I adopt dogs — often older puppies, but middle-aged dogs as well — from shelters and rescue groups. I’m not purchasing “from a litter of 10.” The cortisol theory makes sense to me, based on my experience with an extremely reactive dog.
When adopting, it is immensely helpful to “foster to adopt,” where that is available. But there are things you can do even at the shelter, in the get-acquainted room or play yard. Observe the dog quietly. Call him over. Throw a ball, but also let him have time to be calm. Don’t get him riled up. Sit on the floor with him. One dog I adopted curled up in my lap. Another interacted so well with some young kids outside the yard that I decided he was a keeper. Observe. Take the time.
Fostering is the way to go! We’ve fostered zillions of cats and kittens over the years but we always find our new permanent family members just speak to our hearts in a special way. When you know you know. We found my elderly mom’s dog that way too. She had 8 emergency short term fosters before she called me in tears wanting to keep her newest foster - a 50 lb “lap dog”. You just click with them when it’s right. I can’t imagine having to just guess out of a litter of puppies or kittens when you have no idea who they’ll grow up to be except vague descriptions by breed. No thanks.
Thanks for writing about this. As a trainer, I feel it’s an important factor when choosing a puppy. I find out what my clients needs and desires are for caring for a dog and that helps me choose the right match for them. It’s definitely a helpful tool in the toolbox.
How interesting. We did a bit of the tactile temperament testing before picking JD who was to be our girl's private play buddy.
That said, we just adopted a small Rottie mix girl pretty much based on a single glance. It was all it took. And she is exactly what we saw in her face when we first laid our eyes on it. Shy, smart, sweet ... Sometimes one just knows.
I'm curious how much labelling puppies' behavior could change how people treat a puppy and how much this might influence how a puppy is raised and trained.
I've used temperament testing to vet adult dogs' play styles at a private dog park. The dogs wore color-coded collars based on the assessment. We found it was a good way to let dog parents know more about their dogs and who their dogs were playing with.
I adopt dogs — often older puppies, but middle-aged dogs as well — from shelters and rescue groups. I’m not purchasing “from a litter of 10.” The cortisol theory makes sense to me, based on my experience with an extremely reactive dog.
When adopting, it is immensely helpful to “foster to adopt,” where that is available. But there are things you can do even at the shelter, in the get-acquainted room or play yard. Observe the dog quietly. Call him over. Throw a ball, but also let him have time to be calm. Don’t get him riled up. Sit on the floor with him. One dog I adopted curled up in my lap. Another interacted so well with some young kids outside the yard that I decided he was a keeper. Observe. Take the time.
Fostering is the way to go! We’ve fostered zillions of cats and kittens over the years but we always find our new permanent family members just speak to our hearts in a special way. When you know you know. We found my elderly mom’s dog that way too. She had 8 emergency short term fosters before she called me in tears wanting to keep her newest foster - a 50 lb “lap dog”. You just click with them when it’s right. I can’t imagine having to just guess out of a litter of puppies or kittens when you have no idea who they’ll grow up to be except vague descriptions by breed. No thanks.
Excellent! Thank you!
Thanks for writing about this. As a trainer, I feel it’s an important factor when choosing a puppy. I find out what my clients needs and desires are for caring for a dog and that helps me choose the right match for them. It’s definitely a helpful tool in the toolbox.
How interesting. We did a bit of the tactile temperament testing before picking JD who was to be our girl's private play buddy.
That said, we just adopted a small Rottie mix girl pretty much based on a single glance. It was all it took. And she is exactly what we saw in her face when we first laid our eyes on it. Shy, smart, sweet ... Sometimes one just knows.
Love this! The eyes say so much.
So interesting.
I'm curious how much labelling puppies' behavior could change how people treat a puppy and how much this might influence how a puppy is raised and trained.
I've used temperament testing to vet adult dogs' play styles at a private dog park. The dogs wore color-coded collars based on the assessment. We found it was a good way to let dog parents know more about their dogs and who their dogs were playing with.
Thanks for sharing this. Fascinating! Kind of sounds like Myers Briggs screening in the workplace.