Once you have your puppy home, you will start to develop its personality the way you want. If you know which sex you want, ask the breeder to put the other sex away to give you time to observe all the males or all the females.

Don’t pick a particular puppy just because it is the cutest! There are easy tests you can do yourself to help you determine the best choice for you. Watch them to see which puppy is watching you, making direct eye contact with you. Take a couple steps backwards away from the puppies and look closely at who moves with you. Next, take a few more steps from the group and clap your hands, snap your fingers or verbally call to encourage the puppies to follow. Open your arms in a wide fashion and call to the puppies in a higher pitched voice. Again, observe the followers. These pups would be the ones interested in human beings, thus making good companion dogs. Narrow your choices down to 2 or 3 from those couple of little tests.

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First and foremost, it’s a great idea to research the various breeds you are interested in. The general look that interests you is a good place to start. For example, if you prefer a breed with stand up, perky ears, then you should eliminate the floppy eared and cropped ear breeds. Then you must decide for what purpose are you acquiring a dog. Will it be a house dog when mature, laying at the foot of your bed, or on your bed, or out on the doorstep being a guardian? Will you have the extra time if the breed requires extra recreational playtime? Are you willing to put the time into grooming that some dogs require, especially the ones with the long hair?

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