Temperament testing
...ause 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 instant fail. This is because if it snaps or growls at a false hand, it could easily snap at an innocent child or other animal that is merely passing by while it is eating. Finally, if the dog passes the first and second steps it has the last and most important test. There are several breeds that the tester will need to use extreme caution with because they are very unpredictable, these include the Chow, the Chinese Shar Pei and the German Shepherd. The tester will play with the dog’s feet, pull his or her tail, and even clap loudly in the dog’s face. This may seem cruel, but these are all things that may happen to a dog in a home environment. It is necessary to know how the dog will react to just about anything, including rough treatment. Sometimes the evaluator will determine that the dog should go to an adult only home. These breeds are usually the smaller breeds such as Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Cocker Spaniels, and Miniature Pinschers because they are more easily startled and more likely to bite because ...