Temperament & Stimulus Processing

This test was introduced by the renowned dog expert William E. Campbell in his 1975 book "Behavior Problems in Dogs." Dog trainer Jan Nijboer has adapted some elements of it. The six-week test is designed to assess the temperament, stimulus processing, and instinctual patterns of puppies approximately six weeks old. The essential elements of this puppy test are:

Social orientation

How does the puppy perceive a stranger? Is he rather shy or does he make contact right away? Is he cautious or boisterous? This test situation is intended to reveal whether the dog is generally open to people or rather reserved.

Game behavior

A person throws a toy, for example, a ball. Does the small four-legged friend react openly and perhaps even show signs of cooperative behavior to keep the game going? Or is he uninterested in the dynamic and perhaps even overwhelmed by it? In such cases, it might be difficult to attribute a willingness to learn and cooperate to such a dog.

Nurturing dominance

The puppy is carefully turned onto its back, either while being held in your arms or on the ground, and gently examined (incidentally, this is something the mother dog must do regularly). If the puppy shows resistance, becomes agitated, and remains unmoved even by being held more firmly, this may indicate that it will have difficulty submitting. It's also important to observe its attempts to escape this confined position. If the puppy immediately bites your hand or growls, this suggests more complex submission issues than simple escape behavior. It's also crucial to observe the puppy's behavior immediately after this test. If it walks away tensely with its tail held high, it's likely that it will exhibit resistance later on. The breeder should keep an eye on this and practice with the puppy regularly. The main takeaway should be that kicking, biting, and similar behaviors won't get you anywhere with a puppy. A mother dog would correct her puppy and make it absolutely clear that it's time to be still. If the dog doesn't experience this from humans, it will naturally assume that it can assert itself against humans in other situations as well, using sufficient willpower.

Schreckreflex

Here is caused by a loud noise, such as for example, a falling pot lid, checks how a puppy reacts to such environmental stimuli. If, for example, the litter is raised in a stable in a rural environment, it can be assumed that the fright will be very great. Dogs, who are already gradually used to various sounds in the first few weeks, are rather unimpressed by this. Especially a dog, which is later exposed to city noise, should not be very sensitive to noise.

Schmerzempfinden

Here, too, the skin is briefly tweaked and the young dog’s reaction is evaluated. What sounds unfair at first is important information for later. Life z. For example, in the family small children, it will also occur in circumstances (with all caution) that a child steps on the dog on the paw, stol-persenes over him or even pinches him. If the dog reacts to it hypersensitively and squeaks in a corner, he is certainly not the right one for a family. Certainly not when his reflex is an opposition and he snaps. But if he reacts to it only slightly to not at all, he can at least be easily integrated into a family in this question.

Selbstschutzinstinkt

Here, the puppy (please with increased attention from the tester) is placed on a table to 

› AN IMPRINTING ON THE MOST DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL STIRRES POSSIBLE IS IMPORTANT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUPPIES.› ESPECIALLY DOGS FROM A RURAL BREEDING SHOULD BE WELL CHARACTERIZED, LATER E.G. TO BE PREPARED FOR A CITY LIFE.

Lena and Simon with Ardito during grooming training – they both did a really great job for their first time! Ardito is a pro!