Curious on what you look for in a puppy!

[Reuben]

sometimes a dog can sense when somebody care or loves him more than the other dog in the dogbox

x2, that is why I really try picking one that I like because the dog can sense how much I like/dislike him. It is nice hunting with dogs we really like and take pleasure in...

I have seen many runts grow up to be normal sized dogs.

[tomtom]

 I'm not a vet but I remember reading that pups, while whelped usually at the same time, can be a couple days younger or older than their littermates due to order of development inside the mother. The article I was reading was meant to disprove the theory that the ideal time to get a puppy is 49 days old. Historically, 49 days old is when the pups are struggling to determine who is who in the pecking order, and removing them at this time also removes that identity before it completely develops. This is supposed to be instrumental in obedience training and their overall place in the yard. However, the article went on to read that no one observer knows how old a pup really is. They may be 47 days old, or they may be 51 days old. The point is, I wonder if this has anything to do with the observed "pecking order" in a litter of 56 day old pups. I also wonder if it could be why there is an obvious runt that ends up the same size later. A lot of breeders stress that they will NOT hand a pup over until it is 8 weeks, but they can never explain why, other than the standard "proper socialization" statements. In over my head again...