Newcastle Herald

Point score: how to test pet temper

Oct. 16, 2012, 10:38 p.m.

A TEMPERAMENT test for dogs was provided to the Newcastle Herald yesterday.

It consists of 25 assessments with each having between four and 11 response levels.

Each level of the test comes with a score of between 0 and 20 points, or a “fail”.

In any assessment if the dog barks, jumps, becomes excited or appears scared it can be given points.

The scorecard is marked out of 500, with dogs scoring more than 100 labelled as unsuitable for adoption.

A dog that barks when exposed to a cat will be marked 10 points and if it chases the cat it will score 20.

If a dog playing with provided toys holds on to the object and does not let go it will receive 20 points.

When the assessor makes a sudden noise and the dog becomes startled it can score 10 points.

NSW RSPCA chief executive Steve Coleman said he wanted to dispel rumours that dogs scoring more than 100 were automatically euthanised.

“There’s a mythical number of 100 going around,” he said.

“There are examples where a dog scores over 100 but still passes.”