This is my dog, Pacey. She’s 10 years old. My wife and I got her when she was about four months old. I want to say that we got lucky, finding a dog a good as she is. But honestly, it wasn’t luck at all. We took some pretty smart steps before we chose her when we went to the breeder, which I think would be worthwhile to share, if you’re thinking about getting a pup.

1. Do your research about breeds.

There are a ton of them out there. Do you want a small, medium or large-sized dog? How much room do you have in your home? Do you have a nearby park so that the dog can get some exercise?

As for us, we needed to find a breed that was hypo-allergenic. Some might scoff at the notion of a “hypoallergenic” dog, but I can totally vouch for them. I had two different dogs growing up, and my family had to give them away, due to my annoying allergies (which my brother and sister probably secretly hated me for). The differentiator for hypoallergenic dogs is that they have a coat that, for the most part, doesn’t incessantly shed. It only comes out when you brush it. Due to this, they produce less dander, thus they are easier on people with allergies. Here’s a list of hypoallergenic breeds.

We ended up getting a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. That breed is a medium-sized dog, which was perfect for the apartment in Park Slope that we lived in right after we got married. We had also read that they had a generally good temperament, was good with kids (not that we had any at the time) and didn’t require vigorous exercise.

2. Decide on a gender.
Male pups lift their legs when they pee. Most likely that pee will be on your wall. Female pups squat when they pee. Also, supposedly, female dogs are mellower than male ones (which I only half believe — I think that depends on a dog’s temperament, really). Or sometimes you just want what you want. Take what I’ve said into consideration, nonetheless.

3. “Test” the puppy.

OK, now you’re ready to go to pick out your pup. We had some book about how to choose a puppy (I can’t recall the title). That book contained one of the best pieces of advice that I believe was the sole reason that we chose such a good dog. It taught us what to look for in a pup, and how to “test” a puppy.

It said to NOT choose a dog that nips a lot, for obvious reasons. An incessant barker will be problematic, too.

You also really need to “test” a puppy’s temperament. Here’s what you do: Go to a pup and lift it by clasping your fingers together and lifting it from underneath. If it starts fighting you and doesn’t stop, that’s a pup with a strong (read: CRAZY) temperament; If it does nothing, then you have a lethargic pup, which is not ideal; If it at first struggles with you, then calms down and lets you hold her in your clasped fingers, THAT’S THE ONE YOU WANT! (And that’s exactly what Pacey did!)

4. Get a one-on-one trainer!!!
A pup never comes home fully trained. Some breeders may claim that they’re housebroken. Housebroken, at the breeder’s house, that is. Yours is a whole new territory to mark!

Pacey was about five months old when we got a trainer. We had heard of this guy Tyril Frith, who was dubbed “The Dog Whisperer of Brooklyn” (mind you, this was in 1999 — way before Cesar Millan’s show!) through a friend. He came to our apartment and immediately told us, “I am going to train you guys how to train Pacey, in your home.” What was important about his type of training was that we were teaching Pacey in the environment that she was going to spend most of her time in, unlike those doggie classes that you take your dog to that has a bunch of other dogs.

He taught us to use hand signals for the basic commands: “Sit,” “Down ” and “Stay.” Tyril also did some great off-the-leash training with Pacey, too. We lived near Prospect Park and would meet him for these lessons. We would do stuff like going 100 yards away from the pup, while Tyril held her. And then on our signal, she’d come to us. This was awesome, because now we don’t have one of those dogs who bolts out the door whenever it’s opened. (I had one of those when I was a kid and it wasn’t fun to have to chase him, believe you me!)

I can’t emphasize enough that there’s nothing better than one-on-one, in-home training.

Pacey’s been with us for most of our married lives. We were really fortunate to have had the good sense to do our homework before we got her, because as a result, she’s such a low-maintenance, well-behaved dog and has been such an integral part of our family. And that’s all you can really ask for in a pup!

I hope my advice serves you well whenever you add a puppy to your family. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I am by no means a professional on puppies or training dogs. This is merely an account of what my wife and I went through with our beloved pooch.