Puppy aptitude testing

[M. and Mila]

Did you have your puppy temperament tested before adopting him/her ? Fast forward now,how do you think that helped and did your dog grow 'true' to it ?

Would love to hear your stories !

[Tammy and Violet]

Violet was the one sleeping when I came to pick her out of 3 pups ... she hardly would move to let me in the door...sweet little thing .. I thought... .well my 1st pup and seem so mellow.............not true .. the 1st year with her was tough......I love her t odeath now ... I did noy knwo they do these kinds of test though...

[Pat and Traveler]

Trav didn't have temperament testing, but the breeder did say that he was either one of or the most active puppy in the litter.  He was climbing all over us and such a busy, happy little guy.  I think the breeder was wondering if a highly active puppy was the best choice for a retired, first-time dog owner.  lol   He definitely loves to play ball and has a strong prey drive.  He's a lot more active than other dogs we've had visiting here--except for one crazy little puppy.

[Adina P]

Rosco's breeder did temperament testing and he grew true to his testing.  Calm, chill, relatively easy dog.  He was JAWS as a puppy but not a hyper one.  If a breeder knows dogs--like really knows dogs and temperament and is a good judge of the puppies from spending lots of time observing them then she should know how to match pups to families.  But it's hard to know which breeders are *that* good.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Our breeder uses bio sensor testing on the puppies after 7th week, and then matched the puppies with the owners.  We are thrilled with both of ours  ALDs (Charlie is almost 3 and Beau is 14 mos.)  I recently reviewed their tests and was surprised how true to testing they are.  Charlie is totally a people lover and extremely laid back.  Beau is a lover boy, joker and all around fun character. They have the same father, but different mothers.  Their tests were similar but different in three areas and it shows in their personalities.

[Annie Hugie]

I wanted to have our puppy have the Volhard temperament test.  Mostly because I had a friend whose doodle puppy (6mo) was showing signs of aggression like growling.  It was really important to me that I not have a very alpha puppy, or the shyest puppy. I originally wanted a girl puppy, but the girl puppy scored a little high on the aggressive side on the test (she would not let you put her on her back for nothing).  Our puppy Marley was playful and curios, but also submissive...that was just what I was looking for.

Of course he is still only 13 weeks old, but so far he has been sweet, cuddly and easy to train. 

[BG and Gavin]

This is an excellent question and one I don't recall being posted before.  I am looking forward to reading feedback.

[Adrienne]

I had my heart set on Dougie from Day 1 but told the breeder that I would rely on her to make the final decision because I wanted the right fit for my family.  I am soooo glad that she felt that Dougie would be a great fit.  He is curious, loving and can be quite a clown.  He is great with my kids and loves being around people.  He was very easy to train and will do almost anything for FOOD--yes he loves food like his momma, LOL!!  She was spot on with predicting his temperament but I know that bad habits can creep in if I do not continue with his training.  

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

My breeder was spot on with predicting Finn's temperament from observing and interacting with the pups.  He bonded strongly to people, loved to be held more than any of the others, and in general was/is a happy-go lucky gentle guy -- not  shy or aggressive. I don't recall her mentioning any specific temperament testing but she may have done it.  She asked a lot of questions as to what I wanted, lifestyle, etc. and I asked a lot of questions too. It was clear we both wanted a good match and she wasn't letting this guy go unless she was satisfied.   Finn was the only pup left, so I didn't have to choose between pups. I'll be interested in what others have to say.    

[Christy&Riley]

I didn't even know there are formal tests on this. We just saw Riley on a website and thought we would visit since the family was nearby. I've always been rather scared of dogs so I wasn't sure I could handle being a dog owner. The visit was more of a trial run for us than meeting her specifically. We pull up and see this little red body bouncing around in the grass and you couldn't help but love her. I immediately felt comfortable with her mom and Riley didn't nip like other puppies I had encountered so that made me feel better. True test was that she let me pick her up and hold her like a baby on her back. A friend said that is a sign of a good dog so we knew she was a good pick. While her puppy energy drives us crazy at times, she has been really good overall. Incredibly smart, playful but not aggressive, immediately submissive with bigger dogs, rarely barks, cuddly, and VERY cute! :-) Amazing she was the last in the litter of 12 to find a home. We think God was holding her just for us. :-)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test

[Camilla and Darwin]

I did my own informal version of temperament testing when I first went to see Darwin. It seems to have been correct, but that is purely anecdotal, it could be a coincidence, as I wasn't trained to do the test or anything, I just did what I've read about online as useful.

[M. and Mila]

Thank you everyone for the replies,it's been really interesting to read them all.

 

We got our puppy last Sunday and it's been a ROUGH week.To be honest,I wasn't expecting a wild pup,we were prepared for a mellow little girl.Instead,we have a crazy nipper !

 

Mila scored mostly 4s on Volhard test but for sight sensitvity she scored 2.That means, whenever she has something in sight she is a totally different pup and acting like being in a little trance.She wouldn't let go of it no matter what and sometimes that might be my sons feet or t-shirt or pants..you get the picture.

We tried everything:gently remove her from the scene(that won't work because she is snapping continuously at high speed at my hands), tell her to sit(she learned it fast), off, yelping in pain,saying no...nothing works yet,she is so caught that nothing would stop her!

 

Emailed the breeder who seemed very surprised and started being deffensive etc etc, saying that I am the "only unhappy customer" and looking down on us for being so ignorant about puppy care.

 

Well,it seems that performing the test was a privilege she offered and that usually they don't do it,they allocate puppies based on their observations.I have asked for it to make extra sure that we get a laid-back pup and ironically have this happen.It may be temporary,however and I might just be too worried.

 

Please tell me I am wrong and that she'll grow out of it ! I've seen puppies before and I don't recall them being so hyper..when she's at peak she cannot sit still for one second!

She also bit me a few days ago when I was trying to open her mouth and remove some butter package,being worried she may choke on it.The second I pulled it she suddlenly turned her head and with a short,high pitch bark BIT me !! That, to me,is a red flag.This is not how I pictured a labradoodle puppy,i know they are all levels of energy but I've heard so many good things about them that honestly, I am quite shocked.

 

Am I doing something wrong? She had all our love and attention from the very beginning,tug games were not allowed,tried not to excite her and walked her every day regularly..I don't get it, where am I wrong? :(

 

Please help,any advice will be much appreciated!