Temperament Assessment & Evaluation

Single Assessment/Evaluation Session:  Free initial phone consultation, $50 per single session, $45 for rescue or shelter dogs adopted within the last twelve months (copy of adoption contract or other verification required).  This option will evaluate or assess your dog’s ability to interact safely with other dogs, cats, horses, stock, humans, children and infants (as applicable).  This type of assessment will also gauge your dog’s individual personality and behavioral traits or assist you in choosing the right dog for your family.  Please note:  Evaluation is included in all Behavioral Modification plans.

Single Pre-Adoption/Selection Assessment:  Free initial phone consultation, $50 per single session, $45 for rescue or shelter dogs.  This option will evaluate or assess a dog your considering adopting

Pre-Adoption Package: Free initial phone consultation, $125 for package, $115 for rescue or shelter dogs. Please read the information on Pre-Adoption Services for complete information on this type of package option.  This package includes a sit down counseling session to determine the type of dog that will best suit your family and lifestyle, and includes assessment and evaluation of two dogs or puppies (choosing from a litter is considered one evaluation).  Evaluations for additional dogs under this package can be added for $25 each. 

Temperament Assessment and Evaluation is used to assess a dog’s personality and suitability for different environments and lifestyles.  It can determine if you are selecting the right dog for you or evaluate your existing dog to determine how he will fare in different circumstances and environments.  For instance, how will he do at the dog park or will he be safe and well behaved when your new baby comes home?

There are many standardized evaluation formats available in the training world.  Rescue and shelter groups often perform these evaluations on dogs in their care.  The standardized evaluations typically include a repertoire of tests or exercises (such as dropping keys on the ground to gauge response) that are scored by the evaluator.  Such tests attempt to measure responses to singular events happening in a vacuum, focusing only on momentary reactions, and sometimes evaluators can become lost in measuring the event reaction, losing sight of the big picture (can't see the forest for the trees).  While this is predictive to some extent, and Canid does incorporate some elements of these type of tests in our behavioral evaluations, standardized testing can be problematic and Canid uses a more dynamic approach that focuses not only on small details, but on the dog as a whole. 

Having shelter or rescue personnel perform evaluations on dogs in their care can offer a baseline opinion, but it’s important to remember that these tests are being conducted in a sterile setting on dogs that are highly stressed and in an environment that does not lend itself to stability.  In addition to those factors, the evaluators are tasked with rating dogs subjective to their individual observations, biases and opinions, which may not be consistent from one evaluator to the next.  Finally, Canid has seen a number of examples where a dog was evaluated using a standardized format and received a personality rating that was inaccurate.  While shelters strive to do a good job in this area, and scientists work hard to develop predictive evaluations that eliminate subjectivity, I’m sure you can see where this is difficult to achieve given the diversity of dogs in the world and the conditions under which evaluation occurs. 

At Canid, while we do incorporate some elements of standardized testing, we prefer to base our assessments on years of experience and knowledge regarding ethology, canine psychology and communication (such as body language).  We ensure the dog’s environment, health and relationship with the humans involved is taken into consideration.  Experience has taught us it is far more beneficial to spend time with the dog, either while he interacts with his potential new family (including existing pets) or observing him in his home or problem area environment.  This observation coupled with some formal exercises or tests will allow us to accurately assess the dog’s personality and temperament, as well as ensure he’s a good match for your family and lifestyle.  If you are adding a dog to your household with dogs already in residence, we’ll evaluate their suitability as companions and assist with introductions.  In short, we want to observe and test how the actual live dog interacts with your actual family, not how he responds to keys dropped in a sterile room with handlers he may or may not know.

All evaluations include a written summary, as well as free email and phone support during the duration of the evaluation period. 

To get started, you’ll be asked to complete a brief questionnaire and return it along with a $25 non-refundable deposit, which will be deducted from your total fee due at the time of the first session.  On the day of the first session, you’ll also be asked to sign a services contract/release of liability and show proof of vaccination.