09/12/2026
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🚨 THE TEMPERAMENT TESTING SCAM! 🚨
I see SO many breeders advertising that they “do not place puppies until temperament has been evaluated.”
Y’all… that is not how temperament works. 👀
Here’s the problem: puppies go through SO many developmental phases that it is impossible to look at a 6, 7, or 8 week-old puppy and definitively say, “Yep, this is their temperament for life.”
They go through fear periods, confident periods, sensitive periods, bold periods, teething, sleep changes, social development, and everything in between.
It would be like looking at a 6 month old baby who is in the middle of teething or a sleep regression and saying, “Yep, we’ve figured out their personality!” 😂
It just doesn’t work that way.
Yes, genetics absolutely play a role in a dog's temperament. But temperament isn't some neat, cut-and-dry box that can be checked off at 7 weeks old. A puppy is still developing, learning, experiencing new things, and figuring out the world around them.
We really don’t see a true depiction of their “self” until at least 1 year old in my opinion. Honestly, from watching my own dogs, their temperament continues to develop until they are about 3 years old.
And here’s something else we don't talk about enough:
Our dogs are a reflection of their environment, their experiences, and often… us.
If you are an anxious person, you can unintentionally heighten your dog's anxiety. If a puppy is raised with limited exposure to new experiences, that can influence how they respond to the world. Training, socialization, environment, handling, genetics, experiences, and maturity all matter.
Puppies change. A LOT.
The confident puppy can go through a fear period. The cautious puppy can become incredibly confident. The quiet puppy can become a complete goofball. The puppy who seems independent at 8 weeks may become incredibly attached as they mature.
There are simply too many variables to treat an 8-week-old puppy like a finished product.
A puppy or dog for that matter, isn't a finished personality. They're a work in progress.
And THAT is why responsible pet ownership doesn't stop at choosing the “right” puppy. It continues with education, proper socialization, appropriate training, and setting the puppy up for success.
