Why We Temperament Test Our Puppies (And Why You Should Choose a Breeder Who Does)
One of the most important things we do at Sunset Retrievers is temperament testing. While health testing is essential for producing healthy puppies, temperament testing helps us better understand each puppy’s unique personality and place them in the home where they are most likely to thrive.
We perform temperament testing between 6 and 7 weeks of age, which is why we schedule our Puppy Picking Day when the puppies are a little older. Many breeders allow puppy selections much earlier, but there is a reason we wait.
At 6-7 weeks, puppies have developed enough socially and neurologically for us to get a much clearer picture of who they are becoming. Temperament testing performed too early is simply not as accurate because puppies are still developing rapidly. Waiting allows us to gather more meaningful information that can help guide families toward the puppy that best fits their lifestyle and goals.
If you are searching for a breeder, one question we encourage you to ask is:
“Do you temperament test your puppies, and at what age?”
The answer can tell you a lot about how much thought and effort goes into placing puppies in the right homes.
What Does Temperament Testing Tell Us?
Temperament testing helps us evaluate a variety of traits, including:
- Confidence
- Human focus
- Social attraction
- Recovery from surprises or stress
- Energy level
- Problem-solving ability
- Sensitivity to new environments
- Adaptability
While no test can predict a puppy’s future with 100% certainty, temperament testing gives us valuable insight into each puppy’s natural tendencies.
Why Is Temperament Testing So Helpful?
Many families come to us looking for a puppy with specific qualities.
Perhaps you’re hoping for:
- A future therapy dog that can visit schools, hospitals, nursing homes
- A service dog prospect
- A puppy that is especially patient and gentle with children
- A confident companion for an active family
- A calmer puppy for a quieter household
These are all traits we can begin evaluating in young puppies. Temperament testing allows us to identify puppies that may naturally excel in certain roles and helps us guide families toward the best match.
Rather than choosing a puppy based solely on color, gender, or who happened to walk over first, temperament testing helps us focus on what truly matters, finding the puppy whose personality best fits your family.
More Than Just Puppy Placement
Temperament testing isn’t only helpful for our puppy families, it also plays an important role in our breeding program.
When we are selecting a future keeper puppy, temperament is one of the factors we evaluate carefully. We are always looking for dogs that possess the qualities we want to preserve and pass on to future generations.
By evaluating temperament at a young age, we can make better decisions about which puppies may be the best representatives of our breeding program in the future.
The Goal: Better Matches, Happier Families
At the end of the day, temperament testing helps us do what matters most: create successful matches between puppies and their families.
Every puppy is an individual. By taking the time to evaluate each puppy’s temperament and waiting until the puppies are old enough for those evaluations to be meaningful, we can provide families with guidance that goes far beyond simply choosing a puppy based on appearance.
The result is happier families and puppies that are set up to thrive in the homes that are right for them.
That’s why temperament testing is such an important part of what we do, and why we believe it’s something every prospective puppy owner should ask about when choosing a breeder.