TEMPERAMENT TESTING

American Temperament Test Society, Inc. (ATT)

The American Temperament Test Society, Inc is based in Indianapolis, Indiana and is a not-for-profit organization for the promotion of uniform temperament evaluation of purebred and spayed and neutered mixed-breed dogs.

Due to the breed-specific dog legislation and negative publicity associated with certain breeds of dogs, temperament testing has become an important means for evaluating the dog’s temperament.  This test has an impact on breeding programs and educating owners about their dog’s behavioral strengths and weaknesses.

Temperament is defined as the “sum total of all inborn and acquired physical and mental traits and talents which determines forms and regulates behavior in the environment”. (W.Handel, German Police Dog Trainer)

The ATTS test focuses on and measures different aspects of temperament i.e. stability, shyness, aggressiveness, and friendliness as well as the dog’s instinct for protectiveness towards its handler and or self preservation in the face of a threat. 

The test simulates a casual walk through a park or neighborhood where everyday life situations are encountered:

• Visual, auditory and tactile stimuli

• Neutral, friendly and threatening situations

• Assessment of the dog’s ability to distinguish between non-threatening situations and those requiring watchful and protective reactions

There are 10 subtests:

1. Neutral stranger

   • A stranger approaches, shakes hands and engages in a brief conversation ignoring the dog.

     • Purpose: Evaluate the dog’s reaction to a passive socialization.

2. Friendly stranger

   • A stranger approaches the dog and id very friendly to the dog and pets the dog.

     • Purpose: Evaluate dog’s active social skills.

3. Hidden Noise

   • Handler & dog team approaches a hidden assistant who rattles a metal bucket filled with rocks and sets the bucket in the path of the handler/dog. 

     • Purpose: Evaluate alertness and curiosity.

4. Gunshots

   • The handler stops at a designated marker with his back towards a well hidden assistant.  The assistant fires 3 shots with a starter pistol (shot-pause-shot-shot).

     • Purpose: Evaluate the dog’s recovery time to a sudden noise.

5. Umbrella

   • The handler and dog team approaches an assistant sitting in a chair holding a closed umbrella.  When the dog is 5 feet from the assistant the umbrella is opened. 

     • Purpose: To measure the dog’s reaction to a sudden visual stimulus.

6. Plastic Footing

   • The handler and dog walk the length of a 15 ft by 6 foot clear plastic strip.

     • Purpose: Measure the dog’s reaction to unusual footing.

7. Wire Footing

   • The dog will walk the entire length of a 12 ft by 3 ft unfolded exercise pen.

     • Purpose: Measure the dog’s sensitivity to unusual footing, its ability to recover from the fear of unusual footing and to measure its investigative behavior of the unusual footing.

8. Non-Threatening

   • The handler and dog team stop at a designated marker. A weirdly-dressed stranger crosses the path 38 ft in front of the team.

     • Purpose: Test the dog’s alertness to an unusual situation.

9. Threatening

   • The weird stranger advances 10 ft. towards the stationary handler in a threatening manner.

     • Purpose: To evaluate the dog’s protective instincts.

Failure on any part of the test is recognized when a dog shows:

·        Unprovoked aggression

·        Panic without recovery

·        Strong avoidance