How to choose a puppy from a litter?

Are you an indecisive person?

If your answer is no to that question, then we challenge you to ask that question to yourself when you want to buy a puppy.

Sometimes, there's nothing more difficult when you want to buy a puppy, visit a breeder, and see a big batch of furry cuteness.

So much joy, happiness, and wiggly tails. No doubt, you might see a litter and see ‘your dog' instantly and decide that's the one you want. However, if you're like us, it could take some time to decide which puppy you want to make your new family member.

One important thing we want to tell you is, don't be deceived by their cute looks or let them win you over.

Today we're going to provide you with some of our best tips on how to choose a pup.

5 Top tips on how to choose a puppy from a litter

1.  Chat to the breeder/owner

When visiting a breeder, you must speak to them about the litter. It would be best to ask questions like all the puppies' appetites, behavioral habits, sleeping habits, vaccinations, and more.

Such questions you should ask is how often do you feed them? What do you feed them? Has any of them vomited or had diarrhea? Have they been dewormed?

You might also like: 15 questions that you should ask to a dog breeder

Then based on these questions, you can identify which pup is healthy and which is not. Similarly, depending on the answers you ask the breeder or owner, you can also determine if they've looked after them well.

2. Take a friend or relative with you

When you visit a litter, it can sometimes become easy to get caught up in the cuteness overload. Be aware; there are some breeders out there who can talk you into buying their puppy and try to persuade you easily.

A friend or a relative is a good person who can stay impartial and helps you be rational when picking your puppy.

3. Visit the litter

This is an absolute must before you choose a puppy. You must go and visit the litter and observe the puppies in action. Sometimes if you see puppies advertised online, you may not know what you're going to buy.

For example, you may come across an ethical breeder, but they might be coming from a puppy farm.

In addition to this, it's always good to visit the litter to view the puppy's behavior. You will want to see how the puppies interact with each other in the litter.

This will help you identify which puppies are dominant and the ones which are slightly more reserved. Here you can pick a puppy based on the personality type you may wish to have. If you can't detect just by looking at them, you can always ask the breeder.

We suggest you pick a puppy that has a loving, friendly, and investigative nature. This is, so they fit in well in your home and quickly adapt to other family members or dogs.

Typical signs of puppies showing this personality are that they will sniff your feet, legs, seek attention and crawl on you.

4. Pick up each puppy

We advise when you visit a litter to pick up each puppy and do some tests. You will want to pick them up to see how they react to you cradling them. Do they bite or lick you? Are they calm? Ideally, if the puppy struggles first and then calms in your arms, they may be easier to train.

Further to this, you will also want to check their touch. You can touch its paws, ears, tail, stroke it, and gently touch its face. If it does not respond that much, it could be a calm and easy to train a puppy.

You will also want to test its eyesight and sound. To do this, roll a ball in front of them and see if it follows. Likewise, drop some keys or an object on the floor and see how they respond to the sound.

5. Look at the puppy closely

If you've seen a puppy you really like, you will want to look at its facial features. Are their eyes clear, or are they red? Do their ears have an odor, discharge or are they clean? Is their skin clean, or is it flaky? Are their gums pink, and are their teeth in line? Can the puppy breathe easily?

These are signs which are easy to look for and will help you identify from the outside if they have any underlying health problems.

Final Thoughts

Going to visit a litter full of puppies is an exciting time for all. You get to see puppies in action, but it can easily get caught up in their cuteness.

To help make sure you're getting the best puppy out of the litter, you should bring a friend or family member. They will help you stay rational and help you evaluate correctly.

You will want to chat with the breeder about their habits. You should also observe the litter and look at how they interact with other puppies and how they interact with your touch. Similarly, it's also important you look at them closely for any underlying health problems.

Not sure about the breed? Try our quiz!

On that note, we wish you all the best of success in choosing the right puppy for your litter.