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FINNISH CHARACTER TEST / JUDGING INSTRUCTIONS
Approved in the executive committee of Finnish Kennel Club 1st of February, 2007
FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY
TENDENCY TO AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR
DESIRE FOR DEFENSE
DESIRE TO FIGHT
NERVES
TEMPERAMENT
MENTAL HARDNESS
ACCESSIBILITY
REACTION TO SHOTS
FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY
Functional capacity is considered a quality of character that makes a dog defend itself against a real or imagined threat without any pressure from outside. What is considered a functional capacity consists of many reactions together. The human equivalent to functional capacity is courage.
Functional capacity is a dog’s ability to control its actions regardless of fear. In other words, the dog can work in a right way in spite of its fear, and it can overcome the fear if needed in order to get to the goal. The dog’s view of the situation is based on genotype and a dog’s experiences.
Functional capacity is not a stable quality that would stay the same in every situation although the launching stimuli would be the same. The intensity varies between dogs and it could vary in one single dog in different situations. The dog’s own area and especially the closeness of its centre affects on each animal that owns territory behavior. In spite of the dog’s normal functional capacity they are more functional near their homes. The dog that is in a company of its family is also less frightened, or at least it is more eager to overcome its fear. That is based on the dogs’ drive to herd.
To test functional capacity under threat
To test functional capacity under threat is made by so called “bobsleigh test”.
A human shaped body is usually used in the test. The body is pulled towards the dog, and from the other direction the figure looks like a human but from another direction it is completely unidentified. It lacks, however, the familiar human gestures and the smell the dog usually recognizes. The dog regards it as a human but it can’t identify it because of the differences and therefore it makes a contradictory situation.
In the beginning the figure must be hidden from the dog, so it must be displayed to the bushes or behind the hillock or the corner of a building. The visibility of the figure is checked from the direction to come, the dog’s point of view and from the area itself while preparing the test. The figure must be displayed in the place before the dog and the owner arrive to the testing place. The figure is usually fastened to the bobsleigh or to the runners so it can be pulled with a rope at least 25 meters. Sideway movements and varying the pulling speed can be done with the rope that pulls the figure, and in this way the strength of the threat can be controlled.
While beginning the test the owner is given the instructions. The owner must be passive and just hold on the leash and watch the bobsleigh getting closer, not the dog. The figure is beginning to move as the dog and its owner are ready. The first pull must make a sound that pays the dog’s attention. The bobsleigh is pulled forward and at the same time, controlling the threat as much as the dog can handle it. The best result is usually achieved with changing moves, for example total immobility, short jerky moves, hesitated moves and finally an attack right towards the dog right next to the owner. After the final attack the figure stays still, and the dog’s behaviour is checked and observed if the dog will come to the bobsleigh independently. If it doesn’t come, the judge gives more specific instructions to the owner. The instructions given in order are: the owner turns towards the bobsleigh, crouches beside the bobsleigh, starts to talk to the bobsleigh, raises his/her hand to the neck of the bobsleigh, and if necessary, the figure is undressed and turned over.
To test functional capacity without threat
To test functional capacity without threat is made in so called “dark room”.
The dark room must be planned and built so that it will not cause any danger to the dog. The dark room is not completely dark but dim, and the amount of natural light can be controlled. There must be obstacles in the room, which the dog can pass, and there should be changing material on the floor, for example spread plastic. When the dog comes to the room, only a judge can handle it. During the special test there are only judges, the owner and the dog in the dark room.
When moving to the dark room, the other judge takes the dog under his/her control. The owner goes to the door of the room, calls for the dog and moves to the room closing the door behind. The owner’s place is the far corner of the room, and the distance the dog is about to move in the room must be at least 10 meters. The judge in the room gives instructions to the owner. The other judge lets the dog come into the room a moment later.
If the dog is not moving on and searching for the owner spontaneously, it will be given help in specific order: the sniff of the owner, the cough, the whispering of the dog’s name, the calling of the dog, the luring to the owner, moving the owner closer to the dog, putting more lights on.
Judging and ranking
Functional capacity is judged in every part of the test.
+3 High
The dog is brave, it doesn’t move back behind the owner at the bobsleigh, and it takes contact with the bobsleigh. In the dark room it works with determination without stopping, and it moves with courage. In all circumstances, it works systemically and fearlessly.
+2 Good
The dog can go behind the owner at the bobsleigh but it takes contact to the bobsleigh quickly without the help of the owner and recovers fast. In the dark room the dog searches the owner without any help, and it finds the owner shortly. The dog also works systemically in other parts of the test.
+1 Moderate
The dog takes contact to the bobsleigh in spite of being very scared and with a minor help from the owner. The owner may call the dog in the dark room.
-1 Low
Obviously, the dog is afraid of the bobsleigh, and the owner has to help it with getting the contact by crouching beside the bobsleigh and by talking. In the dark room the dog has to be called several times, and the dog hesitates and moves on slowly.
-2 Inadequate
At the bobsleigh the owner has to undress it and turn it over. In the dark room the owner must be moved closer to the dog, and more lights are required.
-3 Unable to function
The dog doesn’t take contact to the bobsleigh, and it can’t recover from its fear. In the dark room the dog doesn’t go to the owner until the lights are on. End of the test. Up
TENDENCY TO AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR
Tendency to aggressive behaviour is a quality that makes the dog react aggressively when it feels threatened. The scale is inversely proportional to the highness of the stimulus threshold. The smaller the stimulus is needed to wake the aggression the higher is the scale.
Making the test
The special test is so called ”wall test”.
There is a fastened plastic cable, approximately 60-70 cm or similar, on the wall. There must not be any corners in the wall in case that the dog could harm itself. The crowd must be far enough from the wall, so that the dog feels lonely and abandoned.
The test begins when the owner ties the dog to the cable in the wall. The owner leaves the dog without any influence/paying no attention on the dog. The other judge has hidden earlier in order to attack the dog. The attack must not start right after the owner has left. The time needed depends on the behaviour of the dog.
The attacking judge is getting closer to the dog, moving low. While approaching the judge uses threatening, suspicious moves, avoiding straight moving. The hands will not be raised above the shoulder line during the approach. The final attack is made individually due to the dog. For a mentally strong dog the attack is made to an end, for a mentally weak dog the attack is finished in an early stage and the dog is approached peacefully.
After the attack the judge changes his behaviour completely opposite, meaning friendly and agreeable behavior. The clear difference between an attack and kindness is made. The dog’s capacity to recover is observed. The owner is called and the reactions of the dog are observed.
Judging and ranking
In addition to the special test, tendency to aggressive behaviour is judged in every part of the test.
+3 Moderate without any post-attack aggressiveness
The dog reacts aggressively to the attack, after the attacker shows him clearly. The dog recovers quickly.
+2 High without any post-attack aggressiveness
The dog reacts aggressively immediately or almost immediately as the attacker makes his first snap. The dog is clearly very aggressive but it recovers after the threat is over.
+1 Low without any post-attack aggressiveness
The dog reacts very lamely or not at all to the attack, or shows its fear.
-1 Low with post-attack aggressiveness
The dog doesn’t react aggressively to the attack, but it won’t let touch itself after the attack.
-2 Moderate with post-attack aggressiveness
The aggressiveness of the dog is moderate but after the attack it will not recover, and it won’t let anyone to touch it.
-3 High with post-attack aggressiveness
The dog is aggressive immediately at the beginning of the attack, and it will not recover. The dog behaves aggressively, and it tries to bite the judge. Up
DESIRE FOR DEFENSE
Desire for defense means the dog’s inbred tendency to attack or with an attempt to attack actively to defend itself, it’s herd (the owner) or its territory. The desire for defense varies during the situations, the surroundings and the mood of the dog. The behavior of the dog is observed in the situations where the threat is caused by an unknown person or the stimulus the dog itself has pictured.
Making the test
The test is made as an attack of the judge towards the dog and the owner. The attacking judge is hidden and the other one is giving the instructions to the owner. A short, approximately 50 cm, leather leash can be used. The owner moves forward from an earlier mentioned place walking towards the hidden judge; the dog must be held tight. The judge attacks from his hiding place and the owner stops walking. The attack is made towards the owner and secondary towards the dog. The judge has a stick or a riding whip as a tool, however, if the dog is willing to fight the attack is made with “bare hands”. The attack is not allowed to happen from the crowd.
The power of the attack is controlled according the behaviour of the dog. The judge changes his behaviour to a friendly one after the attack so that there is a clear difference between an attack and kind behavior. If possible, the judge takes the dog under control, and the owner moves back to the starting point. The judge makes friends with the dog, and after that the owner calls the dog, and it is allowed to go to the owner. The dog’s capacity to recover is observed.
Judging and ranking
Judging the desire for defense is not only judged by the attacks the dog makes but also the smallest aim to the active defense. The attack attempts are as valuable and reliable as the actual attacks for judging.
The desire to defend is judged in every part of the test.
+3 Moderate, controlled
The dog defends its owner, it is barking and/or growling when the attacker comes nearer, it is staying in front of the owner or beside the owner. The dog is recovering quickly and approving the attacker after the attack is over, a momentary delay is accepted.
+2 High, controlled
The dog defends its owner very aggressively: is barking, growling, showing its teeth and staying in the front of the owner. The dog is recovering quickly and approving the attacker, a momentary delay is accepted.
+1 Low
The dog is beside the owner or diagonally backwards of the owner, probably a few small barks, otherwise a lame performance. The dog is accepting the attacker like in the accessibility test.
-1 Reluctant
The dog moves back to the owner and/or is trying to escape.
-2 Extremely high
The dog is defending furiously, and it is trying to bite the attacker. The dog needs time to recover but later it is accepting the attacker.
-3 Uncontrolled
The dog is defending its owner, and it is trying to bite the attacker. The dog is not recovering at all. Up
DESIRE TO FIGHT
The inbred tendency of the dog to enjoy fighting without it being based on aggression is called the desire to fight. This behavior is like a desire to play – a play that mostly consists of a fight. A desire to fight is like an engine to a dog, the force that moves it.
Making the test
As a testing tool can be used a motivation bar, stick, rag, and so on including the owner’s own object. Primarily the test should be the dog playing with the judge, secondarily the owner playing with the dog. The reserve of the dog can affect that the true will to play is not found out.
The test usually starts with minor stimuli. The aim of the stimuli is to get the dog to attack to the object and keep the grip. The fighting game is started with a prey stimulus after that the dog is defending its prey even with an aggressive growl. The amount and power of the desire to fight during this test can be observed, while the judge and the dog are playing the pulling game. The amount can also be tested while the dog is fighting for the object. The tester threatens the dog by raising his hand, and hitting the raised hand to his own hand that is holding the object. If the dog has a high desire to fight, it can let go for a while because of its tenderness. But when the threat has disappeared it strikes to the object even more powerfully. If the dog has a harder desire to fight, it won’t let go at all.
When the pulling game has properly started between the judge and the dog, the eagerness of the dog to continue the fight is being judged. The judge is varying the game, and he is giving up the game occasionally by letting the object go. In that case the dog can show if its desire to fight is so high that it makes the first move to continue the fight by bringing the object within reach to the judge. When the judge lets the object go, it can also be seen whether the dog is so excited that it keeps on fighting for instance by shaking the object, letting it go and grabbing it again to its mouth.
Judging and ranking
During the test the willingness or the reluctance of the dog to participate in the game is observed. The existence or the lack of the fighting attempts, the highness of them, the direction and the strength are judged. The highness of the stimulus needed for getting reactions of the dog is judged as well.
The desire to fight is inversely proportional to the highness of the stimulus. The powerful fight reactions that were born in small stimuli are a sign of a great desire to fight. A great highness of the stimulus and smaller reactions mean a low desire to fight. The high stimulus and a slight desire to fight mean inadequate desire to fight or the dog is not willing to fight at all. In order to categorize the desire to fight very high, it is not just enough a strong reaction to small stimuli but the dog must show toughness and to be spontaneous as well.
The desire to fight is judged in every part of the test.
+3 High
The dog gets a firm grip of the object immediately. The dog doesn’t release its hold on the object if threatened. The dog enjoys the fight.
+2 Moderate
The dog gets the object willingly, and the grip is quite hard, there is some chewing and fixing the grip. If the dog releases its hold if threatened, it should take it again after the threat.
+1 Extremely high
The dog gets a firm grip of the object immediately and fights for it furiously. It won’t release its hold if threatened, and it is slightly difficult to try to stop the pulling game. The desire to fight is disturbing the concentration.
-1 Low
The dog grabs the object. It won’t fight but it is chewing the object, and releases its hold on it immediately when pulled. Or the dog won’t take it to its mouth at all, but it is showing some desire to fight at the bobsleigh and in the other parts of the test.
-2 Inadequate
The dog won’t take the object and won’t fight. It fetches a ball or a stick if thrown. It doesn’t show desire to fight in any part of the test.
-3 Reluctant
The dog won’t take the object, and it is not interested in the objects at all. The dog steps aside if the player disturbs its peace. It won’t show any interest in using its jaws or muscles even in the other parts of the test. Up
NERVES
Nerves mean the inbred weakness or strongness of a dog’s nerves when it ends up in powerful and changing conditions of tension. Good nerves mean an ability to control stressful situations without unnatural exhaustion, hysteria or other signs that show that the mental health is shaken. Symptoms of the nervousness in a dog are for instance strong restlessness, the shaking of the body, rapid pulse rate that is not the result of physical distress, increasing swallow, unnecessary and inappropriate movements, seeking for protection(to the owner), diarrhea or vomiting.
Judging and ranking
To define a dog’s reaction, action, or state of mind as nervous requires that its behavior is abnormal compared to stimuli. A dog with strong nerves can also act nervously if the strength of the stimuli is increased.
The strength of the nerves is judged and categorized in different tests with reactions that can be seen. The stress of the nerves can be measured also with the fighting game in the end of the test. If the dog is still playing willingly, it is not probably stressed mentally.
The nerves of the dog are judged in every part of the test.
+3 Calm and firm
The dog can manage very well in all parts of the test. It can control itself in every situation in right time and reliably, it can recover immediately after each part of the test. During the whole test the dog is balanced and secure.
+2 Moderate calm
The dog can manage well in all parts of the test. It is not nervous. It controls every situation in right time, and it recovers fast, it can behave balanced during the whole test.
+1 Tendency to nervousness
The dog can manage all parts of the test. Slight signs of nervousness can be noticed, it becomes exhausted mentally as the test moves on. Recovering time varies between different parts of the test.
-1 Slightly nervous
There can be seen clear restlessness in the dog, and it seeks for protection from its owner in some parts of the test. It needs more time to recover between the parts of the test, and its inconsistent behaviour because of its nervousness can be seen clearly. The dog moves and makes sounds unnecessarily.
-2 Nervous
During the test the dog shows strong restlessness, the shaking of the body, increasing swallow, unnecessary and inappropriate movements. It may be vomiting and have diarrhea. It seeks for protection, and it has great difficulties to pass through the tests because it can’t concentrate.
-3 Highly nervous
All the traits mentioned above are shown very powerfully. The inner tension of the dog is so powerful that it can’t manage every part of the test. Up
TEMPERAMENT
The temperament means the liveliness of behaviour, the fastness of observation (attentiveness) and an ability to adapt to new situations and surroundings.
The most dogs that are well adaptable are lively. A lively dog is intent, and it receives fast the new stimuli of the surroundings, gets used to them and their relevance.
The dogs that are very lively receive a great amount of influences in their surroundings. As a result of that there is too much distraction and a longer time to adjust. This is still more obvious in the dogs that are disturbingly lively, because they are almost incapable of concentrating and staying still. These dogs are hard to adjust also because of physical exhaustion that they are causing themselves because of moving all the time.
Making the test
The dog is encountered a sudden sound from behind. The test is carried out so that the owner and the dog are walking through the marked line just beside the source of the sound, and they keep going straight ahead. Suddenly a clattering barrel is rolling down the proper drawbridge behind so that the clatter starts behind the dog, and it keeps increasing while approaching the dog (chase). The test can be performed also with another similar method.
The owner is not allowed to increase the attentiveness of the dog during the progress.
The speed and the direction of the dog’s dodging reflexes are observed in the test as well as the behavior of the dog after it has dodged the danger. The speed of the reaction depends on the temperament of the dog. The more temperament the dog has the faster the reactions are.
Judging and ranking
The dog’s common attentiveness, behaviour and the speed to reactions are observed in judging.
The temperament is judged in every part of the test.
+3 High
The dog must react immediately to the distraction. The dodging must be fast, controlled and short and the dog pays attention towards the disturbing noise. The dog is supposed to be energetic and happy in appearance.
+2 Moderate
The reaction speed of the dog and the dodging are a little slower but controlled, and the attention of the dog is directed correctly.
+1 Extremely high
The reaction is very fast, and the dodging move is slightly slower. The dog is not capable of locating the distraction immediately, and it shows some lack of concentration. The dog seems to be balanced.
-1a Disturbingly high
The reaction is very fast, the dodging move is rather long. The dog can’t immediately locate the distracted noise. It is not capable to concentrate and stay still.
-1b Slightly negligent
The reactions of the dog are slow or lazy, and the concentration to stimulus is distracted. The dog seems to be mentally balanced.
-1c Impulsive
The dog seems to be unbalanced, impulsive or restless. The reactions of the dog are very fast; its behavior is impulsive and inconsistent.
-2 Negligent
The dog is living in it’s own world; it reacts slowly and indifferently to distractions or stimuli. The dog seems to be balanced.
-3 Apathetic
The dog doesn’t react on any outside stimulus. Up
MENTAL HARDNESS
The mental hardness means the tendency of the dog to remember or not to remember unpleasant experiences.
Making the test
The test is carried out in two almost similar phases, and between them there is a short break. During the first phase the dog experiences a mentally awkward situation, like frightening. During the second phase, after a short time, the dog is taken again to the same place where it was scared. Now there will be no stimulus. If the dog reacts strongly, the time between the phases must be lengthened. The time between the phases must be in proportion to the amount of the awkward situation. By observing the reactions of the dog, it is noticed how well it remembers the place and the unpleasant stimulus made in it.
A figure (for example overalls or umbrella) has been hidden behind the corner of the building or the similar obstacle. The owner and the dog are walking beside the wall; the dog is preferred to be in the front of the owner. When the dog’s head is approximately 50 cm before the figure, it is quickly pulled up or towards the dog so that the dog can’t identify it. The owner turns around fast and returns with the dog the distance they are told. In the second phase after a short time, the owner and the dog are coming to the same place when the mentally awkward situation and its effect on the dog is judged. The power of the dog’s reactions is in proportion to that mentally awkward situation it has experienced when it was taken again to the place where it was scared.
The dog may seem softer when the unpleasant experience is caused straight by a human but also much harder when it realizes that some lifeless object causes the unpleasant situation.
The dog usually feels that an unpleasant situation caused by a human, especially by its owner, is a harder one than some other kind of unpleasant situation.
Judging and ranking
The hardness is judged in every part of the test.
+3 Moderate
After a mentally unpleasant reaction when taken to the place again, the dog doesn’t show signs of fear or an urge to stay away from that place.
+2 Hard
After a mentally unpleasant reaction when taken to the place again, the dog walks straight through the place. The hardness is shown in every part of the test.
+1 Tendency to softness
The dog shows obvious signs that it would like to avoid the place where it was frightened, but it can pass the place relatively close with the support of the owner.
-1 Extremely hard
The dog is not feared or it doesn’t react at all to the unpleasant things that were made during the test.
-2 Soft
The dog seems clearly to have frightened the object, and it shows the urge to avoid the place after a rather long recovering time and needs a lot of luring from the owner.
-3 Extremely soft
The dog shows fear reactions in the place, and it refuses to go there again. Up
ACCESSIBILITY
The accessibility shows how the dog approaches to the unfamiliar people.
The dog is accessible when it kindly and spontaneously seeks company of the people, other than the owner. The dog that clearly avoids meeting people or shows a clear repulsiveness when contacting unfamiliar people is called reserved.
A kind dog shows aggressiveness only in threatening situations. Kindness depends greatly on the tendency to aggressive behaviour of the dog. Attentiveness towards threads in a dog that is clever causes that it makes a mistake easier than the dog with less tendency to aggressive behaviour.
Being open means that the dog’s true state of mind is clearly seen in its behavior regardless of the behaviour that a human considers positive or negative
There’s no need to a special test while judging the accessibility. The judging is truly based on the observations of the dogs and their behavior when they encounter people.
Judging and ranking
The accessibility is judged during the whole test; for example after the first interview, in the end of the defence test, in the end of the test of tendency to aggressive behaviour and when letting the dog to the dark room.
+3 Kind, accessible, open
The dog without luring seeks also unfamiliar people to contact, behaving friendly and openly. Accessible is also a dog that doesn’t get to know people spontaneously but lets them to get to know it.
+2a Accessible, slightly reserved
The dog that without luring or with slightly lured is also getting to contact with the unfamiliar people behaving friendly. The dog could be called shy.
+2b Accessible, tendency to reserved behaviour
The dog that doesn’t seek a contact to unfamiliar people, and that needs to be lured before is willing to contact someone.
+1 Flattering
The dog is very eager to take contact with people, and it shows its satisfaction with exaggeration, for example by jumping, licking or rolling on the ground.
-1 Not accessible, reserved
The dog doesn’t allow a contact of unfamiliar people at all, and it can’t be lured.
-2 Aggressive
The dog spontaneously doesn’t want to contact unfamiliar people, and it shows aggressive behaviour.
-3 Insidious
The dog shows normal willingness to contact and/or a friendly attitude but without any threat and warning it changes to aggressive behaviour. Up
REACTION TO SHOTS
Shooting 9 mm blanks at least twice and at most five times tests the dog’s reaction to shots. The shots are fired in about 20-50-meter distance considering the surroundings like the echo in the ground. The reaction to shots is always tested as the last part of the test. The shooter is out of the dog’s sight, in front of the dog. The judge gives a sign when to fire the first shot while the dog is moving. The other shot is fired from the sign of the judge when the owner and the dog are staying still. To find out the reactions of the dog, more shots can be fired if necessary.
Judging and ranking
Confident/ Secure to shots is a dog that is completely negligent to the shots or is interested in them in the normal way.
The dogs that behave restlessly after the first shot but recovering quickly, and those who react less to renewed shots, are classified as unfamiliar with shots but not timid of shots.
The dog that reacts to the shots abnormally passionate for example by barking, attacking towards the shooter or is passionately interested in the episode, and is barking but not showing nervousness, is called furious about shooting.
A dog that reacts nearly in the same way to every shot without getting relaxed or more nervous is classified disposed to shots. Its inner tension doesn’t rise so much that clear signs of nervousness are to be seen.
A dog that after the shot reacts clearly nervously, and has difficulties in recovering, is called a fear of shots-dog. It also shows a great amount of nervousness after each shot.
+++ Secure to shots
The dog is clearly negligent to shots or is interested in them only in the normal way.
++ Unfamiliar with shots
The dog that reacts to the first shots but after a few shots the restlessness is getting smaller.
+ Irritable while shooting
The dog gets aggressive reactions after shooting.
– Disposed to shots
The dog shows quite clearly abnormal but not nervous behaviour. It reacts in the same way to every shot that is fired.
– – Fear of shots
The dog reacts nervously after every shot showing nervousness. The dog has difficulties to recover. Up
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