Choosing puppies - temperament testing

Elsa at 5 months of age playing with a Sheltie puppy.  She was a social butterfly. 

"I want the red one," says the woman as she chooses her puppy.  Arranged on a page side by side the puppies await their new owners decisions.  I HATE THIS.  As someone who not only loves dogs; I also put a great deal of importance on each as an individual. 

I cannot stand when I see puppies "set up" in the cutest of posed images to sell them.  Dogs are far more than a piece of material that you sell like jewelry or shoes.  Each is an individual and they deserve to be put into a home where they would best flourish.  They should not be chosen by their exterior image.  

"Do you temperament test?" is one of my first questions when talking to breeders.  I talk to a lot of breeders.  I'm interested in who is doing what with their puppies.  It is not only my own breed of breeders I talk to; I discuss socializing and temperament testing with all sorts of breed, breeders.  I love when I meet a breeder who is doing it all.  

What I am seeing more and more are breeders who temperament test but don't place accordingly.  What does that mean?  It means that they go through the motions but don't follow through.  Their puppies are given a temperament test but then people can choose whoever they like.  The temperament test is not just something to check off the list; it is implemented to help in correct placement.  

               The general public chooses puppies visually.

The general public, and that encompasses most people; do not know what they are looking for as far as a companion.  They look at a puppy and decide by a visual preference.  

Puppies are much more than a pretty face.  When I temperament test a litter, I am always amazed by the difference in each dog. 

How should it be done?  In my opinion, puppies should be placed in the best life situation for them.  Deposits can be taken or not for an upcoming litter.  Once they are born and the number of puppies is known; then a matching list of people can be created.  Everyone on the list gets a puppy but no one knows which puppy will be theirs until they are temperament tested.  

At 7 weeks of age the temperament test is given and the breeder should know all the little personal quirks about each puppy.  The temperament test is important.  But just as critical is the breeders knowledge of each puppy's personality traits.  Every puppy is very individual as far as personality and temperament.  They may look like they all came out of the same mold; but inside they are very different from one another.   

Then and only then should puppies be placed, by the breeder.  There may be a couple of puppies who would do well in a home and the would be owners can be given a choice between those; WITH THE BREEDERS ASSISTANCE.  It is at this point that show puppies can be chosen as well, not before.  

I remember being at a breeders home photographing puppies.  The puppies had all been chosen at 2 days old.  As I played with the 7 week puppies, one stood out.  The breeder said that an elderly woman had chose this puppy and she hoped that she could handle her.  She was a spitfire of a girl; a tiny thing but full of piss and vinegar.  I shrugged my shoulders and continued to shoot.  

If it really is not about the money (and I know it is about the money for many who say it's not) then why not wait?  If you have a buyer and they cannot take the puppy until it is as least 8 weeks of age; then why not wait to see who the puppies are before placing them?  If prospective puppies don't like it, too bad.  I'd rather have a list of people who want what's best for the puppy.  

As a breeder, you can do it all.  You just have to decide to do it all.  

Finding the needle in a haystack.

My amazing Clyde, always in my heart.  

Honestly, how hard can it be?  Hard.  Searching for breeders who I could possibly get a puppy from is waaaaay harder than you might think.  This blog is about searching for a great breeder.  It is not a rescue/breeder debate so please do not send me nasty emails.  I would like to get a puppy; but the more I know, the harder it is.  I am very clear on what I am looking for and sadly there are few breeders out there that come anywhere near the bar level that I have set.  If they do check off many of the boxes; they are located far, far away from us on a map. 

30 years ago I visited a home where they had a litter of brown puppies.  I had been given first choice of males but when I arrived I was told that another family had got there before me and taken one of the boys.  I was very angry; what if they took the one I wanted?  She had promised me one thing and done another.  Live and learn.  I chose my brown boy who turned out to be one of the loves of my life, Clyde.  As much as I adored him he suffered from poor structure over the years.  There had been no health testing done for his parents once so ever, no temperament testing, nothing. 

30 years later I know a lot more about what to look for.  I have a huge check list and the first thing on the top of the list is tails.

Must: **

1.  have full undocked tail
2.  have fully health tested sire and dam
3.  live and be raised in home with family
4.  be socialized in the rule of 7s
5.  be a breeder who breeds only dogs with amazing temperaments
6.  does temperament testing
7.  knows the litter and matches puppy to new family

These are the 7 musts.  Anything more of course is better.  But if a breeder does all this then they have reached the bar level that I set for me. A few things can be modified but not dropped completely.  This of course is just me and after years and years of research is what I look for in a breeder. 

Admittedly, I could go out today and find a puppy. There might be one just an hour or so away from me.  It sure would be easy right?  But I cannot blindly give money to someone who does not care enough to do all these things.   My breed is one that is not so common; add to that all of these items on the list and it gets harder and harder to find the needle. 

I have found breeders who do 5 or 6 from my list.  After talking to them I realize that they do not stand strong on the other things that they claim to do from the list.  Some things on the list have a wide range of levels as far as others are concerned.  Again, I have a high bar set for these as well. 

If you are a breeder, why not do it all?  Why not do your best for the puppies you are putting out into the world.  It is easy to spot the ones who are just doing it for money.  Yes, even breeders who do not consider themselves to be puppy mills, often do it for the money.  One big clue that someone is breeding for profits is multiple litters on the ground at one time.  I've been on several sites that list litter after litter, born only days apart.  

By having a list, you can weed out the ones who cut corners, save a buck, save time and do it for the money.  They simply don't care. 

I will find the needle, but it is not going to be easy.  It is not always easy to do what is right; but that's what I'm doing. 


** This list is not because I want perfection; such a thing does not exist in the animal or human world.  I want to support those breeders who are doing it right.  Those who have the utmost care and concern for their dogs and the puppies that they breed. 

Temperament testing

Temperament - Characteristic or habitual inclination or mode of emotional response.

Test - the process of assessing.

Yesterday started out with a puppy temperament test.  Temperament testing is one of my absolute favorite canine related jobs.  Hanging out with a pile of puppies?  Not too many other things can top that.  But aside from the obvious joy of it; there is a great wealth of information that unfolds during the tests.  It is quite fascinating to see each puppy give up the information of what they are made of or who they are.

Just to clarify; temperament testing is not only for purebred dogs.  I have tested mixed litters as well from stray parents who were picked up off the street.  It is a test given to best place puppies.  

The temperament test is given as close to 49 days (7 weeks) as possible.  It is given in an area where the puppies have never been with someone who they have never met, me.  Each puppy is tested alone; you cannot test a litter together.  A litter gives each dog an altered temperament when they are as one.  Take them out and make them stand alone and you get a true read on that singular puppy.  The tests consists of putting each puppy through specific actions so that we can see how they react.  Scores are given in accordance to their initial reaction to each test.

What the test offers is some insight into an individual puppy.  This information lets you know where each puppy would best thrive.  Which family or home would be best suited to that specific puppy.  I am a big advocate of temperament testing.  It is surprising to see how different puppies can be in one litter.  There are litters made up of closely scoring puppies; but others may hold puppies ranging from one end range to the other.

Seeing each puppy as they are put through the stages of a temperament test is fascinating.  I love it and as each puppy is tested, the results from the puppy before and after will be compared.  The comparing is not as to which is the best but most appropriately suited to what home.  In all of my years of testing I have only had one very troubling litter result; and a handful of not so greats. Those who typically call someone out to temperament test are working very hard to have great temperaments.

As far as the test itself; I use the Volhard Puppy Test.  I have made my own modifications to it and work with each test a bit differently.  I give an initial reaction score of each puppy but then allow the puppy to be in the moment longer to see their recovery time.  Recovery time is huge and gives with it a ton of information.  I have also added a few extra tests that I like to see responses to.  One is the instinct to guard food.  Each puppy is given a piece of food too large to consume.  Dried chicken (local) jerky is good for this.  Responses are all over the charts with this test; everything from not wanting the food to running off and posturing over it on approach.

Puppy temperament testing is not the end result; it is merely a window into who that puppy is and where they might best be placed.  Environment, social stimulus and work can change things drastically.  Some puppy scores will offer insight for a dog who may have problems dealing in some way.   Others may be a bit of a handful; too confident for their own good.  Why not give all of the puppies and new homes the best chance to thrive?

My question to you as a breeder is; if you are not temperament testing, why?