Fortunately, a fairly reliable method of testing young
dogs to determine how willingly they accept authority has
come out of all the research on dog behavior. Originally
developed for guide dog organizations to aid in selection
of promising youngsters, these tests are valid for other
applications as well. Information about the PAT or PET
(Puppy Aptitude Test, Puppy Evaluation Tests) is available
from many sources. Gail Fisher and Wendy Voihard published
a long article in the March, 1979, and in the 1985 AKC
Gazettes on administering and interpreting the test Mrs.
Volhard also sells a pamphlet and scoresheet which you
can obtain by writing her at: RD 1, Box 518, Phoenix, NY
13135, (315) 593-6115.
PATs are usually done initially at around seven weeks.
Puppies are born with an immature brain which should
be fully functional at about this time. The first
administration should be indicative of the puppy's natural tendencies before
his environment has had much impact. Subsequent tests will show changes
because
of outside influences. Tests are given in an area new to the puppy and
by a stranger.
The first section of the test deals with social attraction
and dominance measures, and you can use these yourself
to select a puppy with an appropriate temperament for you
even if no testing has been done on the puppies you are
looking at.
First, the puppy should be removed from his littermates
and observed in a room or area away from them. You want
to see how the puppy interacts with people, not with other
dogs, and how he interacts with you.
Quick Puppy Evaluation
First, sit on the floor and call him in a friendly
voice. If he comes to you, notice whether his tail
is up and
wagging or tucked. Does he come willingly
or slowly and reluctantly? Don't give up if the
puppy wanders around
exploring first or doesn't immediately
respond to you.
Next, get up and walk around slowly, talking
cheerfully to the puppy. Watch what he
does. If he follows you, see where he
positions himself and how he
carries his tail.
These measures of social attraction are followed by two
measures of dominance and a third test which indicates
the puppy's reaction to them. Sit back down on the floor
and gently roll the puppy over on his back. Place your
hand across his chest, then restrain him and observe his
reaction, After about 20 seconds, let the puppy up. Bend
your face down to his, gently stroke his back and talk
to him. See what he does.
Last, pick the puppy up by placing your hands on either
side of his chest behind his legs. Interlace your fingers
together to provide support for his ribs and let him hang
in the air. Again, observe his reactions.
Responses to the Test
Akitas are not usually strongly attracted to strangers,
so their behaviors on the social
interaction tests have a wide range. Some do not
come at all and will not follow
the tester. This does not mean
they are hopelessly anti-social. Such behavior
reflects instead a strongly independent
nature.
More typical for the breed in
my experience is a puppy that
first
busies himself exploring the
area, looking
around and sniffing. This is
probably a displacement
activity, a face-saving advantage which gives him
something to do while he makes up his mind.
After a few minutes of this,
most will "suddenly" notice
your calling them or your walking around and they will
come or begin following you.
How they come and what they do when they get there tells
you something about the puppy. So does how they follow.
If the puppy approaches and/or follows with his tail down
and the ears held back slightly, you are witnessing a submissive
response. The average puppy approaches the tester with
his tail up. Confidence in meeting a stranger is indicated
by his demeanor and by a wagging tail. The more assertive
puppies will paw at your hands or even your face and the
most assertive will bite at them also.
When they follow, average puppies walk along beside you.
As they move up the scale in assertiveness, they will get
between your feet, wandering purposely through them and
may even paw at your feet or bite at your shoes. Less social
puppies may balk at the come but warm up to the tester
by the time he is walking about. Again, tail down and/or
ears back are the more submissive indicators.
Most of the Akita puppies I have tested are mildly attracted
socially. That is, they go to the tester, either with tail
up or down after some exploratory behavior. They may greet
the person and immediately wander off. They may follow
for a few steps and then drift off to explore. Little holds
their interest strongly.
Many of the herding breeds I've tested are put off by
the strange surroundings. They seem, however, positively
thrilled to see a person, even though they don't know him,
and bound over to the tester. In contrast, we've had Akitas
who have resolutely refused to participate. None of them
grew up to be intransigent monsters, but they were very
independent dogs. They were not eager to meet strangers
but tolerated them.
Turned on their back, most Akitas lie still, carefully
looking away to avoid any hint of eye contact. This is
a submissive response and very acceptable. Others lie still
for a second, then struggle briefly before calming again.
These might glance quickly at your face, but as soon as
they see you are looking at them, they deliberately look
away. This is a moderate response, indicating a slightly
more assertive dog but well within acceptable parameters.
Akita puppies lifted in the air invariably just hang
there. Their bodies are usually relaxed, although they
might be stiff. More assertive responses on these tests
range from flailing and struggling to whining, pawing,
and biting. A very assertive puppy may also make eye contact.
The middle test
tells you something about the puppy's acceptance of correction
and willingness to forgive. As
you might expect,
many Akitas are less than enthusiastic about undergoing
unpleasant experiences and are not apt
to easily forgive
the responsible agent. With no real attachment to the
tester, many Akita puppies just stalk off. Others
remain with the
tester but stare off into space. A few of the more forgiving
will nuzzle the tester's hands. Assertive
responses include
pawing or biting at the tester's face and hands.
