Temperament Tests for Cavapoo Puppies
Imagine this. A young couple walks into our kennel. Within two minutes, they have fallen in love with the Cavapoo puppy that has the most beautiful apricot markings and the sweetest teddy bear face. This is THE ONE, they say. We spend the next hour or so talking with the family, going over all the puppies’ personalities and how each dog may or may not fit different lifestyles. In the end, this couple leaves with the Cavapoo puppy, who had the quietest, gentlest disposition, one we know will thrive in their small apartment.
Fast forward three months, and we get an email from this couple: “Thank you so much for all your help and advice, we love our puppy more than we can say, he was absolutely the perfect match for our family.”
Stories like this are more common than you might think here at Blue Diamond Cavapoos. Everyone is prone to pick the puppy in the room with the best markings and the cutest face (check out our litter photos sometime, and you will see what we mean!). But what does a beautiful coat or cute teddy bear face tell you about whether that puppy will be the one to fit best into your family and your life? A gorgeous puppy with the personality that doesn’t have the personality to match your family, your lifestyle, or your expectations is going to cause frustration for you, that puppy.
At Blue Diamond Cavapoos, we have found that the best way to ensure a good match between the perfect puppy and the perfect family is temperament testing and taking the time to get to know each puppy as an individual, just as we take the time to get to know each and every one of our potential families.
Why Personality Matching is Important for Cavapoos
Cavapoos are an amazing breed that have found a loyal following worldwide. As a designer breed, the Cavapoo is a beautiful cross between the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Poodle, typically inheriting the best qualities of both breeds. They have an affectionate and gentle temperament, intelligence, and a relatively low-shedding coat. The majority of Cavapoos are happy, loving dogs who thrive when they are part of a family. They are also adaptable and want to please their owners, so most do well with a little training and an owner who will set boundaries.
However, as with any puppy, there can be a range of personalities even within the same litter. The outgoing puppy who wants to explore the world from the minute she is old enough is there, as is the puppy who waits patiently at your feet for you to be available for some quiet companionship. There are puppies with seemingly boundless energy and playful drive, as well as puppies who prefer a more relaxed existence of being a couch potato. The personality-matching process is important, in part, because of the range of individual Cavapoo puppy personalities.
Matching each puppy to the right family is how we help ensure that each puppy has the greatest chance to be the best dog they can be. No matter how wonderful a breed, a Cavapoo whose temperament and personality don’t match the family and lifestyle of the home he or she will be moving to, won’t be a success. By conducting temperament testing and working with each family to find their ideal match, we aim to set each puppy up for a lifetime as a beloved family member.
The Cavapoo Breed Itself
Before getting into the ins and outs of our matching process, we want to take a quick look at the Cavapoo breed itself to provide context for why we take temperament and personality matching so seriously.
Cavapoos are a popular breed for many reasons. One of the biggest factors is their temperament. They have an affectionate, gentle nature and most love nothing more than being included in the family. Most Cavapoos do well with children, adults, the elderly, and other pets. They also tend to adapt fairly well to a range of living situations, from small apartments to multi-acre properties, as long as they are not left alone for hours each day. As we mentioned above, Cavapoos are not a demanding breed when it comes to exercise. They do enjoy walks and playing with their people, and, with their desire to please, they will do fairly well with an owner who will train them and set some ground rules. That said, you are still likely to find a range of personalities within the same litter of Cavapoos. From your most outgoing puppy who greets every visitor with abandon to the laid-back soul who is happy to observe the comings and goings from a safe distance. You will find a puppy in each litter who lives to play and run, with an endless appetite for fetch games and active play, and a puppy who is content to take a gentle walk with you, then spend the rest of the day relaxing with you. That is why understanding each individual puppy and finding each puppy the right home is the best way to ensure that all the puppies are as successful as possible in their new homes.
What We Learn by Watching Each Cavapoo Puppy
Our Temperament testing starts as soon as the puppy is born. It doesn’t just start when a puppy is 7 weeks old, and it is time for our trainer to come in and do the official temperament testing. As our puppies are born, before their eyes even open and when they are still too young to do much more than eat, sleep, and poop, we start making observations of the litter. Even at this young an age, there are differences among puppies, and some of those differences can give you clues about their future personalities.
We notice the puppies who are already bossing their siblings around to get to the best milk bar stations, and those who patiently wait their turn. We observe which puppies reach out to our hands and fingers to be touched and which puppies appear more than happy to remain in their own space. As our puppies grow up and become more mobile and interactive, we watch how they play. We learn which puppies generally take the lead, starting games and adventures, and which prefer to observe from the sidelines for a while before deciding to join in.
By the time the puppies have reached seven weeks of age, we already have a head start on getting to know each puppy. This basic knowledge of each puppy then lays the foundation for their temperament testing. In some cases, the temperament tests may give us an even clearer picture of a puppy’s personality, but sometimes they can also show us things that we did not even realize about each puppy. For example, a puppy who was bold from birth may be more reserved during temperament tests, while a quiet puppy may be more outgoing than you may expect. Together, these observations of puppies from birth and temperament testing form the most complete picture we can get of who each puppy is.
Temperament Testing at 7 Weeks Old
When our puppies are around 7 weeks old, we have our trainer come to the farm to conduct temperament testing on each Cavapoo puppy in the litter. This is serious business, and that is why we do not do it ourselves; instead, we hire a professional dog trainer to objectively assess each puppy in the litter.
Our trainer works through a range of exercises with each puppy, designed to reveal each dog’s true personality.
Another part of temperament testing is social attraction testing. It determines how the puppy responds when an unfamiliar person approaches. Noting whether they run to the person as soon as they come into sight, whether their tail is wagging, or whether they stand back and take the time to assess the situation before coming up to them? They might even back off entirely and just observe from a distance. Each puppy’s reaction to an unfamiliar person in their space reveals something about their social confidence and approach to the world.
Unpredictable Sounds and Surprises
Our trainer will also work with each puppy on responding to sudden sounds and other surprises. They may surprise the puppies with unexpected sounds or sudden movements and watch how each puppy responds. A more confident puppy might be a little startled at first, but will quickly recover and approach the source of the noise with interest. A more sensitive puppy might take more time before feeling comfortable enough to explore something that has surprised them. This type of testing reveals how each puppy might respond to the little unexpected things that will happen in their life as a pet.
Handling Tests
The trainer will also test each puppy on how they respond to being handled. Puppies react differently when their paws are touched or their ears are checked. They also have different personalities when it comes to being held or restrained. A puppy who is more submissive by nature is likely to relax and calm down quickly when handled and will probably be well-suited to homes with young children or first-time dog owners. A puppy who is more independent and spirited may wiggle and work to free themselves from being restrained or from a stranger handling them. This type of puppy might appeal to some but be a challenge for others.
All these types of tests are designed to reveal as much as possible about each puppy’s core nature and personality. Our trainer will also evaluate each puppy for traits such as prey drive, retrieving instinct, problem-solving, and more. All this information helps us understand which puppies are likely to enjoy certain activities and which will need more mental stimulation to stay happy and content.
Once temperament testing is complete, our dog trainer writes a complete puppy description for each puppy in the litter. This helps people who are viewing our available puppies online pick one that better fits their lifestyle before reserving.
Matching Puppies with Families
By now, we have a good understanding of each puppy’s temperament, personality, and strengths. However, that is only part of the process. We also take the time to get to know each family who is looking at a litter we have as well as we can, gathering as much information as they are willing to share about themselves, their lives, their expectations for their new puppy, and so on. We want to understand the type of home and environment this puppy will be going to and see if there are good matches or potential issues we can help the family address before they make their choice.
We want to understand all of the logistics of the new home. Do you live in an apartment or a house? Do you work outside the home, and if so, how many hours a day will your new puppy be home alone? Do you have young children? How old? Are there other pets in the home? We want to understand not only the nitty-gritty details of your home life and situation, but also your preferences and ideas for your new puppy. Are you looking for an adventure buddy or a snuggler to relax with in the evening? Do you want a puppy who is hyper-aware of everything that is going on around them, or one who is happy to go about their business, maybe barking when you really want them to? Are you looking for an independent puppy or a puppy who will follow you around like your own shadow?
Once we have all this information about your family, we sit down with our information on each puppy and begin matching puppies to families. We start looking for the signs that this is an ideal match. The busy young professional who spends much of the day in an apartment is paired with the calm, adaptable puppy who scored high on handling tests and is more laid-back. The large family with three young children and a busy, active household may be matched with the confident, playful puppy who scored highly in resilience during the temperament tests. The older couple who want a companion for their retirement years is matched with the puppy who scored highest in social attraction and demonstrated calm, affectionate behavior throughout the test.
When there is no ideal match available from a litter, we often suggest waiting for a future litter rather than choosing a puppy who might be the one they first see but whose personality is likely to create problems for the family later. Our clients who are willing to wait for the perfect match are the ones who always report being the happiest with their puppy once it gets home. This is in large part because they have a dog whose natural tendencies will fit with their lifestyle rather than being at odds with it.
Contact Us to Match You with Your Ideal Cavapoo Puppy
If you are in the process of looking for a Cavapoo puppy, make sure you are in it for the long haul. That cute little puppy will grow into a larger dog and be part of the family for 12 to 15 years. Each puppy litter we have can produce an amazing array of different personalities. Temperament testing and accurate descriptions are the key to finding that ideal puppy match. The combination of our ongoing observations from birth to seven weeks and professional temperament testing, using well-established methods to understand each puppy, produces insights into their personalities and temperaments that simply cannot be replicated. You are not just getting a dog when you bring home your new puppy, you are welcoming a new member of the family for a long time. We want all of those years to be full of happiness and the deep, special connection that is only possible when a dog and their family are a great match.
When you contact us, be prepared to share your life, your hopes, and your dreams for your new canine family member. Be open to our suggestions, even if we may end up directing you toward a puppy who is not the puppy that initially caught your eye. Trust the process, trust that we want you and your puppy to be successful as much as you do, and the perfect Cavapoo puppy for your family is out there waiting to find you!