What do you look for when you select a puppy or adult dog?

Question

I'm having fun asking questions today!

When I bring a new dog into my household I always select a dog that is submissive- I do avoid animals that are overly shy or those that could bite out of fear - but I look for the ones that are quietly respectful and responsive to what I want them to do.

When you select a dog or puppy, do you prefer a dominant or submissive dog, and why? What breed or breed mix do you own, and why do you think being submissive or dominant is what you want from that particular breed?

Thanks in advance- also thanks to all who have answered all my weird questions today!

Answer 1

I tend to gravitate toward the troublemakers. I like a confident dog, a bratty dog. My girls are usually princess-alpha b*tches and my boys somewhere between good-naturedly impish and macho/dominant.

I think this type of personality appeals to me because the dogs are fun; they are entertaining, they are challenging, and they are endearing.

I have also found that this attitude makes for a good sled dog, especially in the b*tches -- my best leaders have always been females who know that they are smarter than anyone else in the kennel, and greet me like a friend and partner rather than a "master".

Siberian huskies need to be able to think for themselves. They need to know when to tell their musher "No -- the ice is rotting under my feet, and I'm not going that way no matter how much you command it."

They need to follow their own instincts, and be confident in their choices -- not looking back to the guy on the sled for advice.

This is one of the traits I prize in the breed -- and for some reason, the more willing to tell me off the dog is, the more I like them.

ADD: LMAO, Animal! -- Using the same example for the same question -- a new record! Ohh, those wily sled dogs...

Answer 2

I wanted a dog who was medium sized (40-60lbs), medium or long coat (shedding doesn't matter), an adult (a year or older) and preferably black (they have the hardest time getting adopted out of shelters).  I wanted one who was fairly calm and well-behaved, who didn't bark nonstop, who was responsive and loving, not shy, but not dominant either.

If I were to talk into a shelter, I would want to really focus on the dogs who sat calmly at the front of their kennel...not the ones who are jumping up full force and barking their fool heads off.  

I had been considering, at varying times, Brittanies, Aussies (specifically deaf ones as there are many deaf Aussies in need of special homes), and mutts.  In the end, I got a 50lb nearly solid black Border collie/lab mix who is a complete love bug and is calm and quiet for the most part.  She's a great dog!

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/display...

Answer 3

Actually none of those.  I have a friend, like you, who works at a shelter and knows how I am and she knows she can rope me into taking the ones who have the least amount of time left or the ones who need medical attention right away and usually ends up talking me into them.  Also, just walking back thru the shelter, it was kind of the ones who grabbed my attention first and "talked" to me, whether it was in a dominant or submissive way..... just something about them that struck me.... with all my animals, there was almost an instant bond in some way.

Answer 4

i have 5 dogs..

3 wolf dogs

1 siberian husky

1 husky/greyhound

We have a small sled team..

When looking for a new dog I check personality, check how it holds its self, body structure, check out the parents, backrounds, who the owner/breeder is, why they breed, how often the mother was bred...ect

Answer 5

Before I even look at a litter I investigate the breeder,  Did they do the genetic screenings, ect.  When I arrive I check out the premises,  Cleanliness, where is the litter kept, Parents ect.  Then I look at the litter.  When looking at a puppy I usually go for the more outgoing dominant types.  This is just my preference.  At this time i am not showing conformation so perfect structure is not that important to me but breed type is.

When I look at an adult dog either purebred or rescue I have a different criteria.  I look for a stable temperament.  More middle of the road.  No agressive issues either towards people or humans.  They don't have to be particularly friendly to me.  As I understand they sometimes have trust issues with people that they don't know.  This is usually overcome when they realize that they belong to me (or as is more true I belong to them).  No actual timidness or agressiveness. I do not consider them barking at me when they are in their kennel as aggressiveness as that is more territorial.  I base my evaluation on the one on one time.

Answer 6

I personally look for the playful pups/dogs that don't seem to startle much (IE not fearful.) Whenever i'm in a pet store or shelter and have the opportunity to play with the animals i do mini-tests on them. Picking them up if possible, touching feet/ears/tails/mouths, playing semi-roughly, making loud noises, dropping keys, and so on to see how they react.

I also consider that fact that i have a dog - any new pet must be playful enough to want to play with her but submissive as to not challenge her. So far she's shown submission to most dogs we met, but i don't know what she would do if a dog were to live with us.

I basically want companionship from a dog. Trainability is a must have. I don't base decisions on breed alone as each individual dog can be different, but i do take it into account. Submissive or dominant isn't a problem for me personally, but i would choose a behavior that fits whatever dog i currently have.

I currently have a schnauzer mix. So far she shows submission to dogs (as i said above) but not so much to humans (she squirms when held/handled and doesn't like showing her belly unless it's sleep time - getting better though.)  

Answer 7

I let the dog pick me.  When I got our last dog, I went to the pound and looked at all the dogs.  Most were snapping and growling, and a few were cowering in corners, but one was a half-grown puppy who put one paw on the side of the cage, and looked at me like, "Hi!  How ya doing?"  I picked her, and she's been the smartest, sweetest, most loving dog I've ever had.  

Answer 8

I conduct a little test on the dog before I will bring it home.

1) Call the pup.  If it comes to you, it's 2 points.  If it shows interest, 1 point.

2)  Drop your keys on the floor.  If the puppy runs to them, 2 points.  If it looks interested, but doesn't investigate, 1 point.  If it startles or shies away, no points.

3)  Hold the pup like a baby, cradled in your arms with its belly up.  If it settles in and gets cozy, 2 points.  If it tolerates but doesn't seem to enjoy it, 1 point.  No points for squirming.

4)  All other points are awarded based on your preferences, such as color, gender, etc.  For example, if you really prefer black, sorta like grey, and don't like white, then you give the pup 2 points for black, 1 for grey, and none for white.

This can of course be modified for older dogs, or if you place greater emphasis on a certain feature.  If cuddliness is really important to you, then give a greater number of points to part 3, etc.  It works great for deciding if a puppy is really what you want, or for choosing from a litter of puppies.

Answer 9

I tend to like the outgoing PITA type of dog.  I want the dog that is always thinking and planning (and in the case of the Samoyeds- conniving).

What I find from those dogs is that once they've learned that I am their god, I can get train them to a higher degree, with more complicated tricks and they are nearly bomb-proof in public.  

I will admit, because of their tendency to challenge first as well as "over-think" things, they can take longer to train.

I have Samoyeds and Bernese.

The Sams need to have a temperament that can stand up and say "there is no way in H3LL I'm going to pull this sled over that dangerous ice" when the musher is urging them on.

The Bernese are a bit more respectful...

Edit: Guess I should have read Loki's response first!!  Gotta love a dog that'll say "Nope, No Way, Ain't happening!"... as well as a dog who says "and just WHAT is in it for me?"

Answer 10

When I look for an adult dog (I don't have the time to devote to a puppy), I look for one that is low shedding, low drooling and short haired (wife has asthma), one that likes, or at least tolerates children (I have a 9yr old), doesn't suffer from separation anxiety (my wife and I work full time).

If I can find *any* dog that fits those criteria, I consider that I've done rather well. Level of dominance/submissiveness would come after those factors, if I found a rescue that had more than 1 dog that was suitable.

Answer 11

well I always think being great with children adn dogs is good. I also like a large-giant dog! I own a great dane/st bernard, she is a little over 4 months old.

I also look for being protective because I'm an 18 year old girl and there are some crazy people out there so I need a dog who can protect me if something were to happen.

BUT I dont want a dog that is too protective, just barks when someone is around, etc.

Answer 12

It truly is more of a feeling than something I can just list off here.

I, like you, prefer the shy dogs who could really use somebody in their life to help build their confidence.

The way I test a dog completely depends on the dog.  I don't have a magic formula.