| Description
The puppy temperament
testing is a standard procedure used to provide an accurate and objective evaluation
of the behavioural tendencies of a puppy. In the past, it was used mainly by some
organisations, such as those that train dogs for the blind, the physically handicapped
or deaf persons, to pinpoint tendencies in very young puppies before they are
influenced by the environment and help select the better prospect in view of obtaining
the best results with less efforts and less time. Nowadays, behaviorists, trainers
and serious breeders of all breeds recommend objective testing more and more as
a helpful tool in the screening process.
Use of a temperament test
for a Westie breeder or a future Westie owner Unfortunately,
many dogs are destroyed, given away or abandoned because they exhibit undesirable
behavior, e.g. a behavior unsuitable in a particular environment with a particular
person. Even if a Westie is not a guide dog or a working dog, it is important
to know the puppy's temperament as well as possible to match both puppy and owner.
All owners want the perfect Westie but the perfect Westie for Mr. X, a young man
living in a farm, may well be a little devil for Mrs Y. living with 3 noisy
and boisterous children.
- To
help select puppies for show or obedience
The
breeder wants as show prospect a puppy who is not only superior in conformation
but also one who is not sound sensitive and who displays boldness and assurance.
Depending on the method he wishes to use, the obedience trainer might look for
special traits: trainers using positive methods and clicker training look for
boldness and an outgoing attitude. On the other hand the trainer who wishes
to work with the traditional obedience method with choke collars, especially one
interested in competition, looks for a submissive puppy, one who forgives easily
and is very willing to please. A puppy who is very intelligent might also be a
real challenge because it gets bored easily and the trainer will always have to
find new ways to interest it. A very strong chase instinct might also pose a problem
because this puppy will have more difficulty to concentrate outside in the company
of singing birds or running squirrels or in an inside ring in an all-breed show
full of squeaking toys. The
term submissiveness mentioned above is often poorly understood. It doesn't mean
shyness. A shy dog is afraid of new places and people, has to be reassured constantly.
Furthermore, a shy dog that has also an active defence reflex has a tendency
to retreat from a situation which he perceives as threatening and can be provoked
to bite when corrected. On the other hand, a shy dog with passive defence
reflex tends to freeze, stiffen and even tremble in the same situation.
In contrast
to shyness, being submissive only means that the dog doesn't want to be dominant
or in control with his human pack (which is of course desirable). It will accept
human leadership easily, won't growl when his bowl of food is touched while he
is eating, or when we move him away from the bed or the couch. The ideal Westie
combines the qualities of self-assurance and some submissiveness to his human
master.
- To
place puppies in the homes that are most appropriate to them
The
dominant puppy usually requires a more experienced owner and if it is combative,
would be unsuitable as a pet in a home with children. A more timid dog will bloom
with special handling, perhaps in a home with a quiet, elderly person but would
do poorly as a show dog in a noisy environment, particularly in indoor shows.
Apartment dwellers
would be ill advised to select the noisier puppy, one who reacts by barking or
crying when placed in a situation which it finds stressful, such as being left
alone for some time. This puppy would be best suited in a home where people
want the dog to be an alarm dog. If the matches are correct, the chances are better
that puppies will live long and happy lives in their families without running
the risk of being put away in the garage, abandoned, euthanized or given away.
- To
determine the tools needed to help the puppies to grow into well balanced individuals
The
puppy who has a tendency to be sound sensitive can become past his adolescence
sound shy, afraid of thunder or neurotic. To avoid this, it is important
to desensitise him to noise throughout all his puppyhood by exposing him gradually
to as various noises and as many different environments as possible. Enrolling
this particular kind of puppy in a puppy kindergarten class would help his owners
to cope with his sensitivities without worsening the problem.
Some common objections
to temperament testing Some
people don't see the use of temperament tests. The main objections are:
- "There
is no need to test Westies because all of them have good temperaments. It is the
standard of the breed."
Tests
don't give the results in terms of bad/good. They rather try to determine what
are the principal characteristics of each puppy's character. Everyone who
has bred even one litter soon realises that each puppy is different. Some
are noisier; others bolder, and others are more dominant. If there are differences
within the same litter, one can expect even more differences within the breed.
It is also possible that a particular mating produces less than desirable traits.
The test can be used as another tool by the conscientious breeder who strains
to breed the perfect Westie with a temperament in conformity to the standard.
- "What
if some puppies don't pass the test?"
Temperament
tests are not designed to be passed or failed. They just indicate the behavioral
tendencies of the puppy. As such, there are no good or bad results, no good
or bad dogs, but different dogs with different strengths and weaknesses.
These diversities in temperament explain why certain dogs are better suited than
others to a particular environment.
-
"The standard
states that Westies must be alert, gay, courageous and self-reliant but friendly."
It
is reasonable to expect that the scores shown by the tests of most Westie puppies
should display these characteristics. Westie puppies are usually very active,
outgoing, bold and demonstrate a strong chase instinct. But some will deviate
from the norm. Unfortunately, some Westies turn into tyrants, growling and biting
everybody. This can happen even to the most conscientious breeder if the
home selected for the puppy is not suited to his temperament. A judicious
evaluation and selection of both the puppies and the owners could help prevent
these problems.
- "I
know my puppies. I don't need tests to tell me how they react."
It
is a fact that while observant breeders do know their puppies. They have
generally seen them in a particular context, with their mother and littermates,
usually in a place the puppies already know. Moreover, the puppies know
their breeder who feeds them and plays with them and they have already learned
to trust him. Finally, the breeder might also have his perception altered
subconsciously by his own preferences and dislikes. But
what happens if the puppy is alone, in a strange environment, with new people?
How will it react? What if it feels threatened, be it with or without reason?
That is what we want to know. The procedure is designed to be objective
by revealing the raw temperament of the puppy before it has been subjected to
outside influences (other people, dogs and animals, other places, different times...).
- "Tests
are not trustworthy: they cannot predict how a puppy will develop."
Temperament
testing is a valuable tool in the screening process but it is not infallible.
It helps in identifying some behavioral tendencies which are not always
evident in young pups, but which can be very important later on. The conscientious
owner will use environment to help the puppy to better develop his talents or
diminish his less desirable traits to a point of extinction of near extinction.
That is why as such test never can predict the future. Environment
will alter the development and should hopefully do it in the desired situation.
How to
do the tests Read
our article to see the tests in detail. Author:
Monique Courtois
Gailuron
Kennel |
