Q Litter:  COMANCHE AND JUBILEE

2 males & 2 females whelped September 14">

Q Litter:  COMANCHE AND JUBILEE

2 males & 2 females whelped September 14, 2004

Yellow & Green went for Search & Rescue; Purple went to enliven the lives of a young couple, and I kept Sparkle, who is now Celhaus Quintessence, Quinta for short.

Temperament Tests

The Q Litter was tested on October 30^th & 31^st, 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 30^th, with some retesting on the 31^st 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.  Only three pups noticed this first run (Orange, Sparkle and Blue), so Janet repeated 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, Socialibility   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.

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.  Her ratings are listed in italics after Suzan’s.  She used the SAR scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being excellent.

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 interest in the stranger but no sign of nervousness in the interaction ("Protect me!"), followed by investigation of the surroundings and return to the tester.  The pups who got a Very Good rating showed a little more independence (somewhat more interest in surroundings than tester) than the ones who were rated Excellent.  An average rating usually indicates a pup who was somewhat uninterested in the strange person.

Purple Male:                 Above Average                                   

Yellow Male:                Above Average                                   

Sparkle Female:            Excellent                                   8

Green Female:              Excellent                                  

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.  Nearly all the pups continued wagging their tails during the pinch, an excellent reaction.

Purple Male:                 Excellent                                  

Yellow Male:                Excellent                                   not as sensitive

Sparkle Female:            Excellent

Green 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.  Blue was the only one out of both litters who would retrieve at all.

Purple Male:                 Average                                   8-10 with Janet

Yellow Male:                Low Average                           6 with Suzan; 10 with Janet

Sparkle Female:            High Average                           5

Green Female:              Above Average                        retrieved one time

4.  Unstable Surfaces    Suzan used a cushion to test the pup’s reaction to unstable surfaces, asking it to continue tugging while being dragged over the cushion.

Purple Male:                 Above Average                       

Yellow Male:                Excellent                                  

Sparkle Female:            Excellent                                   10

Green Female:              Excellent                                   10

5.  Perseverance           Then perseverance is evaluated by seeing how enthusiastically they will pursue, grab hold, and tug on a burlap sack.  Ideal reaction is to pursue enthusiastically, grasp with a full mouth bite, tug and do everything possible to posses the sack.

Purple Male:                 Average                                  

Yellow Male:                Excellent                                   Tug:  10                                   Prey:  10

Sparkle Female:            Excellent                                   Tug:  10                                   Prey:  10

Green Female:              Above Average                        Tug:    7                                     Prey:  10

6.  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 the train is turned off, if it wouldn't while the train was clanking and moving.  She notes how much encouragement is needed.

Purple Male:                 Average                                   7-8

Yellow Male:                Excellence                                10

Sparkle Female:            Above Average                        10

Green Female:              Above Average                          7

7.    Fear          Then a metal pan filled with horseshoes is dropped 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.

Purple Male:                 Above Average                       

Yellow Male:                Excellent                                   10

Sparkle Female:            Excellent                                   10

Green Female:              Above Average                          8

8.    Surprise     The last test involves getting the pup to chase you (or a toy or the burlap sack) towards a tree, 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.

Purple Male:                 Above Average?                     

Yellow Male:                Excellent                                   10

Sparkle Female:            Excellent                                   10

Green Female:              Above Average                          8

9.    Submission, Forgiveness, Social                 Same as SAR tests.

Purple Male:                 Average                                  

Yellow Male:                Above Average                       

Sparkle Female:            Above Average                        Forgiveness:  medium             Social:  8

Green Female:              High Above Average               

Tester Comments on Individual Pups (written right after test, before next pup is brought in):

Purple Male:   A little bit more nervous, verbal.  First time with can had no reaction (he was urinating at the time); on second time had a little reaction.  Not a lot of perseverance with any one thing.  Had a good bit when he would engage.  Didn’t act like he noticed umbrella so that test was repeated later.  Notices things.

Yellow Male:    Nice pup.  Good bite—not quite full but close.  Lots of prey.  Needs more retrieve.  Easily coaxed.  Good reaction to noises, train & umbrella—noticed, looked around.  Very confident pup.  Good stamina.

Sparkle Female:  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.

Green Female:    Nice pup.  Light sensitivity to pinch.  Good reaction to train—stopped & looked; when it was turned off she was easily encouraged to come up.  Nice reaction to loud noise.  Easily encouraged and likes people.  Good puppy.  Good for SAR.

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