WHAT DO THE SCORES MEAN?

Mostly 1’s -
  • Strong desire to be pack leader and is not shy about bucking for a promotion 
  • Has a predisposition to be aggressive to people and other dogs and will bite
  • Should only be placed into a very experienced home where the dog will be trained and worked on a regular basis
  • Stay away from the puppy with a lot of 1’s or 2’s. It has lots of leadership aspirations and may be difficult to manage. This puppy needs an experienced home. Not good with children.
Mostly 2’s -
  • Also has leadership aspirations
  • May be hard to manage and has the capacity to bite
  • Has lots of self-confidence
  • Should not be placed into an inexperienced home
  • Too unruly to be good with children and elderly people, or other animals
  • Needs strict schedule, loads of exercise and lots of training
  • Has the potential to be a great show dog with someone who understands dog behavior
Mostly 3’s -
  • Can be a high-energy dog and may need lots of exercise
  • Good with people and other animals
  • Can be a bit of a handful to live with
  • Needs training, does very well at it and learns quickly
  • Great dog for second time owner.
Mostly 4’s -
  • The kind of dog that makes the perfect pet Best choice for the first time owner.
  • Rarely will buck for a promotion in the family
  • Easy to train, and rather quiet.
  • Good with elderly people, children, although may need protection from the children
  • Choose this pup, take it to obedience classes, and you’ll be the star, without having to do too much work!
  • The puppy with mostly 3’s and 4’s can be quite a handful, but should be good with children and does well with training. Energy needs to be dispersed with plenty of exercise.
Mostly 5’s -
  • Fearful, shy and needs special handling
  • Will run away at the slightest stress in its life
  • Strange people, strange places, different floor or ground surfaces may upset it
  • Often afraid of loud noises and terrified of thunder storms. When you greet it upon your return, may submissively urinate. Needs a very special home where the environment doesn’t change too much and where there are no children
  • If cornered and cannot get away, has a tendency to bite
  • Avoid the puppy with several 6’s. It is so independent it doesn’t need you or anyone. He is his own person and unlikely to bond to you.
Mostly 6’s -
  • So independent that he doesn’t need you or other people
  • Doesn’t care if he is trained or not - he is his own person. Not likely to bond to you, since he doesn’t need you.
  • A great guard dog for gas stations!
  • Do not take this puppy and think you can change him into a lovable bundle - you can’t, so leave well enough alone

Conclusion

It’s hard not to become emotional when picking a puppy - they are all so cute, soft and cuddly. Remind yourself that this dog is going to be with you for 8 to 16 years. Don’t hesitate to step back a little to contemplate your decision. Sleep on it and review it in the light of day.
  • Few puppies will test with all 2’s or all 3’s - there will be a mixture of scores.
  • For that first time, wonderfully easy to train, potential star, look for a puppy that scores with mostly 4’s and 3’s.
  • Don’t worry about the score on Touch Sensitivity - you can compensate for that with the right training equipment.
  • Avoid the puppy with a score of 1 on the Restraint and Elevation tests. This puppy will be too much for the ​first time owner.
It’s a lot more fun to have a good dog, one that is easy to train, one you can live with and one you can be proud of, than one that is a constant struggle.
Introduction
The Test
Scoring
Evaluation
​(you are here)