Testing the temperament of a Goldendoodle

Is it true that Goldendoodles can be tested for their temperaments so that you know which puppy would be more suitable for those seeking them?

The answer to that question is yes and no. There are no specific tests available that are one hundred percent accurate. There are tests that are conducted by breeders and trainers every day, but take the results of those tests with a grain of salt. The results are simply the personal opinions of the tester and not to be taken as "gospel".

There are many articles and books that discuss temperament testing for dogs, but I find quite a few of the answers of specific tests absurd. Take for instance pinching the toes of a Goldendoodle's paw!

How many puppies or dogs would calmly pull their paw back if the breeder or person conducting the test was smashing the crap out of it? Even if you are gently squeezing the paws, trying to measure the jerks and yelps from a Goldendoodle, is this an accurate assessment of whether the dog is submissive or aggressive? Even if the tester claims they are only gently squeezing the doodle's paw, who is to say that for the doodle...the squeeze is gentle? If the puppy tries to grab your hand because your hurting it by squeezing too hard, this does not mean the Goldendoodle pup or dog is an aggressive dog. It simply means your hurting the dog's paw. Sometimes when I read an article or book regarding testing the temperament of a dog, I actually laugh aloud at some of the things written and made claim to.

There is no scientific data to support temperament testing. Keep in mind that puppies are like very young children. They haven't been around long enough to be damaged through poor environmental factors. It is my personal opinion that the temperament of a Goldendoodle dog is very dependent upon its ancestral genes. Given a rich history of intelligent, quality ancestors, there is no doubt in my mind these fine traits will be passed on through the gene pool.

Your Goldendoodle's temperament will take shape through its life's experiences, human interactions, how it is cared for and how much attention he or she is permitted to enjoy. If you think about it, the breeder is the very first person responsible for shaping the puppy's temperament. They are, after all, the one who helps breathe life into the puppy's nostrils if they are the one who helps a puppy enter this world. A puppy who is well cared for from birth, will only know one thing: Love.

While puppies will have various traits in their personalities, they will all share the same basic temperament if they come from the same litter. If both parent dogs have a history of well rounded ancestors, you can be pretty sure these same genes will be passed onto the offspring. Personalities will shine through as the puppy begins to explore his or her world. Some may have the same traits and some might be a little different. With Goldendoodles, we know from experience that they can be generalized by coat type, most of the time. As a breeder of Goldendoodles since 1999, we have only seen three distinct coat types occur.

1. Shaggy

2. Curly

3. Smooth

We know from experience that a curly coat Goldendoodle will tend to bark a bit more often than the shaggy or smooth coat. A curly coat Goldendoodle may have a higher drive as well. This is because the curly coat Goldendoodle will pick up more traits of a purebred Poodle. We know from experience that the shaggy coat and the smooth coat Goldendoodle will behave more like the Golden Retriever. They will be more laid back and less exciteable.

Some breeders and trainers claim there are five different temperament tests that can be conducted on puppies and they include 1) dependence versus independence, 2) submissiveness versus dominance, 3) prey drive, 4) retrieval drive, and 5) sensitivity to sound.

Now I am going to disagree with the above tests if these breeders and trainers are talking about an 8-12 week old puppy. I personally provide toys that rattle, jingle and make plenty of noise when our puppies are just 4 weeks of age. When those toys are placed in the center of a litter of puppies, I've literally watched all of the pups grab the toys and begin to play tug of war. One will snatch the toy away, run and growl with it while the others are chasing the ones carrying the toys in their mouths. By no means does this make the puppy who is growling, aggressive or dominent. Just because one puppy will grab a toy first or one puppy will be running with a toy in their mouth while others are chasing it, does not mean the one carrying the toy is more independent than those chasing him or her. Every puppy, if given the opportunity to play with toys at a very young age, will show interest in playing. Our puppies are raised indoors and I usually have the television on the entire time I am working with the dogs. This can be for hours at a time. Young puppies become use to sound and noise if the breeder has music or the television in the background. As the puppies learn to eat, sure some will want to push the others aside so they can eat more. But this issue can be overcome by feeding each puppy seperately. A breeder can teach their young puppies right from the beginning, how to behave during feeding times. This prevents the issue of a puppy growling or having an issue when a child places its hand near a bowl at feeding time or when an adult tries to remove a bowl away from the dog who is eating. If a puppy is taught at a very early age that there is plenty of food around and that there is no need to fight over it, there will never be an issue later on down the road.

The only time I agree that temperament testing is useful is when an adult stray dog is picked up by animal control and they intend to adopt the dog out or if someone rescues an adult dog and perhaps a family with children seek to adopt it. Then conducting some different types of tests to see whether or not the dog is submissive, aggressive, dominent or a biter is very important. It is very annoying to have someone come out and look at a group of puppies and make inappropriate "assessments" of their personalities when they may have only spent the equivalent of 30 minutes watching them. A group of puppies may have been playing for hours before you arrived to view them. Perhaps one or two is more tired because they exhausted themselves during playtime. Just because one might not seem that interested in the individual trying to participate with them, doesn't mean that this is their usual personality. It doesn't mean they don't like the person or don't want anything to do with the person. They might just be checking the person out. Sometimes puppies seem overly eager to play, but it doesn't mean they are "hyper" or "overly outgoing". Puppies will usually go in "spurts" when they are 6-12 weeks of age. They play, play, play and then wear themselves out quickly. Generally a young puppy does more sleeping, eating, pooping and peeing than they do interacting. They are, after all, very much like infants.

Below are just the personal opinions of some breeders and trainers regarding temperament testing:

1. Puppies that readily follow you and come when called have a desire to be with people and are eager to please. This is not always accurate. Even puppies who do not readily follow you, even if you have a treat in your hand, turn out to be very loving adult dogs who enjoy human companionship. I've never met a single dog who wasn't eager to please.

2. Very dependent puppies are more likely than independent puppies to develop behavior problems if left alone all day. This statement is completely absurd. All dogs enjoy human companionship or other canine companionship. If left alone all day, any dog will develop behavioral issues and may become destructive out of bordedom! There is no such thing as an independent puppy. All puppies are dependent on human care; have the need for attention and affection and require supervision through out their day. Goldendoodles are sociable dogs and are considered to be group dogs. They love companionship whether its canine or human. Destructive behaviors occur out of boredom and loneliness.

3. Very independent puppies may be more resistant to learning commands but may still have a strong aptitude for training. Again, this is an absurd statement. I do not believe there is a such thing as a very independent puppy. I believe some puppies may take a bit longer to train simply because the person training them isn't that experienced with training a dog or even owning a dog. Every dog has a strong aptitude for training, given the opportunity to train. Goldendoodles in general are very intelligent dogs and they are quick to pick up on tricks as well as training in the obedience department.

4. Most puppies' behavior falls somewhere between these two extremes. I completely disagree with this statement. Who is this tester anyway?

Here are some common tests that I believe are inaccurate for testing temperaments:

1. Holding a puppy and tipping it on its back to see if it is submissive: It is not common for a puppy to be held up in the air and then flipped on its back. Most puppies will resist this. Many people do not even know how to properly get a puppy on its back, so they will make an inaccurate judgement based on the puppy's response. Now you can sit down on the ground and have the puppy come to you naturally. If the puppy is interested, generally they will come to you and sit near you or even get into your lap. At this point, you can gently push the puppy downward to see if he or she will lay down and then gently roll him or her on its back. If you begin to stroke the belly of the puppy, most will comply. This is not a test to determine whether or not the dog will be dominent or submissive as many breeders or trainers believe. If the puppy decides to begin chewing on your hand or doesn't want to roll over on its back, even if it wiggles a lot, it doesn't mean the puppy is going to grow up to become a dominant dog.

2. Supposed prey drive: Observing a puppy's reaction to a cat. Asking someone to tie a string on a toy and running back and forth to observe the puppy's interest. This test is only accurate on older puppies and I personally do not believe that this tells a buyer whether or not their dog would make a good hunting dog or not. Any puppy who has been taught to play with toys at a very early age, will more than likely chase after a toy. However, again, take into consideration whether or not the puppy is ready to play at the time this "test" begins. Most puppies are interested in cats. Simply because they smell differently and they are unusual creatures to them. Our puppies are raised around cats, so they do not react wildly around them.

3. Determining Prey Drive: Some breeders and trainers believe that they can determine prey drive in puppies if they are easily distracted by sights, sounds or odors. They further believe that if a puppy growls, whines or strains against a leash, that this means the puppy will have a harder time learning to come when called. I completely disagree with this notion. It is my personal opinion that if you register your Goldendoodle in puppy obedience classes right from the start, you will have a very obedient dog when he or she completes all of the training. These opinions are to be taken with a grain of salt and I would surely hope you would not base your decisions to adopt any particular puppy based on the claims made above.

There are quite a few other tests that some breeders and trainers lay claim to but again, their answers to such tests are merely their personal opinions. It is very important to understand that articles about temperament testing are very similar to baby books. Depending upon the authors experiences, personal knowledge, personal opinions, each author will have a different view regarding training, breeding and testing methods. As a breeder for Goldendoodles since 1999, I personally know that many of the articles I come across regarding temperament testing for young puppies is nonsense. All Goldendoodles work out great for families with children of virtually all ages. The Goldendoodle dog is highly intelligent and temperaments for puppies take shape as they age and mature. Make sure to visit our website at http://www.goldendoodleworld.com if you would like to know more about the Goldendoodle dog.

*About the author: Dee Gerrish has been writing about the Goldendoodle dog since 1999. Dee is one of the original founders for the Goldendoodle hybrid for the entire southern region of the United States. Dee Gerrish, of Goldendoodle World, was the first breeder to register the Goldendoodle with a ligitimate kennel club, Universal Kennel.