07/08/2026
🧬🐾 HOW IMPORTANT IS A PUPPY'S PARENTS WHEN IT COMES TO TEMPERAMENT?
More important than many people realise.
When choosing a puppy, people often focus on coat colour, markings, eye colour or whether the puppy runs up to them first.
While these things are easy to see, they tell you very little about the dog your puppy will become.
One of the strongest predictors of your puppy's future temperament is the temperament of their parents.
🧠 Behaviour is influenced by both genetics and environment.
Modern behavioural science consistently shows that temperament is moderately to highly heritable. In other words, genes contribute significantly to how a dog naturally responds to the world around them.
Traits with a strong genetic component include:
🐾 Confidence
🐾 Fearfulness
🐾 Sociability
🐾 Emotional resilience
🐾 Aggression
🐾 Startle recovery
🐾 Ability to cope with novelty
🐾 Human focus and willingness to cooperate
🐾 Trainability and motivation to learn
These traits are influenced by hundreds, and likely thousands, of genes interacting with one another, along with the environment in which the puppy develops.
Nature and nurture are partners, not competitors.
🧬 Mum and Dad both matter.
A common misconception is that the mother's temperament is all that matters because she raises the puppies.
In reality, both parents contribute equally to the genetic blueprint inherited by every puppy.
A calm, confident sire can pass those qualities to his offspring just as readily as a calm, confident dam.
This is why responsible breeders carefully evaluate the temperament of both parents before planning a litter.
❤️ Genetics set the potential.
Experiences shape the outcome.
Think of genetics as providing the blueprint for a house.
Early experiences, socialisation, nutrition, health, learning and training determine how that blueprint is built.
A puppy with excellent genetics still needs positive experiences to reach their full potential.
Likewise, exceptional training cannot completely erase inherited tendencies toward fearfulness or anxiety.
This is why prevention is always easier than rehabilitation.
🧠 The prenatal environment matters too.
Research has shown that the mother's emotional state during pregnancy can influence the developing puppies.
High levels of chronic stress hormones, particularly cortisol, may affect the development of the puppies' nervous systems before they are even born.
After birth, maternal care also plays a vital role. Calm, attentive mothers help puppies develop more effective stress regulation and emotional resilience.
Genetics begin the story.
The prenatal environment writes the first chapter.
Early experiences continue the rest.
🐶 So what should puppy buyers look for?
Don't just ask about health testing.
Meet both parents whenever possible, or at the very least, the mother.
Observe how they respond to new people.
Are they confident without being pushy?
Friendly without being overexcited?
Able to recover quickly from unexpected events?
Comfortable being handled?
Relaxed in everyday situations?
These observations often provide valuable insight into the behavioural traits their puppies may inherit.
🌱 At Emerald Park Border Collies, temperament is never an afterthought.
It is one of the most important selection criteria when planning a litter.
Because while good training can develop potential, it cannot completely rewrite genetics.
A puppy born with confidence, emotional stability and a desire to work with people already has an incredible foundation upon which lifelong learning can be built.
When choosing a puppy, don't just look at the puppy.
Look at the parents.
Their temperament may be giving you a glimpse into your puppy's future.
Donna Williams,
Emerald Park Border Collies.
www.emeraldparkbc.com
"My mission is to improve the life of at least one dog today!"
