X
Litter Temperament
Tests
The
X Litter was tested when 54 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">
X
Litter Temperament
Tests The
X Litter was tested when 54 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. My usual
tester is moving out of state, so this was the first litter with a new tester.
The new tester talked more to the pups during the test, rewarded with
bits of food, and generally had more body movement during the different
exercises, so the difference between Police Exercises and SAR exercises was much
less. The
Police Dog/Narcotics Dog Temperament Test: 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. Yellow Female: Excellent
Purple Female:
Above Average Blue Male:
Average Green Male:
Above Average Pink Female:
Excellent Rainbow Male: Above
Average 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. Yellow Female: Excellent Purple Female:
Excellent Blue Male:
Excellent Green Male:
Excellent Pink Female:
Excellent Rainbow Male: Above
Average 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. Yellow Female: Average.
Chased ball but did not bring back. Purple Female:
Excellent Blue Male:
Above Average Green Male:
Average. Chased ball but only
brought it back once. Pink Female:
Average Rainbow Male: Minimal 4. Perseverance
Then perseverance is evaluated by seeing how enthusiastically they will
pursue, grab hold, and tug on a sack. 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. Yellow Female: Above
Average Purple Female:
Above Average Blue Male:
Excellent Green Male:
Above Average Pink Female:
Above Average Rainbow Male: Average 5. Courage and Aggression
Next, courage and aggression was 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 “singing”
and moving. She notes how much encouragement is needed. Yellow Female: Excellent Purple Female:
Excellent Blue Male:
Excellent Green Male:
Excellent Pink Female:
Excellent Rainbow Male: Excellent 6. Fear
Then a metal coffee can filled with metal items (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. Yellow Female: Excellent Purple Female:
Excellent Blue Male:
Excellent Green Male:
Excellent Pink Female:
Above Average Rainbow Male: Excellent 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. Yellow Female: Excellent Purple Female:
Excellent Blue Male:
Excellent Green Male:
Excellent Pink Female:
Above Average Rainbow Male: Above
Average Search
And Rescue Test 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. Yellow Female: Above
Average 6 seconds Purple Female:
Above Average 3 seconds Blue Male:
Average Green Male:
Average 2 seconds Pink Female:
Excellent 10 seconds Rainbow Male: Average
2 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
plastic tarp and a plank resting unevenly on a piece of round post.
All pups did great. Hunt for Toy
The tester will play with the pup with a toy, then suddenly hide it
under the tarp or other object to see if the pup will search for it, using its
nose. Yellow Female: Minimal Purple Female:
Excellent Blue Male:
Excellent Green Male:
Minimal Pink Female:
Average Rainbow Male: Minimal Hunt for Food
As part of the game she’s playing with the pup, asking it to use
its nose to find pieces of food, the tester will place pieces of food under the
tarp and low dogwalk so that the pup must actively use its nose to find all the
food. All pups were rated
"Excellent." Tester Comments: Yellow Female:
Very food motivated. Showed
no fear of train. Barked and
startled at umbrella and
then investigated it. Chased toy but
never brought it back. Purple Female:
High food drive. Retrieved
ball but not (soft) toy. Took
several seconds before she would look at tester.
Cried and struggled on submission test. Blue Male:
Very nice puppy. Used nose to
find food and hunted toy to retrieve. Retrieved
several times avidly. Green Male:
Very nosy—tracked food trail avidly.
Chased ball but only retrieved once.
Affectionate with tester. Cried
and wiggled in submission test. Pink Female:
Nice social puppy. Very
accepting of tester. Methodical
search for food on tarp. Chased toys
but did not retrieve. Rainbow Male:
Had no interest in toy. Very
food driven, very “nosy”. Followed
tester well. Fussed before
submitting, only relaxed for a short time. to Temperament Test Photos of Mr. Blue to Temperament Test Photos of Miss Yellow to Temperament Test Photos
of Mr. Rainbow to Temperament Test Photos
of Miss Purple to Temperament Test Photos
of Miss Pink to Temperament Test Photos
of Mr. Green