# How to pick a pup



## Don Turnipseed (Oct 8, 2006)

The pups shown below are the litter I offered the pups from. This thread is about what you watch for when picking a pup. Every evening I bring them up on the deck for a bedtime story. The story is important but you have to watch how the pups react to each story. Last nights story was "Alice in Wonderland". They were all bored to death, and, from the first picture you can clearly see that they thought this one was going to be another dud. Now, when I told them that tonights story was going to be about "Three Little Pigs".....well you can clearly see which three will be pig dogs because the word "pig" got their undivided attention. Now everyone has their own way to evaluate pups. This is how I pick my hog dogs.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Seems to have worked out fairly well for you Don.


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## James Downey (Oct 27, 2008)

that's clever.


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## Jason Lin (May 26, 2009)

Future lit majors ... they'll probably all move back home with you after getting their degrees though. English lit grads are cool like that.


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## Don Turnipseed (Oct 8, 2006)

James Downey said:


> that's clever.


Oh, not really. If they can a 3 letter word like sit....I figure they can understand pig just as well. Now 4 letter words like "stay" are a bit much for a group exercise at this point. Because they haven't got the four letter words down yet. it may take longer to evaluate the remaining pups because their callings may require more letters.


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## Mike Lauer (Jul 26, 2009)

i thought all breeders just keep the good ones and tell everyone how wonderful the shitters are so they can make money?


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## Don Turnipseed (Oct 8, 2006)

Mike Lauer said:


> i thought all breeders just keep the good ones and tell everyone how wonderful the shitters are so they can make money?


Naw, that's not true Mike. You don't have to do anything but let the folks pick their own pups. The breeder will normally have the best left for himself. Now you know. If you don't believe me....look at how many people run down to rescue and to take on someone elses problem dogs and go home thinking they got a world beater.


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## Mike Lauer (Jul 26, 2009)

sorry Don should have put *sarcasm* after
I was just messin

breeder always gets first first choice right


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## Don Turnipseed (Oct 8, 2006)

I had a feeling Mike but it is hard to tell on these machines ....so I kept it simple and honest. Your post does make for a good topic in breeding tho as far as the breeder gets the first choice. In some circles it is felt that once you make a cross it shouldn't be repeated. Makes no sense to me if the cross produced great pups. There are so many mindsets today it is hard to keep up with the reasoning behind them. When I have an outstanding cross, I keep a male and female from the first cross but I don't have to keep one from any repeat crosses so they are all sold. Many were exceptional pups and I really didn't want to sell them, but, I have already seen what I needed to see and room is precious. I have six ways to produce this 10th generation cross that is pictured. What I love about this cross is how receptive they are. Never handled until they were four weeks old. Raised loose in a big yard. Started bringing them up on the deck at 10 weeks since they were still here and got them to sit while I was sitting in my chair with small treats but only the ones sitting got a treat. In two or three sessions they would all sit as a group. There are people that actually think you should never repeat a cross once it has been done.


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## Mike Lauer (Jul 26, 2009)

i know nothing, and i mean nothing about breeding
but i have seen a small number of good dogs and a shitload of average to poor dogs
and my thought would be like you
if it works rinse repeat

great dogs are few and far between
(or they are more prevalent and bad to average handlers like me ruin them...LOL)


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

That's one I never understood either, and still have yet to hear any reasoning for it.


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