Pet Information

t h e c r e a t i v e s c h o o l

Over 50 years of educating young children in North Dallas
Founded 1956

Family Pet Choice

People of all ages respond to animals differently than to people. Animals facilitate a sense of safety and trust, calm feelings and faster progress in therapy. Animals especially help children.

Bailey is certified through the Delta Society. Check out their web site if you are interested in learning more. www.deltasociety.org

If you are considering adding a pet to your family, you probably have an idea of what kind of pet you hope to get. You may decide to obtain an animal from a shelter or a breeder. And you may want a young animal or an older one. But what can help you choose the right personality, one that will be a joy and not a headache?
There is a way to check temperament and personality before choosing an animal. Those of you who have met Bailey know how successful I was in choosing. I want to share some information with you.

SELECTING A PUPPY
There is no guaranteeing what a dog will be like when it grows up. But there are ways to put the odds more in favor of it being a suitable dog. If you get the opportunity, meet the canine mother and father of the puppy and examine whether they are friendly and sociable.
There are certain tasks you can present to test the puppy’s temperament and social capacity. Puppy testing has several versions today, but a brief version consists of five basic exercises that all together take about 20 minutes. The puppy test can be performed on a puppy as young as 7 weeks.
The first exercise is to observe the puppy as it interacts with the other pups in the litter. You are looking for a pup that plays well with others; one that seeks interaction with the other pups but is neither overly rough or aggressive nor overly submissive or fearful.
The remaining four tasks involve seeing the puppies one at a time in an area large enough for you to play and interact with each puppy but out of sight of the other dogs. Two tasks determine if the puppy is sociable. See if the puppy comes to you when you clap your hands and call it to you. As it walks away, call it back again. A puppy that comes back to you again and again is a pup that seeks and enjoys social interaction. Another exercise is to see how the puppy responds to you when you hold it and play with it. A puppy that seeks to cuddle next to you or lick your face and like to be near you and held by you is an affectionate puppy.
The next exercise is a test for dominance. Gently place the puppy on its back and pet its chest for just a moment. The longer it stays on its back willingly, the more likely it will have a personality that will submit to your will. A puppy that immediately fights to turn back over is a willful pup that may try to boss you around.
The next exercise is a test for fearfulness. Take a soda can and put a few pebbles or pennies in it and tape the top. This device should make a nice loud sound when you rattle it. Gently toss the noisemaker about 3 feet from the puppy, being careful not to get too close to the puppy or to hit it with the can. It is natural and normal for the puppy to be startled by the sound and jump a few feet away. What you are looking for is a puppy that recovers quickly from the startle and then walks back close to the can and sniffs it out of curiosity. This type of reaction demonstrates a dog that is not overly fearful and deals well with the unexpected.

The Creative School
10066 Marsh Lane
Dallas, Texas 75229
214.352.0732 | e-mail pam@whumc.com

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