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The Esmond
Rottweiler Puppy Evaluation Program
We have finally
put our Puppy Socialization and Evaluation Program down on paper!
(Use the Links
Below to view the Program Week by Week)
The reason that
we have designed this new program is that, in raising our litters, we
found that the socialization we provided seemed to override some of
the natural reactions when it came time for Puppy Testing.
Meaning that when we tested on day 49, nearly all of our pups had the
same reactions to some of the tests. For this reason, you'll
see that many of the PAT items are included, however, they are at
varying ages or with a greater degree of difficulty.
We have
designed this program to follow the pups' natural tendencies during
their maturation process. Several items are evaluated for more
than one week with only slight variation, allowing us to note how
small adjustments affect an individual pup. Other items
evaluate how the pup interacts with his dam, littermates, breeder,
and new people and dogs. Although some items may seem
insignificant, when used in its entirety, the process should help us
to form a clearer picture of what each puppy is destined to become.
As with the
Volhard PAT testing, we find that day 49 is critical and there are
quite a few formal tests performed on this day. The additional
tests allow us to evaluate in greater detail items like problem
solving, resiliency and desire to interact, as well as ability to
handle stress, sociability and courage. We have found that well
socialized pups from Working or Herding breeds can easily handle the
day 49 testing, however, it may not be suitable for all breeds.
Unlike the
traditional PAT test, there is no categorizing the pups. Instead, the
program is designed to get the breeder thinking about each behavior
and the "why" behind it. In many of the PAT items,
you will note a greater number of behavioral choices, as we have
found that the subtleties of these behaviors are often the most
telling. For instance, in a working prospect, it is not very
often a matter of whether the pup will bite and shake the rag that's
dragged in front of him, but whether he has a full bite vs. a shallow
one, or whether he shows a strong desire to continue the game by way
of remaining focused on the item or handler even after the item is removed.
At the final 7
week evaluation, the breeder is asked to rank the puppy, based on the
entirety of the 7 week program, for 16 temperament traits as well as
overall beauty and carriage. The breeder is then asked to
estimate whether the pup would be suitable for various venues.
It is important to note that this section is only valuable to an
experienced breeder who can look at the pups objectively. If
utilized properly, this final evaluation helps us to properly
match each pup to the needs of a prospective owner.
Please feel
free to Contact Us
if you have any questions about this program. |
