# Temperament Testing



## BJSalz (Mar 24, 2009)

The litter that we are getting our pup from will be 6 1/2 weeks old this weekend when we visit them for the first time. There are 2 boys out of the litter for us to choose from. This morning I emailed the breeder to ask if temperament testing will be done by then; but what can we do when there with the puppies - what should we look for and what do we want to avoid when choosing the sweetest one with the best temperament and personality? 

Thanks a bunch!!


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## LullaBelle (Apr 24, 2009)

One thing I am going to do is lie the puppies down on their backs and hold them down firmly but gently with my hand on their chests to see which one struggles and which one doesn't. That's a good test to see which one is dominant and which is submissive. Submissive is always good. You also want to observe them playing. Don't get one that seems to bully the others, or the one that sits in the corner alone. Don't get the one that's too hyper or the one that's too shy/timid. Also look and see which puppy comes to you when you motion or call them. You can also drop some keys or clap your hands and see which one will come to investigate. Most importantly since your breeder will know the pups' personalities better than you will from just a few visits, be sure to rely on him/her for guidance. I've gotten most of this advice from other members and some from talking to my breeder. All the best!


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## Bauer! (May 13, 2009)

LullaBelle said:


> One thing I am going to do is lie the puppies down on their backs and hold them down firmly but gently with my hand on their chests to see which ones struggle and which ones don't. That's a good test to see which ones are dominant and which ones are submissive.


Ditto! That's what I was going to say. This is a really helpful test. Also, the breeder should be really helpful in helping you decide. They have been around the puppy the longest. I had to choose between two boys, too, and they were really similar in energy, playfulness. The only difference was that the boy that we got was just a little calmer when held on his back. Another similar test my breeder showed us is to hold them up by the scruff of their neck. They should remain calm while held in the air. Have fun!!


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

I'm not really sure how helpful so called 'temperament testing' is when selecting puppies from a truly good breeding. If parents are similar in looks and temperament to begin with mostly all the puppies will tend to look and act very much alike. Even when the parents are not so well matched I'm still not really sure how predicable the results of a temperament test that's given just once will actually be. A puppy's energy and attitude can change from day-to-day and even seem to change from moment-to-moment at times... its probably best to rely on the breeder's assessment as someone who observes the puppies over an extended period time. 

Our Sidney is a very good example of how puppy temperament testing can be misleading. When we visited Sid's breeder the pups were already 5-1/2 weeks old and only three were left as the other seven had already been spoken for. This breeder used nail polish to identify each puppy. She was basically using a binary numbering system by painting only certain toe nails of the front paws. Well, there was a big fat one (by far the largest in the litter) and two smaller pups. Of the two smaller pups one was very light and the other was the same color as the fat one. I was really drawn to the lighter one but unfortunately he wouldn't respond to clapping, wasn't drawn to people and actually would run for the woods at every opportunity. Finally he would struggle when placed on his back... none of these things seem to bode well for the future of him growing up into a loving and bonded companion pet. The fat one was a little less energetic and appeared maybe a tad bossy.... so we picked the darker small pup and went home. Later that week the breeder over the phone told us all the pups were now spoken for... great! For reasons of doggie socialization we didn't want to pick-up little Sidney until he was 8-1/2 or 9 weeks old but unfortunately the breeder began 'handing out' the pups to their new owners at 6-weeks. So by 7-1/2 weeks there were only three left to go and the other two were going to their new homes the next day. We figured the whole reason of her keeping Sidney 'til 9-weeks was now made pointless and we went to pick him up. There was a really big puppy there and I was sure it was same one we saw at 5-1/2 weeks (he was the biggest in the litter back then) and of the two smaller pups one was again very light and the other darker matching the big one's color. We were given the light colored puppy with assurances it was the same puppy we picked two weeks ago... the breeder showed us the ledger with the nail painting code and showed us how it matched the puppy we were given. Only after getting him home did I discover older nail polish on the backside of a couple of 'unpainted' nails. I felt sure the polished had chipped off many of the pups during the last two weeks and the breeder took a guess and repainted the nails accordingly. However, once you bring a pup home and accept him into your heart there really is no returning him... so he was christen Sidney and that was that. The next day we notice this puppy seemed to run out of the sunshine and into the shadows at every opportunity... we were worried as he seemed to be showing anti-social behavior by running from us. Only later did my wife notice his eyes were blue-ish... we thought that odd. However over the next weeks the blue tinge transformed into a very dark brown/black and Sidney no longer feared the sunshine. Today at 5 years Sidney is very stable and confident Golden and wow does he loooove people, even complete strangers... he is really a people dog and strongly bonded to both the wife and I. Who'd have ever guessed it from his behavior as a puppy? This one experience has since caused me to doubt the importance of the results of the simple one-time puppy temperament test that seems so popular now.

When we went to pick out our Sophie we had third pick-of-the-litter (a litter of 10 also)... we had three females to pick from but since this litter had a relatively high COI (meaning many of the same ancestors in the pedigree) and the parents were very similar in type and temperament, thus all the puppies appeared to be very much alike. I knew the temperament would have to be very similar to the parents and so this time we didn't even waste time trying the temperament testing thing. In the end, after very careful examination I determine one puppy had larger ears than the others and we had no desire to show so.... since the big ears made her look so very feminine, she became our Sophie. And today at 2-years Sophie has a temperament just like I remember seeing in both her parents.

Bottomline, what I recommend is being very choosey in selecting the breeder and focus on the temperament of the adult breeding pair. If you fancy their temperament and they are very similar in temperament and physical appearance then I would rely on the breeder's judgment. However if you really think temperament testing is going to help you pick the best in the bunch then by all means go ahead and do it but really I don't believe you can 'lose' if you've picked the right breeder with the right breeding pair to begin with.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Temperament/Aptitude testing, when done properly and by an experienced tester, can be extrememly helpful. The test used is important, as well. I have been conducting them for close to 23 years, and we have been accurate with our placements very nearly 100%. This has been the case with all breeds that I have tested.


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