Temprement tests!

Here they are folks, sorry I am slow, my tester/trainer Beth's basement flooded so needless to say we were delayed in the actual testing process.

UPDATE: I had a question I thought I should address, for some reason the last section of the test "stability" didnt get added when I posted the full test on the last post, so here it is. So sorry.

Stability - an umbrella is opened about five feet from the puppy and gently placed on the ground.

Degree of startle response to a strange object.

1. Looked and ran to the umbrella, mouthing or biting it  2. Looked and walked to the umbrella, smelling it cautiously  3. Looked and went to investigate  4. Sat and looked, but did not move toward the umbrella 5. Showed little or no interest  6. Ran away from the umbrella

Orange/Phoenix:
Averaged mostly 3's with some 4's and a 1 thrown in there.
Social attraction- 3
Following-3
Restraint-3
Social dominance-3
Elevation dominance-3
Retrieving-4
Touch sensitivity-4
Sound sensitivity-4
Sight sensitivity-1
Stability-3
Phoenix is an outgoing, happy, playful, curious, brave girl. In my opinion she has the most energy of the bunch. In my opinion she has moderate to high energy.

Yellow/Wolverine:
Averaged mostly 3's with some 2's and 4's.
Social attraction-3
Following-3
Restraint-2
Social dominance-3
Elevation dominance-4
Retrieving-2
Touch sensitivity-3
Sound sensitivity-3
Sight sensitivity-3
Stability-4
Logan is a happy, playful boy. He can be a bit mouthy at times, he might require a bit more assertiveness to curb that. In my opinion he has moderate to high energy.

Gold/Thor:
Thor averaged mostly 3's with some 2's and a 4.
Social attraction-3
Following-3
Restraint-2
Social dominance-3
Elevation dominance-3
Retrieving-2
Touch sensitivity-4
Sound sensitivity-3
Sight sensitivity-3
Stability-3
Thor is such a love, he is very playful and happy. He is sweet and is amazing with small children. In my opinion he has moderate to low energy.

Gray/Professor X:
Averaged mostly 3's with a few 4's, a 2 and a 6.
Social attraction-4
Following-4
Restraint-3
Social dominance-3
Elevation dominance-3
Retrieving-6
Touch sensitivity-3
Sound sensitivity-4
Sight sensitivity-3
Stability-2
X is a happy outgoing boy, he loves to play and can get a bit rough occasionally with his siblings.In my opinion he has moderate energy.

Teal/Mystique:
Averaged mostly 3's with a 2 and a 6.
Social attraction- 6
Following- 3
Restraint-3
Social dominance-2
Elevation dominance-3
Retrieving-3
Touch sensitivity-3
Sound sensitivity-3
Sight sensitivity-3
Stability-3
Mystique is a sweet outgoing girl. She is playful but not overly so. In my opinion she has moderate energy.

White/Storm:
Averaged mostly 3's, with 4's and a 2.
Social attraction-3
Following-3
Restraint-4
Social dominance-3
Elevation dominance-3
Retrieving-4
Touch sensitivity-2
Sound sensitivity-4
Sight sensitivity-3
Stability-3
Storm is a very sweet girl, sometimes a little shy but warms up quick. In my opinion she has moderate to low energy.

Green/Hulk:
Got all 3's except one 2.
Social attraction-3
Following-3
Restraint-3
Social dominance-3
Elevation dominance-3
Retrieving-3
Touch sensitivity-2
Sound sensitivity-3
Sight sensitivity-3
Stability-3
Hulk is very mild mannered, and takes things in stride. He is sweet and outgoing. In my opinion he has moderate energy. Fun note on hulk, he is living up to his name, he was the smallest at birth, even smaller than Thor and is now the second largest. :-)

Red/Iron Man:
Averaged 3's and two 4's.
Social attraction-3
Following-3
Restraint-3
Social dominance-3
Elevation dominance-3
Retrieving-4
Touch sensitivity-4
Sound sensitivity-3
Sight sensitivity-3
Stability-3
Tony is such a sweet pup, he is outgoing and happy. In my opinion he has moderate to low energy.

Purple/Magneto
Averaged 3's, with 2's, 4's and a 6.
Social attraction-3
Following-3
Restraint-2
Social dominance-3
Elevation dominance-4
Retrieving-2
Touch sensitivity-4
Sound sensitivity-6
Sight sensitivity-3
Stability-3
Magneto is a fun spunky pup. He is happy and very perceptive. In my opinion he has moderate to high energy.

Blue/Beast:
Averaged 3's with some 4's.
Social attraction-3
Following-3
Restraint-3
Social dominance-3
Elevation dominance-4
Retrieving-4
Touch sensitivity-4
Sound sensitivity-3
Sight sensitivity-3
Stability-4
Hank is so cute, he is a little shy but warm up fast and is a very sweet pup. In my opinion he has moderate energy.

No collar/Hawkeye:
Averaged 3's, a 4,2,6&1 thrown in there.
Social attraction-3
Following-2
Restraint-3
Social dominance-3
Elevation dominance-3
Retrieving-4
Touch sensitivity-3
Sound sensitivity-6
Sight sensitivity-3
Stability-1
Hawk is a good solid kid. He is happy and outgoing and perhaps a bit aloof. I think he is a bit more serious like his mama. In my opinion he has moderate energy.

NOTE: Captain is going to be re-tested tomorrow. Beth felt his scores today were too in-consistent which is a sign that he was not himself. He might have just woken up or had to go to the bathroom or any number of things etc.

Stars/Captain America:
Averaged 4's with some 3's, 1's a 2 and a 6.
Social attraction-3
Following-3
Restraint-1
Social dominance-2
Elevation dominance-4
Retrieving-1
Touch sensitivity-4
Sound sensitivity-4
Sight sensitivity-3
Stability-6
Captain is a outgoing, happy, attention loving kid. He wants to be a part of it all. In my opinion he has moderate to high energy.

INTERPRETATION OF SCORES

Mostly 1′s:
This dog is extremely dominant and has aggressive tendencies. It is quick to bite and is generally considered not good with children or the elderly. When combined with a 1 or 2 in touch sensitivity, will be a difficult dog to train. Not a dog for the in experienced handler; takes a competent trainer to establish leadership.

Mostly 2′s:
This dog is dominant and can be provoked to bite. Responds well to firm, consistent, fair handling in an adult household, and is likely to be a loyal pet once it respects its human leader. Often has bouncy, outgoing temperament: may be too active for elderly, and too dominant for small children.

Mostly 3′s:
This dog accepts human leaders easily. Is best prospect for the average owner, adapts well to new situations and generally good with children and elderly, although it may be inclined to be active. Makes a good obedience prospect and usually has a common sense approach to life.

Mostly 4′s:
This dog is submissive and will adapt to most households. May be slightly less outgoing and active than a dog scoring mostly 3′s. Gets along well with children in general and trains well. Great for first time owners.

Mostly 5′s:
This dog is extremely submissive and needs special handling to build confidence and bring him out of his shell. Does not adapt well to change and confusion and needs a very regular, structured environment. Usually safe around children and bites only when severely stressed. Not a good choice for a beginner since it frightens easily, and takes a long time to get used to new experiences.

Mostly 6′s:
This dog is independent. He is not affectionate and may dislike petting and cuddling. It is difficult to establish a relationship with him for working or as a pet. Not recommended for children who may force attention on him; he is not a beginner’s dog.

A) When combined with 1′s (especially in restraint); the independent dog is likely to bite under stress.

B) When combined with 5′s the independent dog is likely to hide from people, or freeze when approached by a stranger.

No clear patterns (several 1′s, 2′s and 5′s):
This dog may not be feeling well. Perhaps just ate or was recently wormed. Wait two days and re-test. If the test still shows wide variations (lots of 1′s and 5′s), it is probably unpredictable and unlikely to be a good pet or obedience dog.

SCORING TIPS

3 in Social Attraction and Social Dominance:
The socially attracted dog is more easily taught to come and is more cuddly and friendly. Its interest in people can be a useful tool in training, despite other scores.

1 in Restraint and 1 in Touch Sensitivity:
The dominant aggressive dog, insensitive to touch, will be a handful to train and extremely difficult for anyone other than an exceptionally competent handler.

5 in Stability:
This is likely to be a “spooky” dog which is never desirable. It requires a great deal of extra work to get a spooky dog adapted to new situations and they generally cannot be depended upon in a crisis.

5 in Touch and Sound Sensitivity:
May also be very “spooky” and needs delicate handling to prevent the dog from becoming frightened.

For that first time, wonderfully easy to train, potential star, look for a puppy that scores with mostly 3’s and 4’s.  Don’t worry about the score on Touch Sensitivity - you can compensate for that with the right training equipment. Also if the breed is not a breed that needs to retrieve regularly that score is also not as important.

 And that, my friends is the lot of them. 7 week pictures to come later. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. A few notes to remember, Swissys, even the "high" energy ones are not as active as other breeds, Labs, Boxers, Goldens etc. Take that into account when choosing your pup. Also it has been known to happen that those super dominant, outgoing puppies turned into the sweetest mellowest dogs, and obedience does not come from dam or sire, that comes from training and handling.

As of now let the choosing begin! I will contact you as we go along to tell you when your turn is coming up and who is left. Thank you for your patience!

Pictures galore

I thought I would post some photos from this week while I had a free moment. :-)
Big brother Echo came to play with Wallace while he was here. They had a blast. Wallace in so tall and Echo is about Cinnas height so far but he is super thick. Its so fun to see the difference.

And Rory and Wallace have become great friends while he has been here,

Later I tried to get the impossible and unattainable perfect Swissy picture... failed, but got some cute ones...

I also wanted to post a copy of the Temperament test if anyone wanted to look it over before the results come in on Sunday.

Test	Purpose	Score	Results
Social Attraction: Place the puppy in test area. From a few feet away the tester coaxes the pup to her/him by clapping hands gently and kneeling down. Tester must coax in a direction away from the point where it entered the testing area.	Degree of social attraction, confidence or dependence.	1. Came readily, tail up, jumped, bit at hands2. Came readily, tail up, pawed, liked at hands. 3. Came readily, tail up. 4. Came readily, tail down. 5. Came hesitantly, tail down. 6. Did not come at all.
Following: Stand up and walk away from the pup in a normal manner. Make sure the pup sees you walk away.	Degree of following attraction. Not following indicates independence.	1. Followed readily, tail up, got underfoot, bit at feet.2. Followed readily, tail up, got underfoot. 3. Followed readily, tail up. 4. Followed readily, tail down. 5. Followed hesitantly, tail down. 6. No following, or went away.
Restraint: Crouch down and gently roll the pup on his back and hold it with one hand for a full 30 seconds.	Degree of dominant or submissive tendency. How it accepts stress when socially and/or physically dominated.	1. Struggled fiercely, flailed, bit.2. Struggled fiercely, flailed. 3. Settled, struggled, settled with some eye contact. 4. Struggled, then settled. 5. No struggle. 6. No struggle, straining to avoid eye contact.
Social Dominance: Let pup stand up and gently stroke him from the head to back while you crouch beside him. Continue stroking until a recognizable behavior is established.	Degree of acceptance of social dominance pup may try to dominate by jumping and nipping or it is independent and walks away.	1. Jumped, pawed, bit growled.2. Jumped, pawed. 3. Cuddles up to tester and tries to lick face. 4. Squirmed, licked at hands. 5. Rolled over, licked at hands. 6. Went away and stayed away.
Elevation Dominance: Bend over and cradle the pup under its belly, fingers interlaced, palms up and elevate just off the ground. Hold it there for 30 seconds.	Degree of accepting dominance while in position of no control.	1. Struggled fiercely, bit growled.2. Struggled fiercely. 3. No struggle, relaxed. 4. Struggled, settled, licked. 5. No struggled, licked at hands. 6. No struggle, froze.

Retrieving: Crouch beside pup and attract its attention with crumpled up paper ball. When the pup shows interest and is watching, toss the object 1 to 2 meters in front of pup.	Degree of willingness to work with a human. High correlation between ability to retrieve and successful guide dogs, obedience dogs, field trial dogs.	1. Chases object, picks up object and runs away.2. Chases object, stands over object, does not return. 3. Chases object and returns with object to tester. 4. Chases object and returns without object to tester. 5. Starts to chase object, loses interest. 6. Does not chase object.
Touch Sensitivity: Take puppy’s webbing of one front foot and press between finger and thumb lightly, then more firmly till you get a response, while you count slowly to 10. Stop as soon as puppy pulls away or shows discomfort.	Degree of sensitivity to touch.	1. 8 – 10 seconds before response.2. 6 – 7 seconds before response. 3. 5 – 6 seconds before response. 4. 3- 4 seconds before response. 5. 1 – 2 seconds before response.
Sound Sensitivity: Place pup in centre of area. Tester of assistant makes a sharp noise a few feet from the puppy. A large metal spoon struck sharply on a metal pan twice works well.	Degree of sensitivity to sound (also a rudimentary test for deafness).	1. Listens, locates sound, walks towards it barking.2. Listens, locates sound, barks. 3. Listens, locates sound, and walks there curiously. 4. Listens, locates sound. 5. Cringes, backs off, hides. 6. Ignores sound, shows no curiosity.
Sight Sensitivity: Place pup in centre of room. Tie a string around a large towel and jerk it across the floor a few feet away from the puppy.	Degree of intelligent response to strange object.	1. Looks, attacks and bites. 2. Looks, barks and tail up. 3. Looks curiously, attempts to investigate. 4. Looks, barks, tail-tuck. 5. Runs away, hides.

 INTERPRETATION OF SCORES

Mostly 1′s:
This dog is extremely dominant and has aggressive tendencies. It is quick to bite and is generally considered not good with children or the elderly. When combined with a 1 or 2 in touch sensitivity, will be a difficult dog to train. Not a dog for the in experienced handler; takes a competent trainer to establish leadership.

Mostly 2′s:
This dog is dominant and can be provoked to bite. Responds well to firm, consistent, fair handling in an adult household, and is likely to be a loyal pet once it respects its human leader. Often has bouncy, outgoing temperament: may be too active for elderly, and too dominant for small children.

Mostly 3′s:
This dog accepts human leaders easily. Is best prospect for the average owner, adapts well to new situations and generally good with children and elderly, although it may be inclined to be active. Makes a good obedience prospect and usually has a common sense approach to life.

Mostly 4′s:
This dog is submissive and will adapt to most households. May be slightly less outgoing and active than a dog scoring mostly 3′s. Gets along well with children in general and trains well.

Mostly 5′s:
This dog is extremely submissive and needs special handling to build confidence and bring him out of his shell. Does not adapt well to change and confusion and needs a very regular, structured environment. Usually safe around children and bites only when severely stressed. Not a good choice for a beginner since it frightens easily, and takes a long time to get used to new experiences.

Mostly 6′s:
This dog is independent. He is not affectionate and may dislike petting and cuddling. It is difficult to establish a relationship with him for working or as a pet. Not recommended for children who may force attention on him; he is not a beginner’s dog.

A) When combined with 1′s (especially in restraint); the independent dog is likely to bite under stress.

B) When combined with 5′s the independent dog is likely to hide from people, or freeze when approached by a stranger.

No clear patterns (several 1′s, 2′s and 5′s):
This dog may not be feeling well. Perhaps just ate or was recently wormed. Wait two days and re-test. If the test still shows wide variations (lots of 1′s and 5′s), it is probably unpredictable and unlikely to be a good pet or obedience dog.

SCORING TIPS

3 in Social Attraction and Social Dominance:
The socially attracted dog is more easily taught to come and is more cuddly and friendly. Its interest in people can be a useful tool in training, despite other scores.

1 in Restraint and 1 in Touch Sensitivity:
The dominant aggressive dog, insensitive to touch, will be a handful to train and extremely difficult for anyone other than an exceptionally competent handler.

5 in Stability:
This is likely to be a “spooky” dog which is never desirable. It requires a great deal of extra work to get a spooky dog adapted to new situations and they generally cannot be depended upon in a crisis.

5 in Touch and Sound Sensitivity:
May also be very “spooky” and needs delicate handling to prevent the dog from becoming frightened.

Enjoy!