# Different lines...different temperaments?



## momofthree (Apr 9, 2011)

I was reading an old thread last night, and someone commented that a show breeder's dogs would have a different kind of temperament than a dog bred to be a "companion dog" .The person, and I don't even remember who it was now, was saying that if someone is buying a dog to be strictly a family member, it would be better to get one bred for the purpose of being a companion. No one commented further about it or explained it, so my curiosity remains. 

Do show dog lines tend to produce a certain type of personality/temperament? Would that temperament sometimes be at odds with the sort of dog a family would want ( not high-strung or overly excitable, cuddly, affectionate, calm, good with kids, non neurotic, etc) 

Would a family with kids do better with a puppy/ dog bred to be a companion/ therapy dog, or would it matter? I'm thinking it would have more to do with the temperament of the individual puppy, and that you'd have various "kinds" within the same litter, right? 

And, really, how many reputable breeders only breed only for "companion" dogs, anyway? It seems like part of being a responsible breeder is "proving" your dogs by showing, agility, or obedience, right? so, usually, wouldn't a show breeder be a family's best bet for a dog with good temperament and health??

Anyway, this is stuck in my brain, and I thought I'd come here and ask for 
thoughts. Maybe some breeders will weigh in? Hope it all makes sense! Thanks in advance.


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

I don't know about about that. Carley is out of show line dogs that go way , way back ! And there could not be a better pet on the planet. She is a 50lb lapdog!


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## momofthree (Apr 9, 2011)

That's exactly what I'm hoping for in a dog, Carly's mom! But, I don't have much real life experience with Spoos, and wanted to explore the topic. Thanks for your response.


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## PoodlePowerBC (Feb 25, 2011)

I sooo do not agree! I believe that Show dogs are Beloved Pets with great conformation and beautiful hair-dos. They have to be around other dogs, all kinds of other dogs at every show, and they would have to be fairly well behaved, wouldn't they? And if you find a good breeder, not puppy mill, the moms and dads live with their owner/handler, right? And with a reputable breeder, the parents are health tested as well as temperament tested. 
I believe buying from most backyard breeders you will NOT have the health and temperament testing and you could be in for a road of hurt in the long run. And I believe I speak from experience. Our last boy was from a "reputable" BYB that advertized pet stock only, great temperament but little or no health testing. He was wrought with health issues from 3 months to his demise at under 6 Years old.
Please do your research  Any good breeder will match the puppy with your needs as best they can...


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

I agree. Good breeders will temperment test them and match the pup to the new owner as best as possible. Within every litter will be a variety of personalities. Many show dogs are pretty 'on' most of the time, but they are usually great dogs, too. Find a breeder you like, see the dogs and their personalities. There is no perfect dog, but temperment is important to a show breeder, too.


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## momofthree (Apr 9, 2011)

*That's awful!*

I am so sorry, Poodle Power! 

How awful that you had to go through the pain of that with your last dog. That is exactly the sort of thing I want to avoid. I would not consider any breeder who did not do all the reccomended testing. 

To clarify, I didn't think what the poster said was 100% right, but I don't know much about poodle breeding...so wanted to make sure there wasn't something I was missing.

It does make sense what Outwest said about there being all kinds of personalities in a litter, and that a good breeder will match your families needs/ lifestyle with the right pup. 

I hope this isn't a dumb thread I started! I just needed to process out my question about what I read, and didn't know who else to ask! 




PoodlePowerBC said:


> I sooo do not agree! I believe that Show dogs are Beloved Pets with great conformation and beautiful hair-dos. They have to be around other dogs, all kinds of other dogs at every show, and they would have to be fairly well behaved, wouldn't they? And if you find a good breeder, not puppy mill, the moms and dads live with their owner/handler, right? And with a reputable breeder, the parents are health tested as well as temperament tested.
> I believe buying from most backyard breeders you will NOT have the health and temperament testing and you could be in for a road of hurt in the long run. And I believe I speak from experience. Our last boy was from a "reputable" BYB that advertized pet stock only, great temperament but little or no health testing. He was wrought with health issues from 3 months to his demise at under 6 Years old.
> Please do your research  Any good breeder will match the puppy with your needs as best they can...


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Of course it is not dumb! All of us want a dog that fits our lifestyle. If a cuddler is what you want, a cuddler you should have.  My dog gives hugs. There isn't much better than a poodle hug.


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## petitpie (Nov 16, 2011)

Certainly not a dumb thread. Take several months and consider everyone's advice here carefully. They will help you think clearly about how to choose a poodle puppy.


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## PoodlePowerBC (Feb 25, 2011)

outwest said:


> There isn't much better than a poodle hug.


I totally agree! :hug-left::love2::hug-right: 
And it is not a dumb thread ... I have heard it before regarding Show Breeders dogs, and have learned a lot on this forum!


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## NOLA Standards (Apr 11, 2010)

Maybe the comment was show _*dogs*_ are not always the best pets???

Show dogs can have stronger temperments - I usually say think "toddlers n tiaras" (though some of that behaviour is on the parents!)

That said, all my Krewe, from my oh so glorious Lombardi to my beautiful Annie and the fiesty, playful B, are wonderful companions, each filling my life with their unconditional love and affection.

Tabatha
NOLA Standards


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## 3dogs (Nov 3, 2010)

This is not dumb at all. I think you just have to research the different breeders. There are good ones, there are o.k. ones, ones that are good people but know nothing about breeding, & then there are the money grubbers.
What you need to do is make a list of characteristics that you want in the parents of your pup & the ones you don't. For me size was important & I really didn't want a large Spoo. I did research but I also in no way wanted a puppy. I went the Rescue route with my list of what I wanted in my Poodle. Luckily they had what I was looking for, even though I was looking for a large mini I found a small Spoo so there was comprimise.

If you want a calmer pup then don't go looking at breeders that do field trials or hunt with their dogs. You might avoid Agility breeders but instead look for someone that breeds Therapy dogs. You might decide an older dog without the annoying puppy attitude is what you want. Then you need to research rescues as well. It does take time but with research & questions to those of us that have gone several different routes you will find what you are looking for. Neither of my Poodles come from "tested" lines, or from any breeder that would be considered "ethical" but both of mine are fantastic & are loved dearly.


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## spoospirit (Mar 10, 2009)

_This is certainly not a dumb thread! You posed a serious question that deserves comment.

We have four CGC certified adults and of those we have there Delta Health Society Pet Partner certified dogs (2 bitches and 1 dog.) We bred one of our therapy bitches last year to an AKC champion stud who has character plus. He was finished as a puppy. Although he is a very happy-go-lucky fellow with a great attitude for the show ring, he also is a well mannered dog with a sweet temperament and a perfect family pet. Our puppies ran the gamut from our laid back therapy dogs to being like their daddy as true characters and full of fun. All of them went to families who found them to be the perfect family pet. 

You will always have a variety of personalities in a litter; but you want to maintain a good temperament that is according to the poodle breed. Some will make great show ring prospects being sassy, showy and very confident while others will be more suited to therapy work being calmer and more sensitive to people and some will be better for something in the performance fields with lots of energy and a love to work. But, they all have to have good temperaments. It is a part of any good breeding program to breed for good temperament.

It is the breeders duty to know their puppies and place them in the proper home that matches their personality to their new owners needs. 

Any poodle that demonstrates what we refer to as not being sane in the show ring is not a good thing as well as any poodle who lacks confidence and develops any type of aggression issues is not acceptable. It is very, very important to choose mating pairs that will pass on good temperament in their offspring._


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## WestCoastSpoo (May 11, 2011)

It is my experience that although there are different personalities in a single litter, there can be even more differences in lines. For example, Huxley (like his dad) is a HUGE cuddle bug! He LOVES hugs and will lean into you for more, put his neck around my arm and "squeeze" in his own type of hug and flop onto of the kids laps (he weighs about 15lbs more than my 2yr old but thinks hes a lap dog). The home that Huxley's brother (who is also a big cuddler) went to had a beautiful white male poodle who was sweet and kind but NOT a big cuddler. He would tolerate a hug but stepped away pretty quickly. I'm not saying that's bad, it's just a different personality and that white dog was behaving the same way his parent's behaved (just like Huxley and his brother inherited some kind of snuggling gene)  So I think it's VERY important to meet a puppy's parents and talk a lot to the breeder about the temperaments of his/her dogs (and be honest with yourself about what you want - I really wanted a snuggly dog and one that would be a good therapy dog so that's what I spoke to the breeders about when I was looking for a pup - both Huxley's parents are therapy dogs).


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## momofthree (Apr 9, 2011)

Thanks, WCS, I really want a cuddler, and would be kind of dissapoionted if the dog we ended up getting was more aloof (although we'd love it and keep it) , so that is very good advice to do a lot of talking to the breeder about the personality of the parents, to try and make sure we are getting a good fit for us, and for the dog, too! 

Spoospirit, I've been thinking I have been thinking I want to get the canine good citizen training ( I think that's the right term?) so that the kids and I can take our dog to local retirement homes, etc. , so maybe I should ask the breeder about whether there are many " therapy dogs" in the lines, too?


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## Sookster (Apr 11, 2011)

CGC and Therapy are two different things, though the CGC is a good first step toward becoming a therapy dog. 

The CGC, or Canine Good Citizen, is a test you take to prove that your dog is a well-behaved member of society. To become a Therapy dog, you also have to pass certain "tests" which are usually very similar to the CGC. A TD title enables you to take your dog out for therapy work, to nursing and retirement homes, hospitals, etc.


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## PoodlePowerBC (Feb 25, 2011)

*You can force them *



momofthree said:


> I really want a cuddler, and would be kind of dissapoionted if the dog we ended up getting was more aloof (although we'd love it and keep it)



Russell was not a cuddler at first ... now he has no choice sometimes! He is most cuddly when it's dinner time ... but I can hug him anytime now and he just seems to be resigned to it! It just takes persistence.:grouphug:
Now our last Spoo was a total cuddler. His father was a Duck hunting Spoo, and his mother was SAR ... go figure


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## stealthq (Aug 4, 2011)

NOLA Standards said:


> Maybe the comment was show _*dogs*_ are not always the best pets???


That would make sense to me. A friend of mine has a doberman that is still actively showing. He himself is not the breeder or handler, but they are local so the dog spends 99% of its time with him, rather than spending the time with the handler. 

He was instructed not to correct the dog ever, in order to maintain the greatest level of enthusiasm and 'spark', which he has done. The dog is incredibly sweet and has a great overall temperament, but he is absolutely obnoxious because he has zero boundaries. If this practice is at all common, I can see why some show dogs (at least while showing) would not make a good pets.


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## momofthree (Apr 9, 2011)

Hmmmm, that's interesting. Maybe that is what the poster was meaning.


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