Temperament Testing for Canines

These guidelines should be used assess the temperament of dogs in Pickens Animal Rescue’s Foster program.

______________________           ___________       ___________________ ________________

Dog Name                                         Dog’s Age           Breed Mix                         Sex; Spay/Neutered?

• Make sure the dog is wearing a sturdy and snug collar and leash during testing so the tester have a means of control.
• Other Materials you may need for testing:

               Toys

               Food Bowl

               Tennis ball

• Have 2 people present for all testing for safety’s sake as well as for objective observation.
• Have the tester act confident, not overbearing, and neutral. A dog quickly senses if a person is a take-charge person or more submissive. This will affect the dog’s responsiveness.
• Find a calm environment for the testing. If the dogs has not adjusted to shelter life, delay testing until he/she is more comfortable.
• Record observations about responses immediately after each test exercise.

 Testing Check List:

1. How long did it take the dog to pay attention to the tester? _________________________________________________________________
2. What was the dog’s reaction to being approached by the tester? ____________________________ (friendly, tentative, fearful, neutral)
3. What is the dog’s reaction to eye contact?  _________________________________________________________________
4. What is the dog’s response to being petted? __________________________________________________________________
5. When being petted, does he/she prefer to not have a certain area petted? Where? __________________________________________________________________
6. After petting stops, what reaction does the dog have? Move closer? Move away? Stand still? Wag? Relax? Stiffen? __________________________________________________________________
7. What is their reaction to sudden movements? Curious? Submissive? Defensive? Aggressive? __________________________________________________________________
8. What is their reaction to sudden noise?  __________________________________________________________________
9. What is their reaction to foreign objects like an umbrella or cane?  Investigative? Panic? __________________________________________________________________
10. What is their reaction to an attempted hug? __________________________________________________________________
11. What is their reaction to having their paws touched? __________________________________________________________________
12. What is their reaction to being led on a leash? __________________________________________________________________
13. What is their reaction when handed a toy? Do they attempt to guard the toy? __________________________________________________________________
14. What is their response to food or food-guarding? __________________________________________________________________
15. How do they react to being forced to lie down? Willing? Fearful? Struggling? __________________________________________________________________
16. What is their reaction to tester leaving them and walking away? __________________________________________________________________
17. Does the dog appear dependent or independent overall? __________________________________________________________________
18. Does the dog seem to like people? __________________________________________________________________
19. Is the dog interested in playing? __________________________________________________________________
20. Does the dog release objects when playing? __________________________________________________________________
21. Does the dog chase moving object (person jogging?)__________________________________________________________
22. Does the dog seem more interested in things than people? __________________________________________________________________
23. How does the dog react to cats in a nearby carrier? __________________________________________________________________

Make sure to allow adequate time to test the dog, even some friendly dogs take a few minutes to build confidence with the person testing.

Young Puppy Temperament Testing:

1. Clap your hands; does the puppy look at you? __________________________________________________________________
2. Does he approach readily, in a friendly manner? __________________________________________________________________
3. Make eye contact, does the puppy engage in eye contact? __________________________________________________________________
4. Call the puppy, does he have interest? Does he hear you? __________________________________________________________________
5. Praise the dog, does he/she respond to positive verbal praise? Does he wag his tail? __________________________________________________________________
6. After playing, does the puppy stay with you or walk or jog away from you? __________________________________________________________________
7. Does he respond well to petting? Does he try to dominate you by nipping, biting or jumping on you? Does he try to escape? __________________________________________________________________
8. Does the puppy run after a toy when tossed?  Does he let you take the toy from him or resist? __________________________________________________________________
9. Roll the puppy on his back; gently hold in place with one hand for 15 seconds. Does he resist or try to nip you? Most puppies resist for a few seconds and then contend. __________________________________________________________________
10. Gently pick up the puppy, hold in elevated position with fingers under his belly for 30 seconds. Does he struggle to get free? How quickly does he relax? __________________________________________________________________
11. Touch a paw, then press between the pads gently. How quickly the pup responses indicate his tendency to submission, dominance, and independence. __________________________________________________________________
12. Make a sudden noise; are they curious? Fearful? Barking? Ignore it? __________________________________________________________________

PO Box 45       Jasper, GA 30143                   706-692-2772

www.pickensanimalrescue.org           parinfo@pickensanimalrescue.org