Okay, This is a long post but some of you may be interested in what goes into evaluating the personalities of each puppy. What follows is a modification of the Volhard Puppy Personality Profile. I have just posted my evaluations of each of Maxi’s puppies based on their test results which were performed by me and my friend Lori who is a longtime dog walker and sitter. The pups don’t know her which makes the test a bit more authentic.
The profiles are posted on my website at https://www.carneyshaven.com. Go to the “Puppy Blog” section and click on your favorite puppy for details. I hope to add photos to each puppy’s page in the next couple weeks.
A couple things to remember. This test is for all breeds including such German shepherds, Basenjis and other typically protective/ agressive breeds. Several of the criteria, then, have little to do with our sweet, friendly and happy-happy Havanese! Also, no dog falls crisply into any single category. Like people, they have a variation of the theme which makes them unique. Finally, this is an extremely interpretive and subjective test. If you have any questions about the results for a particular puppy please don’t hesitate to drop me a note.
Again I fully intended to take pictures of some of these tests but guess what? No pix! Maybe next time I’ll be more together. We’ll be testing Phoebe’s litter in about ten days.
Volhard Puppy Profile
Performed on the 45th Day of Age
by Jacqueline Carney, Carneys Havanese Haven
Puppy ________________________________________________ Sex: ________
Litter: ____________________________________________________ Date: ____________
PART I: PUPPY APTITUDE TEST
Test #1…SOCIAL ATTRACTION:
Purpose: To determine degree of social attraction, confidence or dependence.
Procedure:Place puppy in test area. From a few feet away the tester coaxes the pup to her/him by clapping hands
gently and kneeling down. Tester must coax in a direction away from the point
where it entered the testing area.
If the puppy… It’s score is:
-Came readily, tail up, jumped, bit at hands. 1 point
-Came readily, tail up, pawed, licked at hands. 2 points
-Came readily, tail up. 3 points
-Came readily, tail down 4 points
-Came hesitantly, tail down. 5 points
-Didn’t come at all. 6 points
Test #2…FOLLOWING:
Purpose: Degree of following attraction. Not following indicates independence.
Procedure:Stand up and walk away from the pup in a normal manner. Make sure the pup sees you walk away.
Score:
-Followed readily, tail up, got underfoot, bit at feet. 1
-Followed readily, tail up, got underfoot. 2
-Followed readily, tail up 3
-Followed readily, tail down. 4
-Followed hesitantly, tail down. 5
-No follow or went away. 6
Test #3…RESTRAINT:
Purpose: To determine degree of dominant or submissive tendency.
How it accepts stress when socially/ physically dominated.
Procedure:Crouch down and gently roll the pup on his back and hold it with one hand for a full 30 seconds.
Score:
-Struggled fiercely, flailed, bit. 1
-Struggled fiercely, flailed. 2
-Settled, struggled, settled with some eye contact. 3
-Struggled then settled. 4
-No struggle. 5
-No struggle, straining to avoid eye contact. 6
Test #4…SOCIAL DOMINANCE:
Purpose: To determine degree of acceptance of social dominance. Pup may try to dominate by
jumping and nipping or is independent and walks away.
Procedure: Let pup standup and gently stroke him from the head to back while
you crouch beside him. Continue stroking until a recognizable behavior is established.
Score:
-Jumped, pawed, bit, growled. 1
-Jumped, pawed. 2
-Cuddles up to tester and tries to lick face. 3
-Squirmed, licked at hands. 4
-Rolled over, licked at hands. 5
-Went away and stayed away. 6
Test #5…ELEVATION DOMINANCE:
Purpose: To determine degree of accepting dominance while in position of no control.
Procedure:Bend over and cradle the pup under its belly, fingers interlaced, palms up and elevate it just off the ground. Hold it there for 30 seconds.
Score:
-Struggled fiercely, bit, growled. 1
-Struggled fiercely. 2
-No struggle, relaxed 3
-Struggled, settled, licked 4
-No struggle, licked at hands. 5
-No struggle, froze. 6
PART II: OBEDIENCE APTITUDE TESTS
Test #6…RETRIEVING:
Purpose: To determine degree of willingness to work with a human.
High correlation between ability to retrieve and successful guide dogs, obedience dogs, field trial dogs.
Procedure:Crouch beside pup and attract his attention with crumpled up paper ball. When the pup shows interest and is watching, toss the object 4-6 feet in front of pup.
Score:
-Chases object, picks up object and runs away. 1
-Chases object, stands over object, does not return 2
-Chases object and returns with object to tester. 3
-Chases object and returns without object to tester. 4
-Starts to chase object, loses interest. 5
-Does not chase object. 6
Test #7…TOUCH SENSITIVITY:
Purpose: To determine degree of sensitivity to touch.
Procedure: Take puppy’s webbing of one front foot and press between
*finger and thumb lightly then more firmly till you get a response, while you count slowly to 10. Stop as soon as puppy pulls away, or shows discomfort.*Do NOT use fingernail. Important note from Wendy Volhard regarding the Touch Sensitivity test – Do not use your fingernail when performing this test. Press between the finger and thumb lightly then more firmly until you get response.
Score:
-8-10 counts before response. 1
-6-7 counts before response. 2
-5-6 counts before response. 3
-2-4 counts before response. 4
-1-2 counts before response. 5
Test #8…SOUND SENSITIVITY:
Procedure:Place pup in the center of area, tester or assistant makes a sharp
noise a few feet from the puppy. A large metal spoon struck sharply on a metal pan twice works well.
Purpose:To determine degree of sensitivity to sound. (Also can be a rudimentary test for deafness.)
Score:
-Listens, locates sound, walks toward it barking 1
Listens, locates sound, barks 2
Listens, locates sound, shows curiosity and walks toward it. 3
Listens, locates sound 4
Cringes, backs off , hides 5
Ignores sound, shows no curiosity 6
Test #9…SIGHT SENSITIVITY:
Procedure: Place pup in center of room. Tie a string around a large towel and jerk it across the floor a few feet away from puppy.
Purpose: To determine degree of intelligent response to strange object.
Score:
-Looks, attacks and bites 1
-Looks, attacks and barks 2
-Looks curiously, attempts to investigate. 3
-Looks, barks, tail tucked 4
-Runs away, hides 5
Interpreting the Scores
- Mostly 1’s A puppy that consistently scores a 1 in the temperament section of the test is an extremely dominant, aggressive puppy who can easily be provoked to bite. His dominant nature will attempt to resist human leadership, thus requiring only the most experienced of handlers. This puppy is a poor choice for most individuals and will do best in a working situation as a guard or police dog.
- Mostly 2’s This pup is dominant and self-assured. He can be provoked to bite; however he readily accepts human leadership that is firm, consistent and knowledgeable. This is not a dog for a tentative, indecisive individual. In the right hands, he has the potential to become a fine working or show dog and could fit into an adult household, provided the owners know what they are doing.
- Mostly 3’s This pup is outgoing and friendly and will adjust well in situations in which he receives regular training and exercise. He has a flexible temperament that adapts well to different types of environment, provided he is handled correctly. May be too much dog for a family with small children or an elderly couple who are sedentary.
- Mostly 4’s A pup that scores a majority of 4’s is an easily controlled, adaptable puppy whose submissive nature will make him continually look to his master for leadership. This pup is easy to train, reliable with kids, and, though he lacks self-confidence, makes a high-quality family pet. He is usually less outgoing than a pup scoring in the 3’s, but his demeanor is gentle and affectionate.
- Mostly 5’s This is a pup who is extremely submissive and lacking in self-confidence. He bonds very closely with his owner and requires regular companionship and encouragement to bring him out of himself. If handled incorrectly, this pup will grow up very shy and fearful. For this reason, he will do best in a predictable, structured lifestyle with owners who are patient and not overly demanding, such as an elderly couple.
- Mostly 6’s A puppy that scores 6 consistently is independent and uninterested in people. He will mature into a dog who is not demonstrably affectionate and who has a low need for human companionship. In general, it is rare to see properly socialized pups test this way; however there are several breeds that have been bred for specific tasks (such as basenjis, hounds, and some northern breeds) which can exhibit this level of independence. To perform as intended, these dogs require a singularity of purpose that is not compromised by strong attachments to their owner.
Developed by Joachim and Wendy Volhard and reprinted here with permission of Wendy Volhard. © 1996 Wendy Volhard.
