Temperment Testsing - Page 1

Does any one put credence into temperment testing on pups.

Not for the breeder's sake, temperament testing is about capturing a snapshot in time for the visiting observer, due to the visitors limited time constraints and general lack of exposure to the group of pups that are being compared.  While there can be a general basis accuracy, there can often be changes to that "snapshot" later on, due to "off days" during testing time for various reasons, or role changes in the social dynamics of the puppy "pack".  Two, or even three tests spread between 5 weeks and 8 weeks can be more informative (to the buyer).

I perform my own series of tests when selecting a pup.  I absolutely believe you tell a lot about a pup and how it will work and it's temperament by 7 weeks.  I have been very fortunate picking pups, but I also research the breeder and the litter ahead of time. 

Jim

I agree with Slamdunc. I absolutely subscribe to the concept. This has been tested repeatedly over decades.

 It,s very important to be able to answer questions for prospective homes for puppies about temperment and knowing if the home is going to be approprate for the pup you can,t make the decisions without temperment testing.

 For the individual buying a pup it is harder if you only see the pups in the litter once thats why I tell people if you are looking at a puppy make sure the breeder does,nt have a issue with you seeing the pups together and seperatley several times before purchasing. If you don,t have much experience with puppies or young dogs it,s worth your money to find a person who has work and raised and welped litters before to help you evaluate the purchase.

As a breeder it,s your responsibility to be honest about temperment issue,s with your puppies.

I,ve learned a great deal from just the limited litters I,ve had. I spend as much time that I can with my litter interacting with them whatching them grow and  interact with each other. It,s very helpful when you own the breeding pair and have raised 1 or both of them from a puppy.

There are so many things you can do to learn how they interpet there surrondings and deal with new experience,s at this age that will tell you how they will cope as adults. 



  


  
   

tempermaent testing does have merits .. true as some posters stated , somethings are constant but somethings change , some traits are latent and really hards to see in pups ..  .. But i would like to add another dimension ... again , depends what one has in mind by the meaning of 'temperament"- we can add that as another thread "what is temperament and what comprises temperament. don't assume everybody undersatnds ttmeprament -- they may understand a written state of tests , but does one understand temperament ?? . \
                 the other dimension i want to add is : try to look at the pup in behavioral terms , especaily in light for what you will be doing with the pup in life. : do you want a dog that will seek /track /or do search and rescue  ? - that is a discussion on what to look for in a pup with that 'trait' expression of skills in terms of what you want to do  - do you want a dog for sport or personal protection - different traits to select /look for  , again the expression of the behavioral traits will be different . do you want a dog for 'therapy or specific  scenting . e.g the big buzz are for dogs needed  to scent 'bed bugs' . well other behavioral traits may or may not matter , who cares if this dog is social or aggressive .. you may care or you may not . : 
              last comment .in reference to temeprament testing .... what is most overlooked / misunderstood overlooked is ' the change of the pup in behavior ' -- for example you may look for a pup with high investigative behavior but if you choose to look at a pup from a litter that seems to be more oinvestigative , now ... wha tdoes the dog do when it has found something ?? what does it do > MY POINT : temperament testing in and of themselves are good .. but limitted , very limitted in regards to how much more info you can obtain about a pup . !!
                 qucik story . had a friend who wanted to tt my pup . i said this andominant,  alpha  pup . he crouched down , cuddled the dog , who fout and fouht , struglled , didn't give up [ BTW was the dog scaredor a protester ? that's a differnet issue ] . so he puts the 10 week pup down .. the pups reun 3-4 feet away from him !! in an instant turn , runs bak ... jumps into my friend still crouched down and bites him !!      he thought the pup was high in domance , because of the fighting , protesting being held .. i laughed and said ..NO! NO !.. you missed the point .. what is important is what he did after you [tested him] put him down . my friend looked puzzled . and i explained .. this pint sized pup had the audacity to turn challenge you and bite you to boot ..THAT makes this pup  dominant [ and aggresive BTW] . so be careful what you read in books .. study the behavior of the pup -IMO

If I want a dog to watch and guard property from strangers/intruders and I want it to be suspicious of strangers but at the same time have enough intelligence not to act unless there is true threat to the property, what do I look for in a pup, how can I know this is my pup?

Ibrahim

Ibrahim - you can extrapolate  looking at pups .. BUT ... IMO the most important feature for you in this respect : yhopu must see , know , evaluate or have someone talk to you regarding the sire and the dam : BEACAUSE .. if the parents do not have what you seek ....THEN ... the pups certainly won't either ... why .. because what is passed on is the genetics .. therefore if you see the genetic attributes for your request is not present in the parents , then those attributes  cannot be passed on to the pups .. so i guess you can say , temperament evaluation of the pups start with the parentage / lineage 'pedigree .. 
           first you want a dog that is reasonably social .. if i look at a litter i want to see  none of the pups  walk away- i look for them to all come running  ... next you want a confident dog  with a good stress level , not sound sensitive , one that investigates , an expression of courage and some independence , this will tell me the dog will be able to woprk on it's own , not a daddy's boy /girl .. . but don't pick a dog overly domineering - but some dominance you want ,  not too overly independent because that could be a sign of future control problems unless you are a good handler ... you want  a dog balnced with prey drive , the parents can give you a clue to the ability to defend.. Suspicion levels are to be developed via training at the time the dog is at the correct maturity  point .. . .. i would not pick a pup thinking it has  suspicious attributes  because that can be mistaken for lack of confidence , insecurity .  personally i like the pups all of the litter biting off my jeans/pants .. i tie onto my legs bandenas [ ropes]  to see the pups pull and tug on them .. i look to see if i push lightly lightly with my hand on a dog if it just walks away or does it engage more so into me ... when doing a task does it give up or is it persisitent? if i drop kindly an empty coka-cola platic bottle does it take not , ok to balk a momment but then does it go over to it right away and inspect it , then what does it do to the bottle ?? another words i am / want to check the stress level of the pup and how it recovers to stimuli and environ ment [ but the paretns should also be indication of stress level . protection /combat is stressful even to epople , even in fun !! also i want to see the interaction of the litter .. All the littermates as they relate/interact  to an individual pup will give you info too . OK -- i stop here . i can't write a book- ther's so much more ...  [ many of my posts are way to long] . So Ibrahim .. always take a friend with you in picking a pup ... even I take other people too !! GOOD luck

Thanks Alphapup, I think I understood most of what you said

I temperament test all my adult dogs after they turn 18 months.
Pups are a crap shoot, but, you want to be able to pick the most outgoing, intuitive,
confident pups when visiting the litter, steer clear of the pups that would rather hide than
meet & greet!