys they like, ropes, kongs, stuffed animals, and then buy them and play!

Answer 9

If the person you're considering buying from has frequent litters, you won't get a healthy puppy. Look at your friends dog that already purchased from this back yard breeder, is that the kind of dog you want?

www.petfinder.com

100's of purebred lab puppies to chose from in shelters. Please rescue.

Answer 10

Talk to the vet. He will help you pick one out or he will refer you to a reputable breeder that you can trust. You have to sit down and watch for a while. Watch their personalities. Then take him straight to the vet for a check. Several years ago I adopted an animal off the street. Never again. I could have bought a pedigree for the vet bills I paid on that animal.