# choosing a puppy?



## nutmeg07 (Sep 14, 2013)

my breeder will be choosing / or helping me to choose a puppy from the litter. I'm just wondering what kinds of things can you see in an 8 week old puppy? what kinds of differences can you observe, and how do these translate to the temperament of the mature dog? Thanks everyone


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

Is the breeder doing a temperament test?


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## solefald (May 16, 2013)

In theory, you should play no role in choosing your puppy, except answering breeder's questions and unless you are very experienced and very familiar with the breed and picking a show dog vs. a pet. 

If you go to meet puppies and you like color red, you will be fixated on the puppy with the red collar... not because it is the best puppy, but because he or she is wearing your favorite color. At that age they all look pretty much the same, but the breeder knows them and their temperament better than you could after spending an hour or two with them.

My suggestion is not to be fixated on any one pup and let the breeder do their job. Chances are, they will pick a better pup for you even without you being there. That said, I did fly to Phoenix and met the breeder and the pups at 5 weeks of age, but I had no idea which one will be mine until they turned 7+ weeks.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

Agreed. 

We did not pick either puppy. Miles was originally chosen 2nd in a litter of 9 for a man who ended up deciding to wait until a later litter because timing was not right. Our breeder thought he would be a good fit for us and had already interviewed us as we were waiting for the next litter. 

When it came time to pick Chase, I had my heart set on green collar boy. The breeder recommended black collar to mesh with Miles' temperament. We went with black and have been extremely happy with the match. 

Provide your breeder with as much info as you can about your lifestyle, why you want a dog and a Vizsla, your theories/ thoughts on training, and what you plan to do with the dog. A good breeder will make a good match for you.


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## Kafka (Jul 24, 2013)

If your breeder said he/she would pick the puppy for you, that is great. Make sure you have thought about what kind of personality you would like your dog to have. For example, if you plan to go hunting with it, or if it will be more like a family pet. If you have kids, etc.

My breeder helped me choose a puppy. Already at 4 weeks (see pic ) you started to see the different personalities, and at 8 weeks you could really tell the difference. I talked to the breeder about their different personalities and what the things were I wanted to do with my dog. I ended up choosing between 2. One very cuddly and sweet, but also very shy. The other more outgoing, loving people (made eye contact) and adventurous. I went with the latter.
I know someone who just got a puppy from the same parents as my dog. They ended up with one exactly like the sweet cuddly one I almost chose. He is the sweetest dog in the world, so gentle and calm, and would make a great therapy dog, but I'm glad to know that mine fits my lifestyle more (I'm getting into hunting training, and have done some agility and run with her). 

I don't know if this is of any use  but wanted to share this to say that you can see differences at 8 weeks. Go with the breeder's opinion because they have spent all this time with the puppies and have the experience and knowledge of what fits best. And just make sure you express to the breeder what you're looking for in a vizsla. 
Also, google puppy temperament test. That might help your decision.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2011/05/new-vizsla-family-bailey-meets-his-pups.html

Temperament (what you want to know first and foremost)

Testing is an absolute essential part that the hobby breeder takes into account before placing a pup with a family. There are guidelines set up that breeders and evaluators follow.

I, as a older man, do have the time and ability to deal with a tough-minded hard-charging Hungarian Pointer. This is what I would tell the breeder I was looking for in a pup out of the litter. A hunter and field trial competitive dog. A family with small children would most-likely want just the opposite. The quality breeder will know by 7 weeks the physical make up and temperament of the pup and how that should translate into the dog. 

Below is the temperament write-up on Chloe, our girl dog when she was a pup. The breeder chose her for us even though it was the girl we wanted also. I spent some time a couple times a week, going by for five weeks before we took her home. The breeder appreciated this as it helped socialize the pups.

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2010/07/personality-of-female-vizsla-chloe.html

BLACK GIRL
_A busy, balanced and quick witted little girl. Enjoy - she's going to make you laugh and pull your hair!

Attributes:

Confidence: This girl is able to self entertain and play alone as well as solicit interaction from humans. She is not a bully, but also does not let another bully her.

Agility: She is agile and fast, watches her environment and notices motion.

Activity: This is a busy girl. She will go until she is exhausted and then crash.

Awareness: Nothing much goes unnoticed
Things to be aware of:
Social Skills: She plays well within the group, but expects some respect from the others.
Senses: She is visually triggered.
Competition: She doesn't intend to be last or left out of anything.
Caution: Not as cautious as I would expect the smallest and next to last whelped to be.


Recommendations:
Puppy socialization is going to be wonderful for her. She will gain a lot from being with other types of dogs of different sizes. She will no doubt be shocked that others are clumsy, since she is anything but.
This is a fast little gal - able to be very good at any dog sport. Always keep in mind that a dog is thinking as fast as it is moving. She will keep her humans busy trying to keep up for quite awhile
Play physical and mental games with her. She is very bright and needs to be stimulated mentally as well as physically. She is much too aware of everything to let her be bored. This is a girl that will self entertain and have a party of her own if left on her own. The quickest way to calm her down will be to work with her on something that requires her to think.
Socialize her to many situations. A dog that is this busy and aware needs to learn early to be comfortable in new places and hear new noises, etc. To avoid that part of her training could cause some fear sorts of opinions on her part. Better to over-socialize than to try to explain that everything is ok later on.

Do not respond quickly to her every demand. Let her be aware that she is not in charge of the world but you are and you are also her protector. She won't like being dominated, but will respond nicely to being a partner.
This is a wonderful little girl with great potential. She will definitely be inclined to ask you "why" on occasion. Make sure you give her consistent guidelines.
_


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## Kafka (Jul 24, 2013)

Lol sounds so similar to my little girl!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Rod
I agree with your post.
I looked for different attributes when purchasing my daughters pup, than I did mine. 
It paid off. My daughters pup is over the top sweet, and on the submissive side. Mine were bolder, more head strong pups in their litters.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

http://www.versatiledogs.com/articles/article4.html

Here is a great article on how a versatile hunting dog should be evaluated.

Good read.

One quick tip:

_I pick up sitting on the ground and look it in the eye. What does the pups do? 

Does the puppy give me good eye contact?
Does the pup look away giving no eye contact?

Dog #1 has given me good eye contact will be easy to train. He has accepted my dominance. Dog #2 is a dominant pup he will be a good choice for a pro trainer but not an easy dog for an amateur to train. 
_

Happy hunting.

RBD


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

broad chest - big ears - loose jowls - independent from the litter - on stack all the time - this is a hunting pup !!!!!!!!


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## hobbsy1010 (Jun 4, 2011)

Be sure to pick a 'Red' one!!!!  

Hobbsy


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## nutmeg07 (Sep 14, 2013)

Thanks redbirddog, that was an interesting read 
The breeder is choosing the puppy for me based on the information I give her, I probably won't even get to see the pups before I get mine. I was purely just interested in what kinds of things you can see in such young pups, I find it quite fascinating.


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## MCD (May 4, 2013)

We were in a car accident going to see our puppy when she was 3 weeks old and never made it there. That is the age that they start being active and their eyes are open etc. We didn't get to pick her out when everyone else did. I often wonder what our choice would have been. I know our breeder probably assigned her to us from who was left based on male and female preferences too. We had a mostly female litter. She is feisty and strong willed and loves to challenge us. On the other hand she is wonderfully cuddly and can have a conversation pass just by looking at us when she is quiet. I believe she is a good fit.


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## StasiaY (Apr 19, 2018)

I know this post is pretty old but I can't get my phone to start a new thread. I'm curious if picking the puppy with the specific characteristics that are mentioned here will usually get you the adult that you want? Getting my first vizsla in June and am wanting a specific personality. Thank you!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

If the parents have the personality your looking for, there is a higher chance of getting it in your pup.


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## TexasBirdDog (Aug 30, 2017)

solefald said:


> In theory, you should play no role in choosing your puppy, except answering breeder's questions and unless you are very experienced and very familiar with the breed and picking a show dog vs. a pet.
> 
> If you go to meet puppies and you like color red, you will be fixated on the puppy with the red collar... not because it is the best puppy, but because he or she is wearing your favorite color. At that age they all look pretty much the same, but the breeder knows them and their temperament better than you could after spending an hour or two with them.
> 
> My suggestion is not to be fixated on any one pup and let the breeder do their job. Chances are, they will pick a better pup for you even without you being there. That said, I did fly to Phoenix and met the breeder and the pups at 5 weeks of age, but I had no idea which one will be mine until they turned 7+ weeks.


You said you flew to Phoenix. Is your dog a Mehagian Vizsla?


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