The Steps Of Temperment Testing A Dog

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Temperament Testing a Dog for Adoptability

Many things are involved in testing a dog to see if it is an adoptable animal. Temperament testing is a good name for all these steps. The dog is first evaluated in its kennel, then checked to see if it is aggressive around food; finally, the dog is evaluated to see if it shows any aggression towards people.
The dog is at the animal shelter for approximately five days prior to the official evaluation. During this time, the dog is observed to see how it behaves toward other dogs in the kennel with it. A memo is placed in the dog’s record stating whether it is aggressive, submissive, dominant, or playful with the other dogs. Some breeds of dogs are known to be more aggressive toward other animals than other breeds; some of these breeds are the American Pit Bull, the Chow and Dachshunds. These breeds require more intensive testing and training to ensure they overcome the dominant traits of their breed. These breeds are also watched more carefully in the kennels because of their tendency to become dog aggressive. If the dog is friendly with all of the other dogs in the kennel and is not dominant, the dog then passes on to the next step in the evaluation process.
In food aggression testing, the dog is taken from the kennel and given a small amount of tasty canned food (something they do not get while in the kennels). A false hand is placed near the dog while it is eating, and if it does not growl or snap, the hand is then placed in the bowl with the food. If the dog growls or snaps at any time during this testing, it will fail the temperament check and will not be available for adoption. Sometimes during this part of the testing, the evaluator is surprised because the dog shows no tendency for food aggression until the evaluator reaches down to pick up the dog or to hook a leash on his collar. At this point, the dog sometimes will snarl and try to bite the evaluator, this reaction is an ...