Temperment - Page 1

do temperments differ in small litters vs. large litters?

 No .... temperaments are genetically  transmitted from the parents .. each pup irregardless of the size of the litter gets 50 % genes from each parent .. those attributes that make up temperament are passed on from the dam / sire. for example the attributes gun shy / noise sensitivity  or stress levels for protection .. if the parents don't have those innate genetic based attributes then obviously .. they can't be passed on to offspring . temperament is however not the same as Personality traits. that is why each pup in the litter has come from the same genes but are different. another illustration . human twins , same parents have the same genetics but can have differences in personality .. also .. don't dismiss the role of environment and experience contributing to the make up of a GSD or person . in essence we are a manifestation of 50 % genetic and 50 % environment / learning/ experiences. the old proverb .. you can  help make a poor genetic based dog look good but  ruin a great genetic based  dog so that it looks poor .

There are however, social dynamics at play, wherein individual roles can early-imprint and change their behavior and outlook to a capacity allowed by their genetics.  You might say for example, take one pup from the group, and another fitting candidate will begin to assume the missing role.  These early environment / learning / experience aspects can have a long term impact of the final tendencies of temperament, but within the constraints of their genetic being.

I'm supposing the socialization experence within the litter - small vs. big litters - would be different.  Like the competitiion for food, social heirarchy etc...  

I haven't raised a lot of small litters to be able to say.  Mine were always 8 to 11 pups where you can see a lot of variation between roles.  Then there was the oops litter I had about a year ago, of 3 pups.  There was absolutely no heirarchy in that litter of three, they each thought of themselves as subject to no one, fighting like I've never seen, male and females both.  They showed due respect to other dogs of the household, just not each other.

Interesting conversation here, I am curious about the dynamics between littermates and how it shapes their temperaments from birth, even which pup can push through to get the best nipple.

BTW- Temperament has an "a", sorry spelling/grammar freak here

I didn't spell check - sorry.   I'm getting a puppy out of a small litter and just thought about how/if the dynamics of the litter would chnage.

 dobe.. no.....the temperaments affect the dynamics .. not the dynamics shaping temperaments .i.e. - either a pup has the genetics to handle stress or it doesn't .. either it has the genetic defense mechanisms or it won't  [ that is why some dogs lack defense drives when adults ] . what becomes affected more so is the pups' character  .. i imagine the dynamics are the same as in families as they relate to  the difference between a small # of children vs  a large number .. and the order of birth .. but i have found only through observation , not scientific study ... all normal environment / experiences..  i think the same is true for  for pups. -- because genetic / innate tendencies .. are just that .. innate , hardwired genetic tendencies. a domineering assertive youngster will be that way .. So the most important lesson - especially for working dogs .. you cannot make the dog what it is not !! and what it is you have to nurture !. nor can you make children what they are not  and we must nurture and accept them for who they are .  

If it's currently operating at a capacity below it's "genetic potential", and is eventually brought to the level of it's full potential, that's where people get deceived into believing that environment was the "cause", when it was really just the "catalyst".