We've just brought home a 9 week old miniature schnauzer today. He was the last of a litter brought into a kennel where he was in a crate with 5 other pups. One was female 14 wks, 4 were brothers and sister 8 weeks, and this little guy. I brought him home because he seemed to be the most laid back, quiet guy of the bunch. Now we have him home and he seems to NOT be much of a people person at all. We open the crate and he doesn't want to come out. We can make all the strange noises and claps and whistles we want and he doesn't respond. Though he looks at us so I don't think its hearing damage. And now tonight, the kids are in bed and I figured he'd want to at least be with us or others but he whines and wants down off the couch, takes off into the other room and goes it alone.
I respect all of that but if that's normal behaviour for this particular pup then I may consider getting a more "dependent" puppy that will follow us around etc...
Any advice? thanks...

Hmmm...It seems that what you thought was "laid back" may have been aloofness. You usually want to pick one that's somewhere in between the most playful & the most laid back. I've never had a puppy that didn't want anything to do with me. That just doesn't seem normal to me.

sound like puppy could be very timid. If pup likes being in the crate, and feels safe there, I wonder if it would be worth you slowly moving the crate further into the thick of things in the home, then the normal noises and movement can be seen through the safe place of the crate and slowly become normal part of life. The most important thing is not to force pup to be involved in the goings on of the home becuse it could create more fear and anxiety, pup needs to know that everyone in the home is a good and rewarding person to be with and this can take time with a more timid natured pup.

It is not the breed. My mini-schnauzer is too dependent wants to be with me all of the time and I have found that to be the same with a couple others I have met. They are very loving and loyal to thier owners....I would say give him more time as he probably scared of his new surroundings and missing his family.

I had a puppy who was like that in the beginning, it took him several weeks to want to be around me and now he follows me every where just like my mini-schnauzer.