# Temperament Test?



## Redux (Feb 6, 2014)

Ok, I didn't know what a test was before today watching YouTube. I just thought the breeder looked at their ears or something. So, do all breeders test these puppies buy testing them in certain categories? Just curious?


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## Sp00ks (Nov 8, 2013)

I can't say all breeders do this... There are a few different test philosophies. Our breeder didn't follow any of these but used her own temperament testing based on experience. She places her dogs to make sure the right dog goes to the right home. We told her what we were after, didn't care male or female and didn't care what color. She nailed it, we couldn't ask for a better pup. He is exactly what we were looking for. 

I hope that helped.


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

Each breeder typically has their own way of "temperament testing" a puppy, some backyard breeders don't do any temperament testing at all and just let people come buy pups on the spot. 

A reputable breeder performs a temperament test to evaluate each puppy and place it in the home is it most suitable for. It is a vital step in the puppy-owner matching process.


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## FirefighterGSD (Jan 20, 2014)

Wild Wolf said:


> Each breeder typically has their own way of "temperament testing" a puppy, some backyard breeders don't do any temperament testing at all and just let people come buy pups on the spot.
> 
> A reputable breeder performs a temperament test to evaluate each puppy and place it in the home is it most suitable for. It is a vital step in the puppy-owner matching process.


Nicely stated and I agree  Sometimes you luck out and after describing everything you're looking for you may have more than one puppy from a litter to pick from (we actually had 3 that the breeder recommended to us). This breeder is different from my first breeder I used 8 years ago and while similar, they did have differences in their testing techniques.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Redux.....reincarnated Harley120R


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

The OP was banned, but the question is still legitimate. 

ADMIN Lisa


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

The past puppies I've bought or received from a breeder didn't have a standard or textbook temperament test, the breeder just knew which ones fit which people based on knowing the lines, the dam (and sometimes the sire too), and having raised the puppies for 8 weeks.


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## FirefighterGSD (Jan 20, 2014)

Liesje said:


> The past puppies I've bought or received from a breeder didn't have a standard or textbook temperament test, the breeder just knew which ones fit which people based on knowing the lines, the dam (and sometimes the sire too), and having raised the puppies for 8 weeks.


How did they fit for you in the long run? , was the breeder dead on with her recommendations? I know some breeders are really good at knowing what you'll get from certain pairings like you said


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

In my male's litter the test was done around 7 weeks of age and the breeder wrote up the assessments and posted them on the yahoo group page along with the puppy/owner matches. 3 yrs later on their birthday some of the litter owners re-read that 7 week old assessment, and it was dead on at maturity with the personality description! And the matches were right on.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

FirefighterGSD said:


> How did they fit for you in the long run? , was the breeder dead on with her recommendations? I know some breeders are really good at knowing what you'll get from certain pairings like you said


So far I got exactly what I asked for with Nikon and Pan. Legend is only 16 weeks so time will tell, but I've enjoyed him more than any other puppy I've owned, fostered, or started for someone else (but I was also sent two puppies, both that fit my criteria but expressed some traits more than others, so I was able to make my final choice). The few puppies I've started raising for other people were not what *I* would have picked but they weren't mine to keep. 

When I got Nikon it was narrowed down to 3 choices based on me wanting a male with a normal coat. I had one in mind and the breeder had one in mind. After spending several hours with the males, I chose the one we both already had in mind for me. I wanted a dog that I could cross train, mostly in agility, and have good conformation for UKC and SV events. My dog has done well at SV shows, is a UKC Champion working on his Grand (very finishable, but conformation is lower priority to me so often I skip shows in favor of other events). He LOVES agility, probably more than anything else. He has high food drive, very easy to freeshape (clear-headed and free-thinking dog), good prey drive, we were able to get a SchH1 with some "High in trial" awards and respectable scores, and he has titles in many sports. So just what I wanted...a nice, healthy, good looking dog that is fairly easy to train and fun to compete with in many sports.

Pan I didn't meet before I picked him up, but gave long descriptions to the breeder of what I wanted and didn't want. She had narrowed it down to two, one larger bi-color male and one medium sable male. When I said I didn't mind a smaller/medium size, I was assigned the sable male. I asked for a social, friendly dog with lots of prey drive and good for sports and IPO. That is exactly what I got. Pan is outgoing, great with strangers and kids, loves to train, he became the fastest flyball GSD in just 6 months of training and now has his IPO3 and will be competing at regionals and a nationals with his new handler.


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## Witz (Feb 28, 2011)

Good breeders assess the puppies as they are growing from birth and some do more formal Temp Testing. The better Breeders use both sets of info to get a general idea of temperament. There are buyers who have owned GSD's and know what they are looking for, but many are first timers working with a breeder. It is the time that a breeder takes to assess the owner and their intentions with the pup that is equally important for a happy match.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

onyx'girl said:


> In my male's litter the test was done around 7 weeks of age and the breeder wrote up the assessments and posted them on the yahoo group page along with the puppy/owner matches. 3 yrs later on their birthday some of the litter owners re-read that 7 week old assessment, and it was dead on at maturity with the personality description! And the matches were right on.


Gryffon is from the same litter, though I wasn't initially in line for a G pup. Gryffon was held back for a possible match up with an owner in Europe, and also because he was showing a lot of variation in his personality, and energy and drive levels, so that the breeder did not feel confident in knowing how he will end up, and thus was not sure that she could assess him well enough to make a good match at that time. I ended up with him when he was six months old after the breeder had more time to assess him and see how he matured, and it was a perfect match. :wub:

A good breeder will rather hold back a pup and wait if they feel that they don't have a good match at the time, even if there are people on the puppy list hoping for a pup.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

My Crested puppies were tested by a local GSD breeder and friend. I use the Volhard PAT testing method - on unfamiliar ground with a stranger giving the test. I feel this, along with what I've seen as the puppies have grown, gives a better picture of the puppies temperaments.

Taking a puppy away from what they are used to and having a stranger interact with them gives, IMHO, a more realistic evaluation of their true temperament.


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## David Taggart (Nov 25, 2012)

Some of these tests are mad, say, they suggest to turn the puppy upside down, pour water on him, and all like that. Study bloodlines of sire and dam yourself. It is easier in Germany because all breeding dogs are checked for intellect first of all, and stable temperament by participating in Schutzhund, they have to have Schutzhund marks, and dog shows garantee their physical health. The breeder must be a participant of a breeding programme carried out not by him, but his club, whether Show or Working line. In order to find a good puppy, you should contact the club, nationwide German clubs have their branches in US. I wouldn't trust American Show line, but American Working line are absolutely brilliant dogs, highly trainable. If you know something quite simple, it would be easy to recognise that or other puppy temperament by watching them for 15 minutes 3-4 times, provided you have a pen and paper.
For avoidance of being fooled by any tests I suggest you to read this:
Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog: John Paul Scott, John L. Fuller: 9780226743387: Amazon.com: Books


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