So, when it comes to eight weeks and it's time for the puppy litter evaluation, how do we set out to classify the type of person and family each pup would fit best into?
First, we give each pup a baseline temperament. We base this on a cross-index of two scores in our testing, and the other test results can then influence this score, until we end up with the final rating at the end of the testing. The temperaments are:
A soft dog would never dream of challenging its owner, and will be super-submissive to just about everyone and everything. They are gentle souls who need structure more to build their confidence than to cut off disobedient behavior. The downside is that a truly soft dog that isn’t socialized enough can easily turn shy, so these dogs need to get out and about with low-key, positive socialization. Also, if you are a loud or powerful personality, if someone in your family has issues with anger, or if your home would best be described as “turbulent” don’t ask for a soft dog. A very soft dog put in these circumstances could turn fearful or extremely shy.
This is the all-around easy-going Shiloh temperament, nicely submissive. These dogs would much rather avoid a fight and owners seldom need to discipline with anything other than a raised voice. The downside to this temperament is similar to the Soft but not as extreme. For your dog to be easy-going everywhere, you’ll want to get him out and about, and if you are a very strong or loud personality this temperament may not be a good match for you (or you may need to remember to adopt a gentler or quieter side toward your dog). If you are yourself a more permissive, laid-back and “softer” person, though, this temperament will likely be a better match for you than the harder temperaments.
The extremely well-balanced Medium is seen a lot in our litters and fits a great range of families and personality types. This is the temperament that typically fits great into a busy family with kids, usually a dog that likes people but has enough independence to entertain itself and doesn’t need constantly to be with you. Moderately submissive, the Medium might need gentle reminders that you’re in charge (“But MOM, this smells SO GOOD…are you SURE I need to “come” right now?”) but also isn’t a pushy dog by nature. They often display more natural confidence in themselves and though they require socialization as every Shiloh does, they are typically quick to adapt to new things.
This is a temperament that can “slide” depending on the home it finds itself in. If a Medium is put in a permissive home without structure or boundaries, it can easily go “harder”—if put into a home with an owner who is used to handling harder, stubborn temperaments it may end up more respectful and come off as seeming more submissive than it really is. The LER evaluator can also choose to grade a Medium as “upper” or “lower” depending on if the pup is less or more submissive, sociable, or independent.
If you are used to and enjoy dealing with more independent breeds or have a strong personality, then the Medium-Hard could be your cup of tea. The medium-hard pup usually carries a great deal of independence, bonding strongly to their owner and family but caring not too much about strangers. It takes a little more training and consistency from you to gain their respect. They will take over in an inconsistent or permissive home, so only take a pup of this temperament if you are willing to set the ground rules. With the independence does usually come a fair bit of confidence. Socialization here is important to ensure proper behavior in public.
A “hard” Shiloh is still softer than a “hard” German shepherd. That said, these dogs are only for the owner who is consistent and gives a lot of structure. A good example would be the owner who has come to Shilohs from a breed like the working German shepherd or Shar Pei where they enjoy and are used to dealing with a tough, independent dog. This temperament is probably seen the most rarely in the Shiloh, since we do not breed for it, but it does pop out occasionally. A hard dog will test you, and raising them can be frustrating if you don’t know what you’re in for! Once you have won their loyalty, though, you will have a dog that is absolutely rock-solid.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this run-down of the temperaments! Read on for more information about the way we describe things like sociability and drive, so you’ll know how to describe the perfect pup for you, your lifestyle, and your family.
Read on for "Shiloh Temperament Terminology: How to describe your perfect pup" in part four!
And see also: