Which puppy in the litter should I get? 12 puppy traits to consider
You know the stereotypes: pretty mean girls, kind hearted plain Janes, books that can’t be judged by their covers.
We’re warned time and time again that looks aren’t everything. But when it comes to picking your puppy, surely it’s different? Surely you can choose off cuteness, at least this once?
By landing on this blog, I have an inkling you already know it’s not that simple.
You have a sinking suspicion that the “prettiest” pup might be the one secretly waiting to become your biggest nightmare.
And while all of our pups are generally well rounded and ready to love everybody (and beautiful, of course), they certainly all have their own personalities and quirks. Just like us!
Sometimes those quirks are just what you’re looking for in your next family member. But sometimes… well, sometimes those quirks might make your life unnecessarily harder.
(Like, if you have toddlers running around at home, and you choose a puppy who thinks everything that moves is a toy…)
(Or if you want to teach your pup tricks, but you accidentally choose the most independent, headstrong pup in the bunch…)
So instead of going into puppy picks blind, hoping you’ll choose a pup that meshes with your routine and personality, this blog is meant to arm you with information. You’ll know exactly what to look for in a pup to match YOUR lifestyle.
Because pups aren’t a one size fits all situation. You have to know a bit about what you want to choose your perfect pup.
First, we’ll break down the 10 most important traits to pay attention to when choosing your pup. Then, we’ll talk about how those traits match up with different lifestyles to help you decide what you should look out for.
But before I get into that, you might be wondering…
How can you tell what a pup’s personality is like?
Any breeder worth their salt will get to know each pup very closely before it’s time for you to choose your pup. They’ll be able to give you a general overview of each pup’s personality.
And some breeders (including yours truly) have another secret weapon: temperament testing. A carefully structured test designed to evaluate pups’ reactions in a new environment. It gives an unbiased score for each pup, indicating what kind of lifestyle they’re best suited for. You can read all about how we run our tests here!
Do dogs pass down their temperaments?
For the most part, yes - but it isn’t an exact science. Parents have a huge impact on the general temperament of a litter, but there will still be variation within each litter! In other words, while you should pay attention to who your pup’s parents are, you still need to look closely within each litter to find your perfect pup.
When can you tell a puppy's temperament?
Pup’s personalities start shining through after their first 4 weeks of life. Temperament tests occur when pups are around 7 weeks old. At that age, pups have had enough time to develop confidence and other traits that are affected by experiences and training.
Is temperament all I should care about when choosing a puppy?
Of course not! Personality is important (and often under looked). But other things might affect your decision like coat type, size, or gender (but… this might change your mind about that one).
Ok, enough build up, let’s get you prepared to choose your pup!
Understanding Puppy Personalities
There are 12 main puppy traits that could affect your decision when choosing your perfect pup.
That’s a lot! But don’t worry, you won’t have to pay attention to all of them. The important traits will depend on your priorities.
But before we get into specific scenarios, let’s get an overview of all the different traits that make up your future pup’s personality. Plus, get guiding questions to help you determine which traits might be important to you:
🐾 Touch Tolerance: Should your pup melt into your arms when we tug on their tail, or is it ok if they just tolerate poking and prodding?
🐾 Energy Level: Should your pup be up for all day adventures, or are you looking for a lap dog?
🐾 Sound and Sight Sensitivity: Do you live around a lot of unexpected noise or movements? Some dogs can handle that better than others.
🐾 Prey Drive: If a pup treats their toys like prey, they might play with other small things they same way (yes, I mean fingers and kiddos).
🐾 Human focus: Are you looking for an independent dog, or a pup who will want to follow you around all day?
🐾 Tender Hearted: Do you want your dog to be in tune with your emotions or more aloof?
🐾 Assertiveness (human): Do you want a timid and polite pup, or one who will walk straight into your lap for cuddles?
🐾 Confidence: Should your pup be excited by new experiences, or will they live a more routine, comfortable life?
🐾 Motivation Level: Do you want a pup who’s eager to learn, or is it perfectly fine if they’d rather do their own thing?
🐾 Nerve Strength / Resiliency: Does your pup need to recover quickly under stress, or will you have time and space to let them unwind slowly?
🐾 Dog Assertiveness: Do you want a pup who’s the boss around other dogs, submissive, or somewhere in between?
A lot to look out for? It doesn’t have to be overwhelming! As long as you know what’s most important to you, it’s easy to see what traits you should look for in your perfect pup.
Matching puppies to lifestyles:
Every family is unique, but there are some general categories that I see come up time and time again as I guide people in choosing their puppy. Let’s get into some of the most common preferences:
How do you tell if a puppy will be a calm dog?
If you’re looking for a pup with a slower pace, look out for these traits:
Low energy levels: I often hear people say “but I still want my puppy to want to play with me”. Don’t worry - they will! Low energy doesn’t mean they’re a potato. They’ll still get the zoomies sometimes and need exercise. But they’ll like to relax more often than some of their high energy siblings.
High touch tolerance: If you think of a lap dog when you think of a calm pup, you’ll want to choose a pup who loves to be touched!
How do you pick a puppy for adventures?
When I say adventures, I mean frequent outdoor activity or travel. For instance, if you want to bring your pup along for long hikes, water sports, or road trips, you’ll want an adventurous pup! They’ll have:
Medium to high energy: If you want your pup to keep up, pick one who’s ready to move with you!
Medium to high motivation: If you want to take your pup out on adventures, you’ll have some more training to do than if they were primarily a house dog. So it’ll make your life a whole lot easier if you pick a pup who is eager to learn!
Low sight and sound sensitivity: Adventure means your pup will get exposed to new environments. So if sudden noises or lights scare them a lot, they’ll have a harder time enjoying the new experience with you. But keep in mind, sight and sound sensitivity can improve with proper training! So don’t be too worried if your pup isn’t immune to jump scares at 7 weeks old.
High nerve strength: You’re bound to run into something scary every once in a while. This means it’s important for your pup to be able to bounce back quickly after experiencing fear. Otherwise, you might get stuck halfway through a trip with a terrified pup and a very bad memory.
How do you pick a puppy for young kids?
Family pups need to both be gentle around your kids and be able to handle the beautiful chaos that kids create. Your pup will need a combination of:
Low prey drive: When your kiddos inevitably start running around the house, you don’t want your pup to get carried away playing with them and accidentally nip a finger!
Low sight and sound sensitivity: Kids can be loud and unpredictable. So if your pup has a hard time coping with fast movement or random sounds, they’ll have a harder time feeling calm in your home around kids.
High touch tolerance: While you can and should teach your kids how to handle your pup safely, they’ll probably test the limits on poking and prodding. It’ll be easier for you and your pup if your pup likes physical affection however they might get it.
Medium tender hearted: Pups with high tender heartedness feel their owners’ emotions very strongly. So if they see someone crying, they might get so sad and worried that they shut down in a corner. On the other hand, if they’re highly tender hearted they might think a meltdown is just another chance to play. It’ll be easier for you and your pup if they are in tune with human emotions, but not too strongly affected by them.
How do you pick a puppy for city living?
By city living, I’m referring to people living in smaller spaces or in highly populated areas. (No - you don’t need a yard to be a great pawrent!)
Low sight and sound sensitivity: With all of the sirens, car lights, and other city shenanigans, you’ll want a pup who doesn’t mind flashes and booms.
Low to medium energy (likely): Unless you plan on exercising with your pup multiple times a day, if you don’t have a big yard, you’ll probably want a lower energy pup. You don’t want them to go stir crazy!
High confidence: Cities are known for bringing surprises your way. By picking a puppy who doesn’t scare easily, everyone will be more relaxed.
How do you pick a pup if you already have dogs?
You want your whole family to get along!
Medium dog assertiveness: If your pup has high dog assertiveness, they’ll have a hard time with boundaries. Which means they’ll pester your other dogs to play whenever they feel like it, causing irritation and bad feelings. On the other hand, if they have low assertiveness, they might be too timid to really integrate with your pack. Neutral is the way to go!
How do you pick a puppy for service dog training?
This will largely depend on the kind of service you need from your pup. Generally, you’ll want a pup with high confidence, but the other traits vary. I’d be happy to talk through your specific situation. Fill out my contact form and I’ll give you a call!
Please keep in mind that all of these are guidelines to make your life easier when you have the option. If you’re adopting or rescuing a pup and they don’t check all of these boxes, I guarantee you’ll still be able to love and adore them.
But by being mindful of what kind of life you’re bringing your pup into, you’ll help make sure everyone is happy and comfortable with your lifestyle choices.
You can also change a lot of these traits with proper training. Some, like tender heartedness, cannot be changed. Others, like confidence, sight, and sound sensitivity can change drastically with training.
It all depends on how much effort you and your pup want to put in to become one big happy family.
Good luck finding your perfect pup. I know they’re out there!
Did I miss any lifestyle choices? Leave a comment below with what YOU need in a pup, and I’ll be happy to guide your decision!
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