Although most prefer the puppy be picked up in person sometimes that's not always possible. Today the regulations are strict with live cargo, the flights are far safer than ever and offer many direct flights.

A 6 hour car drive would be less comfortable than a 3 hour plane ride. Many pups get motion sickness in a car unlike an airplane.

Emotional problems in a pup is not created by one plane trip, it had to exist far before the plane trip!

I wouldn't buy a pet or accept a free one if shipped-if I never seen it beyond photos and I don't know the breeder. I want to physically see the dog. I have a series of tests I do to see what type of personality the puppy is most likely to have as an adult-simple test if any are interested will post for ya. If I cannot perform my test, look over the pup I want no part of it, also If I do not know the people its coming from I want no part of anything they have to offer.

Daisy was shipped to us in New Jersey from Florida. She was 3 months, and weighed about 1 lb 14 oz at the time. Her breeder took great care in preparing her for a good flight. Pups that were to be shipped were taken out for car rides in their carriers on the days prior to shipping. She felt this would help relieve some of the stress by acclimating them to travel. Her carrier was all set with a water bottle, food, and a comfy towel. She was flown via Continental which does counter to counter service for pets. Pets are first to be unloaded off of the plane and taken straight to the terminal. We arrived 10 minutes early and once that plane landed she was immediately unloaded. As far as being traumatized from the flight - not at all. When she came in from the plane she was happily enjoying herself in her carrier tearing up her towel and the the paper that was laid underneath and having a grand old time. She settled right down with us without a bit of trouble - no shaking. It was a good experience and I would have no problem buying a pup that had to be shipped again.

From personal experience I can only speak positive words to describe puppies being shipped via airplane. ;)


"singing a song" Im leaving, on a jet plane...Don't know when I'll be back again, leaving on a jet plane..la aaaallllaaa laaaa. Now, how does the rest of that song go?? :D

".... don't know when I'll be back again." Oops! I just say where you said that! Okay! Now this is going to bug me!!!

BTW... I have had two puppies shipped and have had great experiences both times, but I would recommend direct flights only even if it means driving to an airport that may not be the closest. They fly them up in the cabin where the flight attendants are! I didnt think those ladies were going to give Tino to me when he got here!

Show dogs are flown all over the world to receive their titles. They are sent by their owners to their handlers and shown and sent back to the owner. These dogs have to be "stable" in order to perform in the ring. If they were afraid or had issues, they would never be able to perform in front of so many people.

Also, many breeders that want to bring in another line into their breeding program will fly a stud in and they are just fine.

I've had 3 pups shipped to me from 3 different states without any problems. I think the airlines take good care of them. :)

I would be interested in that test myself. We used to test german shepard puppies for temperament by making a loud noise behind them, in addition to other simple tasks and observations, etc.

I can understand your reluctance to ship. You have to ask a lot of questions, talk to the vet, grill the breeder about the puppy's temperament and that of the parent's. Then it comes down to trusting your gut and the breeder. I have found most to be very honest with me and I have never been disappointed. Video is a great thing and most of the breeders are more than happy to send video of the puppy playing and interacting with other dogs and people. Maybe the breeder could conduct the test on video if there is no other option for someone who wants to use your test on a puppy they are getting from a distance.

Thanks for the advice and the test!

SOCIAL ATTRACTION:
Place puppy in test area. From a few feet away the tester coaxes the pup to her/him by clapping hands gently and kneeling down. Tester must coax in a direction away from the point where it entered the testing area. Degree of social
attraction, confidence or dependence.
1-Came readily, tail up, jumped, bit at hands.
2-Came readily, tail up, pawed, licked at hands.
3-Came readily, tail up.
4-Came readily, tail down
5-Came hesitantly, tail down.
6-Didn't come at all.

FOLLOWING:
Stand up and walk away from the pup in a normal manner. Make sure the pup sees you walk away. Degree of following
attraction. Not following indicates independence.
1-Followed readily, tail up, got underfoot bit at feet.
2-Followed readily, tail up, got underfoot.
3-Followed readily, tail up
4-Followed readily, tail down.
5-Followed hesitantly, tail down.
6-No follow or went away.

RESTRAINT:
Crouch down and gently roll the pup on his back and hold it with one hand for a full 30 seconds. Degree of dominant or submissive tendency. How it accepts stress when socially/ physically dominated.
1-Struggled fiercely, flailed, bit.
2-Struggled fiercely, flailed.
3-Settled, struggled, settled with some eye contact.
4-Struggled then settled.
5-No struggle.
6-No struggle, straining to avoid eye contact.

SOCIAL DOMINANCE:
Let pup standup and gently stroke him from the head to back while you crouch beside him. Continue stroking until a recognizable behavior is established. Degree of acceptance of social dominance. Pup may try to dominate by jumping and nipping or is independent and walks away.
1-Jumped, pawed, bit, growled.
2-Jumped, pawded.
3-Cuddles up to testor and tries to lick face.
4-Squirmed, licked at hands.
5-Rolled over, licked at hands.
6-Went away and stayed away.

ELEVATION DOMINANCE:
Bend over and cradle the pup under its belly, fingers interlaced, palms up and elevate it just off the ground. Hold it there for 30 seconds.Degree of accepting dominance while in position of no control.
1-Struggled fiercely, bit, growled.
2-Struggled fiercely.
3-No struggle, relaxed
4-Struggled, settled, licked
5-No struggle, licked at hands.
6-No struggle, froze.

OBEDIENCE APTITUDE TEST

RETRIEVING:
Crouch beside pup and attract his attention with crumpled up paper ball. When the pup shows interest and is watching, toss the object 4-6 feet in front of pup. Degree of willingness to work with a human. Highcorrelation between ability to retrieve and successful guide dogs, obedience dogs, field trial dogs. -Chases object, picks up object and runs away.
1-Chases object, stands over object, does not return.
2-Chases object and returns with object to testor.
3-Chases object and returns without object to testor.
4-Starts to chase object, loses interest.
5-Does not chase object.

TOUCH SENSITIVITY:
Take puppy's webbing of one front foot and press between *finger and thumb lightly then more firmly till you get a response, while you count slowly to 10. Stop as soon as puppy pulls away, or shows discomfort. *Do NOT use fingernail.Degree of sensitivity to touch.
1)8-10 counts before response.
2)6-7 counts before response.
3)5-6 counts before response.
4)2-4 counts before response.
5)1-2 counts before response.

SOUND SENSITIVITY:
Place pup in the center of area, testor or assistant makes a sharp noise a few feet from the puppy. A large metal spoon struck sharply on a metal pan twice works well. Degree of sensitivity to sound. (Also can be a rudimentary test for deafness.)
1-Listens, locates sound, walks toward it barking.
2-Listens, locates sound, barks.
3-Listens, locates sound, shows curiosity and walks toward sound.
4-Listens, locates the sound.
5-Cringes, backs off, hides.
6-Ignores sound, shows no curiosity.

SIGHT SENSITIVITY:
Place pup in center of room. Tie a string around a large towel and jerk it across the floor a few feet away from puppy. Degree of intelligent response to strange object.
1-Looks, attacks and bites.
2-Looks, barks and tail up.
3-Looks curiously, attempts to investigate.
4-Looks, barks, tail-tuck.
5-Runs away, hides.

Interpreting the Scores

Mostly 1's A puppy that consistently scores a 1 in the temperament section of the test is an extremely dominant, aggressive puppy who can easily be provoked to bite. His dominant nature will attempt to resist human leadership, thus requiring only the most experienced of handlers. This puppy is a poor choice for most individuals and will do best in a working situation as a guard or police dog.

Mostly 2's This pup is dominant and self-assured. He can be provoked to bite; however he readily accepts human leadership that is firm, consistent and knowledgeable. This is not a dog for a tentative, indecisive individual. In the right hands, he has the potential to become a fine working or show dog and could fit into an adult household, provided the owners know what they are doing.

Mostly 3's This pup is outgoing and friendly and will adjust well in situations in which he receives regular training and exercise. He has a flexible temperament that adapts well to different types of environment, provided he is handled correctly. May be too much dog for a family with small children or an elderly couple who are sedentary.

Mostly 4's A pup that scores a majority of 4's is an easily controlled, adaptable puppy whose submissive nature will make him continually look to his master for leadership. This pup is easy to train, reliable with kids, and, though he lacks self-confidence, makes a high-quality familly pet. He is usually less outgoing than a pup scoring in the 3's, but his demeanor is gentle and affectionate.

Mostly 5's This is a pup who is extremely submissive and lacking in self-confidence. He bonds very closely with his owner and requires regular companionship and encouragement to bring him out of himself. If handled incorrectly, this pup will grow up very shy and fearful. For this reason, he will do best in a predictable, structured lifestyle with owners who are patient and not overly demanding, such as an elderly couple.

Mostly 6's A puppy that scores 6 consistntly is independent and uninterested in people. He will mature into a dog who is not demonstrably affectionate and who has a low need for human companionship. In general, it is rare to see properly socialized pups test this way; however there are several breeds that have been bred for specific tasks (such as basenjis, hounds, and some northern breeds) which can exhibit this level of independence. To perform as intended, these dogs require a singularity of purpose that is not compromised by strong attachments to their owner.

The remainder of the puppy test is an evaluation of obedience aptitude and working ability and provides a general picture of a pup's intelligence, spirit, and willingness to work with a human being. For most owners, a good companion dog will score in the 3 to 4 range in this section of the test. Puppies scoring a combination of 1's and 2's require experienced handlers who will be able to draw the best aspects of their potential from them.

test was created by Wendy Volhard annd it is widely used.

I had quite a few pm's for the test so posted it above. That is one test, when choosing a puppy I use the above test with a combination of a few others such as put a garbage bag or plastic on floor and see how pup reacts(something out of the normal to walk on to see how it reacts, how it adapts.Open an umbrella close to it, drop keys on the floor, rattle cans with pebbles in it. This is also used in the CGC)-most of the components of the other tests is for large breeds/working dogs so not as applicable to a small breed.The test is best performed away from the common area of the puppy/dog. Take it out into the yard not near siblings, not near its mom, not in an area it normally goes, let the breeder watch you from a far distance. The idea is to take it away from the familiar to get an accurate assessment of its true inner workings. If it is fearful or hesitant to go then I would never consider this pup for anything as it is demonstrating bad nerves-heriditary and hard to fix, and or bad treatment from its humans. I used to use these tests when I worked with the shelter dogs, gives me an accurate view into them as well as teaches me how to train-is it submissive, dominant, food motivated, praise motivated, slow to learn fast to learn and such.

I also chech the pup over well, ears-clean, eyes-clear, mouth nice and pink, rectum-no feces, feet clean, nails trimmed-total body check. Checking the pup all over also helps get an idea of its personality. I want to see the mom-did you all know dogs get 80pct of their temperament from their mom? If their mom is aggressive or shy the pup will most likely be as well. You can socialize to help but it is something that no amount of love, trust socialization can ever completly take away. How the mommy dog treats her puppies is also very important.

I have quite a few other tests in my dog club folder I can dig up if interested in more. The one above is the most widely used, for all sizes/breeds.

I agreed. I think if you have the opportunity to pick up your pup, great. But sometimes is not possible. I know now airlines have rules and take good care of the live cargo. I guess if there is no choice but to shipped a lot of research need to be done to choose the rite one.

Debr, at what age can you start this testing? Matty is 4 weeks old, but I imagine any younger than that would be too young. If I started testing her at this age how much of the results would be reliable? Sylvia

I found this on the web
 

http://www.sfspca.org/advocacy/pdf/p...nal_report.pdf :thumbdown

I've only had one dog shipped to me, and I'd never do it again. When I picked her up at the airport she was shaking like a leaf. I took her out of her crate as soon as we got to the car and, she started throwing up. No more airplane doggies for me. I'd rather drive to pick them up.