One American who did a great deal of work on puppy temperament tests was Clarence Pfaffenberger. Combining years of work training dogs with an appreciation for scientific research, he was able to translate technical data obtained from research into very useful information on the working dog. Today he is considered a pioneer because of his work with Guide Dogs for the Blind. At the beginning of his search for the ideal working dog for the blind only 9 percent of the dogs who started training could be trained as responsible guides. By implementing the results of his studies, 90 percent of the dogs starting the program were later graduated. Pfaffenberger’s program stressed two main factors: using only dogs with proven working abilities for breeding, and early socialization of all prospective guide dog puppies. As a result of his research, he eventually came to the conclusion that future brood bitches and stud dogs could be selected with confidence by the age of twelve weeks.
Pfaffenberger’s data on his attempts to produce the ideal guide dog puppy are relevant to the topic of selecting and raising the Schutzhund prospect. It is especially interesting to note that Pfaffenberger recorded a high correlation between natural retrieving behavior and success in guiding the blind. As a result of our experience with working dogs, we believe that natural retrieving behavior is absolutely essential in the Schutzhund for two reasons: because it provides a ready source of motivation and energy and because retrieving normally goes hand in hand with willingness and responsiveness. In short, natural retrievers are most often willing to please.
In order to develop his successful breeding and training program, Pfaffenberger conducted years of research, much of it in association with Drs. John Paul Scott and John L. Fuller of the Jackson Memorial Laboratory in Maine. Scott and Fuller performed a number of landmark studies on behavioral genetics and the development of behavior in five different breeds of dog. They concluded that growing puppies undergo critical developmental periods.
Because of poorly developed sense organs, the puppy shows little learning before the twenty-first day of life, although the ability is doubtless there. However, the period between the twenty-first and twenty-eighth days is critical. During this time the “puppy can become emotionally upset and it will have a lasting effect upon its social ability.” Others have called this the fear-imprint period. The period between the fourth and sixteenth weeks is the time when social attachments are formed. This has been called the socialization period. According to Scott and Fuller, by the end of the sixteenth week the dog’s character is essentially formed.
We must note that most authorities on Schutzhund training do not believe that the die is cast at four months. Rather, Schutzhund theory emphasizes the importance of all the dog’s experiences up to and past a year of age for the development of its ultimate character. Furthermore, most working dog trainers will testify to the capacity dogs show for radical changes in overall behavior (for the better and the worse) anytime during their first twelve and even eighteen months of life.
The findings of Pfaffenberger, Scott and Fuller have many implications for the rearing of a puppy intended for work. A summary of them includes:
1. Character traits are inherited and can be effectively evaluated in a puppy at an early age.
2. A puppy should stay with its litter until the seventh week. If it is removed too soon, it will develop abnormal relationships with other dogs. If it remains too long, it will not form appropriate attachments to people. For the best human-dog relationships, the period between the seventh and twelfth week is the best time to remove a puppy from its litter and bring it home. However, this time can be somewhat delayed if appropriate individual socialization is given regularly to the dog while in the kennel.
3. A puppy needs much individual attention to establish its self-importance as an individual.
Pfaffenberger’s puppy evaluations are fascinating. He first listed the behaviors undesirable in puppies being trained as guide dogs. His list included dogs who were lacking spirit, too sensitive to noise or correction, fearful, stubborn, unaware of the environment and lacking in stability. He utilized a number of tests to evaluate these behaviors in the dogs. He exposed the puppies to new stimuli, such as a flashlight or an object waved in front of them. He felt curiosity was a sign of intelligence. He blew a whistle and observed the pup’s reaction to it. A puppy that was frightened by the approach of a two-wheeled cart or moving vehicle was not further considered for guide work. Pfaffenberger thought that one of the best overall tests for character is simply observing the puppy’s natural attitude toward people. He believed that a pup should pay attention and show friendliness at the approach of a stranger. Other training tests involved teaching the dog to heel, sit and fetch, and he evaluated willingness and trainability during these exercises.
Pfaffenberger conducted his tests over a five-week period in order to get a good sample of each pup’s behavior. Young puppies are extremely dynamic, and they will seldom test out the same way on two different occasions. It is therefore advisable for the prospective Schutzhund puppy buyer to observe and examine the litter on many different occasions, spread out over as long a period of time as possible. In this way, a buyer may be able to take note of developmental trends.
Of course, some of the qualities Pfaffenberger sought in his guide dogs are not those we desire in a Schutzhund prospect. For example, aggression is discouraged in the guide dog. However, in both types of training the animal must possess a high level of responsiveness and intelligence, and we can gain much by reading Pfaffenberger’s work.
For the breeder of a litter, early record keeping can provide valuable clues to the potential of each puppy. For example, vigor and competitiveness in nursing can indicate a more dominant, aggressive character.
Konrad Most in his writings stressed the value of instinct in selecting at birth the puppy best suited for the rigors of Schutzhund work. He preferred the puppy that actively seeks out its mother and sucks vigorously. This type of puppy continues, Most said, to be active and competitive as it grows.
To assess the character of a six- to eight-week-old pup a wider variety of tests can be administered. Confidence, alertness, intelligence, sociability, competitiveness, aggressiveness and stability are all highly desirable qualities in a Schutzhund dog. Dr. Michael Fox suggests a variety of situations to evaluate some of these qualities in a puppy: