Here are the top ten things I pay attention to when I temperament test a puppy!

These are a few things I look for when I want clarity about a puppy or dog’s disposition. There is more, and behavior always has to be evaluated in context of the environment, but testing for a few key points sheds light into submission and confidence, level of caution and fear – or lack of it, level of inhibition and self control, motivation, and propensity to bond and be attentive. That is the only preliminary information I need to get a good idea what the pup/dog is all about, and what type of people personality and/or residence dog personality would be a good match.

Eye contact – is the puppy, or dog offering eye contact; looks at me unprompted. I check frequency and duration, and pay attention to pupil dilation, blinking and sclera around eyes. Ideally and whenever possible, especially when assessing an adult dog in a shelter or foster home, I change the environment to determine if I get the same attention around distractions.

Over all body posturing – I check for tail and ear position; if the dog is tense or loose bodied, has an open or closed mouth. Read more about puppy and dog communication signals.


Space – there is a lot of information gathered by observing how a canine uses space. With a puppy, I watch if she is cautiously investigating or boldly marching in. What does she do when I lean forward, into her. If I clap my hands or lower my voice, is she backing up or jumping on me? Does she try to move away when I handle her. I look for the same in adult dogs and again, whenever possible, change the environment. I want to know how does the dog navigates space if there are distractions or a fear trigger.

Motivation – is the pooch motivated, and by what? Dogs hard to motivate are difficult to train. To put it in context, if a dog is not motivated I try to determine if he is shut-down because of fear, or simply not interested. Motivation can be tested for in puppies and adult dogs.


Bonding – what does it take for the dog/pup to follow me voluntarily. I am not talking about food treat bribe following, but level of eagerness to be with me.

Hands-on handling – is the puppy accepting all handling – and I don’t inflict pain when I test for that to see “how pain resistant or forgiving the pup is”, because that is both stupid and unnecessary. I gently touch and stroke all body parts and observe if the pup stays loose and relaxed or becomes excited and hyper, or tense and apprehensive, or fearful and appeasing.


With an adult dog I try to find something that annoys her, again without inflicting pain. For some dogs it is blowing in the face, for others touching the back paws or opening the mouth. Don’t try this yourself, but have a dog expert test for it. Some dogs have surprisingly intense reactions to something people consider minor, or to something adults and children inadvertently and frequently do. It is important information you need BEFORE adopting. Severe reactions are rarely an issue with puppies.

With a puppy, I observe how she moves and interacts with other dogs and littermates. I am specifically observing how persistently she pesters adult dogs and how they react to her, and if she is interested in interacting/sleeping with her littermates.


With older dogs I observe how he moves around other dogs, but more so I watch how other dogs act towards him. Do they lower or raise their bodies, move away, charge up, are indifferent or playful? I watch for overt, but also subtleness in communication. Sometimes I take my own dogs to see how they react around a dog I am assessing. I know them and they are dog savvy, and tell me in no uncertain terms what the pooch across is all about.

How quickly arouses the pup/dog? What does she do when aroused and charged up? How long does she stay charged up? To test for reactivity is important because an overly emotional dog is harder to train and can be difficult to live with – and is the absolute wrong match for a busy household.

The popular advice is to get a puppy or dog that is balanced, middle-of-the-road. The fact is that dogs on either pole – the fearful, shy ones and the exuberant, confident ones, can also make wonderful companions. The problem is when owners don’t know what they are, potentially, up against when purchasing or adopting a puppy or adult. Hiring an experienced dog expert before you buy is an option that can save new dog owners heartache, time and money.