Temperment Test Results for CISC litters 2004-2006

Temperament Test Results for CISC Litters
2004-2006

The CISC and its breeders have been active in trying to learn more about our dogs natural temperaments. A good understanding of your breeds temperament is not only vital for keeping the breed correct but also is a great help in correctly placing your puppies into the right forever home.

So far, 11 litters with a total of 42 puppies have completed the test.

Test One
Social Attraction (Degree of Social Attraction, Confidence or Dependence)
1 Came Readily, Tail up, Jumped, Bit at hands 0 Puppies
2 Came Readily, Tail up, Pawed, Licked at Hands 8 Puppies
3 Came Readily, Tail up 26 Puppies
4 Came Readily, Tail Down 4 Puppies
5 Came Hesitantly, Tail Down 1 Puppy
6 Didn’t Come at all 1 Puppy

Test Two
Following ( Degree of Following Attraction. Not Following indicates independence)
1 Followed readily tail up, got underfoot, bit at feet 0 Puppies
2 Followed readily, tail up, got underfoot 9 Puppies
3 Followed readily, tail up 29 Puppies
4 Followed readily, tail down 3 Puppies
5 Followed hesitantly, tail down 0 Puppies
6 No follow or went away 1 Puppy

Test Three
Restraint ( Degree of Dominant or Submissive tendency, How it accepts stress with socially/physically dominated)
1 Struggled fiercely, flailed, bit 0 Puppies
2 Struggled fiercely, flailed 9 Puppies
3 Settled, Struggled, settled with some eye contact 15 Puppies
4 Struggled then settled 16 Puppies
5 No Struggle 2 Puppies
6 No Struggle, straining to avoid eye contact 0 Puppies

Test 4
Social Dominance ( Degree of acceptance of Social Dominance. Pup may try to dominate by jumping and nipping or is independent and walks away)
1 Jumped, pawed, bit, growled 0 Puppies
2 Jumped, pawed 12 Puppies
3 Cuddles up to tester and tries to lick face 16 Puppies
4 Squirmed, licked at hands 10 Puppies
5 Rolled over, licked at hands 3 Puppies
6 Went away and stayed away 1 Puppy

Test 5
Elevation Dominance ( Degree of accepting dominance while in a position of no control)
1 Struggled Fiercely, bit, growled 0 Puppies
2 Struggled Fiercely 1 Puppies
3 No Struggle, relaxed 21 Puppies
4 Struggled, settled, licked 20 Puppies
5 No struggle, licked at hands 0 Puppies
6 No Struggle, Froze 0 Puppies

Test 6
Retrieving ( Degree of willingness to work with human. High correlation between ability to retrieve and successful guide dogs, obedience dogs, field trail dogs)
1 Chases object, picks up object and runs away 6 Puppies
2 Chases object, stands over object, does not return 14 Puppies
3 Chases object and returns with object to tester 14 Puppies
4 Chases object and returns without objec to tester 4 Puppies
5 Starts to chase object, loses interest 4 Puppies

Test 7
Touch Sensitivity ( Degree of sensitivity to touch)
6-10 counts before response 21 Puppies
6-7 counts before response 8 Puppies
5-6 counts before response 9 Puppies
2-4 counts before response 3 Puppies
1-2 counts before response 1 Puppy


Test Seven
Sound Sensitivity ( Degree of sensitivity to sound)
1 Listens, locates sound, walks towards it barking 1 Puppies
2 Listens, locates sound, Barks 1 Puppies
3 Listens, locates sound, shows curiosity and walk toward sound 28 Puppies
4 Listens, Locates the sound 11 Puppies
5 Cringes, backs off, hides 0 Puppies
6 Ignores sound, shows no curiosity 0 Puppies

Test Eight
Sight Sensitivity ( Degree of intelligent response to strange object)
1 Looks, attacks and bites 9 Puppies
2 Looks, barks and tail up 2 Puppies
3 Looks curiously, attempts to investigate 28 Puppies
4 Looks, barks, tail tuck 3 Puppies
5 Runs away, hides 0 Puppies

Note, on this test, eight of the 1’s are out of two litters from the same bitch, she appears to be passing on a very high prey drive to her offspring.

Overall, most of our CISC puppies are solid 3’s, with the normally one two and one four within each litter. As four’s are good for quiet homes, three’s are ideal family dogs for most people, and two’s are ideal working dogs, it’s a very nice mix.

Things of note: Links we have seen between the puppy tests when looking at the adult dogs. Those with good retrieving skills as a puppy have turned out to be amazing herding and agility dogs. Most of the four’s have turned out to be therapy dogs. Most of the two’s are way to much dog for most families and those with a combined 1 in the sight sensitivity (prey drive) rating, have to placed carefully in their homes. This is an area where we would have concerns if folks started breeding for this higher rating, as it appears to push the dogs over into the much more intense “typical herding dog behaviours” .

The CISC encourages all its breeders to give a formal Temperment Test to their puppies to help in placing the puppies into the correct homes and to continue to build information on the natural Temperment of our breed. Please make sure that when talking to the breeder, you ask what age(this test must be done at the correct time) and who did the test(This test must be done outside the home, with a total stranger) so if the breeder did the test in their home, or at the wrong age, the test results are not considered valid and they do not count towards our information.