alton, CPDT)
                                                                                    8:23 AM

 Subject: 
        Re: Help: How to pick from a group of pups




The Start Puppy Training Procedure

Joel developed the Start Puppy Training Procedure (SPTP) as an
alternative to some of the methods many use to determine a puppy's
personality. When a breeder begins to work with pups as soon as they are
able to eat solid food, the puppies grow up already accustomed to the
gentle lure-and-reward training method. But if your puppy hasn't been
oriented yet, it isn't too late. Try the SPTP right at the breeder's and
see how the puppies respond. One may stand out as being especially
responsive to your efforts, and that puppy may be the one for you.

Set aside a small handful of kibble, and then take one piece in your
hand. Bring the puppy to an area slightly away from his brothers and
sisters (but not to an unfamiliar area-you want the pup to be
comfortable and unafraid). Stand him in front of you, and then slowly
raise the piece of food in an arc so that when the puppy follows the
food with his nose, his rear end winds up on the ground. Did this
8-week-old puppy just perform a "sit"? Sure looks like it! Reward your
puppy by giving him the food.

With the pup in the sit position, take another piece of food, and while
the puppy is still sitting, slowly move the piece of food away from the
puppy at nose level until the puppy has to stand to get it. Did the
puppy just perform a "stand"? Sure looks like it! Reward your puppy
again by giving him the food.

When you have see-sawed the puppy back and forth for awhile, take
another piece of food and slowly move it straight down from the puppy's
nose to the floor. When the puppy follows the food, he will be
performing a "down." Good dog! This is probably plenty for session one.
When you bring your puppy home, you can begin to say "Sit" before you
lure the puppy with the food and then "Yes" after he is sitting and
before you offer the reward. Your puppy will learn to sit with one sweet
request and a simple hand signal. The same applies for "stand" and
"down."

Try this method with several of the puppies, and each may react in a
different way. Some may ignore you. The test might not work if a puppy
isn't hungry. After all, he is just a baby and he may take a bit of time
to get through to him what you are asking of him. Some puppies may
follow you for a minute or two, and then lose interest and go back to
their siblings for another romp. But then, one puppy looks you in the
eye and does exactly what you want.  A-ha! Could it be you've found your
perfect pup?

The Personality Test

Trying out the SPTP on different puppies is a great way to get a glimpse
at each puppy's personality potential, including his energy level and
his general interest in you personally. On the other hand, a puppy that
doesn't quite get it the very first time may be exceptionally bright,
just exceptionally busy at the moment. A dog that does hone in on you
and seems particularly eager to get it right and understand what you say
may have just the personality you want.

As you test for personality using the SPTP, remember your refined list
of expectations and use it to judge the actions and reactions of the
puppies Does that one seem as though it might make a great hunter? Does
this one seem particularly interested in learning tricks? Is this one a
little less active? In particular, evaluate these puppy qualities:

*  Activity level
*  Shyness or boldness
*  Interest in you
*  Interest in the SPTP
*  Appetite (dependent on when he had his last meal)
*  Tendency to play-bite (normal behavior in most pups)
*  Distractibility (a quality in all puppies, but in some more than
others)
*  Overall appearance of health

Take notes if it will help you to remember: " The black one wouldn't sit
still long enough to see I had food in my hand. The yellow one slept the
whole time. The chocolate one loved me! Now you have some idea about
whom you're dealing with!

The above is from an out of print book by Joel Walton & Eve Adamson
You can get more information from the sources in my signature.

best,
Lt. Joel Walton, CPDT
http://www.joelwalton.com
Walton Family Dog Training LLC
aggressive behavior cases Washington DC area
author of: Positive Puppy Training Works
           Labrador Retrievers for Dummies