Congratulations! Your puppy(s) are now old enough for their personality test. They've entered that very short time (starting day 49) where they are old enough to show signs of who they will grow to be but young enough to where they have not yet entered the "fear stage." - which I'll explain in the next lesson.
If for some reason you miss the chance to do the test when they turn 7 weeks old, you can try again once they exit the fear stage. So starting at about 12 weeks old you can attempt to perform the test then. I wouldn't push passed 1 year, however, as the puppy is entering the adult stage and will be much harder for a stranger to test it (must be performed by someone it doesn't know.)
Personality Scoring System
At Tackleberry Solutions, we use a modified version of the Volhard test (refer to the resources below.)
Although the test had a lot of great insight, we didn't feel it met the particular needs for personal protection dogs.
We also felt that the scoring system was a bit more complicated for the average person to understand. We altered it to a grading system which is much easier to comprehend as far as how well the puppy did on the test.
The following grades are labeled as:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- F
A or Alpha
This basically means that the puppy aced their personality test. As a result, they will be an excellent protection dog and very willing to work.
Click here if you'd like to view the profile of a protection dog registered under Tackleberry Solutions that scored an A on their test.
B or Bravo
A puppy that scores a B on their personality test can also be superior protection dogs. They will work with both defensive and offensive tactics.
Click here if you'd like to view the profile of a protection dog registered under Tackleberry Solutions that scored an B on their test.
C or Charlie
Contrary to school standards, this is actually a very good score for those looking for a family protection dog. They will be less offensive and more defensive. As a result, someone with less experience (with consistent training) should be able to train a dog with this type of personality just fine.
Click here if you'd like to view the profile of a protection dog registered under Tackleberry Solutions that scored an C on their test.
D or Delta
While a dog with a lower score such a this would not be ideal for training as a protection service dog, they would still be a great family pet that could also function as a therapy service canine.
Furthermore, they may react protectively if they felt they had no other choice, but they are also likely to run and hide.
F for Failed
A dog that fails the personality test was likely to have been abused, inbred or came from faulty genes. Most often a breed of dog that would score an F would be closer to a wolf.
As such, they're not going to want to listen and are more likely to bite you as they would anyone else.
Hence they would not be recommended for training as a protection dog due to their unloyal, fear-based and unpredictable nature.
Picking the Right Puppy For You
Now that you know more about each grade, you can better decide which personality score is best for you. This short quiz may help: