A well socialized puppy is one that has been regularly handled by people. If a litter of armed dogs has had little to no contact at these levels, then the puppies may be fearful and anxious with potential buyers.

Therefore, most responsible hunting dog breeders make a specific point of spending time with any litter. Our litters are handled every day by a different family member or by various family members from the birth of the litter, then we play a lot with them from five weeks of age. At seven weeks our pups love to be handled by everyone, which means they can be better assessed for temperament and other factors. Our puppies are trained with firearms at six weeks, that’s another series, but yes, it can be done. I classify puppies in three ways, aggressive, somewhat aggressive, and unreceptive. Stay three meters away from the puppies, call them, those who come straight to you are aggressive, they want to please, those who doubt but go ahead and come are strong-headed, those who ignore you are independent, they will probably be hard to train. Try to make 2-3 visits to a litter before deciding on a puppy. By the time most hunting dog puppies are seven weeks old, you can make some accurate predictions about their future physical conformity.The main physical characteristics, such as head shape, body type, and tail, are usually evident when most puppy breeds are seven weeks old. and they become more apparent every week. High tail, good hips and firm feet are important to me. Most experienced breeders of any type of gun dog should be able to observe eight to 10 puppies in a litter and tell with 75 percent success which ones will grow into small, medium, or large dogs. I’ve been very lucky choosing the dwarf. of the litter, he has had to fight for everything he has achieved from day one.

Testing the hunting potential of seven week old cubs may seem like an overstatement. But in our experience, there are some fairly consistent behaviors that can be identified to predict a young dog’s hunting future.

Our process is relatively simple and effective and can be managed by anyone. We tested a litter of hunting dog puppies in various categories of responses to physical stimulation as well as other types of canine temperament and learning aptitude tests. What is different about our system is that there is more emphasis and focus on the qualities of prospective hunting. For example, each cub is exposed to a bird’s wing flipped over with a string and a live pigeon tied down to see if there is a perceptible prey drive, self-confidence in a new experience, and the willingness to chase a moving object. Although it is not foolproof, the results are quite consistent. Choosing a puppy is difficult, if you don’t do it right. Researching breeds and lines, questioning breeders about their litters, evaluating a puppy’s parents, and choosing a puppy according to some practical standards; don’t deviate from those standards. All of this takes time and effort and a great deal of personal involvement. But as gun dog owners everywhere know, choosing a good puppy is worth the long-term effort.

Jim “Duckie” Newcomb
ShellShocked Outdoor
http://www.shellshockedoutdoors.com