Wendy Volhard’s Puppy Aptitude Test

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PUPPY FOR THE RIGHT HOME IS CRITICAL

All puppies are cute and fluffy and are adaptively designed to make you love them instantly when you see them- but things like color and cuteness should not be the determining factor of selecting your puppy.

“When the various breeds were originally developed, there was a greater emphasis on the ability to do a job, such as herding, guarding, hunting, drafting, etc., than appearance. If a particular breed interests you, find out first what the dog was bred to do. There are so many different breeds to choose from and if there is a secret to getting that “perfect puppy”, it lies in doing your homework.” - Volhard

Remember selecting a dog is much like selecting a car- some cars are designed to be ergonomic, good on gas, and reliable, where as others were designed for performance and for someone that has special knowledge in mechanics and know how to drive them safely. Buying a Corvette is much like a Belgian Malinois or Dutch Shepard. They have intense drive and performance and put in the wrong hands can be a liability. Where as a Suburban is more like a Golden Retriever - a great family dog with low to medium drive and is for the most part fairly easy to train for a first time dog owner.

“Some of the tests we use were developed as long ago as the l930’s for dogs bred to become Guide Dogs. Then in the 1950’s, studies on puppies were conducted to determine how quickly they learned. These studies were actually done to identify children’s learning stages.

Top Dog Tips: The ideal age to test the puppy is at 49 days of age when the puppy is neurologically complete and it has the brain of an adult dog. With each passing day after the 49th day the responses will be tainted by prior learning. Later on in the early 60’s more tests were developed to determine if pups could be tested for dominance and submission. These tests determined that it was indeed possible to predict future behavioral traits of adult dogs by evaluating puppies at 49 days of age. Testing before or after that age, effected the accuracy of the results, depending on the amount of time before or after the 49th day. We took these tests, added some of our own, and put together what is now known as the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test, or PAT. PAT uses a scoring system from 1-6 and consists of ten tests. The tests are done consecutively and in the order listed. Each test is scored separately, and interpreted on its own merits. The scores are not averaged, and there are no winners or losers. The entire purpose is to select the right puppy for the right home.” - Volhard

The Tests Consist of the Following:

1. Social Attraction - degree of social attraction to people, confidence or dependence.
2. Following - willingness to follow a person.
3. Restraint - degree of dominant or submissive tendency, and ease of handling in difficult situations.
4. Social Dominance - degree of acceptance of social dominance by a person.
5. Elevation - degree of accepting dominance while in a position of no control, such as at the veterinarian or groomer.
6. Retrieving - degree of willingness to do something for you. Together with Social Attraction and Following a key indicator for ease or difficulty in training.
7. Touch Sensitivity - degree of sensitivity to touch and a key indicator to the type of training equipment required.
8. Sound Sensitivity - degree of sensitivity to sound, such as loud noises or thunderstorms.
9. Sight Sensitivity - degree of response to a moving object, such as chasing bicycles, children or squirrels. 10 Stability - degree of startle response to a strange object.

All tests are given a score 1-6 by the trainer or someone who is objective (Not a seller or buyer of puppy)

WHAT DO THE SCORES MEAN?

The scores are interpreted as follows:
Mostly 1’s - Strong desire to be pack leader and is not shy about bucking for a promotion Has a predisposition to be aggressive to people and other dogs and will bite Should only be placed into a very experienced home where the dog will be trained and worked on a regular basis Top Dog Tips: Stay away from the puppy with a lot of 1’s or 2’s. It has lots of leadership aspirations and may be difficult to manage. This puppy needs an experienced home. Not good with children.
Mostly 2’s - Also has leadership aspirations May be hard to manage and has the capacity to bite Has lots of self-confidence Should not be placed into an inexperienced home Too unruly to be good with children and elderly people, or other animals Needs strict schedule, loads of exercise and lots of training Has the potential to be a great show dog with someone who understands dog behavior
Mostly 3’s - Can be a high-energy dog and may need lots of exercise Good with people and other animals Can be a bit of a handful to live with Needs training, does very well at it and learns quickly Great dog for second time owner.
Mostly 4’s - The kind of dog that makes the perfect pet Best choice for the first time owner. Rarely will buck for a promotion in the family Easy to train, and rather quiet. Good with elderly people, children, although may need protection from the children Choose this pup, take it to obedience classes, and you’ll be the star, without having to do too much work!
Tidbits: The puppy with mostly 3’s and 4’s can be quite a handful, but should be good with children and does well with training. Energy needs to be dispersed with plenty of exercise. Wendy Volhard’s Puppy Aptitude Test © 1981, 2000, 2005
Mostly 5’s - Fearful, shy and needs special handling Will run away at the slightest stress in its life Strange people, strange places, different floor or ground surfaces may upset it Often afraid of loud noises and terrified of thunder storms. When you greet it upon your return, may submissively urinate. Needs a very special home where the environment doesn’t change too much and where there are no children If cornered and cannot get away, has a tendency to bite
Top Dog Tips: Avoid the puppy with several 6’s. It is so independent it doesn’t need you or anyone. He is his own person and unlikely to bond to you.
Mostly 6’s - So independent that he doesn’t need you or other people Doesn’t care if he is trained or not - he is his own person. Not likely to bond to you, since he doesn’t need you. A great guard dog for gas stations! Do not take this puppy and think you can change him into a lovable bundle - you can’t, so leave well enough alone