"Some mutations are inherently friendlier than others"

[Snickers]

I have 1 black velvet female from a rancher and she is the only one that sprays here. I have 8 black velvets here. She has a total of 5 babies and the babies are very friendly.

I guess it just depends on the chin.

 

[threewingedfury]

I don't think it has anything to do with the mutation. I still don't believe temperament is genetic either. I'm known for having some pretty mean females in my barn... I have standards that are meaner than my mutes. I have a beige female that draws blood anytime you get near her cage (her babies have all turned out with wonderful temperaments). I have a black velvet female that's absolutely loopy, her offspring sits in my hand and cuddles with me. My whites on the other hand have not been 'crazy' like others speak of. I have a white that has mean facial expressions, but she's a sweetheart. I have a violet that sprays like no other female alive. It all really depends on the chin. I have sweet pairs that have produced hellions, mean pairs that have produced kits with the best temperament and have went on as pets.

 

[Encantadora]

I've heard rumors of the same thing-- personality traits of certain colors being predominant.
I'm not sure if there's any truth to it but the sweetest chins I've had were standards. The three white ebonies I've had I'd described as little divas. They liked attention on their terms with short time in your arms and one was nippy.

I've had a very nasty sprayer who was beige but I think she just was never handled much.

The dark ebony I had was very nice once he got to know me. My special needs black velvet was a total doll but handled a LOT for daily meds.

 

[chincinnati]

In my experience here whites are a little crazy but I only have a couple and they are from the same crazy white I started with : ). I have no BV's. My standards go either way and think this is in part dependant on where they came from. IMO personality traits are passed. Crazy makes crazy, loves scritches breed same. Cage rearrrangers tend to give me more redecorators. Escape artists pass the secret to a good latch. I never thought this to be true, but I do see the dominant personality traits passed regardless of color, and see in males who have a dominant personality trait it is passed to the kits regardless of the mothers traits. My sweetest girl is a standard. All of her babies are the sweetest little chins too. I have many ebs, they go either way and from different lines so I think it is not a matter of their mutation. When I recently repaired my herd, I kept temperment in the back of my mind. I think even though it is not judged at a show it is important to have a friendly calm herd. I also do sell kits to pet homes and know that Happy chins = happy homes = spoiled chins. I consider a great line one that produces chins that not only show well, but are sweet and tame.

 

[Andrea]

It's interesting that some breeders believe that personality is genetic, and others do not...of course even if personality is thrown, I'm sure environmental conditioning/nurturing could change the innate personality of the chin.

 

[RDZCRanch]

I don't think genetics play a huge part in disposition. Chinchillas, by nature, are social animals so it's just a matter of interaction to tame a chinchilla. I have mean chinchillas of different colors and I have nice chinchillas of different colors. I have mean babies out of some of my sweetest pairs and I have super sweet babies out of my meanest females.

I have one black that is fairly mean and loves to spray and scream at you at the drop of a hat. The rest of my bv's are complete sweethearts and all love to be held. I also have a large amount of super sweet and friendly standards and two mean girls that kick me in the face if I ever open their cages. The majority of my chinchillas have good dispositions regardless of color.