Temperament And Behaviour - Inherited Or Not? & Puppy Versus Adult

[BT-Argo]

Hi all

Can I ask does a dog inherit their sires and Dam's temperament and behaviour or not?

If a sire has a very bad temperament do their puppies inherit this?

As a follow on question, is it easier to settle a puppy into a new house and raise them to your lifestyle and environment versus an Adult? Apart from the obvious of toilet training, feeding etc are puppies easier to bring into a new home as opposed to adults?

[Rebanne]

Dogs indeed can inherit their parents temperament, good or bad.

As to which is easier to settle into a new home, that's like asking how long is a piece of string. Very much an individual thing based on both dog and people.

[ellz]

Some of the aspects of temperament are nature, some nurture. I'm not sure it is entirely possible to put a definite figure on which is which.

I think a lot of it is in the hands of the person rearing the puppies and how much time and energy they put into their upbringing and suitable socialisation.

I have known of dogs from parents who I would never have even bothered trying to live with which have had absolutely "to die for" temperaments. And I have known of dogs whose parents are the sweetest animals on earth who have had offspring which have been real mongrels.

I have so many people who absolutely adore my boy Roger. They don't seem to understand that he is who and what he is, because of me and the way I treat/train/love him. But if he were in somebody else's hands, he more than likely wouldn't be the same dog because he would then take on a lot of them and what they put into him.

That said, I do believe that you are pushing the boundaries and taking somewhat of a risk, if you don't at least look at and consider the temperament of the parents. Why make a rod for your own back and take on potential problems if you can possibly avoid it?

[SparkyTansy]

There is a genetic inheritance to temperament, yes... but they say they get more from the dam than the sire due to the fact that the bitch raises them and the sire most of the time isn't around...

I take the sire's temperament into consideration as well as the dam, and I believe that puppies can inherit a poor temperament from either parent.

as for the second part of the question, I think it really depends on your own preparation and experience as a dog owner, how "easy" it is to bring a puppy in vs an adult, and the history of the adult. A puppy is a "clean slate" if you like, but you can easily stuff up a puppy.

[huski]

I think a dog's behaviour is reliant on both nature and nurture however, overall temperament is something that is genetic and is there from the day a pup is born. If I had a dog that didn't have what I considered an ideal and desirable temperament for its breed there is no way I would breed it.

[Inevitablue]

Yep, I believe they certainly do. Just like they inherit body shape, head shape ect they also inherit brain wiring. Doesn't mean the dogs are carbon copy in personality, just like there are small changes in body type ect there will be changes in the brain wiring. Never too drastic, like you can't breed 2 little dogs and get a giant puppy. Hence why purebreds are more predictable, you know what genes are likely to be expressed.

The thing about brain configuration, unlike the rest of the body, is that it is plastic - it has the ability to change. Hence why socialisation (good or bad) can change behaviour patterns away from the genetic structure of the brain.

[Salukifan]

Temperament is part genetic, part environment and part socialisation.

Would I buy a pup from a timid or aggressive parent? No way.

I think it's often easier to integrate a pup into your home because you get to start with a relatively blank slate. But pups are a LOT more work early on.

[WreckitWhippet]

I have a bitch that was raised by me, her mother was not raised by my bitches breeder, yet they are so similiar in temperament it's frightening. Thankfully there's no aggression or issues that make for challenging ownership.

[SkySoaringMagpie]

Agree with the other posters. I would not purchase a puppy as a companion if I knew the sire's temperament was very poor. While the bitch has a broader impact because she raises the pups, and sometimes the combination works despite everything, the sire can still hand down things like spookiness and aggression.

Also, with many breeds you don't really get the full picture of their temperament until they mature into adults. I see people with some breeds (mostly hounds, terriers and utility) chatter happily about how their puppy has GREAT temperament and then 14 months later its adult characteristics are coming through unmanaged and they end up with a mess (hounds ignoring everything their owner says, breeds with a historical background in dog fighting "suddenly" getting aggressive with other dogs etc etc).

So in your shoes, if temperament is a big ticket issue, I might be inclined to go for an adult.

[Smartypaws]

I believe temperament is largely genetic and 'behaviour' is a result of temperament, environment and learning. A dog from a dam or sire with a 'bad' temperament is not guaranteed to have a bad temperament themselves, but it definitely increases the risk that it will - and the full extent of that temperament may not be known until the dog reaches maturity.

In terms of puppy or adult, it depends on your circumstance, preferences and requirements. I like to raise my dogs from pups so that I can influence their learning and environment from the get go. But if you get an adult you may get a better idea of the dogs individual temperament.

Edited November 19, 2012 by Smartypaws

[Inevitablue]

I'd be happy with a pup, just do the home work with the genetics side of it, then really put the effort into creating good, positive experiences for the maturing pup. Even if you get an adult dog behaving nicely, put it under enough pressure and it will revert to its genetic component. So why not cover both bases, know what your dealing with genetically, then educate the pup about the world in a smart way.

[Pretty Miss Emma]

I believe that temperament is both geneetic and environment working together.

As for which is easier to bring home, I think that depends on the dog. I got my old girl Emma when she was 9 years old and she settled in to the house and routine within about 2 hours. Kenzie I got as a pup and I found it took her a long time to settle in (a bit different to Em but still felt it took a little while). Hamish also got as a pup and he settled straight away in to my life. So I think it just depends on the dog/pup.

[Vickie]

They can not only inherit from parents but from grandparents as well.

[espinay2]

An example to add to the already good posts. I have two bitches who are half sisters. Same dam and raised in a very similar manner. Bitch 1 is more reactive ( ie showed more extreme startle reflex, particularly during fear periods) and required more careful socialization. She shows traits common in some bitches in her 'family' line. Bitch 2 is very even and steady and has been 'easy'. Shows minimal startle reflex and no real definedfear periods to date. This is a common trait in her sire line and tends to be passed on strongly. So nature has provided this base in the two bitches. Training and socialization has done the rest and bitch 1 does display minimal to no issues under stress now while some in her line who have had less socialisation maintain a degree of nervous reactiveness under certain stress.

Edited November 19, 2012 by espinay2

[mixeduppup]

Torque is very much like her dad, reserved with strangers but calm and friendly and "puppyish" with her family.

[Pretty Miss Emma]

The more I meet Hamish's Dad the more I see of him in Hamish even though Hamish was not raised anywhere near his Dad!!!

[persephone]

If a sire has a 'really bad temperament'

In what way ?

is the dog aggressive, or noisy, or pushy? What were HIS parents like?

Was he born like it ? the breeder should know .

As a general rule, I will not knowingly take on a pup from parents who have aggression/fear issues.

[BT-Argo]

Thanks for all the replies!

Persephone, It is a question as I heard reference of someone talking and raising a point that the sire of this particular dog was an import and that he was a nightmare dog that the breeder sold him. I believe they were talking about whether the now dogs of the sire's litters had the sires temperament or not.

[Tralee]

I've had four dogs, two males and two females.

All four dogs were raised by me from 10 weeks of age.

All four dogs have different temperaments.

Each dog's temperament can easily be corresponded with the environment and socialisation they received.

Each dog had a different environment and where socialised in different ways.

I'm not attributing any of the four dogs temperaments to the parents temperament.

[Christina]

The nature versus nurture debate is always being thrown around. Nature is not always predictable. One can have a family of say 8 children who are different in personality & nature although being raised together by the same parents they may have similar habits, or maybe not.

Same in a litter but the nurture part is not so set as it is a short period usually.

I have known ratbag dogs from lovely parents & the opposite, same with the way they were raised too. Its bits of everything.

To be on the safe side I would not take an aggressive puppy but I may take a timid/shy one as often, unless it is absolutely extreme, this can be a temporary thing or just the kind of day the pup had when you saw it.

Although they may never be the bravest dog that often isn't a really big problem depending on your expectations.

So the answer is sometimes they do inherit it & sometimes they don't. No help really is it.

ETA I have just gone & read the thread Could People Think You Abused Your Dog :laugh: Read it & that will tell you about nature versus nurture, not.

Edited November 19, 2012 by Christina