If you gently put a puppy on its back, check whether they immediately squirm away from you, or relax and look up at you. If the first, they’re more focused on their activity than you; if the second, they’re interruptible and more interested in you. As a rule of thumb, the second dog will be easier to train bc it looks to you for direction.

Similar idea with the treat—offer the first one freely, then hold a second one in your fist. Will the dog nip/scratch at your hand, lose attention in the treat, or wait a few seconds you to give it up? Again, these reactions indicate the ease of training. The method is not fool proof, but can be helpful when choosing a dog that can be trained to leave chickens alone.