What a facinating post....and the timing of it is amazing. I was just this evening talking to my neighbor about this topic. I was visiting her new 12 week old Clumber spaniel puppy. The sweetest most engaging pup I have ever seen. And boy did it make my heart sad because that is not the experience I had with Guthrie.
I have struggled to figure out Guthrie's quirky nature and tonight, after visiting this sweet social pup, I was searching the internet once again to see if anyone has experienced what I have.....and then I see your post!!
Autistic is the word that I batted around about a billion times...wondering if it was possible for a dog to be autistic.
I apologize in advance because this is going to be long...some of you already know the story.
Guthrie sounds a lot like Jed. I visited him for the first time at 7 weeks. He was picked for me by the breeder..not really though..I wanted a yellow male...he was the only one available. When I went to meet him for the first time the rest of the litter(7 pups) attacked me with labrador glee while this guy spent the whole time investigating the perimeter of the room....getting stuck several times behind the dog crates. He then went promptly to sleep. Thinking he was possibly sick I visited several days later....no difference. He wandered off by himself in the yard....nothing that I did made him the least bit interested in me....that is...except whistling. That got him intensely focused. Balls too. I found out later he also had a facination with light beams. The sound of a chain used to make him got nuts.
I did not post of his arrival here on the forum for weeks because it was not the happy time for me. He was no different when I brought him home at 8 weeks then he was when we met at 7....preferring to explore the world entirely on his own...not so much as a wag in my direction. If we were in the family room he would retire to the kitchen and visa versa. If I went to the front yard he would be taking off for the back. I was crying every day.
After 2 weeks the breeder offered to take him back. It made me sad because I could not imagine anyone would want a dog like this much less a puppy. I started what I called "wag therapy" with him...laying him beside me and wagging his tail back and forth repeatedly. I am forever grateful for the support I got from Felicia and Molly. Donna(Tucker's mom) got me through a particularly rough part...giving me encouragement and support and also some advise her husband had shared...saying the Indians breath into the noses of horses and then they become one. So I did that. And look who is still here by my side.

He cured me of my headaches this month...he is my miracle boy.
This quirky boy has his blossomed. I could not ask for a more cuddly, smart, sweet boy. It makes me want to cry thinking I ever thought of getting rid of him.
I do still ache for those weeks of exuberant puppy loving that I missed....that "love at first site" moment that many of you share. Especially when I met someone with a new loving puppy. But I am truly amazed that a puppy so independant, so distant, could become the light of my life.
I am glad to know that I am not the only one who struggled only to find a "diamond" of a dog. It makes my connection with him that much more special.
Linda, sorry for blabbering on about Guthrie. Thank you for posting this. I always assumed all of you out here in JL land had perfectly normal dogs!
Remington, Emilu, Jed and Guthrie....proud members of the Quirky crew.