Temperament Testing Adult Dogs
By Kathy Diamond Davis
Author and Trainer

When adopting a dog, the two qualities people want more than any others are good health and good temperament. Both are heavily influenced by genetics and are also affected by how the dog has been treated. Experiences have had opportunity to alter the temperament of adult dogs.

Some use the term “temperament” to describe only behavior the dog has inherited. In this thinking, only inherited elements of the dog’s behavior would be passed on to offspring. Determining where inheritance leaves off and experience begins is never quite possible, but always worth making the effort when seeking a dog for breeding. That effort also requires learning all you can about other dogs in the bloodline.

Another word for what we’re trying to evaluate in a dog to adopt is “personality,” though some people object to attributing any aspect of personhood to a canine. Whatever term used, we need to remember that dogs behave largely out of instincts, some quite different from human instincts. Expecting a dog to perceive the world in human terms or to behave like a human is unfair to the dog and can even be dangerous.

We evaluate a dog’s temperament by interacting with the dog and taking note of the dog’s behavior in response to ours. We also observe the dog’s reactions to things such as noises, strange sights, other animals and different walking surfaces.

Because behavior can be profoundly affected by the dog’s physical state, the dog needs to be examined by a veterinarian prior to temperament testing. Some medical conditions call for postponing the test, while knowing about some other conditions will give you better information for determining the meaning of behaviors seen on the test. For example, a dog’s reluctance to move from lying down to standing or sitting would not be surprising if that dog has a sore knee or hip, and would not reflect on the dog’s attitude toward commands or on the dog’s ability to learn.

Purpose of Testing

A temperament or personality desirable for one purpose is often undesirable for another purpose. A meaningful test requires knowing the situation for which the dog is being tested. Will the dog be trained to join an active person in dog sports or long daily walks, and spend a lot of quiet time with the same person? Or is this a quest for a dog to hang out in a household with young children where an adult has just enough time to provide the dog with basic care?

Often the purpose is to find a dog for specific dog sports, hunting, assistance dog work, therapy dog visits, herding, search and rescue or other specialized need. It can’t be stressed enough how important it is to include someone with expertise in that field in the selection and testing of the dog. Experts love to help match the right dog with the right home. Such happy events help to offset the heartbreaks inevitable in work with dogs.

Without the expert help, people choose the wrong dogs. We act out of emotion, out of incomplete information, out of expedience because someone offers a free dog—often with sad results. If the dog turns out to be ill-suited for the job, the choices are all difficult. You can place the dog in another home, which is sad. You can keep the dog and give up on the job you had wanted to do with a dog. Or you can push the dog to do a job the dog doesn’t enjoy.

The first responsible action in dog ownership is choosing a dog you are equipped to responsibly care for and control. So get that expert help! Unless your situation is such that it’s really not wise to get a dog at this time, chances are the right dog for you is out there somewhere. But without the right help, you might never find that good match.

In advance of talking to the expert, take plenty of time to write out what you are looking for in a dog and what you have to offer to a dog in terms of time, training, home facilities, and other factors. List your children and the other people and animals the dog will need to be around. List your prior dog ownership and dog training experience.

Be totally honest. An expert will see the dog’s potential, but needs your help to see yours. For a skilled dog trainer, a dog who is not housetrained, who destructively chews furniture, and who jumps all over people is just a basic training job. For you it might be beyond the training you want to do, are capable of doing, or have time to do. The expert needs to know these things.

Be as specific as possible. Then, for clarity’s sake, go through and organize the information. Make it easy for another person to read and refer back to while narrowing down dog choices and evaluating specific dogs. The better the expert understands your needs, the better for you.

You may need to pay for the temperament evaluation, or you may not. It’s certainly worth paying for, if it’s done well.

Preparations

Prior to the temperament test, you need the best possible history on the dog, with all the information you can gather. If this is not written out for you already but is available by word of mouth, make a written record.

You also need to do thorough breed research and decide what breeds you will consider prior to meeting any dogs. An expert conducting the test for you should be familiar with the expected and desired reactions of the breeds being tested. [For more on this and some simple tests you might use, see Adopting a Shelter Dog.]

The dog needs to be on leash in a reliable collar. The test will require some props, including at least dog toys, a ball, a food dish and a chair. The test needs to be in an area where you won’t be disturbed; preferably a place the dog has never been, with at least one skilled dog handler the dog has never met. That person can do the actual handling of the dog while at least one other person helps, observes, and takes careful notes. A videotape is a good idea.

If you want to test the dog around other dogs, cats and/or children, a separate person needs to direct and control these individuals for safety. You want only children who are good with dogs, only dogs who are reliable with other dogs, and the cat carefully protected.

Tests Available

Experts have devised many different dog temperament tests. When choosing a dog for a performance purpose, testing seeks to determine whether the dog is going to be able to physically, mentally and emotionally perform the task for the duration of a career. Equally important is whether the dog is likely to learn effectively and perform reliably when trained with the methods the trainer plans to use. A dog being chosen for training with an electronic collar is likely to be different from a dog wanted for clicker or play-oriented training.

The American Temperament Test Society awards titles to dogs who pass a test that includes protection reactions. This type of testing is useful for prospective Schutzhund dogs.

Sue Sternberg has developed a test for shelter dogs that checks closely for aggressive tendencies. Experts differ on exactly what evaluation for aggression is appropriate for stressed-out shelter dogs, but no one wants to see dogs adopted out who subsequently bite people. If a shelter you visit uses this or any other temperament test, get all possible details for deciding whether or not to adopt the dog. You can find information on Sternberg’s test in her book “Successful Dog Adoption.”

Trish King’s book “Parenting Your Dog” includes testing information for selecting a shelter dog as a puppy, adolescent or adult, based on her extensive experience. The adolescent dog—and many dogs in that age range are available for adoption—can bond quickly with a new person. The dog’s behavior at this age may still be very open to modification with good training. The downside is that adolescent dogs are changing so much that you may not get accurate results from testing, unless an excellent history on the dog is available.

The AKC’s Canine Good Citizen Test evaluates trained behavior along with temperament. It’s not the kind of test you expect to pass with a strange dog. It is certainly a good sign if a dog you are considering adopting has passed the Canine Good Citizen Test with a former owner. But since the test evaluates dog and handler as a team, it doesn’t indicate whether the dog will work equally well with you as handler.

Jack and Wendy Volhard have created a test of dog personality based on the four drives of pack, prey, defense fight, and defense flight. This isn’t really a test you could “give” to a strange dog. It’s a series of questions you answer about the dog’s known behavior, which means you have to get to know the dog first. If you have a dog you are seeking to better understand, it’s a fantastic tool for that purpose. You can find it online and also in their book “Dog Training for Dummies.” It’s especially helpful in finding the best ways to help your particular dog learn.

Test Accuracy

A temperament test given once can only look at a dog’s behavior in that one situation at that time. It is a great tool for detecting behavior that needs to be watched more closely and improved by handling and training. It gives limited information about how much improvement you might be able to achieve.

Dogs keep changing, especially when their life circumstances have recently changed. One way to get a good temperament evaluation is for a dog to spend at least a few weeks in a foster home. The dog’s initial behavior, the behavior observed over time by the foster person, and one or more temperament tests given after the dog has been in a stable situation for this time will give much more accurate information.

When you want to adopt a rescue dog and temperament will be important to the dog’s success in your home, a dog who has spent time in a knowledgeable foster home can be ideal. Of course we need to be especially careful of temperament in homes with young children. A behavior problem that could be handled by adults with time to train and facilities to keep the dog out of trouble in the meantime can be fatal to a dog in a home with children. When a dog injures a child, it’s more often the dog who dies rather than the child.

Temperament testing is a fascinating way to better understand your dog. Once you have chosen a dog, occasional evaluation can point out ways to fine-tune your training for best communication between the two of you. Good temperament testing can help you find and train your dream dog.