Giving Our Puppies A Voice
Empowering our puppies and their families!
The ultimate step to helping our families pick their perfect new member is our temperment evaluations.
Why We Do Temperment Evaluations
Each family that contacts us has an individual need that they want their puppy to meet. Whether it involves a service animal to complete specific tasks, or a pet to curl up on the couch with. It is so important to make the best choice for your lifestyle.
When you are looking at a cute puppy picture on a screen, in a video, or on a facetime call, it can be so easy to get caught up in how the dog looks. What is really important is how the dog behaves.
While we work hard here at Dessie's Doodles to give our puppies a very well rounded upbringing, each puppies personality and needs are different. When these are met they behave better, are trained more easily, and live a happier life.
Just like people each puppy is different. Do you enjoy going hiking, jogging, boating on the lake? You live a very active lifestyle and would likely benefit from a puppy with a more outgoing and energetic personality. On the other hand if you live a more sedentary life and prefer quiet Saturday nights on the couch you would want a more tender hearted, attentive, puppy with a calmer demeanor.
All puppies have the same basic needs; exercise, training, and a routine. Finding a puppy whose personality matches yours makes it easier for you to meet their level of these needs.
Our evaluations give our puppy a voice, and we interpet it, and lay it all out for our families in a neat and simple format.
Our Process
When Do We Evaluate Our Puppies?
Puppy evaluations take place at approximately 7.5 weeks of age. Since puppies go through several stages of learning as they grow, and then go home at 8 weeks, this is the most accurate period we can get a look at their personality.
If we do evaluations earlier they would not be as precise. Puppies, like children, go through "fear stages".
To give you an idea of what this means consider a toddler around 2 or 3. Previously they had no problems sleeping in their own room but suddenly they are afraid of the dark! What do you do?
You empower them. You guide them. You show them that they are SAFE! That is exactly what we do for our puppies while they are with us.
We show them that the world is safe, people are kind, and dogs are friendly.
Then we watch as their individual personality blossoms.
Where Are They Held?
We do our puppies evaluations in a controlled environment such as a room or a play pen. Puppies are evaluated individually with as little distraction as possible. We might do the evaluations in doors, or outside, depending on the weather.
How Are They Completed?
We film our evaluations for our puppy families to view and consider.
Puppies are ran through the trials individually one at a time. We test them using a variety of obstacles, distractions, sounds, and smells.
After the trials are completed I review each video and complete documentation explaining each puppies personality traits and the type of environment that would suit it.
Our video and paperwork is then turned over to our families via email. They are reviewed and then after a day or two puppies are picked via phone call or video chat in order of deposit.
What Do We Test For?
Assertiveness (towards people)
- Are puppies very assertive, do the run into a situation with people, or take their time and consider the situation.
Confidence
- Do the believe in themselves. How quickly do the rebound being in this new environment.
Motivation
- Do they have a willingness to work for a person? Are they easily distracted?
Nerve Strength
- How do they handle/manage stress
Touch Tolerance
- Do they like heavy handling? Are they sensitive to touch anywhere? Do they struggle against being held?
Energy level
- Are they high, moderate, or low energy
Sound Sensitivity
- Are they startled by noises? How quickly do they rebound?
Sight Sensitivity
- Does a new unexpected sight startle them? How quickly do they rebound?
Prey Drive
- Do they have a high desire for toys, to fetch, or chase objects.
Human Focus (pack drive)
- How interested are they on the tester?
Can Unwanted Traits Be Worked On?
The short answer is YES but some traits are harder to change than others such as energ levels, prey drive, etc.
Training and work is required for all puppies, and personalities can change given different circumstances such as if they are alone or with other dogs. The bottom line is this is a very clear sneak peak in theirpersonality. If you have the time and dedication all dogs can be trained.
Finding the right dog, for the right task!
Service Dogs
Service Dogs
Service Dogs
A service dog is trained for 1 single individual to mitigate a disability. Service dogs and their handlers are protected through the ADA and have full public access.
Examples: Diabetic Alert, Siezure Response, Mobility Assist, Hearing Assist, Seeing Eye
It is difficult to train your own service animal. I highly recommend working with a trained professional to get good results and minimize setbacks and failure.
Therapy Dogs
Service Dogs
Service Dogs
Trained to help a variety of people. These dogs must be certified through and organization that carries insurance. You must comply with the organization rules and regulations. Public access is limited and requires approval at each location.
Owners generally do their own training by attending classes. They then receiving certification by passing several different types of obstacles and pre-mediated situations.
Emotional Support Animals
Emotional Support Animals
Emotional Support Animals
ESA are NOT service dogs. They are not specifically trained to perform tasks but may help an owner with depression, anxiety, or other sociological disorders though companionship.
ESA are NOT protected by the ADA. Some airlines may allow ESA to fly but this varries by company. ESA are generally allowed to live in areas otherwise prohibited by HOA.
Facility Dogs
Emotional Support Animals
Emotional Support Animals
These dogs are trained as a therapy dog, for 1 single location and the people there. They tend to work "full time" at this location.
Professional training is generally required. There is usually 1 individual assigned ownership to the dog that works on training with it. If the Dog is "off work" it might go home with this individual.
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