# Evaluating a Puppy at a Rescue Event?



## Archimedes (Mar 3, 2016)

Hi everybody! So tomorrow my husband and I are going with our current dog, Archie, to an adoption event. We're pre-approved for an adorable little mixed-breed puppy who was recently rescued from Korea (she was supposed to be raised for meat ). And if she's a good fit, we want her! But I want to make sure I can get a good feel for her personality before we commit. Anybody have any good ideas for what we can do to evaluate her in the short span of time that we'll have before finalizing a decision? She's four months old, if that helps, so not a teeny tiny baby but still really young.

Here are the things I'm particularly concerned about:

Barkiness/Reactivity
Medium to low energy once she's an adult (I'm not sure how to gauge this, since I know basically all puppies are very energetic?)
Ability to settle/having a solid "off" switch
Confidence with new people and environments
Laid-back, easygoing attitude/ability to roll with things without getting high strung

Our dog Archie is a high-intensity, high-energy mini poodle mix whom we adopted as a 10-month-old, and for this dog we're hoping for a more toned-down personality who will still be up for being his playmate (he's veeery dog-friendly, especially with puppies, and actually plays very gently, so I don't worry too much about his compatibility - it's more that we can't handle two of him, haha!). Since I've never adopted a dog younger than 9 or 10 months, though, I'm not sure how you can tell what you're getting with a 4-month-old.

Any tips or advice?


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## Hiraeth (Aug 4, 2015)

What breed(s) are in the puppy? 

I would ask if she could be removed from her crate and if a rescue person could bring her to a quiet corner in the back of the store. Then either you or your husband should hold onto Archie while the other goes back to greet her. Then that person can go hold Archie while the other one greets her. In the human/dog interaction, it would be good to see if she pays attention to you, if she seems overly frightened, etc. 

Then I'd recommend bringing Archie into the picture, as long as the puppy isn't acting too fearful. Make sure Archie has gotten a nice long walk beforehand so he doesn't greet too rambunctiously. Do your best to gauge their interaction and see how she responds. 

All of that being said, a pet store is a really imperfect place to meet a puppy (I understand it's probably your only choice). She could feel not well from the car ride, she could feel overwhelmed by the environment, she could have had a bad interaction with another dog and may potentially be afraid of your dog, etc. All of those things would (probably) vanish with age and training and a bit of time to get settled. 

Unless she is paralyzingly afraid (hiding behind things, refusing to interact) or outwardly aggressive, I'd give her the benefit of the doubt. That's a very high stress situation for her, especially given recent events in her life. 

Oh, and as a side note, this might sound crazy, but I'd recommend talking to the rescue people about whether she's fully vaccinated. If she's not, she should not be on the floor in a pet store. Pet stores are dirty dirty places. If she isn't fully vaccinated, make sure the rescue person brings a blanket to put her on so she is somewhat shielded from diseases she may pick up from the floor. If her feet do end up touching the ground, I'd recommend fully cleaning them before she has a chance to lick them. It would stink to get her home only to have her be sick from something she got at the pet store!


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## Archimedes (Mar 3, 2016)

They have her pegged as a Corgi/Keeshond mix, but I'm pretty sure that's mostly a guess based on her look (long and low, plus very fluffy with a spitz-type face). She was fully vaccinated and spayed prior to leaving Korea - apparently she lived with a foster there for about a month before she was allowed to fly to the US, and she's been in a foster here for a short time as well. Definitely a good idea to keep an eye on health/cleanliness, though.

So it sounds like we just want to take her to a quiet place (I'm not sure if we'll be inside or outside, as I've never been to an event with this group before) and see if she's exhibiting a kind of medium energy - not overly hyper or aggressive, and not shut down or hiding. Anything specific we should do to kind of test her? Or is it just a matter of hanging out and seeing what happens? That's about what we did with Archie (whom we met at a shelter first and then later at an adoption event that the shelter was having). He was very much himself right from the start - loving his toys, jumping all over everyone to give kisses, etc. - but he's a very confident little guy. I'm not sure if I should have different expectations for a dog who's so much younger than he was at the time.

Edit: And yes, Archie will definitely need lots of exercise before he meets her! He's not dominant/aggressive at all, but he's got that bouncy, in-your-face enthusiasm that can freak shy dogs out a bit.


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## Hiraeth (Aug 4, 2015)

I don't necessarily know if you can do much to 'test' her. You could potentially have whoever is holding Archie walk by at a bit of a distance to see how she responds to a dog she hasn't met and see if she displays any fearful or reactive signs. 

If she's super fearful or has any dog fear aggression issues, they're most likely going to come out without any specific tests being done to make them evident.

Be careful about cleanliness if you're outside, too. The only thing dirtier than the inside of a pet store is the outside of a pet store (or a dog park). It's good that she's fully vaccinated, though  That should protect her from just about everything super dangerous she may pick up.


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