Puppy temperament testing vs. Reality
As a breeder, I used to be a firm believer in formal puppy temperament testing. For years, I diligently conducted these assessments because that’s what I was told good breeders do. “Responsible breeders temperament test!” was repeated so often in breeding circles that I accepted it as the best practice without really digging into the science behind it.
If you’re reading this as a prospective puppy parent, you’ve probably seen this advice too—that you should look for breeders who temperament test. It makes sense on the surface, and I completely understand why families want as much information as possible when choosing their new family member.
Like many breeders, I thought these assessments could predict which puppy would be calm, which would be energetic, and which would be the perfect match for specific families. I was doing what I believed was best practice. But after years of experience, I wasn’t seeing the accuracy I expected from these tests, and after diving deep into the actual research, I made a decision: I stopped doing formal temperament testing entirely.
Here’s why, and why the science backs up this choice.
The Expectation vs My Reality
Puppy temperament testing sounds so logical. Test a 7-week-old puppy’s responses to various stimuli, score their reactions, and voilà: you can predict their adult personality and find the perfect puppy for your family. For years, this approach seemed like the responsible thing to do.
I first started questioning these tests when I noticed a troubling pattern: the results weren’t matching what I was seeing as these puppies grew into adults. Worse yet, when families received a puppy with expectations based on test results that didn’t match reality, it created disappointment.
One litter really drove this point home for me. We had a puppy who seemed much quieter and more laid-back compared to her boisterous siblings. When a family specifically wanted a calm, gentle dog, I recommended her based on what I was observing. Guess what happened when she got away from those overbearing brothers and sisters? She completely came out of her shell and became the life of the party! The family was convinced I’d given them the wrong puppy- but it was the same sweet girl, just finally free to show her true personality without the sibling dynamics. Lucky for everyone, it worked out perfectly because they absolutely adored her outgoing personality. But what if they hadn’t been flexible enough to embrace this surprise? That experience made me realize how risky it was to set specific expectations based on early observations.
That’s when I realized I needed to dig deeper. Maybe the problem wasn’t with how I was conducting the tests, but with the tests themselves. What I discovered in the research completely changed my approach to breeding and puppy placement.
What I discovered in the research
When I dug into the research, I found I wasn’t alone in questioning these assessments. Multiple studies have looked at whether temperament testing actually works:
The Big Study: Following Puppies to Adulthood
A [major study published in PLoS ONE](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4086890/) followed Border collies from just days old all the way to adulthood. Their conclusion was clear: the study found “poor predictability regarding future behaviour in pet dogs” and “a lack of correspondence between the behaviour of neonates and the same dogs during the puppy and adult test, implying a lack of validity of this tool for making predictions regarding future behaviour.”
Another study (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26882034/) looked at puppies at 7 weeks and again at 6 years. While researchers found that tests could identify breed traits, they concluded that “puppy temperament assessments predict puppy breed and AKC group, and do not predict adult temperament.” In other words, the tests might tell you a puppy is acting like a typical herding breed or sporting breed, but they won’t tell you what that individual dog will be like as an adult. For those of us breeding cross breeds, this finding is especially relevant: if tests can’t reliably predict individual behavior even within purebred lines, they’re even less meaningful when dealing with the genetic complexity of cross breeds.
Is temperament testing
really worth the effort?
Understanding puppy development
The research revealed some fascinating insights about how puppies actually develop:
Tests Show Variability
Only about [57% of dog temperament studies report reliability measures](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159112000676), and researchers note that “there is still much work to be done on the standardization of methods.” This suggests that results can vary depending on who conducts them, when they’re conducted, and under what conditions, which makes sense when you think about how much a puppy’s mood and energy can change from day to day.
Environment Shapes Everything
Research by child psychologist Margaret Shunick beautifully demonstrated the power of environment. She worked with puppies that tests indicated would be “bossy” and “willful” adults, then gave half the families special guidance about positive training and structure.
The results were amazing: the puppies who received thoughtful training and clear boundaries developed into wonderful, well-behaved dogs, while those without guidance struggled more. This showed that what you do with your puppy matters so much more than any test score ever could
Why Puppies Keep Growing and Changing
One of the most exciting things I learned is that puppies continue developing long after they leave us at 8 weeks. Just like human children, they go through growth spurts, personality changes, and learning phases throughout their first year and beyond.
Think about it: would you expect a personality test given to a 2-year-old child to predict exactly how they’d behave as a teenager? (And thank goodness for that! Imagine if we were all stuck with our toddler personalities forever!) Puppies are the same way. Their brains are still developing, and every new experience shapes who they’re becoming.
Professional trainers see this all the time: “Both good and bad experiences during the puppies first year of life have a major influence on what the adult version of that dog will be.” Testing at 7 weeks is like trying to predict what a flower will look like by examining the seed: you might get some clues, but the real beauty emerges through growth, care, and time.
Choosing up sides
Frequently we hear people say, ‘I want to come and see the puppies in person so I can let them choose me.’ This is not a good idea, and here’s why.
Puppies are babies without any worldly experience at all. Their main focus is eating, sleeping, pooping and Mom. They’re easily distracted. You could visit in the morning and puppy A might be totally enthralled and engaged with you. Come back a few hours later, and puppy A will be napping in the corner, ignoring you completely. But puppy B might decide he’s going to be your new best friend, for now anyway.
Neither puppy ‘chose’ you. A particular puppy just happened to engage more with you at that moment. They simply don’t have the attention span to make a rational decision. And they have no experience in building a relationship outside their littermates.
As far as temperament goes, and predictability, a puppy at 6 to 7 weeks old will have a different personality than he’ll have at 2 years old. (Or next week, even.) Maturing, family bonding, and experience will help his adult self to evolve. Just like children, they come to you as babies. You just can’t usually tell at that age what their temperament will be.
You’re really the one in charge.
So, you are free to tailor it to shape your new family member’s personality and skills as you wish. Want a cuddlebug? Read to him curled up on the sofa (I’m serious! He wants the sound of your voice.). Prefer an outdoor athlete? Take him outside for a rousing game of tag, or a hike, or teach him to track. Need a guard dog? Be careful with this one. There are so many sources of misinformation on how to train for protection that you’ll want to make sure you’re taking the advice that will be best for you and your dog.
With breeds and purpose-bred dogs (hounds and herding dogs, for example), you have a very general idea of what to expect. Specific personality traits, however, are up for grabs. We get requests all the time for certain tendencies. Maybe people want a puppy who is calm at home, but always ready to go kayaking or keep up in a marathon. Sorry, but there’s no way to predict that. You’ll have to take responsibility for steering his temperament in those directions.
However – we make videos of our puppies frequently, so you can watch how they grow. And we post updates on our Facebook page and also our Maple Hill Doodles Instagram page. Follow along!
Whatever you see in your puppy’s future, be aware that as life changes, his path may detour as well. Help him to be able to adjust. When you look at his adorable little face, may it always be looking back at you with love.
