If you have your pick of the litter then you should perform these steps on all the available puppies.

• Dominant / Submissive Test : Place your puppy on his back, and see how he reacts. If he fights back at you, he will be more the dominant type. For working dogs you generally don’t want a puppy that is too dominant. Dominant doges are can be tough to train.
• Interactivity Test : Throw a ball of paper or a small bouncy ball to your puppy. If he shows interest in getting the ball, or curiosity in what is happening it shows that he has a certain level of intelligence.
• Independence Test : After playing with the dog for a bit, turn your back and start to walk away. If he follows you it will show that he is pack driven, and wants to follow a leader. When it comes to training young dogs you don’t want one that is too independent.

Picking a dog

By performing these three tests you should have a better idea as to the intelligence level of your puppy. It is also advisable to ask the breeder about the sire and the dam. Knowing if the parents were particularly good at something will also help you make a decision. Also, because the breeder will have spent longer with these puppies they may have noticed things about the puppies that you have missed. You should ask about how the puppies spend their day, do they play together or are they more isolated.

Picking a Breeder

It is also important to pick a good breeder, ones that you know have an interest in dogs, and are not in it for simply the money would be a good start. Good  breeders will also give health guarantees for their dogs, and some breeders in Ireland have started to give written contracts outlining the terms and conditions of the new puppy purchase.

Not all dogs are suitable for all living situations, and it’s important to make sure you do some research on dog breeds before choosing one. And even if you have picked a breed, it doesn’t mean that all puppies of this type are necessarily a good fit for your environment.

Over the last few years, there has been an explosion in the market for buying dogs in Ireland. Many people still get dogs from the various animal shelters around the country, but for people who want dogs with a pedigree, it normally means buying from a dealer. With any industry there are scrupulous people, and the dog industry is no different. We have seen the emergence of puppy farms in Ireland. These places often have poor conditions for the dogs and inbreeding can also occur. Dogs.ie does not condone puppy farms.

Making sure it’s not a puppy farm

Normally it’s easy to spot when a dog is coming from a puppy farm, these dogs tend to me more shy, often malnourished and smaller for their age. Looking at the condition of their coat should tell you how healthy these puppies are. Signs of abuse, like scratches, open wounds, or infected scars are things that should set of alarm bells. When buying a puppy try to avoid getting them in the pet stores. Pet stores may be operating with the puppy farmers. Have a look in your local newspaper and see if there are any dogs available from private sellers, or better yet take a trip to your local animal shelter, there are many of these across Ireland.

What age should a dog be before take them from their mother

Puppies should be at least 8 weeks old before you separate them from their mothers. It is important that you don’t get a puppy before the age of 2 months, as in these days and weeks the puppy will learn important things from its mother. They learn social interaction between other dogs, hierarchy and how to play. Puppies also receive important nourishment and antibodies from their mothers via milk. From about 8 weeks puppies should be removed from their litter mates and should start to have human interaction. It is also advisable that you introduce puppies to young kids, but only in a supervised manner.