Celhaus EE Litter Temperament Tests

The EE Litter was tested when 50 days old.

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 is enthusiastic and uses lots of verbal praise and body movements to get the pup “up” and gives lots of praise.  Other people are present, walking around, talking, and generally making for a noisy, busy environment.  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.

Search And Rescue Test

The Police Dog/Narcotics Dog Temperament Test

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 now teaches at the Wyoming Police Academy.  She has done my temperament tests for over twelve years, except for a two year absence while she was working in Florida.  I am excited to have her back in Wyoming and able to test my litters.  Suzan and I over the years have incorporated most of the SAR exercises into our testing. 

Results are listed after the description of each part of the Test. 

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. 

Blue Male:                   Excellent                     Nice.   

Green Male:                Excellent                     Took a little longer

Multi Male:                 Excellent

Pink Female:               Excellent                     Very nice.       

Red Male:                   Excellent                     A little longer on acceptance:  5-6 seconds

Yellow Female:           Excellent                     Good                                      

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.

Blue Male:                   Excellent        

Green Male:                Excellent

Multi Male:                 Excellent

Pink Female:               Excellent                     Didn't bother her at all.          

Red Male:                   Excellent

Yellow Female:           Excellent

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.

Blue Male:                   Average                       Mouthed & picked up.           

Green Male:                Minimal                       Followed.

Multi Male:                 Minimal

Pink Female:               Above Average          

Red Male:                   Average                       Chases & leaves

Yellow Female:           Above Average.          Liked ball.  More retrieve than others!

4.  Perseverance          Then perseverance is evaluated by seeing how enthusiastically they will pursue, grab hold, and tug on a sack or tug toy.  Ideal reaction is to pursue enthusiastically, grasp with a full mouth bite, tug and do everything possible to posses the sack.  We like to see a pup get its whole body on the sack in an effort to subdue it.

Blue Male:                   Above Average           Likes movement.

Green Male:                Above Average           Liked to hold onto tug toy

Multi Male:                 Average

Pink Female:               Average          

Red Male:                   Minimal                       Not a big interest.  Not full mouth bite.

Yellow Female:           Above Average

5.  Courage and Aggression    Next, 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.

Blue Male:                   Excellent                     Looked, circled, went up & sniffed.

Green Male:                Average                       OK.  Had to encourage to look at.

Multi Male:                 Average

Pink Female:               Above Average           Couldn't tell where train noise came from (room echoes)     

Red Male:                   Average                       Checked it out, then ran 15-20 feet.  Encouraged vocally to                                                                        return.

Yellow Female:           Above Average           Kept looking at train, made circle, got courage from                                                                                   handler, able to encourage. Great when train off! 

6.    Fear          Then a metal pan 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.

Blue Male:                   Excellent                     Saw & investigated

Green Male:                Average                       Looked at can

Multi Male:                 Minimal                       Avoidance:  went away from the noise and then stood for a                                                                       while and didn’t want to explore it.  Couldn’t coax him in.

Pink Female:               Excellent        

Red Male:                   Above Average           OK!

Yellow Female:           Above Average           Nice recovery.

7.    Surprise    The last test involves getting the pup to chase you (or a toy or the burlap sack) towards a doorway, from behind which an umbrella is opened suddenly and then lowered to the ground, still open.  They 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 ground, if it doesn't on its own.  She notes how much encouragement is needed.

Blue Male:                   Excellent                     Stood ground

Green Male:                Insufficient+               Ran from umbrella, kept at distance for 1 minute.                                                                                                 Couldn’t coax him in to give him a minimal, but he didn’t                                                                        continue to cry or go any further… just not sure of what he                                                                     should do.

Multi Male:                 Minimal

Pink Female:               Average                       Jumped.  Recovered. 

Red Male:                   Average

Yellow Female:           Average                       Went large distance away, turned back.        

Search And Rescue Test

Submission & Confidence Tests  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.  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.

                                                                        Submission Test                                             Confidence Test

Blue Male:                   Excellent                     2 - 4 seconds.  Struggled.                               Excellent        

Green Male:                Excellent                     8 - 10 seconds.  Eye contact.                          Excellent

Multi Male:                 Above Average           16 seconds                                                      Excellent

Pink Female:               Excellent                     8 - 10 seconds                                                 Excellent

Red Male:                   Excellent                     8 seconds                                                        Excellent

Yellow Female:           Excellent                     12 seconds                                                      Excellent

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 cardboard boxes.  All pups rated "Excellent".

Hunt for Toy   The tester will see if the pup will search for a toy, using its nose.

Blue Male:                   Above Average           Good tug of war.       

Green Male:                Average                       Likes the chase & movement. 

Multi Male:                 Minimal

Pink Female:               Above Average          

Red Male:                   Minimal

Yellow Female:           Average

Hunt for Food  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, to see if it will use its nose, and how systematically, to find all the food.  We did the test in an old gym which had collapsible bleachers that formed "shelves" and had space underneath, too.  Suzan placed bits of jerky on the "shelf" and on the floor under the bleachers, as well as under the tarps and cardboard boxes used for unstable footing test so that all pups had to search for food both on the ground and above eye level.  The pups really had to use their noses to find exactly where the meat was.  They also had to stretch up and make an effort to get to the food on the bleacher.

Blue Male:                   Above Average           Nice.  Not a lot of tug (on food on string)    

Green Male:                Average                       OK.  Likes food.

Multi Male:                 Average

Pink Female:               Average                       Good.  More independent with food search.

Red Male:                   Average                       Willing to try and come again.

Yellow Female:           Excellent                     Very nice hut for food - stuck with it.

General Tester Comments:

Blue Male:                   Started looking at environment right away, while in my arms.         

Green Male:                More vocal - uncertainty?  Has good tug and prey drive.  Needs encouragement,                                        confidence building.  Not as intense as Yellow.  Pooped on tarp.

Multi Male:                 Methodical checking out environment.  Better bite on toy.  Good nose.  Needs confidence building.

Pink Female:               Good interest in every object.  Has her own confidence & self-reliance.  Liked                                            new handler.  Easily encouraged, too.  Not extremely methodical like Blue.           

Red Male:                   Vocal.  Not a huge interest in chasing things & retrieving.  Followed.  Somewhat                                         better hold/bite but not full mouth bite.

Yellow Female:           More retrieve than others! 

Summary

Blue

                        Excellent:                    Sensitivity, Submission, Confidence, Aggression & Courage, Fear,                                                                        Surprise, Unstable Footing, Attachment

                        Above Average:          Perseverance, Hunt for Toy, Hunt for Food

                        Average:                      Retrieve

 Green

                        Excellent:                    Sensitivity, Submission, Confidence, Attachment, Unstable Footing

                        Above Average:          Perseverance

                        Average:                      Aggression & Courage, Fear, Hunt for Toy, Hunt for Food

                        Minimal:                      Retrieve

                        Insufficient:                Surprise

 Multi

                        Excellent:                    Sensitivity, Confidence, Unstable Footing, Attachment

                        Above Average:          Submission

                        Average:                      Perseverance, Aggression & Courage, Hunt for Food

                        Minimal:                      Retrieve, Fear, Hunt for Toy, Surprise

 Pink

                        Excellent:                    Sensitivity, Submission, Confidence, Fear, Attachment, Unstable                                                                                      Footing

                        Above Average:          Aggression & Courage, Retrieve, Hunt for Toy

                        Average:                      Perseverance, Surprise, Hunt for Food

 Red

                        Excellent:                    Sensitivity, Submission, Confidence, Attachment, Unstable Footing

                        Above Average:          Fear

                        Average:                      Aggression & Courage, Retrieve, Surprise, Hunt for Food

                        Minimal:                      Perseverance, Hunt for Toy

 Yellow

                        Excellent:                    Sensitivity, Submission, Confidence, Hunt for Food, Attachment, Unstable                                                             Footing

                        Above Average:          Perseverance, Aggression & Courage, Retrieve, Fear

                        Average:                      Hunt for Toy, Surprise

Comparison

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