Hi all
with all the questions that are posted on the board about bad temperament and all the info and recommendations given out about buying from reputable breeders I wondered what experience board members had had .What I mean is if you've had a dog with a dodgy temperament did you buy from a reputable source or was it from a pet home,one off litter/puppy farm etc or was it from a well known breeder??
Just trying to prove/disprove(in a small way!!) the theory of temperament/breeding conections.
Archer

I have had a Lab that came from one of these multi breed outlets, and she turned out to be a lovely girl, but very nervous, and a friend of mine has a Lab from the same place who is a lovely example of a chocolate loony! I have also had a dog from very reputable breeder and found her to be aggressive, nervous and under socialised :( by far the best dog I have had temperament wise has come from a home environment where the time was taken to get the pups used to all the sights and sounds of a busy household and he has gone on to be a very even tempered adult, who is phased by little, very tolerant of all, and a pleasure to own. :D

Grace

Hi Archer

The only dog I ever had that was dodgy was a cross GSD and SBT bitch. She came from a haulage yard where the owners pet staff had caught one of the GSD bitch guard dogs that was in heat.
My APBT came from drug dealers who bred dogs for aggression and she had the most level temp I have ever seen in a dog. These two dogs became really close to each other and never had a fight in the seven years they were together.

regards Mick

I suppose you get wrong 'uns even from good breeding just like with people
Lel

Up until 8 months ago i worked in a boarding kennels before going on to work with protection and detection dogs.
At the boarding kennels we also breed gundogs, my lab was from my favorite bitch there, as my mum is a foster carer (and living at home is so much cheaper) we needed a dog that would be good with the children. Tess came home at 8 weeks old and was pulled about something cronic by the kids, as a result she has the best temperament ever with kids, she is typical lab with adults biosturos and turning the odd deaf ear to commands, when the kids are around she is like part of the furniture she doesnt move until the kids tell her to or if she wants her belly rubbed and she knows theyll always do it, she wins them all round with her hi five and begging.
when tess was a year old we got our springer bitch we done everything exactly the same as we did with tess (the kids dont do the pulling around by the way) unfortunely one day she bit one of the children through no fault of her own, but 5 mins later she bit her again, she never broke the skin, but obviously a dog that bites and a foster carer dont mix, we rehomed with my brothers fiances brother in manchester, she was spoilt rotten being the only dog with three adults in the house, but unfortunely after being there for 6 weeks she bit a friend of theirs little boy, she came back, to cut a long story short, we took her to the vets, he said she was mad, two choices, either find a working home or have her PTS, army refused her said she was bombed out (gone in the head) didnt work out with the prison service either (they also said she was mad and that they had never met a dog like her before) they rehomed her with an exhandler of theres, she is now a single dog no kids, and she has ten acres of land.
Sorry for rambling
our pup jack our sprocker (related to our springer) came from my current work place he is a little more reserved than our springer but then he wasnt raised by his mum, (she developed mastisis when the pups where 2 weeks) so he has no doggy manners and doesnt know how to behave like a dog, as mum wasnt there to help reassure new experinces are scary.
The funny thing is about jack is that they were in a kennel next to the biggest GSD you ever saw (Ive got to carry this dog for my exam) but he and the rest of the litter are quiet and when a dog barks, they are even more quiet no barking at all (its bliss or untill he learns to bark any way)
sorry for the long winded reply
tanya

We are VERY CAREFUL to only breed from bitches with stable, outgoing temps, and pick dogs with the same sort of nature (actually, most of the matings we do are to our own dogs anyway). In all the years I have been breeding American Cockers I have had 1 litter of pups with unsattisfactory temeraments. This was the bitches 3rd (and last litter) she was a sweet natured, laid back individual (too laid back to show!) the dog was a bouncy, friendly youong man, and this was about his 3rd litter. While in the nest the pups seemed normal, friendly, cuddly, not overly nervy. At 8 weeks they went to pet homes (none good enough to keep to show). They had all been well socialised and handled. At 12 weeks the new owners started calling for help and advice, each pup seemed to be turning nervy, uncertain and at times verging on hysteria. I took 2 of the pups back, 1 was rehomed with a family with a springer and no kids - still prone to hysterical outbursts but much loved. The dog puppy was homed with a young couple who did a lot of training and socailising, he is happy and confident with just them but still very wary of strangers. The other 2 stayed in the original homes, and are much loved, but have fear responses way beyond just being wimps, neither can be let off leads in public, as both tend toward agression to mask the fear.
I had to refund the purchase price of these pups, and gave as much suport and help. I have no idea why they turned out this way, but as it developed in all 4 at about the same time, and well after they were seperated from each other I can only presume it was some sort of genetic predisposition.

Interestingly, the dog has gone on to sire several more litters, several pups are winning well in the ring, and absolutely no reparts of nerviness from any of the pups. The bitches first 2 litters had outstanding, outgoing natures (and produced several very nice show quality pups). This was obviously one of those cases where the genes just did not work together.

And just for a little background, re you original question, the pups were (as are all mine) raised in the home, from a much loved bitch I had bred myself, who was by our own dog. I still have her grandaughter, and 2 of her great-grandaughters have just debuted in the ring to rave reviews - they are outgoing and utterley adorable, not nervy in any way.
bye
Gwen

Hi

I have a lab x who has been abused badly in the past and he is very nasty to people and when he is tired it is best to leave him alone!!!!!!!
I also have a rotti who is not nasty but does not have the best temperment, she was from a back street breeder. I didn't know any better at the time.
I have 3 labs I have brought in all with outstanding temperments and all from good breeders.
Then I have a rotti brought from a good breeder with an outstanding temperment and 4 labs I have bred myself, all with excellent temperments.
I feel very strong that temperment is down to the handling in those early days with the breeder and socialisation.

Isnt it sad though when dogs are bred for aggression ?
:(
Lel

hi,
my first Shih Tzu was from show parents and it took me a while to get to know the people before i got my bitch.She is very lady-like and struts around the house,loves to meet everbody when we are out but can go in huffs very easily (especially when bath time and daily groomong).
My second Shih Tzu i got as a companion for my bitch(and myself) could'nt get from a show home at the time so since i dont show my Shiddie's i got him from a kennel.I saw mum and the rest of the litter of boys and so picked him and everything was fine until a chew was on the scene.
He would guard over it and would snap at you even if you were only walking by.
I just refused to give him a treat until he grew out of it,now he is so laid back...loves being groomed ....will sit for hours at a time...loves to be as close as possible to you......but i thinf there must be some bad point to buying from kennels and from show homes ....
ther is no saying how we ourselves turn out....all the love in the word and all the best intentions dont come with a guarantee...........
genetic faults can come from both show and kennels as inbreeding or improper matches result in faults sometimes and how can you prevent something that you cant determine will happen.......

All my dogs are so individual that they all have faults.........NOBODY IS PERFECT 100% OF THE TIME......

hi,
my first Shih Tzu was from show parents and it took me a while to get to know the people before i got my bitch.She is very lady-like and struts around the house,loves to meet everbody when we are out but can go in huffs very easily (especially when bath time and daily groomong).
My second Shih Tzu i got as a companion for my bitch(and myself) could'nt get from a show home at the time so since i dont show my Shiddie's i got him from a kennel.I saw mum and the rest of the litter of boys and so picked him and everything was fine until a chew was on the scene.
He would guard over it and would snap at you even if you were only walking by.
I just refused to give him a treat until he grew out of it,now he is so laid back...loves being groomed ....will sit for hours at a time...loves to be as close as possible to you......but i think there must be some bad point to buying from kennels and from show homes ....
there is no saying how we ourselves turn out....all the love in the word and all the best intentions dont come with a guarantee...........
genetic faults can come from both show and kennels as inbreeding or improper matches result in faults sometimes and how can you prevent something that you cant determine will happen.......

All my dogs are so individual that they all have faults.........NOBODY IS PERFECT 100% OF THE TIME......

Hi All
I have 2 Siberian Husky boys, and although their temperament is good (well for Sibes, you know, love everyone, lick everyone to the point if disolving and eat anything not nailed down and some things that are!!!)
I found it intruiging that they have such differing personalities. The eldest is much more "hyper" than the other, won't lie diwn in the car, takes ages to settle down when they come into the living room for a cuddle and is generally more outgoing. The other is much more laid back, to the point of having to wake him up to go into the ring at shows! The hyper one has a lot of the "racing" lines in his pedigree, while the other one has more in the way of "Show" lines. If I had done more research all those years ago I might have waited to find a dog from another breeder, but then I wouldn't have decided that a second dog might help to calm him down (it didn't!) And I would'nt have my 2 lovely boys!

Lynn & the boys