The ATTS is coming to MN! This is big news. At last count, there are only 37 test dates/locations throughout the US in 2009, and A Rotta Love Plus is hosting two of them on June 6th and 7th, at the Burnsville High School in Burnsville. This is just 2 and a half months away—mark your calendars!

The American Temperament Test Society was founded in the late 1970’s to provide a standard examination of a dog’s natural disposition. Every dog takes the same test and subtests, nationwide, and results are scored on a 0 – 10 scale. 0 = failure, 10 = superior. Living environment, breed, weather, and age/sex/status (altered or intact) are all factors that weigh into each dog’s scoring.

Why is this big news? Evaluation of the dogs who take the test can be useful for breeding programs, as well as pet owners interested in their dog’s instincts and thus reaction to stimuli. The test can also be useful in fighting breed specific legislation (BSL).

BSL targeted four dog types in MN—the Akita, Pit Bull (not a breed as we know, but a slang term to cover a variety of bully breeds and mixes), Rottweiler, and Chow Chow. I did not include wolf hybrids, which were also targeted in the MN BSL.

The ATTS web site has breed statistics through December, 2008:
Breed Total Passed Failed Percent
Akita 492 365 127 74.19%
Chow 94 67 27 71.28%
APBT 665 567 98 85.26%
Am.Staff Terrier 570 478 92 83.86%
Rottweiler 5097 4228 869 82.95%
Totals 6918 5705 1213 82.03%

It looks like the Rottweiler clubs across the country, more so than most other breed clubs, are hosting lots and lots of ATTS testing days – 10 of the 37 of the scheduled tests (so far), which includes our two dates. From the dog numbers above, almost 4 times as many rotties have taken the temperament test, as opposed to the listed bully breeds (the full listing by breed can be found on the ATTS site at here).

Want to join the fun? Want to bring your dog out for its 12 minutes of fame in the sun/rain? There will be more information posted about how to sign up as the dates draw near.

What does the temperament test entail?

Filed under: ARLP Updates