What’s normal behavior for a new puppy?
Many new puppy parents are confused by their puppies’ behavior during the first few days in their home. You think back to the puppy that you picked out and he was bold and outgoing when with his siblings, don’t be alarmed if he may suddenly seem quiet and withdrawn. Your puppy may not want to eat much, and not seem interested in playing with his new toys and possibly even you. Don’t worry ‘This is perfectly normal.’
Bringing home a new puppy who has just left his canine family and come into a new environment, new people, is often scared, anxious and possibly even lonely, but definitely homesick. So puppies seem to ‘withdraw’ into themselves, sleeping more than usual, they could loose their appetite (keep in mind the food may be different also) and generally not behaving in a very ‘puppy-ish fashion’. This usually only lasts for a few days to a week, and then you will begin to see your puppy’s’ true personality come out once again.
Don’t be surprised if your puppy started off with what seems to be a calm, laid-back attitude, within a week you could have a ‘whirling dervish pup’ on your hands, so be ready for the metamorphosis!
Four types of personality your puppy could have.
Energetic Puppy
A energetic puppy like to wrestle and play with their littermates and will jump up and get excited when they see you. They are clever and sometimes bossy and usually appear confident. If you don’t take control and give this puppy the right training he will be the boss in your home.
Relaxed Puppy
They will have lower energy than their littermates. They tend to spend more time exploring alone than running around. This puppy is ideal for families with small children.
Passive Puppy
They are shy and submissive even with their littermates. They will not run up to you when you enter the room, they tend to just sit quietly watching you. They need a calm and sensitive surroundings.
Timid Puppy
This puppy shows fear with his littemates. He tends to spend his time playing with a chew toy by himself instead of wrestling with his littermates. He may startle easily, and will not like sudden loud noises or movements. This is not the right personality for a family with small children.
The first sign to tell that you are dealing with a disreputable breeder is, the breeder claims that their puppies are purebred but does not show any papers. Here are other signs to watch out for:
1) The breeder wants you to take the puppy home before the puppy is 7 weeks of age.
2) There is a large number of dogs on-site
3) The puppy’s look under weight
4) The breeder does not ask any question from you.
How do you know you are dealing with a reputable breeder? Here are some questions you should ask the breeder:
Have your puppies been vaccinated? If so which vaccination were given and when?
Do you temperament test your litters?
Have your dogs earned any competition titles (Only if that matters to you)
Are your puppies tattooed or microchipped for identificaiton?
Have you paper trained the puppies
Do you have any references?
You have decided that you would like to get a puppy. Now where should you look for one? It is important to look in the right places, as there are some places that could be a problem.
You don’t want to get a puppy that has been abused or neglected, or else you might end up with problems later. You want to make sure you get a puppy from a place where he has been cared for well, a place that has happy, healthy puppies.
Read the rest of this entry »
