Temperament Testing

A core concept of Puppy Sense is helping owners, breeders, rescues and fosters properly select, evaluate and place puppies into fitting homes.  This process helps ensure a successful and full life with your new best friend because all factors have been accounted for in terms of size, temperament and energy level.

If you are searching for a new puppy, we can help you select a breed(er) or a rescue puppy to fit your lifestyle.  We will search with you until we are confident the perfect match has been made. 

If you are a breeder, rescue or foster and are looking to have your puppies temperament tested to be able to match each puppy into their ideal home.  This will ensure fewer returns, better suited homes and less stress for everyone involved. 

The Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test uses a scoring system from 1-6 and consists of ten tests.  The tests are done consecutively and in the order listed.  Each test is scored separately, and interpreted on its own merits.  The scores are not averaged, and there are no winners or losers.  The entire purpose is to select the right puppy for the right home. 

The tests are as follows:  

1. Social Attraction - degree of social attraction to people, confidence or dependence.   
2. Following - willingness to follow a person. 
3. Restraint - degree of dominant or submissive tendency, and ease of handling in difficult situations.
4. Social Dominance - degree of acceptance of social dominance by a person. 
5. Elevation - degree of accepting dominance while in a position of no control, such as at the veterinarian or                groomer. 
6. Retrieving - degree of willingness to do something for you. Together with Social Attraction and Following a         key indicator for ease or difficulty in training.
7. Touch Sensitivity - degree of sensitivity to touch and a key indicator to the type of training equipment required.
8. Sound Sensitivity - degree of sensitivity to sound, such as loud noises or thunderstorms. 
9. Sight Sensitivity - degree of response to a moving object, such as chasing bicycles, children or squirrels.
10. Stability - degree of startle response to a strange object.  

During the testing, we make a note of the heart rate of the pup, which is an indication of how it deals with stress, as well as its energy level.  Puppies come with high, medium or low energy levels. Dogs with high energy levels need a great deal of exercise, and will get into mischief if this energy is not channeled into the right direction.

Finally, we look at the overall structure of the puppy.  You see what you get at 49 days age.  If the pup has strong and straight front and back legs, with all four feet pointing in the same direction, it will grow up that way, provided you give it the proper diet and environment in which to grow.  If we notice something out of the ordinary at this age, it will stay with puppy for the rest of its life.  He will not grow out of it. 

To discuss Temperament Testing a litter of puppies or an individual puppy, whether you are searching for your perfect pet or are a breeder, rescue or foster, give me a call today at (520) 603-2772.