"No bad puppies"

Choosing your puppy wisely to begin with can help minimize problems.
We often see cases where an owner and their dog are completely mismatched and the owner is unhappy with the pet. Abandonment of the pet is often the sad result.

Case 1: A family with young children buys a little 12 week old Bichon puppy. The three year old child reaches into the puppy's food dish and the puppy snaps at and bites the youngster in the face.

Case 2: The large male adult Akita dominates the household. At night he jumps into bed next to the wife and growls if the husband approaches. The only way the husband can get into his bed is by tossing a dog biscuit down the hall and then jumping into bed as the dog runs to retrieve it.

Are the above two cases a result of poor breed selection, a behavioral problem with the particular dog, or lack of knowledge or training by the owner? Often it is a combination of problems. Behavior traits that are common to different breeds strongly influence how a dog behaves. Researchers have developed behavior profiles for 56 popular breeds (borrow the book "The Perfect Puppy" by Hart from our lending library). It is important to understand these breed profiles and match them with your specific household needs and desires before purchase.

The breeds were ranked on the basis of 13 behavioral traits. Some of the traits, such as excitability and general activity, can be predicted with a high degree of certainty. Others, such as ease of housebreaking and destructiveness are, unfortunately, among the least predictable.

Before deciding what type of puppy to introduce into your household, you need to focus on which traits are most important to you (Table 1). A list of dog breeds can then be compiled that fit your needs.

Some of the questions you'll need to consider are: how much space do you have available? What are the ages of the family members? Is someone at home during the day? How much time do you have available for walking or exercising? How much time and/or money are you willing to spend on grooming? Why do you want a dog (companionship, security, sport/hobby, showing, other)? What behavior traits are most important to you (See Table 1)? After you've answered these questions, we can help you decide on an appropriate breed. There are also predictable differences between males and females that can help in making a choice. Males show more aggression toward other dogs, more dominance over their owners, and are more apt to defend their territory. Neutering will help lessen these tendencies. Male dogs are also slightly more destructive and playful than female dogs, and have a higher general activity rating. Females tend to be easier to housebreak and train and they show a slightly higher demand for affection. There seem to be no other gender differences among the other listed traits. This information is useful to minimize undesirable traits in a breed you otherwise like. For instance, a breed such as a Chow rates high on dominance over owner. Choosing a female may help lessen this trait and improve the relationship.

After deciding on the right breed, be sure to choose a reputable breeder. Then plan on spending at least an hour with the litter at about 7 weeks of age to determine the basic personality of each individual puppy in the litter. Important testing can be done to find the right puppy, such as dominant or submissive, quiet or bossy, that fits into your family or situation. For example, a bossy pup would probably not fit into a home with small children or elderly folk. Please ask us for a copy of the Puppy Behavior Test, or take out Campbell's "Behavior Problems in Dogs" from our lending library.

Choosing correctly may mean one less dog among the 13 million unwanted and unclaimed pets yearly. Please ask for help in making a sound, logical decision before picking that cute doggy in the window.

Table 2: Choosing wisely

1. Answer questions relating to your reasons for choosing a puppy.
2. Decide what traits are most important.
3. Choose a breed based on 1 & 2.
4. Decide on gender.
5. Find a reputable breeder.
6. Pick the desired personality of a puppy by using the Puppy Behavior Test.
7. Use puppy kindergarten (call to schedule) and obedience classes.
8. Consult our veterinarians for help on selection, training, and care.

See other dog training articles