TEMPERAMENT TESTING & PUPPY MATCHING
Choosing the Right Puppy
While formal temperament testing is not commonly used by many corgi breeders, we’ve chosen to evaluate every litter since 2022 because we believe the information helps families make more informed puppy selection decisions.
Why We Temperament Test
Choosing a puppy is about much more than color, markings, or photos. While every puppy is adorable, not every puppy is the same.
Some puppies are naturally more independent. Others prefer to stay close to their people. Some have higher energy levels, while others are calmer and more laid back.
Because these traits can have a significant impact on your daily life, we temperament test every litter to help families choose a puppy that fits their lifestyle and expectations.
What Is Temperament Testing?
Temperament testing is a standardized evaluation performed when puppies are approximately 7 weeks old.
The evaluation takes place in a location that is unfamiliar to the puppies and is conducted by a trained evaluator whom the puppies have never met before.
This helps us observe natural responses rather than behaviors influenced by familiarity with their environment or the people who raise them.
What Does Temperament Testing Tell Us?
Energy Level
One of the most reliable pieces of information temperament testing provides is a puppy’s natural energy level.
Some puppies are naturally more active and adventurous.
Others are naturally calmer and more relaxed.
Independence vs. People Focus
Temperament testing helps identify whether a puppy is more independent or more likely to seek constant interaction and reassurance from their people.
Neither is right or wrong.
The best choice depends on your family and lifestyle.
Trainability
Temperament testing can also provide valuable insight into how naturally biddable and responsive a puppy may be during training.
What Temperament Testing Doesn't Do
Temperament testing is not designed to predict everything about a puppy’s future personality.
Training, socialization, environment, and life experiences all play an important role in development.
However, temperament testing can identify several inherited tendencies that are generally stable throughout life, including energy level, independence, and willingness to work with people.
How We Use the Results
At Harman Corgis, temperament testing is not about labeling puppies as “good” or “bad.”
Instead, we use the results to help families make informed decisions.
During puppy selection meetings, we review temperament information alongside your goals, lifestyle, and preferences to help identify the puppies that may be the best fit for your family.
Why This Matters
Our goal isn’t simply to help you choose a puppy.
Our goal is to help you choose the right puppy.
We believe a thoughtful match leads to a smoother transition, a stronger bond, and a more enjoyable life together for both the puppy and the family who loves them.
Temperament Testing Is More Than a Single Day
While formal temperament testing is completed at approximately 7 weeks of age, we begin observing puppies long before the evaluation takes place.
From the time puppies are young, we make notes about their interactions with littermates, adult dogs, and people. We observe how they respond to new experiences, how quickly they recover from challenges, how patient they are, and how they adapt to things like crate training and changes in their environment.
These ongoing observations provide valuable context and help us better understand each puppy as an individual.
The formal temperament evaluation then gives us an objective snapshot that helps confirm many of the patterns we’ve already observed.
Nature, Nurture, and Temperament
One of the most important things for families to understand is that not all personality traits are created equally.
Some characteristics are strongly influenced by genetics and tend to remain relatively stable throughout a dog’s life. Traits such as energy level, independence, people focus, and natural trainability often fall into this category.
Other behaviors are influenced more heavily by experience, training, socialization, and confidence-building opportunities.
This distinction is one of the reasons we place so much emphasis on temperament testing and early observation. While training can help a puppy learn new skills and build confidence, it cannot completely change who that puppy naturally is.
Our goal is to help families understand those natural tendencies so they can choose a puppy whose temperament is a good fit for their home and lifestyle.
Nature, Nurture, and Temperament
One of the most important things for families to understand is that not all personality traits are created equally.
Some characteristics are strongly influenced by genetics and tend to remain relatively stable throughout a dog’s life. Traits such as energy level, independence, people focus, and natural trainability often fall into this category.
Other behaviors are influenced more heavily by experience, training, socialization, and confidence-building opportunities.
This distinction is one of the reasons we place so much emphasis on temperament testing and early observation. While training can help a puppy learn new skills and build confidence, it cannot completely change who that puppy naturally is.
Our goal is to help families understand those natural tendencies so they can choose a puppy whose temperament is a good fit for their home and lifestyle.
Traits That Tend to Be More Stable
- Energy level
- Independence vs. people focus
- Natural trainability
- Confidence recovery
- Desire to work with people
Traits That Can Often Improve With Training & Experience
- Startling at new sounds
- Responses to unfamiliar objects
- Confidence in new environments
- Leash skills
- Crate training success
- Household manners
Why Temperament Matters in a Herding Breed
Pembroke Welsh Corgis were originally developed as herding dogs, and many of the traits that made them successful working dogs are still present today.
While every puppy is an individual, corgis often vary in their natural energy level, environmental awareness, sensitivity to sounds, trainability, independence, and desire to control or direct movement around them.
Some puppies are naturally more laid back and easygoing. Others may be more driven, more vocal, more observant, or more likely to herd children, other pets, or moving objects.
Some puppies may naturally coexist with other household pets, while others may have stronger prey drive or a stronger desire to control interactions with other animals.
Some are content to relax with their families, while others constantly seek additional mental stimulation and activity.
None of these traits are inherently good or bad. However, they can have a significant impact on daily life and are important considerations when selecting a puppy.
A family with young children, cats, or multiple dogs may have different priorities than an experienced dog owner looking for a highly active companion.
Temperament testing and ongoing observations help us identify these tendencies so families can make informed decisions and better prepare for life with their new puppy.
Interested in learning more about how the Pembroke Welsh Corgi’s working heritage influences behavior today? Watch for our upcoming article on the history of the breed and the traits that remain important in modern family companions.