By Mary Jane Anderson

In the Staffordshire Bull Terrier book written by W.M. Morley, Mr Morley’s final remark on character and temperament sums up the final analysis for all dogs, “…breeders should be completely ruthless in discarding temperamentally unsound stock from their breeding programs.This seems essential, as it is in this area that the charm and attraction of the breed lies; the physical appearance of the Stafford, while of supreme importance in the show ring, pales into insignificance compared with its character . . . it would take a very rash individual indeed to claim that the temperament of an individual dog should be so easily determined.”

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier has been under attack with the horror stories of the so-called “vicious breed.” Mr Morley is very ardent in “discarding temperamentally unsound” dogs. But, the question is, how can this be done?

The answer is close observation of the litter and puppy testing.

What is puppy testing? It is a method for evaluating your puppies and their tendencies and differences in a litter. There are not good or bad tempered dogs, only a combination of traits in the individual dog. The traits are observable and measurable such as excitability versus inhabitability, active versus passive defense reflexes, dominance versus submissiveness, and independence versus social attraction.

For an example, restraint tests indicate a puppy’s tendency to either accept social dominance or put up a struggle when restrained. There are also specific tests for sound sensibility by a sharp loud noise to check the pup’s reaction whether he stands his ground or shows excessive fear, crouches, or runs away. There are tests for sensitivity versus insensitivity which shows a strong indication how to treat a dog in training: is the dog sensitive to touch or show little response?

Puppies are tested at 49 days or 7 weeks old. Their testing is measured by a scale from 1 to 6.

Training and early experience greatly influence these traits. But, the testing gives the breeder an indication of the temperament and potential of each puppy in the litter. All breeders then can use that as a criteria for choosing a dog suitable for the task whether it is a sound temperament pup dealing with all ages of people in the home neighborhood, and the community or selecting a puppy to become a responsible guide dog, police dog, or a guarding dog.

Besides the basic puppy testing, each possible working dog goes through further testing at various intervals during their first year, such as the guide dog candidates. Naturally, testing is not without flaws. Errors in the testing can happen but the majority of the tests have proven good results. For professional breeders, the results are not done haphazardly but used along with selection in breeding. Litters are culled; the best remain with the breeder to continue the line while the others are sold as pets.

The approach used in developing a sound steady dog tells the whole story. If more breeders did this, a great deal of dog problems would be solved. Dogs of questionable temperament would not be roaming the streets biting people. A dog owner should understand the hereditary characteristics of the temperament which would be best for their special family situation. If the owner chooses the wrong dog, disruption in the home, expense, disappointment, and heartache result. To take the time to be a responsible owner, you must carefully examine the parents and its lineage. After the puppy testing, you will have the potential of the dog you want and the rest will be your responsibility that the environment and training will develop your dog to its highest potential.