Comments on: On Picking MY Puppy

By: Lia

Lia — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:30:56 +0000

As a dog lover, agility lover and shelter dog rescuer, I have always had to wonder why so many agility folks make such an effort to find their next “perfect agility dog”. Seems to me the priorities of these folks are skewed. I thought agility was supposed to be about having fun…right? So what is up with this intense quest to find the “perfect agility dog”? Why not just attempt to excel to the greatest possible level with one’s current dog?
I am disgusted by how many people are out shopping for border collies in an attempt to to have the easiest to train, easiest to “Q” with, and fastest possible dog on the agility course.
Most people pick a puppy for LIFE…not for running the agility course.
Most people see nine or so puppies and think…”okay, which temperament of these nine puppies would do best in my home”….not, “which of these nine puppies is going to earn me the most “Q’s” and have the fastest running a-frame?”

I sincerely wish more people would head down to their animal shelter and choose from the countless number of willing and able, highly-biddable dogs there for their next pet/agility partner.

I choose to train my own dogs because I have yet to find a trainer who really does focus on fun. I have people coming to ME for lessons because I have a variety of breeds/mixes which all came from shelters at different ages and yes, we have done well in in our trials.
Most if not all of the “successful” and sought after trainers in my area run border collies.
I believe in the old theory that those same trainers ought to be able to also train some of the more stubborn breeds. Fine, have a border, an aussie, a golden, even a JRT, but take on a hound, a complete guess-mix, a spaniel, an extra large or tiny breed, as well.

Wouldn’t it be great if more people who wanted to play, even excel, in agility went to their local shelters more often and left some of the “top” border collie breeders who breed solely for performance sports with a couple of extra puppies around? Surely then they would be breeding less than a dozen or more litters per year.

By: Abigail

Abigail — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:28:11 +0000

I, too, am interested in why you are ADAMANT about “girls” …!!

Another interesting aspect of getting a puppy these days is that the breeders like to have a profile of the prospective buyer and then match pup with owner themselves… As both my current dogs were shipped to me, I had only seen pictures. My younger one, tho, as soon as I saw a picture of him, a rolly polly puppy running full tilt towards the camera, and I knew I had to have him. He spoke to my heart from that photo.

I love both my dogs, but not in the same way. I guess it’s a lot like children. Parents feel that they must love them equally, but the love may be different…
Hmmm….

By: Nelci

Nelci — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:49:58 +0000

It has taken me a few days to come to the blog and express my feelings about “puppy love”. When I got Jetson, my Aussie, first agility dog and second dog in my household (my first one is my Beagle Astro), the breeder told me that Jetson had “chosen me” when he sat on my legs when I visited the puppies at 5 weeks of age. I love this dog, and my chest used to hurt from happiness when we were together and when I thought about him… BUT (and this is the part I am ashamed off), then came Cora (short for Corazón – “heart” in Spanish), who has stolen my heart!! And now I don’t feel that feeling for Jetson anymore, and all I can think off is my Cora, and she is the one making my chest hurt from happiness. So, I am afraid that in some years from now, when I decide to get my next Agility dog, she will not longer have that special place in my heart Or that I will not love the new puppy as much as I love Cora, it is a conflict, but at least, I hope (and after putting it in writing), a beautiful one…

By: Eeva

Eeva — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:22:32 +0000

I discovered your blog a couple of days ago, reading older messages slowly but surely. I have a new puppy in plans next spring, so this is an extremely interesting topic for me. Also, I’ve started to read again “Shaping Success”, to update myself and getting ideas of how to train a puppy to develop in my head. Feels such a big step to start with a puppy, having two 10-years-old veterans.

It would be interesting to know why you are biased with puppy gender? What is your experience of how males and females (dogs, not humans…) differentiate from each other from training point of view?

By: Mary M

Mary M — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:31:29 +0000

All this puppy talk may have influenced my decision some….we have adopted our foster girlie and I am so happy to have finalized the decision.

She of course had no question from the time I met her that she needed to be mine. Her sister went running to someone else and this little girl came barreling up to me almost knocking me over while I was sitting on the ground first meeting her

This was a weighted decision and I won’t know what her true structure will be until she gets to around 15 months (as we got her around 11 weeks) but from how she is growing I think things are gonna be fine. AND I have had the opportunity to begin good foundation with her….I haven’t had this in a dog for around 13 years, our others have came to us later in their lives and are wonderful dogs, but I have wondered what could “be” if I had the opportunity to begin from scratch.

Anyway, thought I would let ya know the puppy fever is spreading! I hope to make it to a puppy camp with her but can’t do Dec.

Thanks Susan, looking forward to the next post.

By: Charlotte Rundgren

Charlotte Rundgren — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:12:37 +0000

Thank you Susan, I’m loving all your puppy posts and looking forward to Helen King’s input tomorrow. I currently have a litter of 10 day old border collies on the ground so this is perfect timing.

By: Claire Duder

Claire Duder — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:41:47 +0000

Timely topic…

I am home with a 12 day-old litter of Border Terrier puppies, trying to decide if I want to keep one, and if so, which one. Funnily enough, I saw Helen and Mel at an agility trial the week I was down in WA getting Jamie bred!

By: denise

denise — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:07:23 +0000

I’m so delighted you’ve invited a guest blogger. I understand and agree with the importance of assessing structure in our dogs. My problem is actually knowing specifically what to look for. I don’t really know what to look for in structure and it’s hard to see past the cute little puppy faces.

By: Naomi den Hartog

Naomi den Hartog — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:09:37 +0000

Ah looking forward to Helen’s post. Although I just have a new puppy, it’s good to know what flaws there are and what to look for in a next puppy!

By: Tony

Tony — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:56:01 +0000

Hi Susan,
Ok, what characteristics due females have that males seem not to have in your view. Its seems hat many agility enthusiast have a strong bias one way or another.