First, you must be willing to accept the task of caring for this animal for the rest of it's life. Puppies are not like goldfish. They require as much attention as a baby would, because they ARE babies! They need love and attention, play and discipline, food and medical care and most of all your desire to see that these basic requirements are met.
With that decided upon, the next thing to do is search out a reputable breeder. I have discussed this on another page. If you haven't read it, please go to "Reputable Breeder" (link below), take a second and read over what to look for and how to get started. Once you have done your homework and selected a breeder to purchase from, it's time to see the puppies!
Temperment
I know all of them look like great puppies, but personality will tell you something about their temperment and that is an important aspect of the selection process. Remember: this puppy will one day soon be a dog that will live with you for a long time.
In The World of Schnauzers by Johan Gallant there is a test called The Puppy Aptitude Test (PAT) that you can use to observe the puppies that you are choosing from to rate their personalities. This tool can indeed be helpful to determine the future temperment of the puppy you choose. I have included this checklist on my site and you can view it and print it out for your use when the day arrives to get your puppy.(see below link) A good first test is to hold the puppy cradled on its back like a baby. If the puppy resists extremely, you can bet you have a dominant personality in your arms. A better choice for a first-time owner would be one who relaxes inside of a few seconds.
Structure
Another area of consideration is the dog's body structure. This area is really only imperative if searching for a confirmation dog (show dog) with the potential for breeding, or an active dog that will be participating in agility trials. If you are looking for confirmation quality, you probably already know what to look for. If not, I can briefly describe some standards on this page. The rest can be obtained from the Does Your Dog Conform to the Standard? section of this website and the links below.
*You should stack the dog (pic #1). This means to position the front legs directly under the shoulders and extend the back legs slightly back (do not hyper-extend the back legs). The puppy's back should be straight with a slight decline from the withers to the tail. There should be no upward arch as well as no sagging of the back.
*The top of the head should be flat and seperated from the muzzle by a small stop (pic #3). The top of the muzzle should also be flat. Viewed from the side, the head should appear like two planes. A rounded or bumpy head is a fault.
*The front legs should be straight with the elbows facing up (pic #2). Not bowed in or out. I always comment on how Windsor's front legs look like two pencils! The foot pads should be tight with a thick black pad.
While these are just a very tiny list of structure areas to look at, they give you a start
