In my consultations with clients on selecting their dogs, I discuss temperament as being very important in their selection. Many times, I hear, “My dog is amazing, but it’s afraid of strangers and needs more socialization.” While in some cases, you may attribute the fear to a lack of socialization, more often than not, the problem is the dog’s basic temperament.
Temperament is genetically determined: it’s a mixture of various drives, nerves, thresholds, and instincts that are naturally passed along. It is not considered something that you can develop or change; it’s just the state of being that the dog is born with. Although the foundations of a dog’s temperament will remain forever, particular behaviors may be modified through training, given a capacity for adjustment in the temperament. For instance, say your dog has very high prey-drive; loves to chase a ball. When properly trained, the dog can learn to accommodate that drive. However, you can know for sure that no training will change the dog’s inherent energy level or its prey drive. Likewise, if the dog simply has a low prey drive and no interest in the balls, nothing in the world could turn that dog into a ball-crazy one by way of training. There is no such thing as creating temperament if it is not there.
A dog of stable and sound temperament will always behave at its best; good or not, it still depends on the environment it is raised in. Unstable or unsound temperament will remain unsteady, no matter how ideal its environment could be. Focusing on the distinction between temperament and personality is important. Personality develops by these interactions, especially with humans. Early socialization and proper handling can help nurture and enhance the dog’s natural temperament, lifting a lesser temperament to its maximum.
While considerations of breed are sometimes a good indication of dog temperament, in the end, it’s all about genetics. For example, Labradors. While they have an excellent reputation of being loving, easy-going, and trainable, it has been known that these very Labradors are sometimes just plain obnoxious—aggressive, anxious, or dominant—all of which can be traced back to poor breeding.
Now, it isn’t because one wishes to fix every dog. But the truth is, not all dogs can be fixed, and that’s quite sadly not in the way we hope them to. Everything begins with temperament, and only a skillful trainer or behaviorist can assist, providing the temperament allows.
When selecting a dog, always consider temperament as your main focus. A well-tempered dog with a good, stable temperament will be predictable, responsive, and easy to train in turn; such a well-mannered pet would be due to training, socialization, and apt surroundings. This is dog training based on temperament, and this is what has been the foundation of every successful undertaking in dog training.
