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Puppy Aptitude Test
*This test must be administered by someone who has had no previous contact with the puppies. Puppies should be 6 or 7 weeks of age for ideal results on testing. *
Date: ______________________________
Puppy: Fawn / Brindle
Markings: __________________________
Sex: M / F
Litter: ____________________________
Birth Date: ________________________
Age in weeks: ______________________
[Note: Only the first five categories are for temperament testing — and only those five count in the interpretation section of the test]
TEST – temperament section PURPOSE SCORE
Social Attraction
Place puppy in test area. From a few feet away the tester coaxes the pup to him/her 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.
Came readily, tail up, jumped, bit at hands — 1
Came readily, tail up, pawed, licked at hands. — 2
Came readily, tail up. — 3
Came readily, tail down. — 4
Came hesitantly, tail down. — 5
Didn’t come at all — 6
Following
Stand up and walk away from the pup in the normal manner. Make sure the pup sees you walk away.
Degree of following attraction. Not following indicates independence.
Followed readily tail up, got underfoot, bit at feet — 1
Followed readily, tail up, got underfoot — 2
Followed readily, tail up — 3
Followed readily, tail down — 4
Followed hesitantly, tail down — 5.
No follow, or went away — 6
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.
Struggled fiercely flailed, bit — 1
Struggled fiercely, flailed — 2
Settled, struggled, settled with some eye contact –3
Struggled then settled — 4
No struggle — 5
No struggle, straining to avoid eye contact — 6
Social Dominance
Let pup stand up and gently stroke him from the head to back while you crouch beside him. Continue stroking until a 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.
Jumped, pawed, bit, growled — 1
Jumped, pawed — 2
Cuddles up to tester and tries to lick face — 3
Squirmed, licked at hands — 4
Rolled over, licked at hands — 5
Went away and stayed away — 6
Elevation Dominance
Bend over and cradle the pup under it’s 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.
Struggled fiercely, bit, growled — 1
Struggled fiercely — 2
No struggle, relaxed — 3
Struggled, settled, licked — 4
No struggle, licked at hands — 5
No struggle, froze — 6
Comments:
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Not Scored Section!
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TEST – OBEDIENCE APTITUDE PURPOSE SCORE
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 to 6 feet in front of pup.
Degree of willingness to work with human. High correlation between ability to retrieve and successful guide dogs, obedience dogs, field trial dogs.
Chases object, picks up object and runs away — 1
Chases object, stands over object, does not return — 2
Chases object and returns with object to tester — 3
Chases object and returns without object to tester — 4
Starts to chase object, loses interest — 5
Does not chase object — 6
Touch Sensitivity
Take puppy’s webbing on 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 the puppy pulls away or shows discomfort.
Degree of sensitivity to touch.
6-10 counts before response — 1
6-7 counts before response — 2
5-6 counts before response — 3
2-4 counts before response — 4
1-2 counts before response — 5
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 rudimentary test for deafness]
Listens, locates sound, walks toward it barking — 1
Listens, locates sound, barks — 2
Listens, locates sound, shows curiosity and walks toward sound — 3
Listens, locates the sound — 4
Cringes, backs off, hides — 5
Ignores sound, shows no curiosity — 6
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.
Looks, attacks and bites — 1
Looks, barks and tail up — 2
Looks curiously, attempts to investigate — 3
Looks, barks, tail-tuck — 4
Runs away hides — 5
Interpreting the Scores [from the first 5 tests]
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, hunting 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 received 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
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 a properly socialized pup 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.