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Black Master's Henna-Eole
Black Master's Tervueren H-Litter (* 27 Feb 2004)
Finnish Charactertest Result: +82 passed
The Finnish Charactertest aims at getting
a general view of a dogs reactions and behaviour patterns in stressful as well as normal "every day" situations
with people. It is hoped to thereby gain a picture of a dogs character and mental coping capabilities
primarily in stressful situations.
The tests aims at specifically investigating the following Character Traits in the tested dog:
- Accessibility: the dogs openess towards (unfamiliar) people is judged
- Desire to fight: this feature is aimed at investigating a dog willingness to play and "fight" by biting and object, usually a toy or stick.
- Capability to function: a dogs reactions to real or imagined threats is tested as well as the dogs ability to function under such conditions.
- Willingness to defend: it is tested whether the dog is willing to defend its flock (owner) and herself against a perceived attack
- Temprament: the ability to adjust to rapidly changing situations and circumstances is tested
- Mental Hardness: the effect of unpleasant experiences on a dogs behaviour and possible avoidance behaviour in a similar situation is evaluated
- Tendency to aggressive behaviour: a dogs aggression or degree of aggression towards an odd, irritating, possibly threatening person or "dummy" is evaluated
- Strength of nerves: a dogs degree of nervousness in a stressful situation is evaluated. This also involves the gunshot resistance test which is counted seperately.
Each feature is judged on a scale from -3 (worst) to +3 (best). Note however, that it is not necessarily the one most desirable reaction for an individual dog that would give the highest points.
While openess is usually a desirable trait it may in certain circumstances be more appropriate for a dog to be reserved towards strangers. This was an aspect that needed
the be taken into account in Henna's case as she is extremely reserved when new people try to touch her or otherwise interact with her as we have had many unpleasant
encounters with people in the past, often caused by the fact that I am living here as a foreigner.
Also, a tendency towards aggression is undesirable in a dog working as a therapy
dog. It is certainly not intended that a dog working with elderly people who also use walking canes and may wave around with them will defend itself and possibly attack this person!
In this case a rating of +1 (low aggression without post-attack aggression) really is the most desirable.
So Henna's results in detail:
- Accessibility: -1 (not accessible - reserved)
- Desire to fight: +2 (moderate)
- Capability to function: +1 (moderate)
- Willingness to defend: +2 (high - controlled)
- Temprament: +1 (extremely high)
- Mental hardness: +1 (tendency to softness)
- Tendency to aggressive behaviour: +2 (high without post-attack aggressiveness)
- Strength of nerves: +1 (tendency to nervousness)
- Gunshot resistance: +++ (unimpressed, no sign of fear)
Since I like pictures a little illustration of what Henna did:
- Everything starts with a little talk which has the fancy name "interview":
Henna thinks the persons shoes are very interesting and the rest is less important
because nobody is going to interview her anyway.
- Accessibility test: Henna is suspicious of that strange person and she
has no intention to be "accessible" in the least. However, neither is the reacting with
outward aggression.
 
- Desire to fight: Henna may play fighting games with me but she is not going to
extend that priviledge to some stranger, especially not since that person at first
approached her with a wooden stick to play with. I don't know why, despite the fact that
she loves playing with sticks when she trusts the people is is very scared of them if others
wag them around.
Henna says: "No, go play alone. I don't play with YOU because you are scary!"
- Capacity to function: Strange obscure person like figures and finding ones owner
in a dark room (no pictures of that).
Henna is wonderig what to make of that weird thing that spooked her and decides trying to scare it is a good
start and if it isn't impressed to further investigate.
 
- Willingness to defend: Henna pretends to be a full protection dog and at least three times her actual
size if a spooky person does strange things. As always: her preferred method of dealing with a new situation
is trying to scare whatever there is off. However, if the human decides to act normal again and quits
pretending to be something weird she is willing to let the person say hello to me although she doesn't stop
keeping an eye on the situation.
 
- The mental hardness test and the temprament test. Henna doesn't like stupid clattering barrels.
But she thinks the obscure thing suddenly appearing is very intersting to investigate
And the place the dog before her used for peeing is rather more interesting that the stupid test
- Self defense test: she is very willing to defend herself and will consider being less aggressive if the
previously threatening person decides to start behaving normally again - no post-attack aggression.
 
- Henna's reaction to the shooting test: she couldn't be less impressed!
- Discussion of the judges evaluations:
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