Valentine's Day is for most people, the day of lovers. It's a romantic day in which people buy expensive stuff to show their love.
But I want to make it different this year. I want to change it from Love to Friendship, Loyalty and... Dogs.
Yes, you read me right. It's not that we will forget that it is the day of lovers, but let's include other as important aspect in our life. And let's not forget our most loyal friends, our dogs.
So this is my suggestion. Why not honor them on Valentine's Day? Why not choose your favorite shelter and/or charitable organization and donate a few dollars? It doesn't need to be that much, just a few dollars. But if everybody donates only a few dollars, can you imagine how much that would make?
Please share this post with your family and your friends and encourage them to donate, just a little bit.
I first heard about hoarding a few years ago. I think it was on a tv show about people having disease (hoarding) and instead of collecting rocks or stamps, they were collecting pets. Some were collecting cats, other dogs or other different animals.
Although I do understand that hoarding is a disease, I personally think that it is overlooked as a crime.
That might sound harsh for many, but I think that the general population tend to be more forgiving of hoarding because it has a medical explanation.
Is hoarding taken seriously?
The problem is that nobody thinks about the animals that are taken hostage in the hoarder disease. Those animals are loved, in a way, by the boarders that can't financially support them. Just imagine the daily cost, let's start with food, for feeding let's say 15 cats. Now add the litter. Now add the medical cost. No, that's right, there are no medical costs because hoarders usually (and I accept the fact that I could be wrong) don't have the finances to afford 15 cats x 15 spay/neuter surgery x 15 yearly shots x 15 daily healthy meals.
Hoarding is a serious problem and it should be taken seriously. But, in this post, I am not siding with them. In this post, I am siding with the animals that are, in my opinion, the real victims here because nobody can speak for them.
Punishment
The punishment for hoarding should be serious and the boarder should be put in some type of probation. Again, that sounded harsh. And it is. But if we make hoarding as unattractive as possible, maybe we will be able to save animals that are not properly care for (even if they are loved).
The same applies for every other crime. If, for any other addiction, only a slap on the hand is given, how can a recovering addict can learn a lesson and not act on how/her impulsion?
In my mind, as long as somebody can care to the psychological, behavioral, nutritional, financial and physical needs of the animals, I will mind my business. But if those needs are not fulfill, I feel it is my duty to speak for the animals.
This post was entirely written from my ANDROID phone
Green Dogs readers, I must warn you. This is an opinion text. It contains my own opinions and you might not agree with me. I hope this text will invite dialogue about Puppy Mills and I would like to hear your opinions.
For people who are not dog lovers, a puppy mill is a vague, unknown concept. But for me, a person who is owned by two dogs, puppy mills are very real and for me, they have the face of evil.
A puppy mill is "a breeding enterprise that produce dogs in significant numbers for profit". (source)
I have a hard time conciliating the concept of breeding for profit and adoption of a living being. Is it because I consider "owning" a dog not a business relationship? Or because of my personal experiences/upbringing? I don't know and, to be honest, I don't really care for the whys. In my opinion, it's just not right.
To have a better understanding of what is a puppy mill, words are often not enough. I could explain it to you until I am black and blue in the face, and your mind could never picture the atrocity that is a puppy mill.
These two videos will explain it to you better than I could ever do. But I must warn you, the images are chilling and the pleas for help and attention coming from the dogs are going to break your heart.
I'd like to hear your thoughts about the first video.
Every year, between 2 and 4 millions of dogs coming from puppy mills will be sold to honest people. Puppy mills exist because, simply, people want to buy pure breed dogs. This is the only reason. The more demand there is, the more puppies are breed and sold.
Why is it wrong?
My opinions are based on these factors:
A female breeder dog, from a puppy mill
- Will never see the light of the day in her love. Until the day she will be discarded.
- Will never feel grass or snow under her paws.
- Will never interact with humans.
- Will be pregnant, throughout all her heat cycles.
Dogs, puppies and adults :
- Never interacts with humans.
- Never seen by veterinarians.
- Because of in-breeding, they suffer from an array of medical problems.
- Are disposed of when they are judged too old or too sick.
There are states that are known to "allow" puppy mills profitability because there is no existent laws forbidding the practices. Amongst those states, let me mention: Pennsylvania, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
But there are states that are trying to make it right. Even thought I think it's not enough, at least it is a beginning. Louisiana,Virginia, Oregon and Washington have passed a law that limit the total number of animals a commercial breeder may possess. This limit is 50 dogs.
Why nothing is being done to protect those animals?
It is a good questions. And because there answers are aplenty, nothing is done concretely to stop the practice. I don't know why, but my first guess is that there might be a monetary factor involved. Again, this is my opinion.
There is various laws in place at the moment that regulates certain animal activities. Obviously, it is not enough.
The Animal Welfare Act
The Animal Welfare Act (AWA), a federal law passed in 1966, regulates certain animal activities, including commercial dog and cat breeding. The AWA defines the minimum standards of care for dogs, cats and certain other species of animals bred for commercial resale and exhibition. It also requires that certain commercial breeders be licensed and routinely inspected by the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, violations regularly go unpunished, and there are innumerable loopholes and faults within the current system. For example, only animal-breeding businesses considered "wholesale" operations—those that sell animals to stores for resale—are overseen by the USDA. The AWA does not apply to facilities that sell directly to the public, including the thousands that now do so via the Internet. Read more about the Animal Welfare Act. (Source)
The 2008 Farm Bill
With the evolution of Internet commerce, puppy mills have sprouted up all over the world to provide poorly bred puppies of every imaginable breed and designer mix directly to the consumer. As a result, the U.S. market was flooded with imported dogs in bad health and/or possibly carrying diseases that could harm people and other animals. Because foreign puppy mills are not subject to U.S. regulations—such as the standards set forth in the Animal Welfare Act—many of these dogs are bred and raised in extremely inhumane conditions. (Source)
In a major victory, in May 2008 the ASPCA and other animal welfare groups successfully fought for an amendment to Congress’s 2008 Farm Bill that prohibits the importation of puppies under six months of age for the purpose of resale.
The 2008 Puppy Uniform Protection Statute (did not pass)
In September 2008, the Puppy Uniform Protection Statute (PUPS), or “Baby’s Bill” (in honor of Baby, a three-legged puppy mill survivor), was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation sought to close the loophole in the Animal Welfare Act that allows commercial breeders who sell puppies online and directly to the public to escape licensing and regulation. It also would have required all dogs held by licensed breeders to be exercised out of their cages daily. Because of its late introduction, Baby’s Bill did not have a chance to pass during the 110th session of Congress (2007-2008). However, the introduction of federal puppy mill legislation is a major landmark unto itself.(Source)
The 2010 Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety Act (pending) In May 2010, a new version of PUPS called the Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety Act was introduced in both chambers by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and David Vitter (R-LA) and Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA). Similar to its predecessor, PUPS 2010 (S. 3424/H.R. 5434) would require any breeder who sells or offers to sell more than 50 dogs annually directly to the public—including over the Internet—to also be licensed and inspected. The bill would also require all dog breeders licensed under the federal Animal Welfare Act to exercise every dog every day, including allowing the dogs to reach a running stride without the use of treadmills or similar devices. Please help the ASPCA secure passage of the PUPS Act—contact your federal legislators now. (Source)
I don't know of any dog coming from a puppy mill
Or so you think. The puppies born in this horrible type of capacity can be found for sale in pet shops and other various markets. They are often sick, suffering from contagious diseases that are easily preventable with canine vaccinations. Parvovirus, worms, anemia, earthworms, mange, joint and skeleton problems and behavioral problems are only some of the many faces of the health problems a puppy can suffer from.
One of the aspect of puppy mills that really breaks my heart is the fact that when these puppies finds their way in a pet shop or for sale in the newspaper, it is already too late. Not too late to love them, no, it's never too late for that. But it's too late because they are already suffering. They already have been abused by more than one unscrupulous person and although they might not show it yet, their health is already compromised. The only thing they know is that they are alone in a tiny cage, sleeping directly on a cold, hard floor.
But how to stop puppy mills?
Now that you know what is a puppy mill, you are aware that there is very unscrupulous people out there that are ready to take advantage of dogs. And as the saying goes, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. It is in your power to help stop this madness. Share this article with your friends and family.
What you can do :
A) Before adopting/rescuing a dog, ask questions. Ask for the dog's history and if the answers to your questions are evasive or unclear, don't hesitate and investigate more.
B) Don't buy a dog/puppy in a pet shop, even when you are told that their dogs come from a reputable breeder. Why? Because NO reputable breeder would EVER sell their dogs in a pet shop. Good breeders will often have a waiting list of screened prospective adopters. Also, very rarely (mostly never) will one breeder have available puppies for adoption all year long. The reason is simple: it is recommend that a female have one litter a year, no more.
C) Try rescuing a dog instead of adopting.
D) Write to your city officials. Write to your senator. Write to your governor and ask them to pass laws against puppy mills. Ask them to allow a change and that people guilty of running a puppy mill do jail time and be fined at their first offense.
E) If you think you saw, or know of a puppy mill, please call the Animal Control of your city. The more complaints about it, the more chances we will create a wind of change.
Because dogs can't speak for themselves and because they depend on us for their survival, we must be their biggest and loudest advocate.
If you have read our last article, in which we explained what is the Puppy Bowl, you know that Animal Planet will present on February 6th 2011, just before the Super Bowl, the Puppy Bowl.
Here is the Starting Lineup for the Puppy Bowl VII :
Thelma - 11 weeks
Rat terrier/Lab/Hound Mix
Drive a convertible
But... What is the Puppy Bowl?
For the seventh consecutive year, Animal Planet present the fabulous, popular and over-cute PuppyBowl.
The PB (do not pronounce as Peanut Butter) is on the air before it's infamous copycat (no puns intended) SuperBowl.
It presents puppies (less than 4 months old) in the Animal Planet Stadium. The pups are "playing" football with no audience but canned laugh.
Using a mix of football and doggie terminology, the puppies will try to win (your heart) with Puppy Touchdowns (when a puppy drags one of the football-shaped toys into the end zone), Puppy penalties (when a puppy relieve himself on the field), Substitution (made whenever a puppy falls asleep on the field), terrier tackles, fumbles and Fido first down.
To help us, viewers, fall in love with the adorable mutts, every loyal and deloyal mean will be use. The water bowl cam (a camera that let us see the pups walk in the water and/or drink from the bowl), the tail-gating fans and the Ice Breakers blimp and its hamster crew. For the first time, we will be able to watch the action from the puppy's point of view, with the Puppy-cam (a camera mounted on the puppies ?).
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PB
- The "chicks" on the sideline;
- The cheerleaders;
- Kiss-Cam
- Bissel Kitten Half-Time Show
- Puppy-Cam
Why a Puppy Bowl?
Because all these adorable and cute furballs are available for adoption: they are all shelter-puppies and the show gives information on how viewers can adopt rescued puppies and help their local shelter.
So the question is.... Are YOU going to watch the Puppy Bowl VII?
It’s no secret: I love my dogs. Since they can’t speak for themselves, it is my role, as their owner (although it can be argued about who is owned by who), to speak for them. I am their biggest and loudest advocate and I am proud of it.
Of course, some people might think that I have become one of those people (you know, one of those people who likes their dog so much that there is as much pictures of them as there is of us, human, in the house) but I don’t really care. You don’t know the signification of loyalty and love until you are loved by a dog.
So I kept thinking about what my dogs would tell me if they could speak. What would they want? More food? Less food? Maybe Jake would like for us to sleep on the floor while he sleeps in our bed?
And what if this would be their Bucket List:
Swim in the ocean;
-Run freely in a prairie;
-Try skateboarding;
-Roll in the mud and stay dirty for as long as they want;
You might not have noticed yet, Green Dog readers, but I really love my dogs. I love them so much that they are my second favorite subject to film and/or take picture of (my lovely daughter, Princess Lea being the first).
For this post, I've been reviewing some old videos and I found a little treasure... At one point in his life, my Lab Jake LOVED to jump on the table. Just to chill. You were looking for him and boum, he was on the table.
Two years ago, when I adopted Jake, my Chocolate Lab, I was sure I had adopted a low-grooming dog.That's what people told me!
Oh Boy, was I wrong!
I don't know about other Labs, but I know that with my Jake, there is a lot more grooming involved than I first thought.
If I don't brush Jake twice a week, my floors and furniture will be covered by brown dog hair. It doesn't sound too bad, right? The problem is that we don't even freak out when we found dog hair in our food!
We have tried (and spend money on) a lot of different brushes (check the first video) and nothing worked... until somebody told us about the FURminator. But of course, we didn't believe it. How could a brush like I would use on a cat, or on a longhair dog would help us?
I think the Gods of Dogs might have wanted to help us, because one day that we were at the Pet Store, there was a FURminator package on sale. I don't quite remember the price we paid (just that it was a very good deal)but the FURminator came into a traveling bag with shampoo, conditioner, a little towel and a funny looking brush to use when we wash Jake.
As soon as we got back home that day, we tried the FURminator on Jake and we were speechless by the results.
Take a look on the next two videos. In the first one, I present the FURminator and in the second one, I show you the results. Don't miss it.
Presentation of the FURminator and comparison with a generic brush
The results
Here are some pictures of how good the FURminator works:
I just began the brushing!
What's on the brush
Don't tell me your brush can do the same!
Results on video here:
How the FURminator works
The FURminator is a tool for dogs that is designed to reach beneath the short topcoat to gently remove the undercoat and the loose hair.
They also claim that the with the use of the FURminator, you can reduce your dog shedding by 90%. I can't approve or disapprove with this statement, because I HAVE to brush Jake twice a week.
What it looks like:
Close up on the FURminator
This is what the newest model look like.
TIPS:
- Keep your FURminator handy. You will most likely use it more often if you know where it is.
- During winter, use your FURminator while you are on a carpet. The dog hair will stick on it and it will be easier to vacuum than to run after the hair that might roll under the furniture if you are on the floor.
And so we are in our second week of the Eukanuba 28-Day Challenge and I must say, I must be honest here, I actually saw a significant difference in my dogs.
We realized there was a change when, last weekend, my husband and I were watching the dogs playing outside. They run, jump and play like they haven't done it in months. It took us a moment before realizing that they haven't gone crazy, they just have more energy.
The more the dirty, the more the tasty - Jake's motto
More energy often equals more mischief! Jake got back to his old way, stealing dirty socks and sneaking up (or trying to) on my lap, even as I am trying to type this post.
The other good thing about having dogs that have more energy is that since they play so much more, they sleep more and their sleep is deeper than usual. Which means that sleep is more relaxing, allowing their bodies to recharge better.
And Bella snores...
Stay tuned for more updates on the Eukanuba 28-Day Challenge!
Sometimes, the funniest thoughts come to my mind and I feel like I have to talk about it. Like what I'll write about now...
Do you sometimes think about what your dog would be if he was human? I never thought about it before having 2 dogs because my dogs have 2 VERY different personalities and they don't react the same way for the same thing.
Let me explain.
Jake is a loner, despite being a Lab. As long as he is with me, or that he can sleep on a bed, he is happy. He likes to see grass grow and doesn't care for the company of other dogs. When we go to the dog park, if there is dogs bothering him, he'll just walk away, to smell the air, the grass or just to walk. He loves to play fetch, could do it for hours, really and will always back down from any volatile situation.
If Jake was a human, he would probably be the nerd kid in the class. The nerd kid that is the teacher's pet.
Bella is obsessive-compulsive. She has separation anxiety and she's just plain crazy. But she is a lovely crazy dog! She lived in the streets until she was 7-8 months. Those months have marked her, I think, for the rest of her life. She never ask for food, unlike Jake who expects me to feed him twice a day, but when I feed her, she eats so fast that she inhales it (which is why I have to separate all of her feeding in 2). If she is thirsty, she won't ask for her water bowl. If she is outside, she'll find a puddle of mud and will gladly go in the toilet bowl. She fell in love with Jake at first sight. And if Jake is out of her sight, she will go crazy. Completely nuts. Jumping, crying, barking, running, I am afraid that she will hurt herself. I can leave her, the entire family can leave her, but if Jake leaves without her, she has a problem.
If Bella was human, she would be the crazy lady that lives alone with her cats. She would be obsessed by them, by their feeding, their drinking and their businesses. She would live for them and would die a little bit inside each time something happens to them. She would chase intruders with a shotgun (right now, she tries to chase squirrels out of her backyard).
For some people, having a dog and play fetch with him doesn't fulfill the need for exercise for either the dog or his owner.
It might be the reason why, in the early 1970's, a group of dog trainers in California invented the first flyball box.
But what is a flyball?
An easy answer to this question would be that flyball is a dog team relay-race sport.
According to the flyballdogs.com website, Flyball is "...a relay race with 4 dogs on a team. The course consists of a starting line, 4 hurdles spaced 10 feet apart and a box. The first hurdle is 6 feet from the start line and the box is 15 feet from the last hurdle for a 51 foot overall length. The dogs jump the hurdles and steps on a spring loaded box that shoots out a tennis ball. The dog catches the tennis ball and then runs back over the 4 hurdles. When the dog crosses the starting line the next dog goes. The first team to have all 4 dogs run without errors wins the heat. Tournaments are usually organized in either a double elimination or round robin foramt. Double elimination is usually best of 3 or best of 5. Round robin is usually best 3 out of 5 and the first team to win 3 heats receives 1 point towards their standing in the tournament."
The height of the jump is determined by the smallest dog of the team (of 4). This dog is called the "height dog" and he is measured at the withers. This number is then rounded down to the nearest inch, and another 5 inches is subtracted to get the jump height. Let's say a dog has a height of 13 1/4", the nearest down inch would be 13", minus 5", which means that the jump height would be 8". The minimum jump height is 7" and the highest is 14".
For a better understanding of the sport, take a look at this explanatory video from www.flyball.org :
A little bit of history
Shortly after a presentation of the sport by Herbert Wagner on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, the sport got so popular that the first ever flyball tournament was held in 1983 and the North American Flyball Association (NAFA) was created. What had started by an association of 12 Flyball clubs in Michigan and Ontario is now a worldwide activity for dogs and their owners.
Flyball is now a sport that is practiced worldwide.
Yes. All dogs can play Flyball, including all mix-breeds. Of course, I would first make sure that your dog is in good health and has no joint problem first, but that is just my two cents. The best way to know more about how your dog can become a Flyball Dog is to ask your regional association, listed above.
According to the above video, even senior dogs can play Flyball (there is a class just for them). The video even show a 3-legged dog playing it (BTW, that 3-legged dog look fast!)!
There is four classes of competition :
Regular, Multi-breed, Veterans and Open.
Regular : Allows for any dogs to run on the team.
Multi-Breed : Teams consist of different breed (min of 4, max. of 6 with different breeds running a heat).
Veterans : Every dog in a team must be at least 7 years old.
Open : Combination of dogs teaming up from any club.
With more than 400 active clubs and 6,500 competing dogs,Flyball is a sport that is very much alive. To watch a Flyball Tournament live and/or a demonstration, look on the websites listed above and share the excitation and trepidation of the dogs and their owners.
Did you forget to comment on the giveaway to let me know you were now following me? Because if it is the case, you won't be eligible to win one pound of Green Doggie Treats!
Because a lot of new subscribers used Google Reader, they forgot to let me know by commenting on the blog and they can't be considered for the giveaway. Please take a minute and leave a comment letting me know about it!
I spent the afternoon at the dog park today and I was able to take some very good pictures.
But after last night walk, where Jake slipped off his collar, I had to use the prongs collars for both Jake and Bella, because I am now too worry to only use their normal collars.
Enjoy my dogs!
Funny Bella! When she runs, she sticks out her tongue!
(This article was first written for my then-blog : http://jakethechocolatelab.wordpress.com/)
When the weather is nice, we like to bring The Beast to the dog park. It is a good way to let him spend some of that pent up energy and to meet, for him new furry friends and for us, meet other dog owners that don’t mind talking about their dog without sounding as if we are obsessive about them (yeah, we are a little bit like that).
When we first start to hang out at the dog park, I realized that, even if it wasn’t written down, there is a Dog Park Etiquette. I didn’t invent it, but I sure do live by it.
And now, here is the :
Dog Park Etiquette
1. Bring your own leash/collar/dog poop bag.
2. If you bring a toy for your dog, be aware that other dogs can steal it form your dog to play with it.
3. Be careful when you open and close the door of the dog park.
Some dogs are con artists that are always on the look-out for an escape route.
4. If you have a humper that starts to hump, YOU have to leave.
I shouldn’t have to because my Jake knows how to behave.
Oh, and don’t be proud. There is nothing be proud about.
And if you allow your dog to hump, I wonder what it says of your character.
5. If you have a bully, please invest in dog obedience lessons and
change your own energy/state of mind.
Not only no dogs will want to be around yours, but dog owners will also stay away from you.
6. Your dog should have ALL his shots up to date. And that, is common sense.
I would be devastated if my Jake would get sick after a visit to the dog park.
And I would, no, I will, sue your sorry ass.
7. Please accept my apologies, and I accept yours, if my dogs jumps on you and licks your face
because you have a ball.
He is a Lab and have a *light* addictions to balls.
8. If you have an aggressive dog, don’t even come to the dog park.
Even if you keep your dog on leash, he will exude bad energy that will set the other dogs on edge.
9. If it is summer, bring your own water. I can’t go back home to get more water if Jake’s bottle is empty and my first priority is MY dog.
10. Have fun and be happy. Your dog will feel it and act like a happy dog.
See, it’s quite simple. The Dog Park Etiquette is not asking you for your first born and/or a pint of blood. Most of it is really common sense.
For those who don't know, my dogs are doing the Eukanuba 28-Day Challenge.
Jake is eating the Breed specific food for Labrador Retriever.
Of course, he is more handsome than the Lab on the bag :)
I am happy to report that Jake (with the Breed Specific food) and Bella (with Adult Maintenance) are doing great with their new food. In fact, they are are doing more than great.
They have so much energy now, that it is a joy to see them running in the backyard. And because they play so much with so much happiness, they now sleep. And when I say sleep, I mean SLEEP at night and during nap time in the afternoon. Isn't ironic that more energy = more sleep?
Bella is eating the Adult Maintenance food.
Stay tuned for a funny video of Bella wanting to eat.
How I did the change
But the act of changing, or switching, from one brand to another brand of dog food is not something to take lightly. In order to keep my dogs happy and healthy, it took me 3 days to switch dog food. I started by giving 1/3 of Eukanuba and 2/3 of their usual food the first 2 days and 1/2 1/2 the third day. By the fourth day, they were ready to switch 100% to Eukanuba.
I could have taken more time to do the switch, I think that one week is the recommended time, but I know my dogs and I know how they handle changes.
100% Eukanuba
The switch went smoothly and, by day 3 of eating 100% Eukanuba, I started to see changes in my dogs. Stay tuned, I'll talk more about it in future posts.
I have been looking for a list of vicious dogs for a long time because I don't believe that the reputation of Pit-Bulls is fair.
I've been raised with Dobermans and I can still remember to this day people commenting about how vicious Dobs are. I couldn't understand why then, or now, how people could say that because my dogs were not only well behaved, but they were our first bests friends that had let us dress them, paint their nails and used them as pillow when we were kids.
Later in life, I had a boyfriend that had Chow-Chow. Again, countless of negative comments about the breed from most people. And again, all of these comments were not only uncalled for, but they were coming from people who had no dogs and knew of no Chow-Chow.
And today, it's the Pit-Bull turn (and most Bull terrier) to become the target of fear and misconceptions.
This is why I'd like to talk to you about the ATTS, which stands for the American Temperament Test Society. The ATTS is a national organization that tests, every year, dogs (pure breed and mix-breed) to evaluate their temperament.
As of 2007, 28010 dogs were tested for good temperament and 22 847 dogs earned a TT (Temperament Tested) title.
According to the ATTS website, "The ATTS Temperament Test focuses on and measures different aspects of temperament such as stability, shyness, aggressiveness, and friendliness as well as the dog's instinct for protectiveness towards its handler and/or self-preservation in the face of a threat." Check below for a more detailed description.
What happens when your dog fails the ATTS test?
If your dog fails the test, you may have him retest after a 5 months period. An important information for me was to learn that a dog might be tested only twice. It is comforting for me to know because, independently of the breed, some dogs ARE aggressive and those dogs won't be able to adapt to the test.
Now, let's see which 7 breed scored high on the ATTS test.
You just might be surprised!
French Bulldog - 96.4%
By danny O. (Flickr) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
This is taken directly from the ATTS website, that you can visit by clicking here. It is a description of the test. The test simulates a casual walk through a park or neighborhood where everyday life situations are encountered. During this walk, the dog experiences visual, auditory and tactile stimuli. Neutral, friendly and threatening situations are encountered, calling into play the dog's ability to distinguish between non-threatening situations and those calling for watchful and protective reactions.
Dogs must be at least 18 months old to enter this test. The test takes about eight to 12 minutes to complete. The dog is on a loose six-foot (6') lead. The handler is not allowed to talk to the dog, give commands, or give corrections.
Failure on any part of the test is recognized when a dog shows:
Unprovoked aggression
Panic without recovery
Strong avoidance
The ATTS Temperament Test consists of ten subtests divided into five subcategories:
Behavior Toward Strangers
Objective: To measure the dog's reaction to strangers in a non-threatening situation.
Subtest 1: Neutral stranger
A stranger to the dog approaches the handler, shakes hands with the handler and engages the handler in a brief conversation, ignoring the dog.
The purpose of this subtest is to evaluate the dog's reaction to passive socialization and the dog's protective instinct.
Subtest 2: Friendly stranger
A stranger to the dog approaches happily and briskly, is very friendly to the dog and pets the dog. The purpose of this subtest is to evaluate the dog's active social skills.
Reaction to Auditory Stimuli
Objective: To measure the dog's reaction to auditory stimuli and the dog's investigative behavior.
Subtest 3: Hidden Noise
The handler/dog team approaches a hidden assistant who rattles a metal bucket filled with rocks and sets this bucket in the path of the team. The handler may encourage the dog to investigate the bucket only when asked to do so. The handler's focus must be on the bucket, not on the dog.
The purpose of this subtest is to test alertness and curiosity.
Subtest 4: Gunshots
The handler stops at a designated marker with his/her back towards a well hidden assistant. The assistant fires three shots using a .22 caliber starter pistol (SHOT-PAUSE-SHOT-SHOT).
The purpose of this subtest is to measure the dog's recovery response to a sudden noise.
Reaction to Visual Stimulus
Objective: To measure the dog's reaction to a sudden visual stimulus.
Subtest 5: Umbrella
The handler/dog team approaches an assistant sitting in a chair holding a closed umbrella parallel to the ground at a 90 degree angle to the approaching team. When the dog is five feet from the assistant, the umbrella is opened. The handler may encourage the dog to investigate the umbrella only when asked to do so. The handler's focus must be on the umbrella, not on the dog.
Tactile Stimuli
Objective: To measure the dog's reaction to unusual footing.
Subtest 6: Plastic Footing
Both the handler and the dog walk the entire length of a 15-foot by 6-foot clear plastic strip.
Subtest 7: Wire Footing
Only the dog will walk the entire length of a 12-foot by 3-foot unfolded exercise pen.
The purpose of these subtests is to measure the dog's sensitivity to unusual footing, its ability to recover from the fear of unusual footing and to measure its investigative behavior to the unusual footing.
Self Protective/Aggressive Behavior
Objective: These tests collectively evaluate the dog's capacity to recognize an unusual situation, its threshold to provocation, its protective instincts, and its propensity to realize when the situation becomes a threat.
Subtest 8: Non-Threatening
The handler/dog team stops at the designated marker. A weirdly-dressed stranger crosses the path 38 feet in front of the team.
The purpose of this subtest is to test the dog's alertness to an unusual situation.
Subtest 9: Threatening
The weird stranger advances 10 feet towards the stationary handler in a threatening manner.
The purpose of this subtest is to evaluate the dog's ability to recognize when an unusual situation turns into a provocation.
Subtest 10: Aggression
The weird stranger advances to within 18 feet of the stationary handler in an aggressive manner.
The purpose of this subtest is to evaluate the dog's protective instincts.
The stranger is never closer than 10 feet from the dog. The handler's 2 foot arm and the 6' lead is added in for a total of 18 feet. Aggression here is checked against the breed standard and the dog's training. A schutzhund trained dog lunging at the stranger is allowed, but if an untrained Siberian husky does the same, it may fail.
At the conclusion of the test, the handler will receive a critique about the dog's performance. Certificate will be mailed within 90 days of the test.
This copyrighted test may not be used in whole or part without the express written consent of the American Temperament Test Society.
