-
Dog temperament testing?
I’ve always wondered about what a dog temperament test entails (ha! Pun)…I know that breeders do this with litters of puppies; dog daycares do this before forming playgroups and shelters also do their own temperament tests.
I wondered if we might discuss the parameters of each of these scenarios, possibly others, as well…and how we as trainers might benefit from learning about how dogs we work with test (the results)?
Also, I apologize if this is redundant for anyone or if I am asking something silly!
-
12 Replies
-
Oops, I didn’t mean to post twice!
-
HI @bernerlabreclectus ~ I think this is a great question and look forward to other folks’ input. I’ve long been under the impression that temperament tests are more of a snapshot in time rather than a definitive blueprint of who the dog is. If I was a breeder, I’d want to observe my pups over weeks to see what details about each pup remain consistent across time.
I do know that dogs who test as resource guarders in a shelter setting don’t necessarily maintain this behavior in their adoptive home, as per a study in 2018 (I think done by the ASPCA). Some shelters use this test result to determine if a dog should be euthanized rather than adopted out, which is a shame since it’s not an accurate test.
Another study in 2016 by Patronek et. al. said that false positives in shelter assessments were a huge problem and didn’t yield a helpful predictive value.
-
I agree with @virginiad i read a book recently about breeders who do the temp test and it does seem like a snap shot in time. I agree with watching a behavior over time, trying to really know who that puppy is at that time.
I helped with temp test in daycare. I loved observing and seeing what the person was looking for and how the dog “passes” but because it is a snap shot, I have seen the dog “pass” and not enjoy it and left after two days. So I wonder too about this as well. Great topic!
-
OK! So, is the puppy test different than what they do in shelters? Does anyone know exactly what is involved in either test?
Krista, what does a dog whose owner wants them in daycare get observed doing?
Sorry for so many questions!
I was just thinking about, years ago, when my young family visited the Bernese Mtn. Dog breeder, we visited them at 7 days old, then each week until they were old enough to go home at 8 weeks. I loved the disposition of the adult dogs, free-roaming mostly. They were calm, cool and easy-going with my family coming in (two adults and two kids, about 8 and 10 years old). When we had our boy, Samson, we brought him home and began training privately with a ex-K9 trainer who said, after viewing him that she couldn’t believe the breeder had let us have him, with his temperament. He was such a sweet and easy-going boy, never aggressive or resource guarding. I wish I could go back in time and ask what she meant!
I just wonder:
What do shelters do and how do they determine the dog’s placement with families?
What do daycares test for when determining playgroups, or if the dog is even suitable to play with other dogs?
What do we gain from the experience of breeders who do this test on their litters, mostly at the age of 7-1/2 weeks, from what I’ve read?
Any further knowledge would be awesome if y’all could share your experiences!
Thanks so much!!!
-
I am sorry with your experience with the other trainer and Samson. Did you ask her or did she elaborate of what she meant? Our golden we went and had visits many times and were really lucky to bring my other dog to the breeders to meet her too. Our berner, we did visit 3 times before bringing him home, unfortunately i wasn’t as educated yet and his mom was pretty fearful and now he has some fear issues too. Hence why I went to CATCH and became a dog trainer and he is a happy boy now! I think Catherine does puppy evals I wonder what her input will be.
I honestly think every daycare is different what “passes” and does not. Its just normal people doing an temp test. I personally think behaviorist should be doing them. When I stood in with new dog they looked for fear, arousal level ( as they added dogs in the room- they did a great job slowly introducing the dogs already going) reactivity towards a dog coming in, were they playful, where they stressed being left, where they stressed as more dogs came in (group setting) how they felt about smaller dogs ( prey drive) could they recall and know their name, could they take a “correction ” another dog, we watched other dogs input how they were feeling about other dog and what they did if a dog was being rude. I am sure there are so many more things, this is a quick run down of what I remember. It’s a lot and sometimes even stressful because you don’t know how an adult, teen dog will act in a group of dogs first time.
I would love to watch a behaviorist do a temp test and really know what they are looking for..
-
Thanks for sharing what your daycare does, @pawsup . That sounds pretty extensive, for the parameters of the daycare and the normal people present. I would enjoy observing that, for sure!
It sounds like both of your dogs had good rearing, from their breeders. Even if Mack’s mama was a bit fearful. I just didn’t know what to ask at the time of our trainer, about what she meant. He was only ever the most gentle, big soul. I fondly remember a NYE party we had with friends and their small kids, all under age 7. At one point, Sam just lie down on the floor, belly up, petting all the little hands give him love and belly runs and even lay right on him!
He loved my yellow Lab, whom we got from a rescue, and the feeling was mutual. She was our foster failure, on account of how much he and she loved being together. Even with my Siamese cat, who was male and older than him by about 5 years, never more than gentle curiosity from him. He also did well with my parrot, Stella, even when she flew down on top of his back once! He just lay there calmly and looked at me, like, “A little help here!”
I never did understand the trainer’s concern. Looking back, I wonder about her observations from only 2 weeks of intensive training while he was 10 weeks old. She was not a positive reinforcement trainer and I guess I’ll never know. But, he was wonderful with my kids, their friends, other dogs (especially loved small dogs and would handicap himself by army crawling to them, like, “look, I’m little, too!” and other animals in my house.
What more can any of us ask? I do believe she was an excellent trainer and that it was the best thing I could have insisted on with my ex, to train him early.
-
Samson sounds like everything you wold want or need in a dog! I love the pictures! He looks so handsome and happy! How many Berners did you have so far? Mack is my first- probably the biggest personality out of all the dogs we had so far.
@virginiad This is a very interesting article. Thank you for sharing!
-
-
-
@bernerlabreclectus , yes, a puppy test would be different than a shelter test or a daycare test. Some puppy tests include: Volhard’s PAT test and Avidog APET test. You can read about the details of the tests online.
Shelters vary on their tests — could be their own informal one, or they may follow a more formalized testing protocol. For example, the ASPCA designed an assessment protocol called the SAFER.
Here’s an interesting article: Behavioral Assessment in Animal Shelters.-
@virginiad : thank you! I will definitely read the article. Looks great so far…I read the first few paragraphs and like where the author is going.
-
-
-
As a volunteer in a shelter and with the ASPCA, I have seen both assess dogs.
I am not a fan of tests since we are essentially putting dogs in a position to bite then expect them not to bite. However, I do understand that they provide some information in that moment or, see a pattern with some breeds, ages, medical issues etc. I am also not a fan of calling them temperament due to behavior being contextual so….. and personalities are a sliding scale. (this includes humans, too!). I think either result, pass or fail can give a false reading, a false sense of security or condemn a dog. I think they can mislead expectations, set the dog and humans up for a failure. Also, keep in mind most dogs being tested have only been in their new environment for maybe 1-5 days and are often stressed, anxious and fearful already, because of. Now you add in this “test”? I think the ASPCA has a test as well as Sue Sternberg. I do think using applied animal behavior analysis, there is a better method, however, there is likely no time and not a lot of info on surrendered or stray intakes.
In the local shelter, they “tested” for Guarding by giving dog wet food and toys, then tried to take them away while the dog had possession or was eating, being touched (with light and moderate pressure being applied) on the feet, face, back, tail, collar/neck; the dog’s reaction to a (fake) toddler making noise and wobbling, an elderly person walking, also walking with a cane or walker, wheel chair etc. Also, how the dog reacted to sudden noise i.e door slamming, metal chair falling over etc. Being introduced to a fake dog as well as other dogs including a male, female and puppy/young dog.
A slogan I can behind is ” Shelter behavior does not equal in-home behavior and, in-home behavior does not equal shelter behavior”.
This is a sensitive issue for me for several reasons;
1. My pup Kaiden was considered “dangerous” by many after he bit me (level 5 bite on Ian Dunbar scale) as I tried to separate my dogs fighting. Lots of “shouting” to get rid of him and euthanize him from “professionals”.
2. My pup Titan was labeled dangerous and put on death row in the shelter for “inappropriate behavior”. It was normal dog behavior.
For breeders, I dealt with 2 in my lifetime to purchase dogs.
One was a Rottweiler breeder who did all the socializing she could before the pup left her house. I also met the parents to get an idea of my new pup may be.
The second was a White German Shepherd breeder. I bought one for my sister for her 30th B-Day. Yes, the breeder drilled me on dogs were not gifts etc. I got scolded for about 20 minutes! I convinced her by faxing (yes faxing back then) pictures of all of dogs involved in everything we did. My sister wanted a female and only 2 were born. I had filled out a 6 page questionnaire about the house, yard, family, lifestyle, friends etc. The breeder chose the pup for my sister based on the info. We were really active and outgoing. We “needed” a dog who could be confident and have fun with dogs and people. She selected the female for my sister, and socialized her dogs with everything! Then about 10 days before we were to get her, she started showing signs of fear and hiding. The breeder would not let us have her because of the environment she would be in. She gave us the other confident female. She was the best dog and a great choice!
-
Not sure why all extra “font”.><, ;;'<>,=/ font” etc. stuff going on in my paragraph but it wont let me fix it, sorry!
-
I fixed that for ya. Some wonky thing!
-
-
Log in to reply.