I did not think it would be today, but It was inevitable that we would add another Newfoundland to our family. We have had several Newfies and have loved them all. We have always thought they were a wonderful breed of dog, and now that we have children the Newfoundland’s patient, protective, and incredibly gentle nature with our toddlers make us love them even more.
We found our newest addition in Holmesville, Ohio. Brett and the kids visited “just to look” and of course fell in love. This sealed the deal that Yes, we are getting a puppy, but now how to choose which one. Brett has used her “Puppy Test” on all of our dogs and for several friends and clients dogs and it has yet to fail. I’m sure this new pup will not be the exception. Training can do a lot to help encourage your pup to be the dog you want them to be, but picking the right puppy goes a long ways towards setting you up for success.
If you are curious, the “Puppy Test” is simple and effective. The key is to make sure the puppy you pick to share your life with has all of the attributes needed to grow into an exceptional dog. If you apply these tips the next time you are looking for a new furry friend you will be well on your way to Unleashing Happiness.
There are three parts to the test.
- Step One: Play with the puppies!
Be excited, use toys, engage with the puppies and gauge how interested they are in you. Your puppy should want to play with you when you want to play. If the puppy won’t engage with you now they probably won’t when you get home. Unless you want a dog that always does it’s own thing, you should look for a puppy that is confident enough to approach you and interested enough to interact with you. This will up your odds of having an outgoing friendly dog that is eager to share life with you.
- Step Two: Let them play alone.
Throw the toy and let the puppies play by themselves. The puppy may bring it back to you, which is good, but at this point you want to ignore them. You are looking for the puppy that is able to eventually move on and play by themselves without making a fuss or pouting. This shows they are confident enough to play on their own. No matter how much we want to, we can never play with our dogs 24 hours a day. You need a dog in your life that can be comfortable on their own at times.
- Step Three: Cuddle time.
Hold puppy in your arms on their back. Puppy should stay still and let you hold them. This demonstrates they are comfortable, confident, and are content to cuddle and be still lying with you. A nervous or fearful dog will struggle and refuse to allow you to hold them in this position.
That’s it, that’s the puppy test! Try it for yourself. Keep in mind the kind of dog you want your puppy to grow into when deciding. Breed plays a large roll in the dogs temperament, but remember each puppy is an individual so put some time into picking the right one for your situation.
We are so excited to watch this young pup grow with our two kiddos. There is nothing better than watching young children grow up with the dogs they love.
If you want to follow along to see our young puppy grow and maybe pick up a couple of training tips along the way make sure you follow us here and on our social media.