Seeking tips for choosing out of litter
 

Hi all, I am getting a second Yorkie pup in a little over a week from now and will go and see the puppies. There are two for me to choose from. Both are males. Any tips on what I should look for when choosing would be appreciated. Thank you I look forward to any responses.

If all the littermates appear to be equally sound & healthy I personally would choose based on Attitude. The most outgoing personality in the bunch - the real show off. :thumbup:

Make sure to see them awake and alert not at nappy time.

It is written always look for the friskiest puppy. Many ppl go to see puppies and will choose the first one that comes to them. Your heart will know which is the puppy for you. Now if it were me going to see two puppies lol, I would take both because I wouldn't be able to choose lol, I am very weak when it comes to puppies, I see, I want, I buy. Good luck.

In the library under puppy info is an article written about evaluating puppy temperament. You might like to read it.

You also need to consider how your current dog will get along with the newcomer.

So true but in the digital age of communications we have broader options!

Pandee has two sisters. We got pics of the litter texted... probably within the first hour. And there was no doubt she was THE girl !

Later we found she was ALSO the friskiest too!

:hearts6:

Hard to do with just a eight week old!

Thanks all and I will let you know !

This is the thread that Gemy posted. I think her information and knowledge are wonderful. She evaluated Yorkies when they were eight weeks, and my dear friend has one of those puppies. Her evaluation was spot on. The precious little girl is four years old, and she is full of confidence and personality, just as she described. Que Tee is such a sweet and loving little girl, and she is also, to use Gemy's word, a hellion.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pup...ant-puppy.html

Best wishes with your new puppy.

Just to throw another perspective on this, one of my dogs was very laid back and he was the one who stayed back and just observed. He wasn't timid but he wasn't very bold or outgoing either. He wouldn't come up to me, and it just seemed he wanted to be in the corner alone watching everything. Just what you would perhaps call aloof and distant. The breeder expected him to be a laid back type of dog. However, he has never been like that since I took him home. I think it was because he was in an environment where all of his siblings were putting him in his place, he was always the one getting beat up a little bit, and he'd be the lower ranking one in the pack you could say.

But he has become the social butterfly, super confident and bold, outgoing, very very active and high energy. I wouldn't call him dominant though and he's never really showed those types of behaviours, but he's so confident and secure in himself and not at all neurotic or prone to nervous upsets. This was not at all expected based on how he behaved when he was at the breeders and with his littermates. It also took a very long time for him to bond with me, and its not as deep of a bond as I'd like and I wish sometimes he'd show a bit more attachment to me. It's been slow going in that regard. So in many ways he is not what is expected based on what is written in the library about evaluating temperament. And I've observed him in many situations where lots is going on or perhaps another dog is being a bully or whatever it may be, and he has never reverted back to being aloof or backing away and observing or showing nervousness. I'm completely nonplussed about this. He's so different than what I expected. I think now he is showing his true temperament/personality, and I can only guess that maybe early on with his littermates maybe he didn't have the social skills or coping skills to deal with the environment, but now he does and he can show his true personality. I'm not too sure what it was but he's much different now. Both me and the breeder are shocked by how much he's changed.

Thank you so much for this valuable information and I wish both you and your Yorkie much happiness and play!

Buying my 3rd yorkie, there were two sisters, one was perky bouncing all over saying, take me, take me, the other was off in the corner, very shy, not out going, I thought to myself, based what has been written about "pick the perky pup" no one will want that puppy, so I bought her. Talk about not what you expected lol, once home with my two older girls (6 and 3 yo) she was the little bossy girl, the little clown, not afraid of anything and very outgoing. She was my pride and joy, I was soooo happy I took what seemed to be the shy lil girl and she was just the opposite. I took a chance and came out with the happiest lil perky puppy. Just my own personal experience picking the non perky little puppy.

Of course for me, there is mainly in essence no right nor wrong personality but the one that you believe could work best in your home, lifestyle, and other pups.

Not an expert by any means, but I agree with the two posts that state sometimes, the shy one ends up not being shy. Chewie was quiet, didn't interact, and seemed to just not have much of a personality. It was evident enough that husband and I got into a fight about it. He kept pushing another high energy, me-me-me-me dog at me. Five days later she was barking at the hose beast (steam cleaner) and not even two weeks later was dominating another dog in that dog's own home. Now she's the nosiest thing ever. She's a little skittish, but that's it. We found out later she had been shipped from another state, put into that home, and her siblings had been sold the day before; and she had an eye infection. She was just scared and sick.

I read your link, it is fantastic, a wealth of information on selecting a puppy and a perfect guide line for anyone with no knowledge of how to select a puppy that will fit their life style.

Me lol, my 4th yorkie I bought because she was HUGE at 8 weeks old, again, I bought her because I KNEW no one would buy a yorkie that BIG, so I bought her, as an adult she weighed in at 17 pounds and lived to be 17 years old. She was a perfect fit for my 9 pound ONCE the bossy baby of my pack. Knowing today what I have learned on YT, I would still buy the puppy I feel no one would want, that is just who I am, I am so afraid a puppy not wanted would not end up with a loving family. I have been blessed with the puppies I had, all now passed. I would NEVER advise anyone to buy a puppy the way I have, I took a chance and came out a winner, each of them had loving personalities and were the sweetest girls, also it was the way I raised them, to be very social with all ppl and all types of animals.

I don't think you were talking to me, but I did want to add that I also chose Chewie because she was NOT as high energy. I knew that I didn't want one with a go go go personality. However, thanks to this site, while I'm not for once second mad or upset about the choice I made, (which was on instinct and the look she gave me) and knowing her personality, would do it again. However, I now know exactly how and where and when to select, and what to look for. so I'm just bolstering your words.

I don't think I've ever really had the opportunity to pick my puppy. My first dog, I filled out a family form with lifestyle information , sex prefence, etc and the breeder chose for me.

With my yorkies (Troy was the only puppy left) but he fit right in and was the best boy. Emma was in a litter of 2, both were being evaluated for show, both females and I got the one that trending on the smaller end because she wasn't going to be big enough to breed.

I think when the opportunity arises for one to pick a puppy you pick the one that you fall in love with and consider your life style and home life.

I had three female Yorkies within a year of each other. Two I got when they were young puppies, and my little one was given to me by my first breeder when she was 6.5 months old and was too little to breed. All three had the same sire, but they had different mothers. Each of my three babies had a distinct personality, but they all had desirable Yorkie traits. All three were well socialized and loved people, particularly children. When the neighborhood children saw the three of them walking, several children came running to give them kisses and to play with them. My little one, Gracie, was friendly, but she was more shy than the other two. I believe it probably was because of two reasons: 1) she was tiny, so she got the most attention, which she didn't always love and 2) she was raised in an environment different than her sisters were for over four months longer than Ashley and Kiwi. All three were held, sang to, and given lots of love from the breeder from the time they were born. My first breeder adored Gracie, and she kept her to breed, even though she was unlikely to get big enough. It's why she gave her to me rather than selling her when she stayed tiny. She often came to my home to see my other two girls, and she wanted Gracie with us. Like children who are raised in the same environment who have different personalities, my babies were very different from each other, yet they shared some very distinct traits.

I am a strong believer in how nurturing dogs or people have a profound impact on them. In my teaching career, I was known for the way I nurtured children. I refused to believe that even the toughest child could not be reached by love. I definitely think how and with whom dogs and children are raised makes a huge difference, and that's why a puppy appears to have one temperament at the breeder's home and they can mature with much more confidence because of the way they are raised with the new family.

A while ago Gemy posted a link to an article that I loved reading. I have always been interested in the nature vs. nature debate, but this new spin was fascinating for me. I shared it with some teachers when my students were learning genetics but also with other Special Education professionals. The article it also linked is really interesting, and although none of my students were psychopaths, it gave me something to think about when I worked for three years with a very special group of high need students who I completely adore.

I've strayed a bit from the original question because of the discussion about how temperaments changed in a puppy's new home. The last thing anyone needs is a science lesson, but I posted the links for those people who want something stimulating to consider. I do, however, believe that Gemy's post about evaluating a puppy is an excellent first start when picking a puppy. I also believe in picking a puppy that pulls at your heartstrings unless there are obvious health issues or you are prepared to deal with them.


https://www.puppyculture.com/tablet/...ing-genes.html
Life as a Nonviolent Psychopath - The Atlantic

Wow!.....that was an awesome post! And I very much agree especially with Gemy's post about evaluating being an excellent first start!

Well! You guys are all so terrific. I have printed this all out and will study it up tomorrow - ahead of the great choice next Saturday!!!!! I've had dogs all my life so I'm not new to this but I obviously have never had two Yorkies before.

I will keep you all posted and, of course, I will post a picture of my new little boy. I genuinely think each and every one of you for all the time you have taken in offering your advice and assistance.

Hugs to all, Kat.

Thank you for your kindness.

I believe we all should be lifelong learners, always questioning and seeking knowledge. It is the way we grow, and it's also how we are able to help our loved ones. We each have so much to offer others. I am very grateful to the special people on Yorkietalk. I joined Yorkietalk when my sixteen year old Yorkie, Ashley, had irritable bowel, and although I love my vet, I was looking to read more about it. When I lost Ashley a month before her seventeenth birthday, I stayed on Yorkietalk for almost two years without a dog in my life. It's a privilege to be part of a group of such compassionate people. Katie joined our lives because of the help of two dear friends who I met on Yorkietalk. This will always be a special place for me.

I'm so sorry for your loss...I can't stress that enough it breaks my heart every time I learn someone lost a love......I am so happy that you found comfort as well as information here...but I'm really happy you found friends here true friendship is priceless!