How to choose the right puppy. At Stormy Heights we work diligently to help you get the perfect puppy. I thought I would share our process and things we avoid when helping you decide. For the most part the list is in order but every situation is unique and we try to be flexible in our decisions.
1- Temperament. This will always be at the top of our list, yes even over health. Of course we would never place an unhealthy puppy, but sometimes this means the puppy you choose can carry a single copy of a disease. And temperament has many subcategories. These can include purpose, environment, function ect. We want the temperament of the dog to match its future home. If A pup shows an exceptional love for kids, we don’t want to place it somewhere it will mainly be workin without interaction from children.
2- Health. We always want to make sure our pups score excellent in health. This means DNA testing the parents. Sometimes a puppy can carry a single copy of a disease, this means it will not affect the pup, but if they were bred to another carrier their offspring could have the disease. We prioritize breeding homes in this category as it is irrelevant in non breeding homes. Hip testing, whether you’re getting a working dog or a pet, healthy hips are crucial, especially in working dogs. Vet checks happen here at 6 weeks old to give the puppy a full once over to make sure they are in excellent health.
3- Size. One of the first statements I hear when I ask what a buyer is looking for is “I want the biggest one”. There are many factors that should be considered here. First off is the biggest puppy doesn’t always make the biggest dog. Just like children that are short until they are 13 then shoot up to 6 ft, or the biggest kid in the class that stops growing at 12. Size can be deceptive. Another factor is that bigger size doesn’t always mean biggest protection. Our smallest CMD is our fiercest protector. Another factor is what are the size of the predators you are trying to keep away.
4- Color. Second answer I always get “I want such and such color”. We love our colorful pups here but know that color should always be lower on the list with a few exceptions. When is color important? If you live in a heavily wooded area that rarely snows, imagine owning a dark brindle dog. In the summer I will be outside looking everywhere for ours and almost trip on her right in front of me. The opposite is true when you live in a place where there is snow more than 50% of the year, white dogs are impossible to see out in the field but easy in the summer. A new aspect is with our blue lines, with their wolf like appearance, we wouldn’t want to see them in a wolf heavy area as other ranchers could mistake them for a wolf.
5- Dewclaws. This is last on our list as we don’t see any difference either way. Our CMD’s with and without dewclaws work just as hard.
This list only skims the surface when it comes to matching you with your perfect puppy. Just know that we work hard behind the scenes to help make your decision easy.