Thoughts on puppy selection

Selecting a puppy sounds pretty straight forward to most people, however a lot goes into making a sound match. 

As breeders we have heard and seen many different methods used over the years. Some of these methods can be found on the internet, promising to help you identify the ideal puppy. Some individuals will even seek the assistance of paid “professionals " in an attempt to identify the “best” puppy in the litter.

While not wanting to discourage the excitement of the moment, we often have to remind our clients there is no “best” puppy in any litter. Every puppy is unique and perfect in their own right. This comes down to the puppy’s personality they inherited at birth.

Just like with children, no two siblings are exactly alike. This is a fact any parent can attest to. In families several different types of personalities can be present in various individuals from the same bloodline.

Nature is consistent in this principal among all species on this earth and puppies are no exception. Prospective owners will often have a checklist in their minds outlining the desired personality and traits of their “perfect” puppy. However, in a moment of impulsiveness they go against their own sound judgement, selecting a puppy solely based on coat type or colors. Others will evaluate a litter of puppies and try to identify the most “playful” or “calmest” puppy out of the litter based on a short observation period.

Sadly, this is the reason many puppies ultimately are abandoned or placed in shelters. Many owners overlook the importance of selecting a puppy based on the puppies natural “social pack order” and the individual personality of each puppy. 

We believe the individual most qualified in selecting a puppy for a family is the breeder of that particular litter. Even with all of our years of experience, we will never go against the advice or recommendation of another breeder when inquiring about their litter. We simply provide the breeder with our list of characteristics we wish to have present in our ideal puppy. We then allow the breeder to go to work for us selecting the most suitable puppies for our review.

We carefully listen to the breeder’s assessment of each puppy. All things being equal, then and only then does coat type or colors factor into our decision. If we are uncertain in any way we defer one hundred percent of the time to the breeder.

We know and understand the countless number of hours breeders spend with their litters, prior to the public ever being allowed to interact with them. Breeders are with their puppies from the moment they are born into this world, until the moment you take them home and into your lives. This is critical in knowing and understanding each of the puppies' individual personalities and where they will best fit with different family situations.

At the end of the day the best guidance we can give anyone selecting a puppy is to trust your breeder’s judgement and advice. If you have a very specific desire for a certain type of coat, colors or a perfectly defined personality then it is best for you to purchase an adult German Shepherd of at least 18 months of age. In the first year or more of life a puppy’s coat can and will change colors or types as they grow. Personalities will also change and develop over time based on environmental factors.

Everthing considered your breeder is going to know the best match for the puppy and your family, based on the information you provide them. It is our duty as a reputable and responsible breeder to place each and every one of our puppies into loving forever homes. We hope you found this information valuable and considerate it the next time you have need to select a puppy.