Selecting Your Puppy

Selecting Your Puppy

Is There a “Right” Puppy?

Choosing your puppy is exciting — and sometimes a little overwhelming. Families often worry that they'll make the wrong choice based on a puppy's personality on selection day.

The good news is that there really isn't a wrong choice.

I've been raising dogs since 1989, and one thing I've learned is not to put too much weight on a puppy's behavior during a short visit. Puppies are still developing, and what you see on one particular day is only a snapshot of that puppy at that moment.

A puppy who hangs back initially may simply need a little more time to feel comfortable. With proper socialization and positive experiences, I've watched many quieter puppies grow into confident, outgoing adults.

Likewise, the puppy who seems to be everywhere at once isn't necessarily destined to become an overly active adult. Young puppies have energy! With consistency, training, appropriate exercise, and learning how to settle, an enthusiastic puppy can learn when it's time to play and when it's time to relax.

What Should You Look For?

Instead of trying to identify the “best” puppy, pay attention to the puppy you naturally connect with.

You may notice that one puppy immediately seeks your attention while another takes a few minutes to approach. One may be busy exploring while another is perfectly happy sitting beside you. Some puppies are especially curious, some are more observant, and some seem determined to investigate absolutely everything.

These differences are part of what makes choosing a puppy so much fun.

Try not to turn every little behavior into a prediction about the puppy's adult personality. Puppies change tremendously as they mature, and their experiences after they leave us play an important role in the dogs they become.

Think About Your Lifestyle

It can be helpful to consider what you're hoping to do with your dog.

If you enjoy hiking, walking, traveling, or other activities, you may find yourself drawn to an adventurous puppy. If you're hoping for a companion who will spend a lot of time hanging out with you at home, you might naturally connect with a puppy who settles beside you.

But these aren't hard-and-fast rules. The puppy investigating every corner today may become your favorite couch companion, while the puppy quietly sitting in your lap may discover a passion for hiking.

That's why I encourage families to choose based on the whole experience, not one behavior.

Trust the Connection

Spend time with the puppies. Hold them. Play with them. Watch how they interact with you and with the world around them.

And then give yourself permission to simply like the puppy you like.

Sometimes families arrive convinced they're looking for a particular color, coat, sex, or personality and leave having fallen in love with a completely different puppy. That's perfectly okay.

Training, socialization, consistency, and time will help shape the puppy you take home into the dog who becomes part of your family.

I'll give you guidance along the way, and the training information provided with your puppy will help you establish good habits from the beginning.

After all these years, I've yet to find the “wrong” Goldendoodle.

Of course, I'm the breeder — I think they're all perfect.