Puppy Aptitude Test

At 7 weeks of age we perform a puppy aptitude test. We do our best to follow the Volhard guidelines. This test is a helpful TOOL to help guide placement with families. It is not a pass/ fail test, but instead helps to give insight to how a puppy may grow up. Continued socialization, training and lifestyle is the only guaranteed way to ensure a certain type of dog as an adult, but this test helps us see who may or may not be more prone to certain behaviors, traits, and skills. 

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When viewing the test videos, please keep in mind that part of our daily socialization with the puppies includes purposeful handling. We expect our puppies to have little no no reaction to the following categories, because they have literally been practicing them for the last 7 weeks. This breed requires regular, professional grooming, so this purposeful handling helps them to be more comfortable in a grooming setting. 

Elevation dominance

Social Dominance

Touch Sensitivity 

Restraint

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Here is a breakdown of the catigories, and some information about what we are looking for. Remember, there is no "pass or fail", and a mix of scores in expected. 

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The aptitude test is done is a new area for the puppies, with ideally a person that they have not interacted with much. 

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*This information is copied from volharddognutrition.com

• Social Attraction - degree of social attraction to people, confidence or dependence.
• Following - willingness to follow a person.
• Restraint - degree of dominant or submissive tendency, and ease of handling in difficult situations.
• Social Dominance - degree of acceptance of social dominance by a person.
• Elevation - degree of accepting dominance while in a position of no control, such as at the veterinarian or groomer.
• Retrieving - degree of willingness to do something for you. Together with Social Attraction and Following a key indicator for ease or difficulty in training.
• Touch Sensitivity - degree of sensitivity to touch and a key indicator to the type of training equipment required.
• Sound Sensitivity - degree of sensitivity to sound, such as loud noises or thunderstorms.
• Sight Sensitivity - degree of response to a moving object, such as chasing bicycles, children or squirrels.
• Stability (Umbrella Test) - degree of startle response to a strange object.

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Below is the scoring system we use. Please keep in mind that this is a just a guideline. Generally, we look for our puppies to score between 2 and 5 in most catagories.