PUPPY APTITUDE TESTING
The research of Scott and Fuller, Clarence Pfaffenger, William Campbell and others, showed that temperwnent is composed of a nwnber of traits, such as dominant versus submissive, independent versus socially attracted. These traits are observable and measurable- The various combinatioons of these traits is what makes some dogs more tempmentally suited for certain tasks and enviromnunents than others.
The tendency for these traits is heredity. If it were not, we would not have the number of breeds we have today. For example, it's easier to teach a Greyhound to chase rabbits than to retrieve ducks because the Greyhound has been genetically selected for the instinct to chase rather than to retrieve.
However, enviroment has a tremendous influence on these traits. As research by Scott and Fuller indicates, the enviroment influences the puppy as early as three to 12 weeks. These early development stages are the same in all dogs regardless of breed. Traumatic events during a critical period may have a lasting influence on the dog. TRAINING CAN MODIFY THE EFFECTS OF TRAUMATIC EVENTS, BUT THE DOG MAY NEVER REACH HIS TRUE POTENTIAL.
Research by William Campbell devised a test to select puppies most likely to be a good family pet. Clarence Pfaffenberger developed tests to select puppies most likely to become responsible guide dogs for the blind, and Elliot Humphrey and Lucien Warner designed test to select puppies for the working German Shepherd Dogs.
Using items from these tests, Jack and Wendy Volhard trainers devised a system in the early seventies to select puppies with the greatest obedience potential. They also found it useful in matching the right puppy to the right owner.
Of course another application can be selecting those dogs that are temperarmently suited to become show dogs, perhaps going on to a long and demanding career as a specials dog. As these dogs must travel a great deal, spend many hours in crates or small x-pens and often times away from their owners, ft stands to reason they should be those dogs that have the temperaments to withstand such stress.
The tests attached here for your information have beenn modified several times over the years. A word of caution, The PAT is not without flaws. Puppies sometimes give responses which are not on the test. Depending on the amount of knowledge of dog behavior the tester has, these responses may be difficult to score. Also, some people have difficulty in giving the test correctly. For example, on the retrieving subtest, if the test tosses the crumpled up paper 12 feet away instead of four feet away, ft may be out of range of the puppy's vision.
A film of Wendy Volhard testing a litter of Newfoundlands was made. The 20 minute movie complete with soundtrack, playable on any Super 8 projector(1980) was entitled PUPPY APITUDE TESTING and it won the Dog Writer's Award for Best Film About Dogs in 1980. This film was available through the Newfoundland Club of America. I do not know if it is still available, perhaps in a new fonnat, but if interested you should contact the club.
Several articles have been written and published in the GAZETTE by Melissa Bartlett on the subject. Those used in this presentation were"A Novice Looks at Puppy Apitude Testing," March 1979, 'Puppy Apitude Testing", March 1985, "Puppy Aptitude Testing for Competition", February 1987, and "Follow-Up: Puppy Apitude Testing", May 1987. Reprints of all of these article are available by contacting the AKC GAZETTE
Puppy testing helps to pick the puppy which will best suit the owner's purpose. For example, a very quiet submissive puppy may become an excellent child's pet but may not be a good choice for the breed ring where a more energetic, bold animal will show the best. It can also help in training animals occasionally in giving the owner some insight into their puppy's behavior. For example, one owner had difficulty housetraining his Cocker Spaniel. The puppy turned out to be extremely submissive. By scolding the puppy, the authority figure, the owner, caused the little dog to urinate submissively. Therefore by understanding his dog's temperament, he was able to learm more effective, less authoriatarian methods of training his dog.
If the combination of traits which a dog has fits in with his owner's lifestyle and purposes, that owner is very likely to say his dog has good temperament. Of course, the best matched puppy in the world still needs training, proper environment and lots of TLC to reach his potential. NO DOG CAN FULFILL HIS POTENTIAL IF HE'S NEGLECTED.
Test and Purpose | Score | Comments | ||||||
Social Attraction Purpose: Degree of Attraction to people Method: Place pup in testing area 4 feet from tester, who coaxes puppy to her/him. |
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Following Purpose: Degree of willingness to follow human leadership Method: Stand up and walk away from puppy, encouraging verbally. |
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Restraint Purpose: Degree of dominance or submission; response to social/physical dominance Method: Gently roll pup on its back and hold it for 30 seconds. |
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Social Dominance Purpose: Degree of acceptance of human social dominanace; how "forgiving" the pup is. Method: Pup sit facing tester at a 45 angle. Tester strokes pup and puts his/her face close to the pup |
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Elevation Dominance Purpose: Degree of accepting dominance while in postion of no control. Method: Cradle the pup under its belly, fingers interlaced, and elevate just off the ground for 30 seconds. |
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Retrieving(Obedience and Aptitude) Purpose: Degree of willingness to work with humans. High correlation between ability to retrieve and successfuk guide dogs, and field trial dogs. Method: Attract pups attention with crumpled paper ball. When it is watching, toss paper 4 feet away. When pup goes after it back up 2 feet and encourage it to come back. |
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Touch Sensitivity Purpose: Degree of sensitivity to touch. Method: Take webbing of one front foot and place between finger and thumb lightly, gradually increasing pressure on a scale from 1-10. Stop as soon as puppy shows discomfort. |
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Sound Sensitivity Purpose: Degree of sensitivity to sound. Method: Place pup in center of testing area and make a sharp noise a few feet away. A large metal spoon struck sharply on a metal pan twice works well. |
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Chase Instinct Purpose: Degree of response to moving object; chase instinct. Method: Tie a string around a towel and drag it in front of the puppy from left to right. |
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Stability Purpose: Degree of intelligent response to strange odjects Method: Place pup in center of testing area. Closed umbrella is held 4 feet away and pointed perpendicular to the direction the pup faces. The umbrella is opened and set down so the pup can investigate. * |
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*note:Puppies frequently startle upon seeing the umbrella open. Score the pup's response after the umbrella is set down. |
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Energy Level Purpose: Degree of physical energy Method: Observe pup on the other sudtests and score according to the most frequent activity observed. Check with breeder for confirmation. |
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