There You Are
By Sheryl Sundean
People often ask me what I look for when choosing a puppy for myself. After twenty-two years of raising, training, and evaluating dogs, most people expect a complicated answer. They expect me to talk about structure, confidence, drive, health testing, pedigrees, temperament evaluations, or performance potential. The truth is, all of those things matter.
I pay attention to how a puppy recovers from a surprise. I watch how they interact with their littermates. I notice curiosity, adaptability, resilience, and engagement. Over the years, experience has taught me that flashy traits may catch your eye, but stability carries a dog through a lifetime.
But there is something else, something much harder to explain. Every once in a while, a puppy looks at you with a spark in its eye that seems to say: “There you are. I’ve been looking for you, too.” It is not something that can be measured on a chart or captured in a temperament evaluation. It doesn’t replace careful observation, and it certainly isn’t the only thing I consider when selecting a puppy. Yet after all these years, I have learned to pay attention to that moment. Not because it replaces experience. Because sometimes it confirms it.
Most puppies are social. Many enjoy attention. Some are naturally outgoing and eager to engage with people. But every now and then, there is a puppy that seems aware of the relationship itself. The eye contact feels different. The attention feels intentional. For a brief moment, it feels less like the puppy is looking at you and more like the puppy is recognizing you. Not asking for a treat. Not demanding attention. Simply connecting.
Over the years, I have found that these puppies often become extraordinary companions. They are the dogs that seem deeply invested in their people. The dogs that check in naturally. The dogs that make training feel like a conversation rather than a series of commands. They are not always the boldest puppy in the litter. They are not always the first puppy visitors notice. In fact, some of the best dogs I have ever placed were overlooked entirely by people searching for the most outgoing or impressive puppy. What made them special wasn’t what they did. It was who they were.
The longer I work with dogs, the more I believe that successful placements are not about finding the “best” dog. They are about finding the right dog. A wonderful dog in the wrong home may struggle. A quieter dog in the right home may thrive beyond anyone’s expectations.
That is why so much of what we do at Sundance Retrievers revolves around matching. We are not simply raising puppies. We are trying to help people and dogs find one another. Sometimes that happens through careful evaluation. Sometimes it happens through experience. And sometimes, if we’re lucky, it happens through a spark.
A moment when a puppy looks up and says without words: “There you are.” And somewhere deep inside, you find yourself answering: “Yes. I’ve been looking for you, too.”