Puppies are like people — they all have unique personalities and temperaments. Puppies develop their personality according to their genes and their experiences. Some are easy-going but affectionate; others are more playful and demanding. So choosing a puppy carefully becomes important — after all, it’s going to be a new addition to the family!
At Posh Puppies, dogs are our top priority — in making them well trained, well behaved, and a valuable addition to your home. When it comes to choosing your new pooch, try out a few simple behavior tests to see how they react.
Confidence Test: By placing a puppy in an area it has never been and coaxing the pup to you by clapping hands gently and kneeling down and observing how the puppy responds, you can determine the degree of confidence or dependence the puppy has. >>What to observe: A confident pup will come readily, with its tail up, and may jump at you or bite your hands. A fearful pup will not come to you at all.
Independent Test: Stand up and walk away from the pup in a normal manner. It is important that you make sure the pup sees you walk away.
>>What to observe: A dependent pup will quickly follow you with its tail up. It may even get underfoot and bit at your feet. An independent pup will not follow and may even move away from you.
Dominance Test: In order to discover how a puppy accepts stress when socially and/or physically dominated, you will need to crouch down and gently roll the puppy on his back; holding it with one hand for a full 30 seconds.
>> What to observe: A dominant puppy will struggle fiercely, flailed and may even bite. On the other hand, a submissive puppy will note give any struggle and strain to avoid eye contact.
Trainability Test: There is a high correlation between the ability to retrieve and the degree of willingness to work with a human. By crouching beside the puppy and attracting its attention with a ball, then observing how much interest the puppy shows as it watches you toss the ball 3 to 4 feet in front of the pup, you can determine how close of a relationship you will have with that puppy.
>> What to observe: This test is of particular interest to dog owners looking for successful obedience or field trial dogs.
Handling Test: Some puppies cry and scream at the slightest touch while others are very stoic. To determine how sensitive a puppy is you will need to take the puppy’s webbing of one front foot and press it lightly between your finger and thumb. Then more firmly until you get a response, while you count slowly to ten.
>>What to observe: How long it takes for the puppy to pull away or show discomfort.
Problem-Solving Test: How curious a puppy is many times determines its intelligence and ability to solve problems. To determine this, place the puppy in the center of an open area. Using a string tied around a large towel, jerk the towel across the floor a few feet away from the puppy and observe the puppy.
>> What to observe: A confident intelligent puppy will watch what you are doing and then attack or bite the towel. On the other hand, a shy or insecure less intelligent puppy will run away and hide.
At Posh Puppies, we provide dog training that gives your dog the ability to control their impulses and the skill to focus and engage with you — and to obey a command with consistency or with distractions. We want your dog to be happy, self-confident, and obedient, and will consistently work with all dogs to improve their self-confidence in new environments. For more information on our services, give us a call today.
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