Selection Tests for Personal Protection Dogs Part III
Tests & Evaluations
Through these mistakes we have developed a test and evaluations to highlight strengths and expose the weakness in each dog. We use documentation or evaluation sheets on each dog we test. These keep us on track to follow our evaluation process perfectly each time. We also don’t rush and make quick decisions on dogs. We handle each dog ourselves to get a real feel for the dog. We want to know. Will he be social with a completely new handler?
Each dog on a one on one basis is evaluated in a new environment that he has never been exposed to. This allows us to see drives and temperament in a raw format. If the dog grew up on a farm, of course the dog is confident in a rural setting but how about in the city around cars zipping by and all the hustle and bustle of the city life?
For a farm bred dog right off the bat we evaluate them in the city around cars, train stations, families walking by with crying babies and toddlers. We need to extract and expose the real character of the dog in environments that he is virgin to. Almost every training program is tailor made to each dog and the program, if solid, will be developed and customized to strengthen the weakness of the each dog.
Since the majority of contacts we have overseas are the best-of-the-best when it comes to training in the dog world we have to expose the temperament of the dog . . . not its training. Our vendors constantly make the comment to us “Every time you guys come you test another way.” YES. They are correct. We do test differently each time because we need to expose the true temperament of the dog not the training in the dog. The old saying is, “Trust, but verify.”
We are separating and evaluating each drive individually. We are not only looking at the trainability of the dog (remember we will have to train multiple tasks on each dog), but we are thinking in the back of our mind, “How is this dog going to be when in a family environment? How is this dog going to act in the executive environment? Is this dog going to be able to lay at his “masters” feet while in the corporate conference room while a major board meeting is taking place?
Our experience has enabled us to develop a solid evaluation and selection process. Because of this, selecting the correct dog for the work and by knowing all the strengths and weakness of each dog affords us the chance to develop the right training program for him.
Settling for anything less than this could be a great liability to you or even get you or your family hurt.