Choosing a Puppy - The Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test

The Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test, created by Wendy and Joachim Volhard, is one of the systematic methods to determine which puppies are right for you, your living conditions and your purpose of acquiring a dog.

The Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test"s history goes way back in the 1930"s, originally just a test that the Volhards developed for dogs meant to become Guide Dogs. As the years pass, more factors and tests are integrated into the aptitude test to become the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test.

The Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test evaluates the puppies based on ten factors:

1. Social Attraction, or the degree to which the puppy is willing to interact with people, its confidence or dependence;

2. Following, or the puppy"s willingness to follow a person;

3. Restraint, or the puppy"s degree of dominance or submissive tendency when physically dominated;

4. Social Dominance, or the puppy"s degree of acceptance of social dominance by a person, eg being stroked;

5. Elevation, or the puppy"s degree of accepting dominance while in a position of no control, eg being raised up and cradled by someone;

6. Retrieving, or the puppy"s degree of willingness to do something for you.

7. Touch Sensitivity, the degree of the puppy"s sensitivity to touch;

8. Sound Sensitivity, the degree of the puppy"s sensitivity to sound, especially to loud noises;

9. Sight Sensitivity, the degree of the puppy"s response to a moving objects; and

10. Stability, or the degree of the puppy"s startle response to a strange object.

Some of these factors will also help determine what kind of method can be used to train the puppies in the future.

According to the Volhards, "the ideal age to test the puppy is at 49 days of age when the puppy is neurologically complete and it has the brain of an adult dog. learning. "

The Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test involves placing a single puppy in a room or an area that it has never been before. The only person in the area is the tester, which needs to be an unfamiliar person to the puppy. A scorer may also be in the area as long as he / she does not have to move or do anything that could distract the puppy.

The tester will then perform a series of activities necessary to evaluate the puppy on the ten factors required by the test. Both the tester and scorer will pay attention to the dog"s reactions to each activity.

The Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test uses a six-point grading system to evaluate the puppy in each factor. The scores in each factor are then summed up.

The Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test results will show which dogs have a strong desire for leadership (that, not good with children), which dogs have a high level of energy (that, requiring frequent exercise and not suitable for small-spaceed homes), which dogs are easy to train and are quiet (good for older people and children), which dogs need special handling, and which dogs does not need you or people at all (good as guard dogs).

Wendy and Jack Volhard are experts regarding dogs and are internationally recognized for their contributions to dog training, health, and nutrition. For 30 years, the Volhards have taught dog owners, through print, films or demonstrations, how to communicate effectively with their pets. A full-text instructions of the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test is available for free at http://www.volhard.com/pages/pat.php

Choosing a Puppy - The Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test