Which One Would You Choose? - Page 2

to the original poster:

 I think you need to decide what your end-goals for the dog will be, then educate yourself on puppy evauation procedures and processes. Almost any decent book on schutzhund will have a series of puppy evaulation tests that will give you an educated guess on what the pups potential will be. It is a 20 dollar investment that can save you heartache in so many ways that it is unbelievable.

 Even if it not for Sch, these will give you a much better view on the pup and the litter, and it will make you a -much- smarter buyer. 

 If the pup is going to be a sport prospect, you would be very wise to ask someone very experienced in the field to come with you, even if you need to pay them for the time. It is an investment that will pay off hugely if you get the right help.

 Education for yourself as a buyer, trainer, handler from good sound sources is always going to be the best bet...Also, keep your business sense about you. Get a signed sales contract/agreement and double check with the AKC or whatever authority the dog is registered with to make sure what the breeder is saying is lined up with reality.

 Good luck!

I'd choose the thinker. All oomph doesn't impress me without both the ability--and the tendency-- to use the brain.

Also, a dog with a high energy level is not necessarily one with high drive. Again, a dog with the afterburners fired up before the brain is engaged isn't what I myself would ever want. To each their own.

I too would probably choose the "thinker". For the same reasons as Greenstar. He would be the harder to train or deal with as a pup but it would pay off in the end. I like a dog that sits back and assess whet he is going into. Maybe thats why I don't like Mals so much! LOL I have one right now who's a "thinker". More often than not, he thinks he isn't going to cooperate. Also though, the explorer might be too independent for my tastes. Hard to make a real choice without seeing the little guys myself.

I'm sure whoever you choose, will turn into a gem Kath. You have a nice genepool to dive into there.

clearwater, I suggest cutting back on the prunes for breakfast because you are acting awful constipated.  There's nothing out of line about what gsdlvr has written about her pups. 

gsdlvr, since you have asked for a variety of opinions I will give you my opinion and you can take it or leave it, won't hurt my feelings either way.

I personally would like a thinker for a pup because I believe it will help with problem solving in obedience and tracking.  I wish my current male would be more of a thinker.  If he's not sure of what to do, he will just try something, anything.  LOL.  It's not stopping us from making progress, and believe me I love his high drive, high energy, and willingness to go do something.  However, training would go smoother if he would stop and think about the command I've just given.

Granted, this is a function of my own training style.  Personally I can't stand pattern-trained SchH dogs that only know how to execute a tightly choreographed routine as a manner of habit.  I enjoy teaching my dog all kinds of different exercises which have nothing to do with SchH, just to have fun, and challenge my dog to learn new skills.  I like to stir things up to see how my dog will handle the situation.  Bitework can be really fun when you stir things up.  I once had all my club members throw empty plastic bottles at my dog when he came in for a hold and bark (plastic bottles are a favorite impromptu toy) so that he would have to learn to work through the distraction.  Another time I had my club mates on the field kicking around buckets and boxes while my dog was doing bitework.  I mean literally kicking en empty cardboard box right at his side while he was on the sleeve.  But I digress and I'm getting long winded so I'll shut up now.

Whichever pup you choose, best wishes for many years of training fun!

Yvette