# Puppy testing



## marwin (Jan 6, 2015)

Going to see a litter to pick a puppy. They will be 46 days old. Apparently the ideal time is for them to be 49 days old. How much will this effect test results?


----------



## Bramble (Oct 23, 2011)

I wouldn't put a lot of weight on a puppy test. They have not proven to be good predictors for adult temperament. 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blo...personality-tests-predict-adult-dog-behaviors


----------



## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

Puppy tests are not all they are cracked up to be. I observe pups and their interactions....much more telling than any test. Ask the breeder their assessment of each pup. Ask them which is going to suit you best.


Lee


----------



## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

the only way to evaluate is by being involved and observing development over all .

who has priority rights
who leads the group into investigating
who has novel problem solving
who has tenacity
who has natural tendencies to pick up and carry
who is social - no concerns 
who follows 
who has focus , who gets distracted 

oersonally I strongly dislike those "puppy tests" 
often administered by eager but clueless testers --- all measurement - but no feel and no read 

so much to be learned from spontaneous use of an environment


----------



## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

I used a puppy test when selecting my first purebred female, and I think it was very useful.

Here's a quick outline of what I did:

Clap hands, and step backwards, calling 'puppy, puppy puppy' Dog should want to follow you.

Noises: bash 2 steel dog bowls together to check fear of loud noises. I also rolled a pop can full of pebbles along the floor. Puppy investigated it and wanted to pick it up.

Retrieve drive: throw a ball or toy, see if dog is interested in retrieving it.

Hunt drive: hide toy with puppy watching, see if it will search it out.

Play/prey drive: drag rag or other toy along floor, see if pup will engage with it - chase it, or tug on it.

Pain tolerance: squeeze web of toes, count to see how long before pup wants to draw away.

Dominance: gently hold pup on back, see how long before it struggles to get free.

The pup DID turn out exactly as the testing predicted. But what really clinched the deal was after it was all done, and I sat down in the big recliner chair that was in the room. The puppy jumped up into my lap, curled up and went to sleep... :wub:

This was done in the breeder's home, so there was no chance of the pup's responses being thrown off by a strange environment.

These tests are a way of quantifying what you can observe with your own eyes when watching the puppies. They aren't absolute, but as I said, they gave me a good idea of the puppy's temperament.

If I didn't do testing, what I'd look for is a pup that was eager to interact with me and any toys I had, and eager to explore its environment. I'd also watch how it interacted with its siblings. Was it always the leader, the instigator, the one that HAD to have the toy? Or was it shy and held back, or allowed itself to be dominated? (I'd prefer the pup that was somewhere between these two extremes.)


----------



## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I have a puppy test that was developed specifically for testing working prospects. I have rarely been surprised, but I do think it is important to remove the puppy from its comfort zone and its littermates to test for environmental soundness. Even when we see the puppies daily, having them taken to a new location alone where they are put under minor environmental stress can show issues not seen in familiar surroundings with their pack.


----------



## Shepdad (Oct 24, 2017)

Sunsilver said:


> I used a puppy test when selecting my first purebred female, and I think it was very useful.


I don't really see the logic about a buyer testing a puppy. I pay a couple of thousand dollars for a puppy because I am mainly paying for the breeder's expertise. If I don't trust the breeder then I shouldn't be there. When I am looking at puppies, I am really interviewing the breeder. It's a breeder test, not a puppy test. And I would not be buying from a breeder that just lets buyers select puppies and just open up the selection to anyone. Its ok if the breeder verifies if you like her selected puppy and if you don't to hold your reservation for a future litter.


----------

