Evaluating pups in a litter

[beej99]

Hi all,

I have decided on buying a Brittany. In fact, after doing much research and looking around, I chose a breeder and put down my down payment. All the pups were born on Friday. I had requested a male, but only two were born. He as told me that I can either take one of the two or wait for another litter because of the lack of male selection. I am not worried that the dogs will not have hunting ability, but, what is the liklihood that the one dog will be a dominant alpha and hard headed?
would that make the other one ok? can I get any advice on this situation as I am new to this. This brittany will be my first bird dog. I trust the fact that this guy has good dogs, I just want to make sure I get the right dog for me.
Beej

[ShortHair]

Which ever one has the testes will be the hard headed one. Doh! that would be both of them huh? You get my point, males is hard headed. In fact my last (last that I will ever own) Brittany was a big male. Whoa what a hard head.
Males are fine if you neuter them at six months old. This stops a lot of the strong male behavior from developing.
My advice is get the strongest acting female from the litter.
Good luck Bro.

[genek]

Lucky you!! A new puppy. You'll probably get lots of advice on puppy selection but you've got about 7 weeks to evaluate the pups.
The standard approach is to pick one with a middle-of-the-road disposition. Stay away from the bully and the wallflower. One test is to put the pup on it's back and hold it there. The ideal behavior is to have the pup fight to get up for a little while but eventually lie still. Some pups will not stop fighting you and others will just lie quietly and not fight at all. The more you watch them the more you'll be able to determine their behavior. BTW why are you disregarding females, believe me they make great hunting dogs too. Good luck.

[beej99]

thanks for the info so far guys. couple of things...I do plan on getting the dog neutered at 6 mo's. I have no business breeding a dog and contributing to dog overpopulation etc...so, that will help.

as far was why male. I have no doubt that either a male or a female can make a great bird dog. In fact, I have a female mutt lying around the house now. However, my first dog was a male and I am a bit biased. It in no way has to do with trainability etc...

I have read much about the tests to do when picking a puppy. The problem is I am in Alaska and th breeder in Vermont so I cannot travel to the breeder (please believe that I did much research on kennels/breeders before I settled, knowing that I wouldn't be able to visit readily.)
I guess, has anyone seen a litter with only 2 males? how did they turn out? was one of the two males the alpha or will a female take on that role through the 8 or 9 week stage? Do I have a 50/50 shot at getting a dog that will constantly challenge my authority because it thinks it is the alpha? and if the one male will be the alpha by default, will the other male become the submissive? I am trying to avoid this.
thanks guys,

Beej

[Tree climber]

don't know about brittany's, but with beagles,it is the way you raise them.I have seven male beagles(because I only have one kennel)and have stopped breeding them.you can take each and every one of them and lay him on top of your dog box and do anything you want to him.leave him laying there for as long as you want and he will not jump off.as I said it is how you raise your pup.
be firm but not cruel,let the pup know what you want and what is wrong to start with.
be kind and which ever you pick it will love you for life.Good Luck on your desision.


I am not a hunter I am a whitetail population reduction specialest

remember keep your back to the sun, your knife sharp, and your powder dry.

[drdan]

Ideally you want a dog that is bright, has a lot of initiative and boldness but is not inclined to contest leadership. If you can't be there I would let the breeder make the choice of the best pup for your situation and status as amatuer trainer. Unless having a female will actually cause a problem, I would let him pick from all the dogs, it greatly increases your odds of a good dog.

[Black_Rap]

genek...When we got our Golden Retriever, the owner did that, and the puppy we got didn't even fight. She just layed on her back like nothing happened. I don't hunt birds, so I haven't trained her, but that dumb dog actually sleeps on her back like we held her. It's the funniest looking thing!
~Cody

[HOSS]

If your breeder is reputable and I'm asuming he is if he's that far away from you and his bloodline solid it shouldn't make much difference which dog you get it's the training you put into him that will count alpha males are only that way if you let them be you need to become the alpha as far as hunting goes if the bloodline is solid the natural ability to hunt should be there GOOD LUCK HAVE FUN

[Bo Nose Birds]

You should be the Alpha male to your dog. You must bond with your pup and the pup with you.I to prefer male dogs and Bo was the only male in his litter. He is not hard headed at all.But then agin he is a German Shorthair. I raised Brits back in the early 70's and my father had the first Brits in Mifflin Co. Pa in the late 40's and 50's.They are a very nice dog,but somehow I got on these Shorthairs and got spoiled.

[beej99]

I think I am gonna stick with a male. The breeder is repuatable. he is an avid hunter and breeds his dogs to be companion/hunters. he specifically says that although once in awhile someone will show a dog for conformation, he breeds his dogs to hunt. Those are the traits he focuses on when he breeds. He also has labs and states on his page that his labs are not this or that (whatever it was that makes them a good show dog vs. hunting dog.)
I think that what I will do is let the breeder know what traits I require/would like and let him pick. I have spoken to him often enough that I am sure he knows already what kind of dog I want as well as my favorit color! He is probably sick of talking to me on the phone. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

His bloodlines are good and from all of our discussions, I have a bit of trust in him. As well, if he gave me a bum pup, not only is there a guarantee with it, I would guess that word of mouth is a big thing in the industry and having folks say that you have bad pups is not a great way to run a business. so, I have a bit of faith. He has been around for awhile which leads me as well to believe that he is good at what he does.

As for the alpha male, I have just been told that they are the stubborn ones and most difficult to train out of all of the dogs. Regardless of showing them that I am alpha, they still require that to be shown to them every few weeks in an active display of dominance. (In one of the training books I have read, it was laying on top of the dog while grabbing its muzzle.) I don't want to have to do this to my dog on a regular basis.

But, thanks for all the help. it has been really helpful. If you think of other things, just post 'em. i will keep watching!

beej