Temperament testing is often done on a litter of puppies at six to eight weeks of age by putting him/her through a series of tests designed to determine his/her level of dominance. The goal is to try to match the dog's personality to the potential owner's. Temperament testing is not always precise although if you take into consideration what the dog was bred for, that will also give you an indication of what lies ahead. You wouldn't want a shy, submissive dog if you have small children, later on it could become a fear biter and at the same time you definitely wouldn't want a dominant dog in a family with small children.