The Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test, or PAT. PAT uses a scoring system from 1-6 and consists of ten tests. The tests are done consecutively and in the order listed. Each test is scored separately, and interpreted on its own merits. The scores are not averaged, and there are no winners or losers. The entire purpose is to select the right puppy for the right home.
The tests are as follows:
Social Attraction - degree of social attraction to people, confidence or dependence.
Following - willingness to follow a person.
Restraint - degree of dominant or submissive tendency, and ease of handling in difficult situations.
Social Dominance - degree of acceptance of social dominance by a person.
Elevation - degree of accepting dominance while in a position of no control, such as at the veterinarian or groomer.
Retrieving - degree of willingness to do something for you. Together with Social Attraction and Following a key indicator for ease or difficulty in training.
Touch Sensitivity - degree of sensitivity to touch and a key indicator to the type of training equipment required.
Sound Sensitivity - degree of sensitivity to sound, such as loud noises or thunderstorms.
Sight Sensitivity - degree of response to a moving object, such as chasing bicycles, children or squirrels.
Stability - degree of startle response to a strange object.
Our puppies usually test in the 2-4 range for this test. This is because this test was developed for service dogs with high drive. Our puppies are mellow and are great for urban laid-back lifestyles. We breed English Mini Goldendoodles. English Golden Retreivers are bred for show and beauty and have almost no hunting drive left in them, which makes them docile and fantastic family and lifestyle dogs.
We still test the puppies for you, so that you know exactly what their personalities will be when they are full grown. We've been doing this for 10 years now and we can guess where a puppy will test before we test them. Sometimes we are suprised by some of their reactions, but it is not uncommon for puppies to test exactly where we thought they would. We let you know if they have slightly different personalities from eachother and will fit better in a therapy home, quiet home, outgoing home or all-around great in any home. We rarely have an very outgoing puppy, as they are bred for their docile personality.
This test was not intended for our breed, if that makes sense, so they are never going to score high on the test. But it is a great way to delve into their little personalities and get you some extra information. And, it's a lot of fun! -April
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