Temperament
Temperament is a huge topic and one that I could talk about for a very long time. It is fascinating how different dogs can be; even from the same litter, littermates can be vastly different.
Temperament - mental and emotional traits, predisposition.
Temperament is basically who your dog is as an individual. Many people think that a dog is a dog is a dog. But they are just as individual as we are. Getting to know your dog is a lot of work; it takes time, effort, awareness and knowledge. They have likes, dislikes and their own individual traits. Sometimes we can see where their temperament comes from; sometimes they are just their own dog.
Genetic makeup has a great deal to do with temperament. In a perfect world, only dogs with amazingly wonderful temperaments would be chosen to produce offspring. Unfortunately this is not the case and often poor temperaments are passed down to the next generation.
Within breeds there are many predisposed traits that can be seen within the group. That said, just because you get a Labrador does not mean that they are going to love to swim. If you decide to get a beautiful mixed breed (border collie/australian shepherd) don’t be surprised if your dog herds the neighborhood kids. There are breed traits that are typical and you should keep them in mind. Do they always appear, no.
When a litter of puppies are born; they have Mom and Dad’s genetic makeup, but that is not all. They also have the genetic material from generations of dogs in their lineage. Behaviors can appear from a couple generations back.
Often when you get a dog from an ethical, great breeder or a wonderful rescue; they will do temperament testing of puppies before placement in their new home. I use to do this as a part of my work with dogs; and I have to admit that it was one of my favorite things to do. Hang out with 7 week old puppies for a couple of hours? Yes please.
So what are the temperament tests looking for? Sometimes they are looking for very specific “traits;” like bravery for security work. Maybe the litter of puppies are hunting prospects so they are looking for work drive. Often puppies are simply tested to see who they are and how they handle different tests.
A few of the tests:
Do they come to stranger out of the shoot?
Do they follow stranger?
Do they mind being turned over and held down gently?
When startled how quickly do they recover?
Do they chase items tossed away?
Are they sound or sight sensitive?
Temperament tests are not done to weed out undesirable or desirable puppies in general. It is more to see which puppy would fit which home best. What home, environment and family would be the best place for each individual puppy to thrive in.
Temperament tests are based on a puppy’s behavior at 7 weeks of age. They are removed from the litter and tested alone; in an area that they have never been in with someone they have never met. The result are quite fascinating; and can put the best match together.
Of course tests results are not cast in stone. Temperaments can vary depending on life experiences that they go through. Environment can play a huge factor in what happens after they leave the litter. Also life experience that they get while with the litter plays a huge part in how they turn out as an adult dog.
For me temperament testing creates an awareness of how much dog experience the new guardians should have under their belt for each individual puppy. Some puppies are going to need more work, without a doubt. Within a litter of puppies there can be everything from the shy one in the back who is afraid of his shadow to the most adventurous one who is highly independent and confident.
Choosing puppies because of the way they look is one of the biggest mistakes that many people make. Except for taking care of different types of coats; dogs are who they are inside. Who they are, shy, bold, adventurous, fearful, driven, lazy or sleepy has nothing to do with exterior. So you might want the white puppy with the black paw because he’s so darned cute. But that puppy might be the worst fit for your family.
You can tell a lot about temperament at an early age. Before you add a dog to your family; determine what type of dog would fit your family and life. Too many dogs these days are given up because the family had no idea that it was going to be so much work. Getting a good fit can cut down on the struggle with a new dog.