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puppy
(color, sex) ________litter _________ date_______
SOCIAL ATTRACTION
Place puppy in test area. From a few feet away the tester coaxes the pup to her/him by
clapping hands gently and kneeling down. Tester must coax in a direction away from the
point where it entered the testing area.
Degree of social attraction, confidence or dependence.
1-Came readily, tail up, jumped, bit at hands
2-Came readily, tail up, pawed, licked at hands.
3-Came readily, tail up.
4-Came readily, tail down
5-Came hesitantly, tail down.
6-Didn't come at all.
FOLLOWING
Stand up and walk away from the pup in a normal manner. Make sure the pup sees you walk
away.
Degree of following attraction. Not following indicates independence.
1-Followed readily, tail up, got underfoot, bit at feet.
2-Followed readily, tail up, got underfoot.
3-Followed readily, tail up
4-Followed readily, tail down.
5-Followed hesitantly, tail down.
6-No follow or went away.
RESTRAINT
Crouch down and gently roll the pup on his back and hold it with one hand for a full 30
seconds
Degree of dominant or submissive tendency. How it accepts stress when socially/physically
dominated.
1 -Struggled fiercely, flailed, bit.
2 -Struggled fiercely, flailed.
3 -Settled, struggled, settled with some eye contact.
4 -Struggled then settled.
5 -No struggle.
6 -No struggle, straining to avoid eye contact.
SOCIAL DOMINANCE
Let pup standup and gently stroke him from the head to back while you crouch beside him.
Continue stroking until are recognizable behavior is established.
Degree of acceptance of social dominance. Pup may try to dominate by jumping and
nipping or is independent and walks away.
1 - Jumped, pawed, bit, growled.
2 - Jumped, pawed.
3 - Cuddles up to tester and tries to lick face.
4 - Squirmed, licked at hands.
5 - Rolled over, licked at hands.
6- Went away and stayed away.
ELEVATION DOMINANCE
Bend over and cradle the pup under its belly, fingers interlaced, palms up and elevate it
just off the ground. Hold it there for 30 seconds.
Degree of accepting dominance while in position of no control.
1-Struggled fiercely, bit, growled.
2 -Struggled fiercely.
3 -No struggle, relaxed
4 -Struggled, settled, licked
5 -No struggle, licked at hands.
6 -No struggle, froze.
OBEDIENCE
APTITUDE TEST
RETRIEVING
Crouch beside pup and attract his attention with crumpled up paper ball. When the pup
shows interest and is watching, toss the object 4-6 feet in front of pup.
Degree of willingness to work with a human. High correlation between ability to retrieve
and successful guide dogs, obedience dogs, field trial dogs.
1 -Chases object, picks up object and runs away.
2 -Chases object, stands over object, does not return.
3 -Chases object and returns with object to tester.
4 -Chases object and returns without object to tester.
5 -Starts to chase object, loses interest.
6 -Does not chase object.
TOUCH SENSITIVITY
Take puppy's webbing of one front foot and press between *finger
and thumb lightly then more firmly till you get a response, while you count slowly to 10.
Stop as soon as puppy pulls away, or shows discomfort.
*DO NOT use
fingernail.
Degree of sensitivity to touch.
1 -10 counts before response.
2 -7 counts before response.
3 -6 counts before response.
4 -4 counts before response.
5 -2 counts before response.
SOUND SENSITIVITY
Place pup in the center of area, tester or assistant makes a sharp noise a few feet from
the puppy. A large metal spoon struck sharply on a metal pan twice works well.
Degree of sensitivity to sound. (Also can be a rudimentary test for deafness.)
1 -Listens, locates sound, walks toward it barking.
2 -Listens, locates sound, barks.
3 -Listens, locates sound, shows curiosity and walks toward sound.
4 -Listens, locates the sound.
5 -Cringes, backs off, hides.
6 -Ignores sound, shows no curiosity.
SIGHT SENSITIVITY
Place pup in center of room. Tie a string around a large towel and jerk it
across the floor a few feet away from puppy.
Degree of intelligent response to strange object.
1 -Looks, attacks and bites.
2 -Looks, barks and tail up.
3 -Looks curiously, attempts to investigate.
4 -Looks, barks, tail-tuck.
5 -Runs away, hides.
STRUCTURE
The puppy is gently set in a natural stance and evaluated for structure in the
following categories:
Straight front
Straight rear
Shoulder layback
Front angulation
Croup angulation
Rear angulation
Degree of structural soundness. Good structure is necessary.
Good -The puppy is correct in structure.
Fair -The puppy has a slight fault or deviation.
Poor -The puppy has an extreme fault or deviation.
Interpreting
the Scores
Mostly 1's A puppy that consistently
scores a 1 in the temperament section of the test is an extremely dominant, aggressive
puppy who can easily be provoked to bite. His dominant nature will attempt to resist
human leadership, thus requiring only the most experienced of handlers. This puppy
is a poor choice for most individuals and will do best in a working situation as a guard
or police dog.
Mostly 2's This pup is dominant and
self-assured. He can be provoked to bite; however he readily accepts human
leadership that is firm, consistent and knowledgeable. This is not a dog for a
tentative, indecisive individual. In the right hands, he has the potential to become
a fine working or show dog and could fit into an adult household, provided the owners know
what they are
doing.
Mostly 3's This pup is outgoing and
friendly and will adjust well in situations in which he receives regular training and
exercise. He has a flexible temperament that adapts well to different types of
environment, provided he is handled correctly. May be too much dog for a family with
small children or an elderly couple who are sedentary.
Mostly 4's A pup that scores a
majority of 4's is an easily controlled, adaptable puppy whose submissive nature will make
him continually look to his master for leadership. This pup is easy to train,
reliable with kids, and, though he lacks self-confidence, makes a high-quality family pet.
He is usually less outgoing than a pup scoring in the 3's, but his demeanor is
gentle and affectionate.
Mostly 5's This is a pup who is extremely
submissive and lacking in self- confidence. He bonds very closely with his owner and
requires regular companionship and encouragement to bring him out of himself. If
handled incorrectly, this pup will grow up very shy and fearful. For this reason, he
will do best in a predictable, structured lifestyle with owners who are patient and not
overly demanding, such as an elderly couple.
Mostly 6's A puppy that scores 6
consistently is independent and uninterested in people. He will mature into a dog
who is not demonstrably affectionate and who has a low need for human companionship.
In general, it is rare to see properly socialized pups test this way; however there
are several breeds that have been bred for specific tasks (such as basenjis, hounds, and
some northern breeds) which can exhibit this level of independence. To perform as
intended, these dogs require a singularity of purpose that is not compromised by strong
attachments to their owner.
* * *
The remainder of the puppy test is an
evaluation of obedience aptitude and working ability and provides a general picture of a
pup's intelligence, spirit, and willingness to work with a human being. For most
owners, a good companion dog will score in the 3 to 4 range in this section of the test.
Puppies scoring a combination of 1's and 2's require experienced handlers who will be able
to draw the best aspects of their potential from them.
Important note from Wendy Volhard...regarding the Touch Sensitivity test - Do not use your fingernail when performing this test.
Press between the finger and thumb lightly then more firmly until you get a response.
Developed by Joachim and Wendy Volhard. Copyright 1996 Wendy Volhard.
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