95% of homes seeking a dog always ask for a calm puppy.
I have a few observations on this. Firstly, temperament isn't set by sex, it is affected by a number of things including the parents nature.
As an example. Morse is my 100mph happy go lucky, active boy.
Magnus is my more sedate, but happy little bumble bum stud.
So puppies from Morse will be more active than puppies from Magnus.
But this is where new dog owning homes think the box is ticked. The assumption is; get a puppy from Magnus and life will be easy.
All puppies regardless of parents are NEVER calm.
Puppies just by being puppies are whirlwinds of chaos, teeth, wee's and sleep depriving, patience draining energy.
Whether your puppy is from Morse, or from Magnus, this is what all puppies will do;
deprive you of sleep
need toilet trained
need you to train and attend training sessions
have you standing outside at midnight in gale force rain with soggy wet pj's encouraging a puppy to toilet.
puppy will mouth, and draw blood from you and your children,
they bite holes in your clothes
they may chew items they shouldn't
they may jump up
they will find other dogs and strangers infinitely more interesting than you
they will pretty much all roll in dead things and poo.
So what is a calm puppy? Well its Nature AND Nurture.
In my experience the parents temperament roll forward into the offspring and as a breeder I'm mindful of this when making sure the right homes are on the right litters to suit.
However the biggest influence on a calm puppy is YOU.
To attain a calm puppy;
the most important thing you can do is to attend dog training classes for more than 6 months as a minimum.
setting routines, boundaries and consistency also works.
Feeding quality food and treats, and avoiding additives.
Daily appropriate, interesting, varied and fulfilling walks.
Rewarding a puppy for being calm is good.
Provide brain engaging, enrichment activities.
being aware of your own personal energy and how that impacts on the dog, a calm individual will nurture a calmer dog more than a hyper overly stressed individual.
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