LL Litter Police Dog/Narcotics Dog Temperament Test
The LL Litter was tested at 52 Days
Mr. Gold went to Idaho for Search and Rescue, obedience, tracking & agility competition. Mr. Red went to Missouri for obedience, tracking, barn hunt and rally competition. Miss Rainbow went to a biologist in Alaska to search out wolverine lairs and bat nests for research. Miss Pink went to Montana as a pet and Mr. Green stayed in Sheridan as a pet. Mr. White went to Yellowstone Park as a family pet and possible Search & Rescue dog. Mr. Blue went to Cheyenne as a pet and therapy dog prospect.
I’m keeping Miss Orange (Lovely, see her page).
My good friend, Suzan Guilford, came to do the police/narcotics test. She is a former K9 handler and police officer, former police chief, and has taught at the Wyoming Police Academy. She has done my temperament tests for over seventeen years, except for a two year absence while she was working in Florida. Suzan and I over the years have incorporated most of the SAR exercises into her testing, in case Janet & Bonnie can’t come do the SAR testing, which was the case with this litter.
The main difference I see between the police/narcotics test and the SAR test is the attitude of the tester. In the police test, the tester is very quiet, talking little and using very little body movements. No other people are present and the environment is kept quiet. In the SAR test, the tester (often two do the test together) is somewhat more enthusiastic, uses some verbal praise and body movements to get the pup “up” and gives praise. Other people are sometimes present to watch, though they are asked to be as quiet as possible. This would fit well with the ultimate purpose of the dogs being tested for both types of training. In police work the dog must be able to dig down deep inside himself or herself to find the courage and aggression to confront a criminal and/or to search independently and at great distance from the handler. In SAR the handler is usually closer to the dog and is able to praise and encourage him, especially in extended searches. There is also generally all kinds of activity and distraction at a search scene so the dog must be able to filter out the extraneous activity and focus on her job. Both tests are fascinating to watch as is the difference in the pups’ responses in each test.
Results are listed after the description of each part of the Test. At the bottom, test results are listed for GloryToo (mother), Lively (grandmother) and Lively’s mother & grandmother (maternal great-grandmother and great-great grandmother), and Chaos (grandfather.
1. Acceptance/Attachment The first test involves evaluating the pup’s acceptance of the strange place and its willingness to interact with the stranger. Ideal reaction is eye contact and interest in the stranger but no sign of nervousness in the interaction (we don’t want a “Protect me!” attitude), followed by visual investigation of the surroundings and then a return of attention to the tester.
|
Pup |
Rating |
Additional Observations |
| Blue Male | Excellent | Nice acknowledgment & a kiss |
| Gold Male | Excellent | Very nice – observant of all things around him |
| Green Male | Above average | Very good |
| Orange Female | Average | 10 seconds before recognition |
| Pink Female | Average | Good – no licks but recognized me |
| Rainbow Female | Excellent | Very nice. Friendly. |
| Red Male | Above average | 4 seconds – kissing |
| White Male | Excellent | Great; within 3 seconds recognized me |
| Yellow Male | Excellent | Tail wagging right away; within 4 seconds recognized me |
2. Pain Sensitivity The loose skin over the ribs is gently pinched and the pup’s reaction is noted. Ideal reaction is to notice the pinch but be unconcerned by it. We also look for a willingness to forgive the tester.
|
Pup |
Rating |
Additional Observations |
| Blue Male | Excellent | Good |
| Gold Male | Excellent | Nice – reached back to my hand |
| Green Male | Excellent | Very good |
| Orange Female | Excellent | Good |
| Pink Female | Excellent | Nice |
| Rainbow Female | Excellent | Very good |
| Red Male | Excellent | Very good |
| White Male | Excellent | Good |
| Yellow Male | Excellent | Very good |
3. Retrieve Next, willingness to retrieve is evaluated using different toys: a stuffed toy, and
a tennis ball. Ideal reaction is to repeatedly being the toy back to the handler rather than moving off to “possess” it. The type of bite on the toys is evaluated: a full mouth bite shows more confidence and drive than a front-teeth-only bite.
|
Pup |
Rating |
Additional Observations |
| Blue Male | Minimal | Brought it back 1 time; OK chasing |
| Gold Male | Minimal | Chased – no retrieve |
| Green Male | Minimal | No retrieve |
| Orange Female | Minimal | Lots of prey |
| Pink Female | Minimal | Chased – no retrieve |
| Rainbow Female | Minimal | No retrieve |
| Red Male | Minimal | prey |
| White Male | Minimal | Good prey |
| Yellow Male | Minimal | Good prey – no retrieve |
4. Perseverance Then perseverance is evaluated by seeing how enthusiastically they will pursue, grab hold, and tug on a rope sack. Ideal reaction is to pursue enthusiastically, grasp with a full mouth bite, tug and do everything possible to posses the object. If a sack is used, we like to see a pup get its whole body on the sack in an effort to subdue it.
|
Pup |
Rating |
Additional Observations |
| Blue Male | Average | Would chase; just front teeth bite |
| Gold Male | Average | OK – followed but watching other things too |
| Green Male | Average | Pretty good; medium following, good bite |
| Orange Female | Above average | Pretty good; nice bite |
| Pink Female | Average – minimal | OK – would follow – no strong tugs |
| Rainbow Female | Average | OK – would chase |
| Red Male | Above average | Very good; nice bite & great following |
| White Male | Above average | Liked tug of war; fairly good bite |
| Yellow Male | Average | Fairly good bite; followed tug |
5. Fear A metal can filled with metal items (horseshoes, nails, bolts, etc.) is dropped behind them from a height of about 2 feet while they are looking away from it. Will the pup hold its ground and then go look at what dropped from nowhere? Excellent reaction is to acknowledge and turn towards the sound and then confidently go see what made the racket. The tester encourages the pup to investigate, if it doesn’t on its own. She notes how much encouragement is needed. I find most of my pups look towards the racket and keep on playing with the toy they had, rather than stopping their play to go investigate.
|
Pup |
Rating |
Additional Observations |
| Blue Male | Average – minimal | Jumped with can drop, then came back |
| Gold Male | Above average | Solid – made acknowledgement and kept going |
| Green Male | Average – minimal | Jumped up |
| Orange Female | Above average | Nice – came around and put head in bucket |
| Pink Female | Minimal | Didn’t like can |
| Rainbow Female | Average | Didn’t like it |
| Red Male | Above average | OK, no big reaction |
| White Male | Above average | Okay – went to investigate |
| Yellow Male | Average | Good – stood ground & checked |
6. Courage and Aggression Courage and aggression is evaluated using an electric train that when turned on moves erratically, whistles loudly, clanks, etc. Will they stand their ground? Will they go investigate it? Excellent reaction is to go to the moving, clanking train and check it out. Extremely excellent reaction is to actually attack it while it moves. Good reaction is to investigate it after the tester turns it off. The tester encourages the pup to investigate after it is turned off, if it wouldn’t while it was “whistling” and moving. She notes how much encouragement is needed.
|
Pup |
Rating |
Additional Observations |
| Blue Male | Average – minimal | Saw it & tayed away |
| Gold Male | Above average | Very good |
| Green Male | Average | Took off across room; coaxed back verbally to investigate |
| Orange Female | Above average | Good – after it was off, sniffed up & down |
| Pink Female | Minimal | Didn’t like; not running away but no investigation |
| Rainbow Female | Average | Stayed away from train; easily coaxed to visit it |
| Red Male | Above average | OK |
| White Male | Average | Large circle around |
| Yellow Male | Average | OK – stayed at a distance & came up after it was off |
7. Surprise The last test involves getting the pup to chase you (or a toy) towards a place with a hidden person, from behind which an umbrella is opened suddenly and then lowered to the ground, still open. The pups are evaluated on how they recover from being startled and if they’ll go investigate. Ideal reaction is for the pup to startle but hold its ground, then move right up to check out the umbrella. A super excellent reaction is to go up and bite it and/or walk all over it. The tester encourages the pup to investigate after the umbrella is on the top step, if it doesn’t on its own. She notes how much encouragement is needed.
|
Pup |
Rating |
Additional Observations |
| Blue Male | Average | OK – no big reaction |
| Gold Male | Above average | Very nice – good reaction |
| Green Male | Average | OK – stood ground |
| Orange Female | Above average | OK – stopped then circled around and left |
| Pink Female | Average | OK – no big reaction |
| Rainbow Female | Average | Stood ground; growled |
| Red Male | Above average | Ignored it for the most part |
| White Male | Average | OK – stopped in tracks; walked a circle around |
| Yellow Male | Average | OK – stopped & walked around |
Search And Rescue Tests
Submission Test The submission test is designed to give an idea of the pup’s tractability, trust in humans, and willingness to submit to a human’s directives. In the submission test the pup is held firmly on its back for a short period of time. The tester counts the seconds it takes for him to resist, then accept, the restraint. She should not passively accept the restraint, nor should she panic or show avoidance of eye contact. Ideal reaction is to resist, then submit and look the tester in the face. We also look for a willingness to forgive the tester.
|
Pup |
Rating |
Additional Observations |
| Blue Male | Above average | Looked at me after 10 sec & struggled |
| Gold Male | Above average | Good – looked at me right away – 8 sec |
| Green Male | Above average | 6 – 7 seconds |
| Orange Female | Above average | Good – 12 seconds before looked at me |
| Pink Female | Average – minimal | 30 seconds & quiet squirming |
| Rainbow Female | Average | Squirmed & whined up to 18 seconds then looked |
| Red Male | Average | 30 seconds & kept whining, then looked |
| White Male | Above average | Looked at me within first 2 seconds, then again after 11 |
| Yellow Male | Above average | 13 seconds |
Confidence Test The confidence part of the test involves holding the pup out at arm’s length for several seconds. Again, the pup should accept the handler putting it in position and remain calm.
|
Pup |
Rating |
Additional Observations |
| Blue Male | Excellent | Good |
| Gold Male | Excellent | Good |
| Green Male | Average | Didn’t want to be held out |
| Orange Female | Above average | 20 seconds |
| Pink Female | Minimal | Didn’t want to be away from my body |
| Rainbow Female | Average | OK – didn’t want to be held out |
| Red Male | Average | 10 seconds |
| White Male | Above average | Nice |
| Yellow Male | Excellent | Good, 20 seconds |
Unstable Footing Since SAR dogs will search in all kinds of terrain and areas of destruction, they must be confident in insecure situations. We used a tarp, packing paper and some big sheets of bubble wrap.
|
Pup |
Rating |
Additional Observations |
| Blue Male | Above average | Very good |
| Gold Male | Above average | Very good; went to plastic |
| Green Male | Average | OK, coaxed over |
| Orange Female | Excellent | Very good |
| Pink Female | Above average | Very good |
| Rainbow Female | Above average – average | OK, had to coax her over paper |
| Red Male | Above average | Very good |
| White Male | Above average | No problem with tarp or paper |
| Yellow Male | Above average | Very good |
Cadaver Test A jar with human cadaver scent was opened and placed a distance away. Pups were drawn to the general area by dragging a rope toy that they pursued, then the tester stood quietly and noted if their noses led them to the scent and whether they liked it or not.
|
Pup |
Rating |
Additional Observations |
| Blue Male | Above average | Sniffed and licked top |
| Gold Male | Average | OK, finally noticed |
| Green Male | Minimal | No interest |
| Orange Female | Excellent | Nice – licked & tried opening jar |
| Pink Female | Above average | Nice reaction – licked and left |
| Rainbow Female | Excellent | Good – whined, licked & scratched |
| Red Male | Insufficient | No interest |
| White Male | Above average | Took a good sniff & licked |
| Yellow Male | Insufficient | No interest |
Wildlife Scat Test One of these pups was to go to a biologist to help with research projects by locating bat nests and wolverine lairs. Bird nests were suggested for the test since bat and wolverine scent wasn’t available. Two buckets with lids but having holes in the sides, each containing a bird’s nest, were placed about 10′. Pups were drawn to the general area by dragging a rope toy that they pursued, then the tester stood quietly and gave them time to investigate if they desired. If a pup didn’t notice the nest, Suzan opened the lid and tapped on the bucket.
|
Pup |
Rating |
Additional Observations |
| Blue Male | Minimal | No interest |
| Gold Male | Minimal | No interest |
| Green Male | Minimal | No interest |
| Orange Female | Minimal | Not too interested |
| Pink Female | Minimal | Not interested |
| Rainbow Female | Average | Put head in bucket to sniff |
| Red Male | Insufficient | No interest |
| White Male | Minimal | OK – recognized but went by |
| Yellow Male | Insufficient | No interest |
Hunt for Food I This test begins with a piece of jerky tied on a string and dragged to attract the pup’s interest and see how interested it is, how hard it will work to get it, and how hard it will work to keep it as the tester jerks, tugs and generally prevents the pup from easily eating it. She then entices the pup to follow it to the area where she has hidden food (test 2).
|
Pup |
Rating |
Additional Observations |
| Blue Male | Minimal | Very little interest |
| Gold Male | Excellent | good |
| Green Male | Above average | good |
| Orange Female | Above average | Good chase of food |
| Pink Female | Average | Not a lot of interest; caught sight of hidden food |
| Rainbow Female | Excellent | Good – liked playing tug |
| Red Male | Excellent | Good |
| White Male | Average | OK – didn’t pull hard enough to break jerky off |
| Yellow Male | Above average | Very nice following |
Hunt for Food II Suzan hid treats in the middle of the room. The pups had to use their noses to find where the treats were. They were judged on how they followed her direction for where to search and how systematic their searching was.
|
Pup |
Rating |
Additional Observations |
| Blue Male | Minimal | Found a few with eyes but no other interest |
| Gold Male | Excellent | Very nice – systematic – eyes & nose |
| Green Male | Above average | Systematic; methodical |
| Orange Female | Excellent | Nice & methodical; used both eyes & nose |
| Pink Female | Above average | Good; eyes first, then nose |
| Rainbow Female | Excellent | Very good – systematic – used eyes & nose |
| Red Male | Excellent | Nice – lots of nose & eyes |
| White Male | Average | Good – went to food, found and ate |
| Yellow male | Excellent | Good – systematic |
Tester Comments: Didn’t have time to write many comments. Pups all have nice prey drive.
|
Pup |
Comment |
| Blue Male | |
| Gold Male | |
| Green Male | Good boy -very solid |
| Orange Female | |
| Pink Female | |
| Rainbow Female | Easily voice coaxed. Athletic. Very personable. |
| Red Male | |
| White Male | |
| Yellow Male |
Summary
|
Pup |
Rating |
Tests |
| Blue Male | excellent | Attachment, Confidence, Sensitivity |
| Blue Male | above average | Submission, Cadaver, Unstable Footing |
| Blue Male | average | Perseverance, Aggression & Courage, Surprise |
| Blue Male | minimal | Retrieve ball, Retrieve toy, Fear, Wildlife Scat, Hunt for Food I, Hunt for Food II |
| Gold Male | excellent | Attachment, Confidence, Sensitivity, Hunt for Food I, Hunt for Food II |
| Gold Male | above average | Fear, Aggression & Courage, Surprise, Submission, Unstable Footing |
| Gold Male | average | Perseverance, Cadaver |
| Gold Male | minimal | Retrieve ball, Retrieve toy, Wildlife scat |
| Green Male | excellent | Sensitivity |
| Green Male | above average | Attachment, Submission, Hunt for Food I, Hunt for Food II |
| Green Male | average | Confidence, Perseverance, Fear, Aggression & Courage, Surprise, Unstable Footing |
| Green Male | minimal | Retrieve ball, retrieve toy, Cadaver, Wildlife scat |
| Orange Female | excellent | Sensitivity, Cadaver, Unstable Footing, Hunt for Food II |
| Orange Female | above average | Confidence, Perseverance, Fear, Aggression & Courage, Surprise, Submission, Hunt for Food I |
| Orange Female | average | Attachment |
| Orange Female | minimal | Retrieve ball, Retrieve toy, Wildlife scat |
| Pink Female | excellent | Sensitivity |
| Pink Female | above average | Cadaver, Hunt for Food II, Unstable Footing |
| Pink Female | average | Attachment, Perseverance, Surprise, Hunt for Food I |
| Pink Female | minimal | Confidence, Retrieve ball, Retrieve toy, Fear, Aggression & Courage, Submission, Wildlife scat |
| Rainbow Female | excellent | Attachment, Sensitivity, Cadaver, Hunt for Food I, Hunt for Food II |
| Rainbow Female | above average | Unstable Footing |
| Rainbow Female | average | Confidence, Perseverance, Fear, Aggression & Courage, Surprise, Submission, Wildlife scat |
| minimal | Retrieve ball, Retrieve toy | |
| Red Male | excellent | Sensitivity, Hunt for Food I, Hunt for Food II |
| Red Male | above average | Attachment, Perseverance, Fear, Aggression & Courage, Unstable Footing |
| Red Male | average | Confidence, Surprise, Submission |
| Red Male | minimal | Retrieve ball, Retrieve toy, Cadaver, Wildlife scat |
| White Male | excellent | Attachment, Sensitivity |
| White Male | above average | Confidence, Perseverance, Fear, Submission, Cadaver, Unstable Footing |
| White Male | average | Aggression & Courage, Surprise, Hunt for Food I, Hunt for Food II |
| White Male | minimal | Retrieve ball, Retrieve toy, Wildlife scat |
| Yellow Male | excellent | Attachment, Confidence, Sensitivity, Hunt for Food II |
| Yellow Male | above average | Submission, Hunt for Food I, Unstable Footing |
| Yellow Male | average | Perseverance, Fear, Aggression & Courage, Surprise |
| Yellow Male | insufficient | Retrieve ball, Retrieve toy, Cadaver, Wildlife scat |
Comparison
|
Test |
1 Excellent |
2 Above Average |
3 Average |
4 Minimal |
5 Insufficient |
| Attachment |
Blue, Gold, Rainbow, White, Yellow |
Green, Red |
Orange, Pink |
||
| Confidence |
Blue, Gold, Yellow |
Orange, White |
Green, Rainbow, Red |
Pink |
|
| Pain Sensitivity |
all |
||||
| Retrieve Ball | all | ||||
| Retrieve Toy | all | ||||
| Perseverance |
Purple, Red, Orange, White |
Blue, Gold, Green, Rainbow, Yellow |
Pink |
||
| Fear (can) |
Gold, Orange, Red, White |
Green, Rainbow, Yellow |
Blue, Pink |
||
| Aggression & Courage (train) |
Gold, Orange, Red |
Blue, Green, Rainbow, White, Yellow |
Pink |
||
| Surprise (umbrella) |
Gold, Orange, Red |
Blue, Green, Pink, Rainbow, White, Yellow |
|||
| Submission |
Blue, Gold, Green, Orange, White, Yellow |
Rainbow, Red |
Pink |
||
| Cadaver |
Orange, Rainbow |
Blue, Pink, White |
Gold |
Green |
Red, Yellow |
| Wildlife Scat |
Rainbow, White |
Blue, Gold, Green, Orange, Pink |
Red, Yellow |
||
| Hunt for Food I (jerky on string) |
Gold, Rainbow, Red |
Green, Orange, Yellow |
Pink, White |
Blue |
|
| Hunt for Food II (hidden pieces) |
Gold, Orange, Rainbow, Red, Yellow |
Green, Pink |
White |
Blue |
|
| Unstable Footing |
Orange |
Blue, Gold, Pink, Red, White, Yellow |
Green, Rainbow |
For interest, I include the puppies’ mother’s, grandparent’s and great-grandparent’s temperament test results below. All of these tests were done by Suzan, former police K9 handler, except for Lively’s & Quinta’s SAR tests, done by Janet Wilts.
Glory Too’s Temperament Tests (mother of this litter)
|
Test |
Rating |
Comments |
| Acceptance/Attachment | Excellent | Very nice, acknowledged & then wanted to get down. |
| Pain Sensitivity | Excellent | Good reaction: wagged tail, licked hand |
| Retrieve | Average on ball; minimal on toy | OK. Once she got into it, was good. Not much interest in toys. |
| Perseverance | Above Average | Good. Not a full bite but liked the prey aspect. |
| Fear | Above Average | Good. Investigated when encouraged to. |
| Courage and Aggression | Average | Kept a distance from train but came & looked at it. |
| Surprise | Minimal | Ran away & then returned when verbally encouraged. |
| Submission | Excellent | Good eye contact right away & wanted up. |
| Confidence | Excellent | Nice – no problem |
| Unstable Footing | Excellent | |
| Hunt for Food I | Above Average | Good. Systematic. |
| Hunt for Food II | Above Average | Very Good. Used nose – willing to work with handler. |
Tester Comments: Nice girl overall – very social & sound – Happy!
Lively’s Temperament Tests
(maternal grandmother of this litter)
Search And Rescue Test by Janet Wilts, done at 52 & 53 days of age (10 is top score)
| Rating | SAR & Schutzhund prospect | |
| Saturday | 9 – 10 | Confident, good prey |
| Sunday | 10 | Good nose, good eye contact, good prey, good tug |
Lively’s Police Dog/Narcotics Dog Temperament Test, done at 54 days
Since Janet can seldom come to test my pups, Suzan and I over the years have incorporated most of the SAR exercises into our testing. This was especially nice this time because Janet was unable to do her regular tests due to the weather.
|
Test |
Rating |
Comments |
| Acceptance/Attachment | Excellent | Great. Ran up, licked & nipped at my face |
| Pain Sensitivity | Excellent | Excellent!! |
| Retrieve | Above Average | Lots of chase – no bringing |
| Perseverance | Excellent | Lots of prey, good speed |
| Courage and Aggression | Above Average | Good!! |
| Fear | Above Average | Good – didn’t investigate |
| Surprise | Above Average | OK – looked and stopped |
Lively’s Search And Rescue Test
|
Test |
Rating |
Comments |
| Submission & Confidence | Above Average | Good – no eye contact right away |
| Unstable Footing | Excellent | |
| Hunt for Toy | Above Average | Stayed with specific toy for a long time |
| Hunt for Food | Excellent | Great. Not intimidated, willing to go the distance |
Tester Comments: Full of “Reckless Abandonment.” Fantastic. Good full mouth bite. Drug on blanket (perseverance test). Cel’s note: What Suzan is referring to is that she had her whole body on the blanket and stayed there while Suzan drug her all around.)
Summary
|
Rating |
Tests |
| Excellent | Sensitivity, Perseverance, Hunt for Food, Attachment |
| Above Average | Submission, Aggression/Courage, Retrieve, Fear, Hunt for Toy, Surprise |
Quinta’s Temperament Tests
(Lively’s mother; maternal great-grandmother of this litter)
The Q Litter was tested on October 30th & 31st, when they were 46 & 47 days old. Results are listed after the description of each part of the Test. An extensive Search & Rescue test was done on the 30th, with some retesting on the 31st after the police/narcotics test, if the SAR tester (Janet) hadn’t been satisfied with the pup’s reactions the day before. For the SAR test, we took the pups to a rural schoolyard which had a very large grassy field. Heavy rain the day before made the field too soggy for the entire test, so most of the exercises were done in the playground area which is deep in wood chips. The chips proved to be way too highly tempting to the pups and Janet had to clear their mouths often to get them to go after the toys rather than the chips. Results are listed after the description of each part of the Test. You will note that some exercises are done in both tests and other exercises are unique to one test or the other. Janet was the primary tester, with Kelly, another SAR person, adding her ratings on some tests. A table with scores from every phase of the test is listed after the test explanation. Pups reactions are rated on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being excellent.
Temperament Test 1: the Search & Rescue test
Tug, Prey Drive, Chase, Retrieve Drive, Bite The first series of tests involve the pup’s desire to play, chase the toy, how well the pup bites and hold the toy when he or she gets it, and whether the pup will bring it back to the tester.
Strange Noise, Unstable Surface The pups are exposed to both a strange, potentially scary noise and an unstable surface. In this particular test we used a plastic tarp draped over a camp chair. Janet also invented some additional tests by asking the pups to negotiate a metal grating on the playground equipment, to climb a series of wood sections that ended with a widow and a 6’ drop to the ground. Janet tested the pups’ trust by handing them down to a helper and noting their reactions.
Hunt for Food and Hunt for Toys The pups are tested to determine their desire to find the toy when it’s hidden, and to find food. The toy was hidden under the tarp and the pup encouraged to look for it. A piece of bacon on a string was drug and bounced past the pups to test their desire to use their noses when they couldn’t see the bacon. Janet took off fast with the bacon drag and ran way out into the field behind the school. Quinta was one of only three pups that noticed this first run; Janet had to repeat it twice more to give all pups a chance to be tested. It is fascinating to see those little noses go to the ground and guide the galloping pups after Janet when she outruns them.
Submission, Forgiveness, Socialability The pups are graded on their desire to interact with and play with the tester. For the submission test, each pup was placed on its back and held down firmly for about 10 seconds. Desirable reaction includes struggle followed by acceptance. Undesirable reactions include total passivity or frantic struggle with refusal to “give” to the human, or trying to bite. The pup is judged afterwards on its willingness to forgive the tester for the submission test. The pup is also held in the air at arms length to judge its confidence in being unsupported.
Confidence Janet also invented some additional tests by asking the pups to negotiate a metal grating on the playground equipment, to climb a series of wood sections that ended with a widow and a 6’ drop to the ground. Janet then further tested the pups’ trust and confidence by handing them down to a helper and noting their reactions.
Test Results
| Test | Janet’s Rating | Kelly’s Rating |
| Tug | 10+, really grips | 10 |
| Prey | 10 | 10 |
| Retrieve | 5 | 6 |
| Unstable Surface | 10 | 10 |
| Forgiveness | 10 | 10 |
| Socialability | 10 | 10 |
| Chase | 10 | 10 |
| Hunt for Food | 10 | |
| Hunt for Toy | no | |
| Noise | 10 | 10 |
| Submission | 8 | 8 |
| Bite | 10 | 10 |
| Trust | good |
Quinta’s Temperament Test 2: The police dog/narcotics dog test
Saturday had been a beautiful day, but Sunday brought a storm with wind and rain mixed with snow. We had to do the test in a large unheated garage. The police test is quite different from the Search & Rescue Test. The main difference I noticed in the SAR test was that the testers played with the pups at the same time, and evaluated them for all of the above as they played with them. They were also much more physically active and used excited voices and clapping to encourage the pups, while the tester in the police test is very calm and low key, asking the pups to draw the excitement forth from within themselves. Another difference was that other people stood around just feet from and in full view of each pup as it was tested. In the police test only the tester is within sight or scent of the pup during the testing and everyone was required to be very quiet.
Suzan was the main tester, with Janet hiding to open the umbrella on the surprise test. Janet also gave ratings on some of the test.
|
Test |
Suzan |
Janet (10 = excellent) |
| Acceptance/Attachment | Excellent | 8 |
| Pain Sensitivity | Excellent | |
| Retrieve | High Average | 5 |
| Unstable Surfaces | Excellent | 10 |
| Perseverance | Excellent | Tug 10; prey 10 |
| Courage and Aggression | Above Average | 10 |
| Fear | Excellent | 10 |
| Surprise | Excellent | 10 |
| Submission | Above Average | |
| Forgiveness | Above Average | Medium |
| Social | Above Average | 8 |
Tester Comments: Very nice, independent pup. For the most part, full bites & lots of interest. Puts full body into what she is doing. Very curious and friendly.
Jubilee’s Temperament Test
(Quinta’s mother, Lively’s great-grandmother; maternal great-great-grandmother of this litter)
Jubilee was tested at 52 days (9/6/1998)
This was Suzan’s straight police/narcotics test, before Janet’s Search & Rescue influence caused us to incorporate more items into our test.
|
Test |
Rating |
Comments |
| Attachment | Excellent | Had no problem following another person |
| Sensitivity | Excellent | High pain tolerance – came back to handler |
| Retrieve | Above Average | No retrieve – did not bring back |
| Perseverance | Above Average | Chased everything |
| Fear | Excellent | No reaction – turned and looked into can |
| Aggression & Courage | Above Average | Stood over and sniffed |
| Surprise | Excellent | Stopped. Barked. Looked at umbrella |
Chaos’ Temperament Tests (maternal grandfather of this litter)
Chaos’ breeder did not do a formal temperament test, so we did one when he arrived. He was 8 weeks old.
|
Test |
Rating |
Comments |
| Acceptance/Attachment | Above Average | Nice! No problem with adjustment. |
| Pain Sensitivity | Excellent | |
| Retrieve | Average | Somewhat interested in other things as well. Easily encouraged. |
| Perseverance | Average | Lots of prey, good speed |
| Fear | Excellent | Looked at can, then went about business. |
| Courage and Aggression | Excellent | Did everything but pick it up. |
| Surprise | Above Average | Not fair test but no problem. Looked at umbrella and investigated person. |
| Submission | Above Average | 5 seconds. Was squirming. Made eye contact once. |
| Hunt for Toy | Above Average | Pretty good. Couldn’t decide which toy he liked better. |
| Hunt for Food | Above Average | Very good. Fairly systematic. |
Tester Comments: Nice pup – very solid and courageous. Has a good bit, full mouthed with toys and pull toy. Nice reaction to train and umbrella. Gets along with other dogs well (met her dogs afterwards). Good nose – found food easily and liked looking for it, followed direction of handler. Nicely encouraged. Great little boy!