48 hours Please - Page 7

Awesome bob what specifically do you look for in your puppies to determine if they might be a good candidate to hold back? 

Is it the same thing you look for in good shutzhund potential? In your opinion  How would/should these puppies ideally score on a Volhard puppy aptitude test? 

Scarlet:

                 I don,t really have a named test, It,s just how the puppy reacts and acts with me...It,s hard to say.  When I had decided to keep Blitz from the litter he was the first one with his ears straight up we first called him bat man because his ears stood so tall and together. Everyday I,d come home (litter was whelpped in the house) and when I stepped in the room he was alwyas right there starring at me at the edge of the whelping box fixed on me. Every thing I did he was right there always focused on me. He just gave me the feeling of (i,m here i,m ready) That probably sounds stupid but thats the way I call it it,s more of a feeling then a scored test.

fair enough : )  I've never properly gone to a real breeder and selectively picked a puppy. My last love picked me lol  I know what I want in my next dog, I'm  just trying to learn a few tricks to help me select the most appropriate pup from a litter.  

Hey Bob,
We test the dogs in a somewhat standardized fashion so we can rate all of the dogs on the same scale.  However, depending what we see we will make some changes with each dog we test.  Most of the dogs we test are "green" and range from 12 months to 3 years.  By "green" the dog usually has little training, but all of the dogs we see have some initial training. There really is no such thing as a truly "green" dog these days. 

First we have a handler take the dog out in a field and just walk around, no stimulation and we test for gun shyness / sharpness.  From a distance we fire a gun and observe the reaction, we move closer and fire again.  Then we move towards the dog and fire.  I like a gun fire neutral dog, aware of the sound but not overly concerned by it.  I will end the test right there and move to the next dog if I see an adverse reaction. An aggressive reaction is ok as long as it is directed towards the person firing and not the handler.  I prefer the dog to be alert and not aggressive to the gunfire until the person begins to move closer and fires while challenging the dog. 

Next, we will test for ball, retrieve and hunt drive.  We will throw several items and see the dogs interest, we will play with the dog and see how it reacts.  We may expose the dog to some outdoor environmental stimulus like a playground and steps and a slide to see how it reacts.  At this point we are looking at temperament and structure.  We will do some DM tests and watch the dog run and jump.  If we determine the dog is sound and has a good temperament we will move on to the bite work. 

I will approach the dog from a distance suspiciously wearing a sleeve and watch the dog reaction.  I will then throw the sleeve and continue to the dog taking a defensive approach.  This is where I approach with no equipment and begin to pressure the dog.  The dog must key on me and not the sleeve and really impress me that he will bite me for real.  I often get close enough to touch the dog and the dog has to turn on and be very serious.  I am not going to discuss in any detail on this forum how I accomplish this.  People who are serious about working dogs will understand how to do this, others will not and explaining it will further confuse them.  See Raymond's post above for an example.  PM me if you like and I will go into details or provide you with my cell number. 

The dogs that impress me as being serious with self confidence and real aggression will move forward to the next phase of testing.  I am not easily impressed and expect a lot from a potential Police K-9. 

I'll add more later.

Deleted double post

Slamdunc:  That is why we meet in the back sides of the parks and are very careful where we train when I was with the groups in Harris Co SO., ETC.

people seeing and watching get wrong impressions and do not perceive what is involved and they JUMP to false accusations real quick.


Dog trainer for working dogs is  much more than sitz, fuss, and platz.

YR

Jim:
 I understand what your saying.

fair enough : ) I've never properly gone to a real breeder and selectively picked a puppy. My last love picked me lol I know what I want in my next dog, I'm just trying to learn a few tricks to help me select the most appropriate pup from a litter.


In my very humble opinion, having had the unique opportunity to raise several litters to adulthood, I would say that there is no test out there that is very accurate.  Guide Dogs for the Blind used to really talk up puppy testing - they have dropped it now.  They figured it out.

Pups can change so darn much. My suggestion is to pick THE PARENTS and GRANDPARENTS more than the pup.  If it is a well bred litter (for what you are looking for) just reach in and grab any that are active, happy and brave.

I could tell you about one pup who was so "lazy" as a pup we didn't even bother to take him when the state patrol were picking a couple out of his litter. Two years later he is easily a better choice than either dog they took. His sister was a nasty, snotty little thing, dog aggressive and indifferent to people for the first several months, now she is absolutely bomb proof with other dogs, and an amazing ambassador for the breed with her happy ways.  So, I just go with good lines and don't sweat while they are pups.

"People who are serious about working dogs will understand how to do this, others will not and explaining it will further confuse them. See Raymond's post above for an example."

LMAO!  That's great!  We need a forum 'classic lines' section!

Classic quotes?

This:

elaboratee on PSA please? Also explain the lack of bite sleeves on the helper! I have not seen a decoy without them in a suit like that?? Beautiful dog ! thanks for the info