Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, truly. Have you ever met someone who instantly became more or less attractive as soon as they opened their mouth? Perhaps it took a bit longer to get to know them before it happened, but it does.
I cannot tell you how many times I have heard people exclaim to me "omg I would love that dog," when glancing at a canine that they would deem as beautiful. I say to that "do you know what those dogs are like to live with?" "No," is the answer probably 99% of the time. Do you want to live with a dog that wants to swim all day? Do you want to live with a natural guard dog who may not accept your neighbors with open arms? How about a dog that wants to catch rats 24/7? No? then look deeper than exterior beauty.
Like us, dogs are all different. That said there are some natural traits that typically appear within each breed. Sure there are times when a Labrador doesn't want to swim; a Doberman who opens the front door for burglars or a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that does not want to sit in your lap. But generally you can research a breed to know what you might be looking at as far as living day to day with this dog. Even if you are looking at a mix, there is temperament testing.
If you really want to know what you might be living with in particular dogs; then choose a breeder, rescuers or shelter that does temperament testing. I am a HUGE advocate of temperament testing. It is something that I offer as one of my services within Just dogs with Sherri and it is something that I look for when choosing my own or client dogs. Why not choose the best match that you can? It doesn't make sense to do any less.
I know breeders, rescuers and shelters that just leave it to "luck of the draw." There are also people within these groups who think that they know the temperament of there puppies. But there is knowing your puppies and "knowing your puppies." It is very hard to know how a puppy will deal with life beyond litter life if they have not been out on their own and introduced to a great deal of different environments, surfaces, weather, people and dogs. How each will deal with socializing within the pack will be entirely different from the individual response to stimulus.
It is absolutely fascinating to me how each puppy in a litter can be so different. I have tested litters who were very similar; others could not have been more different. It is so interesting to see the depth difference in each puppy. Why not get the dog that will match you, your family and lifestyle?
Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. I happen to think all dogs are beautiful; which is one reason that I hate the "Ugliest Dog Contest" that is held every year. Superficial beauty is only skin deep; true beauty comes from within.