American Temperment Test Society...

[SisMorphine]

I did this with Blue and Teeny. I agree that it is a very generalized test, good for most "normal" breeds. I think they found it rather difficult to score my guys. Blue almost failed because the "aggressive stranger" was too shy to act truly aggressively, and it takes a lot to turn Blue on so he only showed mild interest, and then barked at the last minute. They said that he scored very low on that because they were expecting more from a personal protection dog. And I told them he was expecting more from a supposedly aggressive stranger

But then you should have seen them all poop themselves when Teeny went after the aggressive stranger. HYSTERICAL!!! She was in heat (I shouldn't have bothered testing her, but since they only come around once every 2 years I couldn't turn it down . . . she failed, LOL!) and not wanting to put up with anyone's crap.

Other than for when I had to test my own dogs, I was actually the aggressive stranger all day long at the test. I was disgusted at how many GSDs didn't show even the mildest interest in me, including the Schutzhund II that took a step BEHIND his owner when I came at them!! All in all it was a rather disappointing day.

I think the test is okay, but I really wouldn't use it as a true test of temperament no matter how much they take into account regarding breed and trainability.

 

[bubbatd]

Don't we as owners know the temperament of our own dogs ?? What is this for ?? Home insurance ??

 

[BostonBanker]

It's testing dogs in situations they may not always be put in day-to-day. And also giving you a (theoretically) impartial evaluation of it. A bit like showing a dog in conformation - obviously, we all know what our dog looks like. But having a professional evaluate the dog can give you a better idea of the strengths and weaknesses without looking through the rose-colored glasses of ownership.

I wanted to do it because I love doing anything with Meg, and am curious to see how she would react in some of the situations that she has never been in.

 

[colliewog]

It's testing dogs in situations they may not always be put in day-to-day. And also giving you a (theoretically) impartial evaluation of it. A bit like showing a dog in conformation - obviously, we all know what our dog looks like. But having a professional evaluate the dog can give you a better idea of the strengths and weaknesses without looking through the rose-colored glasses of ownership.

I wanted to do it because I love doing anything with Meg, and am curious to see how she would react in some of the situations that she has never been in.

^ this, and of course, because it's something to do. Why do we take IQ tests? We are pretty confident of our own intelligence ... do we need someone else to tell us or just do it our of curiosity? I see the TT as just another thing I can do with my dogs. No more, no less. It doesn't hurt them and it's an interesting look into their reactions to stimuli - whether accurate or not, it's interesting to me...

 

[colliewog]

Don't we as owners know the temperament of our own dogs ?? What is this for ?? Home insurance ??

Honestly, if something were to happen (heaven forbid) and your dog were to bite (let's say, for instance, in your defense), a TT and a CGC wouldn't be bad things to have ...