Selecting a New Lab puppy.

[ormeview]

Having lost our most experienced picking up bitch in the summer (5yrs old), very sad and will be badly missed.
The younger girls will have to step to the plate this year.

We have now decided to get another lab, with the previous 3 girls we never had a chance of selecting one (they were the last available).
Might be a silly question but how would you go about selecting a pup? we have have a choice of 5 from good working stock.

Not for trialing, but picking up and general walking up shooting.

Dave.

[trekmoor]

I pick a litter to choose from and then choose a pup from the litter by having the breeder bring out the pups with the gender I want one at a time. I give the pup time to meet me of it's own volition then I go down onto my knees and at the pups eye level I toss out a knotted white rag a few feet . If the pup runs out and picks it up, I take the pup. If the pup wants nothing to do with the rag I choose another pup.
The pup I choose does not have to retrieve the rag, it only has to pick it up.
It's simplistic but it has worked fine for me.

Wullie

[manorfarm]

Its pretty difficult to pick the best. I would always pick the one you like the look of, you will have to look at it for the next 10 years plus. No point picking an ugly one.

If you choose the litter because of the breeding you have given yourself the best chance you realistically can

[Rascal]

I would always pick the one you like the look of, you will have to look at it for the next 10 years plus. No point picking an ugly one.

Bit like sheep really....

Rascal

[EssGrouse]

Easy, keep hitting yourself over head with an hammer.......until you decide SPRINGER

[ormeview]

Thanks for the replies, yes it will be a good looker.... after all it is coming home to Wales, Baa
A Springer that would be going over to the dark side

Dave.

[Naj]

As others, I only look at pups of the right sex & then finally pick the one that appeals to me. I like to see them as a group (I also take out those that have already been chosen) & then, after I've discarded what might not appeal, I look at the final choices individually. Unfortunately, unless you run the whole litter on you will never know which is the 'best', and the one that might be 'best' for you might not be the 'best' for somebody else. All you can do is pick & pup & make the most of it. There have been plenty of successful trials & shooting dogs that were 'the one that was left after all the others had been taken'.

Naj

[AlandJake]

In fairness, it is all educated guesswork on my very limited experience. There can be as much variation within one litter as there can be from one litter to the next. A friend kept two pups back from her recent litter, one is a darling who only wants to please and the other is a little b#gger! Both the same breeding on paper.

Definitely have the breeder showing you the gender of pups you want, if you have a strong preference for one or the other. In my case there were three bitches left to choose from and they were brought out together. I chose the pup who bounced over to me and wanted to be near me. The other two were happy chasing butterflies....

On the day just go with your gut instinct. If you can't choose between two then there is probably very little to choose between them. So be happy with the one you go home with and do your best by it in your training and rearing.

Puppy photos too, please.

[ormeview]

Thanks again for your suggestions.
I think we will try Wullies idea of throwing a knotted rag, and see what happens.
Which ever we pick it will be well cared for and trained for what it was bred for.

Dave.

[Strathcraig]

Mind if I ask how the pups are bred?