Puppy Testing

Puppy testing is an important part of placing puppies. Your utmost goal as a breeder should be to find the best possible homes for every one of your puppies. There are many different puppy tests, and you will have to research these to find out what works best for you. We have mix and matched different tests to formulate a series of tests that works for us.

We always get another dog person to help us with our tests. I like them to do all of the testing, while we watch and take notes (and cute puppy pictures!).

These are the things I find important to test:

1. The puppy’s reaction to a stranger. Let them approach the tester while the tester is kneeled down. Make sure the tester is not trying to force the puppy to come to them. You want to see if the puppy is bold, and not afraid of new things.

2. How forgiving the puppy is. We do this by squeezing gently between their toes. As soon as they start to fuss, we release the pressure. A forgiving puppy will quickly come back to the person who was making them uncomfortable. This is an important trait for training and showing, as sometimes we have to make our dogs a bit uncomfortable (i.e. - a correction, clipping toenails, etc.)

3. The puppy’s submissiveness. To test this, we hold the puppy upside down on their back. If a puppy is very submissive, they will let you hold them there for a long period of time. A very dominant puppy will fuss and whine, not allowing itself to be on its back.

4. Toy Drive. This one is simple, just play!

5. Noise sensitivity. You can have fun with this one. We get pots and pans and bang them together, or drop them while the puppy isn’t looking. It is ok for the puppy to be startled, but you want a puppy that will walk back up to the object with curiosity.

6. Willingness to follow. Put a leash on the pup (a simple slip lead will work) and encourage them to follow along with you. Do not drag the puppy anywhere, just keep coaxing them if they are timid. You are looking for a puppy that wants to be near you, so this is important.

7. Conformation. This is a totally different ballpark. I suggest using Pat Hasting’s video “Puppy Puzzle”. This is a complex part of the evaluation, and takes someone who knows how to spot good conformation. Find someone who has bred dogs for a long time, and preferrably who has tested puppies before.