The Reality of Temperament Evaluations at 8 Weeks Old

You may have seen statements like this:

“Ethical breeders evaluate structure and temperament to make sure the right puppy goes to the right family. You should never pick a puppy based on color or a photo.” 

On the surface, that sounds responsible.

Logically, though, that position is often more about optics than evidence. It is frequently used to project a higher ethical standard without the developmental science to back it up. Is it ethical to present certainty to buyers just to make them feel more informed when that level of certainty does not actually exist?

To put it bluntly... It’s a lie. 

The claim that breeders can definitively assign perfect lifelong temperament matches at 8 weeks overstates what reality supports.

At eight weeks old, a puppy is still in a highly fluid developmental stage. What we, as breeders, can responsibly evaluate is current behavior, general confidence, drive tendencies, and the temperament foundation inherited from the parents. What we cannot do, with scientific honesty, is guarantee exactly who that puppy will become once genetics begin interacting with environment, structure, training, and lifestyle in the forever home.

When a breeder claims they can predict lifelong temperament at 8 weeks, they are presenting a level of certainty that buyers understandably want to believe, but it simply does not exist. That is not advanced insight. That is overconfidence at best and misleading at worst.

To be clear, experienced ethical breeders absolutely should guide families. Parental temperament, early observations, and energy patterns matter. But there is a responsible line between informed guidance and selling the illusion of full predictability. Developmental science and real world outcomes support the same truth: puppies are not finished products at eight weeks.

Research consistently shows that while early temperament observations are useful, long term behavior develops through the interaction of genetics, environment, and ongoing training.

Why This Matters

When buyers are told temperament is essentially fixed at 8 weeks, it creates unrealistic expectations and minimizes the powerful role of the home. The adult dog is shaped by three forces working together: genetic foundation, home environment, and consistent training. No breeder controls all three once a puppy leaves.

Great breeders lay the foundation. Great homes build the dog.

At Raised Right Pups, the most important temperament decision happens long before a litter is born. It happens in the pairing.

If you’ve met us, you know we are obsessive about our parent dogs’ temperaments and pedigrees. We do not breed simply for looks. Our goal is to consistently produce puppies with proven, family-oriented temperaments that are biddable, balanced in energy, and easy to live with. We intentionally aim for litters where puppies can adapt and thrive in a wide range of family homes. What good are the looks if you can’t live with the temperament? 

When we select parents, we are intentionally choosing:

• Stable nervous systems

• Predictable genetics

• Biddable, family-oriented temperaments

• Balanced energy

• Confidence

• Bonds strongly

Transparency is a cornerstone of how we operate at Raised Right Pups. Across our website, GoodDog, social media, and every conversation with buyers, I intentionally provide more information, not less. I know my dogs better than anyone because I live with them every single day. I spend my waking hours observing them, learning their quirks, playing with them, training them, talking to them, understanding what motivates them, and experiencing their true temperaments in real life, not just in staged moments. I know their hearts, their energy, their thresholds, and their pedigrees. Each parent is evaluated for months, often years, before I ever make the decision to breed. That is why it is genuinely frustrating to see well known breeders provide little to no meaningful information about their parent dogs. If parental temperament is truly the most critical factor in predicting puppy potential, then buyers should be shown extensive photos, videos, and honest descriptions of those parents in action. Families deserve to see what they are investing in. When breeders are fully transparent about their parent dogs, families can thoughtfully choose the litter whose foundation best aligns with their lifestyle. That is how informed decisions are actually made. 

By 7 to 8 weeks, what we are observing are early tendencies within an already narrow genetic range, not dramatically different personalities. In well-bred litters, littermates are typically far more similar than different, especially in breeds intentionally developed for family companionship like the Golden Retriever and the Australian Shepherd.

At 8 weeks, what we can observe includes:

• Slightly bolder vs slightly softer tendencies

• Slightly higher vs slightly lower energy

• Recovery from new stimuli

• Confidence and curiosity in that environment

• Eye contact and motivation

What we cannot accurately predict at 8 weeks:

• How the puppy will bond with your specific family

• How your home environment will shape confidence

• How structure, routine, and training will influence behavior

• The final expression of adult personality

Personality develops in partnership with the forever home.

The vast majority of our families are looking for the same core traits: loving, loyal, family-oriented, and trainable. That is why you chose this breed in the first place. But we do not live in your home. We do not run your daily routines. We only know what families share with us. For a breeder to claim we can assign the perfect lifelong match based on a brief 8 week window in time, is completely unrealistic.

If a litter was intentionally paired from stable, proven parents, families are not choosing between a “good” temperament and a “bad” one. They are refining within a carefully built foundation.

Yes, ethical breeders evaluate.

Yes, we observe.

Yes, we guide when appropriate.

But I go further than that. Every puppy is trained, socialized, and worked with one on one to ensure they leave my program prepared to succeed. I do this because I will never pretend to predict lifelong temperament, but I can build the kind of foundation that gives both puppy and family a significantly easier transition and a higher chance of success. We have a lot within our control, but pretending we control everything is not necessary. When breeders do the work where it actually matters, the impact speaks for itself.

But to be blunt- we are absolutely not determining destiny at 8 weeks old. 

The puppy you bring home at 8 weeks will not be the same dog you are raising at 6 months or living with at 6 years. Development does not stand still, it is forever evolving. 

Environment activates traits.

For example- An initially confident puppy that lands in a chaotic home can become anxious. A softer more sensitive puppy in a structured home can blossom into exceptional stability.

Connection does not negate responsibility, and preference does not equal recklessness. Families can responsibly choose the coat color or gender they feel drawn to while still working with a breeder who has done the hard work on the front end.

Part of the joy in choosing your puppy is trusting your instincts. Confidence should come from knowing your breeder has poured their heart and soul into creating a solid, intentional foundation for you to build on.

Because selections are typically made within the first week or two, families get to be part of the full eight week journey, watching their puppy grow, develop, and begin showing early personality along the way.

When families are forced to wait until eight weeks to be assigned a puppy, they often lose the ability to choose the coat, color, or gender they feel most connected to. It will also create a dynamic where buyers feel they are being evaluated rather than supported in the process. Which makes this process less exciting and more anxiety driven because you’re unsure if you will even be chosen this litter, let alone get the puppy you connect with most. 

They also miss the entire first eight week journey, the bonding, the watching, the excitement of seeing their puppy grow from the very beginning. 

Responsible breeding should be transparent and collaborative, not gatekept behind the illusion that one person can perfectly predict lifelong outcomes at eight weeks. Families deserve both honest guidance and a meaningful role in choosing the puppy they are committing to raise.

The idea that choosing based on color automatically conflicts with ethical breeding is an overly narrow and simplistic way to view responsible breeding. Ethical breeding starts with intentional pairings and predictable genetics. What happens at 8 weeks is informed guidance, not a lifelong personality guarantee. 

At Raised Right Pups, we build the foundation through intentional pairings.

We guide families with honest observation.

We educate families on their realistic role in the process of puppy development .

We do not sell certainty. 

Because in the end, the forever home shapes the dog.

References:

Wilsson, E., and Sundgren, P. E. (1998). Behaviour test for eight-week-old puppies, heritabilities of tested behaviour traits and its correspondence to later behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 58(1–2), 151–162.

Fratkin, J. L., Sinn, D. L., Patall, E. A., and Gosling, S. D. (2013). Personality consistency in dogs. PLOS ONE, 8(1), e54907.

American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB). (2008). AVSAB position statement on puppy socialization.