Things You'll Need:
- patience
- good observation skills
- light rope, belt or leash
- keys or something that would make a startling noise
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Step 1
Most people who are looking for a canine companion want a well balanced dog that gets along with everyone, wants to be with you, doesn’t bark too much, and is neither aggressive nor shy. It is possible to tell at a very young age what kind of personality a particular puppy is likely to have because these behaviors are largely hard wired from birth. Here I will describe two kinds of testing that will enable you to evaluate any puppy for its potential to be a happy member of your family.
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Step 2
When picking a new puppy, there are four key behavioral areas to examine:
Dominance: Very dominant dogs will not readily submit to your will. They are programmed to lead and they can spend their entire lifetime challenging your authority. These challenges can be physical and dangerous. Extremely submissive dogs are also hard to train because they lack the confidence to try new behaviors.
Aggression: Naturally aggressive dogs are unpredictable and dangerous in nearly every situation. Puppies that show aggressive tendencies cannot be trained out of them and, in fact, they will almost certainly become more aggressive with age.
Timidity: Overly timid dogs are fearful and do not adapt well to new situations. These traits tend to magnify with time until the dog is a collection of fears and phobias. Such dogs often become “fear biters” and are just as unpredictable and dangerous as aggressive ones.
Independence: Independence is not a good thing in a pet dog. Independent dogs are not social. They are indifferent or annoyed by the attentions of others. This makes them hard to motivate, disinclined to obey commands, and often unfriendly. -
Step 3
Dominance Testing
The Cradle Test: Sit on the floor and put the puppy in your lap. The puppy should be on his back with paws in the air. Stroke him, speak softly to him, play with his paws and tail a bit and see how he reacts. Also, look him directly in the eye with an even expression.
Elevation Test: While puppy is standing, reach down, lace your fingers around its abdomen and gently lift it a few inches off the ground so its legs are dangling. Hold him this way for 30 seconds.
The Flip Test: Reach down while the puppy is standing or walking alone and gently roll him over on his back and hold him there for 5-10 seconds. You may or may not rub his tummy. Make eye contact and see if he breaks or holds it.
Very dominant puppies resist being controlled or manipulated and will struggle to free themselves. They readily hold eye contact. The length of time they hold your gaze correlates directly with the level of dominance. Very submissive puppies tend to go limp immediately and refuse to make eye contact in this posture. Most puppies fall somewhere between these extremes. For most families, a mildly submissive dog is best. -
Step 4
Reactivity Testing
Reactivity tests allow you to see if a puppy is inclined to aggression or fear and to gauge its sociability.
Sound Reactivity: When the puppy isn’t looking, toss your keys or a book on the ground about a foot from the puppy. You want to startle the puppy with noise. A highly reactive and aggressive dog will bound toward the keys, barking wildly, possibly growling, and may attack the source of noise. A highly timid dog will cringe or run away from the noise, sometimes yelping. Many bold puppies will run to the source of noise and “play attack” it. This is not a sign of aggression – it is just healthy curiosity. Dogs that express little interest in the noise are likely to be too independent to make good companions.
Sight Reactivity: Using a rope, belt, or leash, lay the object on the floor near the puppy and jerk it around erratically. Dogs that attack the object aggressively or growl or bite at it will be inclined to be hyper reactive in the world, suspicious of everyone and chasing everything that moves, biting first and asking questions later. Skittish or shy puppies will drop their tails, put their ears back, or try to run away. Overly independent dogs may give it a sniff, but they will not be enticed by your obvious efforts to engage it.
Touch Reactivity: While on the puppy’s level, pick him up and restrain him. Gently squeeze between the pads of his toes, tug on his tail, lift up his lips, squeeze his ear flaps slightly. You are not to try to hurt the dog: you are just causing the same level of discomfort that a typical vet visit would cause. There should be absolutely no growling, lip lifting, ears back or nipping. If the puppy displays any of these behaviors, they are pre-wired for aggression and these traits usually become more obvious as time goes on. Likewise, reject a puppy that becomes terrified by these attentions. Even with training to desensitize them, very timid puppies are often extremely difficult to rehabilitate.
Social Attraction: Sit down several feet away from the puppy and call him, clapping and making entreating noises. A very bold and social puppy will race to you and fling himself in your lap, often chomping and mouthing you wildly or he will race up to you then make a game of not being caught. These dogs are also mildly dominant. Timid puppies will run the other way, stay put, or orbit around you with tails down. Independent puppies will ignore you.
