Amy's page

This page belongs to my beloved "monkey". Amy is Nyssa's and Phantom's  red collared daughter born on August 9th, 2000. Even as a puppy, she was always first - first to walk, to talk, to climb, first one to escape, fall out of travelling basket, first to eat solid food. I have always loved her attitude and was very relieved when she tested so well during her puppy evaluation. It was meant for her to be the next generation of MD Shiloh Star champion working Shiloh Shepherds. The reason I call her monkey is her aptitude for climbing. As a nine week old pup, she literally climbed out of her 4 foot tall exercise pen. She got her "chunkey monkey" nickname then and the monkey part stuck. 

So far Amy has been all I wanted in a puppy and then some. She is very determined, resourceful and bright puppy that does not do anything half way - she plays hard, works hard, and never misses a beat. It is hard to tell exactly how she will mature but she is definitely more protective than Nyssa, her mom. This puppy will let me know when something is afoot. A couple of barks is all I am asking for so this is a behavior that I am toning down. She is also extremely athletic and agile puppy with tons of confidence and attitude. This puppy does not get stressed or phased by anything. 

Amy already won Best in Show Jr. puppy at Rarities dog show when she was 8 months old and got her Canine Good Citizen certificate month later. We are also starting obedience and agilityclasses and  search and rescue training. Since Amy is quite headstrong and very social puppy, moving obedience exercises need a lot of work yet. But she does have a nice focus during stationary drills. She is fabulous in agility - no fear, very confident and very, very fast (something that Nyssa lacks). I have huge expectations for her in this field. We have also been slowly training in search and rescue. This is sort of secondary at this time since her mom's training is our priority right now. But even with the limited amount of training time Amy is doing really well and progressed to a small area problems. We even did our first night training and she did find the hidden subject enthusiastically. Once again, I think with time and maturity she will excel in this area as well.

2 days old	8 days	16 days	29 days	7.5 weeks	7.5 weeks	9 weeks	9 weeks

4 months	4 months	4 months	4 months	4 months	5 months	5 months	5 months	5 months	5 months

7 months	7 months	8 months	8 months	8 months	9 months	9 months	11.5 months	11.5 months	11.5 months	11.5 months
		BIS Jr puppy at Rarities show in New Jersey					taken at puppy reunion in Maryland

Check out Amy's composite movement pictures. She was not quite 9 months old in these great photos.  

Each Shiloh Shepherd puppy has to have a litter evaluation (LER) before being placed in his or her new home. There are numerous reasons for this. One part of the test is devoted to a temperament evaluation. The results of this along with breeder's observations determine the suitability of each pup for its prospective home, based on the puppy's personality and the expectations of the owners. This is a crucial step in matching up the future companions for life. The importance of a proper temperament test cannot be overemphasized. The other part of the test is concerned with the conformation of the pups. Lot can be forecasted even at this young age. Once again, the experience of the evaluator plays a very important role in accuracy of the LER. We use Wendy Volhard's basic puppy temperament test as well as specialized SAR aptitude tests as desired. Since this was a working litter, most of the pups were evaluated in this was as well.
Our LER was done by Patti Schaeffer of the Shenandoah kennels. She is the most trustworthy, experienced Shiloh breeder and deservedly was named the ISSDC Breeder of the Year. Unfortunately, the testing area proved to be full of unwanted distractions and the LER results are not totally accurate. Fortunately, most of the pups are doing better then predicted.

Here is Amy's LER done at 7.5 weeks of age.

Courtesy of Wendy Volhard

PUPPY APTITUDE TEST

Interpreting the Scores

• Mostly 1's A puppy that consistently scores a 1 in the temperament section of the test is an extremely dominant, aggressive puppy who can easily be provoked to bite. His dominant nature will attempt to resist human leadership, thus requiring only the most experienced of handlers. This puppy is a poor choice for most individuals and will do best in a working situation as a guard or police dog.

• Mostly 2's This pup is dominant and self-assured. He can be provoked to bite; however he readily accepts human leadership that is firm, consistent and knowledgeable. This is not a dog for a tentative, indecisive individual. In the right hands, he has the potential to become a fine working or show dog and could fit into an adult household, provided the owners know what they are doing.

• Mostly 3's This pup is outgoing and friendly and will adjust well in situations in which he receives regular training and exercise. He has a flexible temperament that adapts well to different types of environment, provided he is handled correctly. May be too much dog for a family with small children or an elderly couple who are sedentary.

• Mostly 4's A pup that scores a majority of 4's is an easily controlled, adaptable puppy whose submissive nature will make him continually look to his master for leadership. This pup is easy to train, reliable with kids, and, though he lacks self-confidence, makes a high-quality familly pet. He is usually less outgoing than a pup scoring in the 3's, but his demeanor is gentle and affectionate.

• Mostly 5's This is a pup who is extremely submissive and lacking in self-confidence. He bonds very closely with his owner and requires regular companionship and encouragement to bring him out of himself. If handled incorrectly, this pup will grow up very shy and fearful. For this reason, he will do best in a predictable, structured lifestyle with owners who are patient and not overly demanding, such as an elderly couple.

• Mostly 6's A puppy that scores 6 consistntly is independent and uninterested in people. He will mature into a dog who is not demonstrably affectionate and who has a low need for human companionship. In general, it is rare to see properly socialized pups test this way; however there are several breeds that have been bred for specific tasks (such as basenjis, hounds, and some northern breeds) which can exhibit this level of independence. To perform as intended, these dogs require a singularity of purpose that is not compromised by strong attachments to their owner.

The remainder of the puppy test is an evaluation of obedience aptitude and working ability and provides a general picture of a pup's intelligence, spirit, and willingness to work with a human being. For most owners, a good companion dog will score in the 3 to 4 range in this section of the test. Puppies scoring a combination of 1's and 2's require experienced handlers who will be able to draw the best aspects of their potential from them.

Many thanks to Wendy Volhard for her advice in setting up the tables. She has made some comments as to how this test compares to her original one. The sight sensitivity test is done to show the degree of response to a moving object, such as chasing bicycles, children or squirrels, not as stated on your test which better belongs on the stability test which has been left out. The original order of the tests is: social attraction, following, restraint, social dominance, elevation, retrieving, touch sensitivity, sound sensitivity, sight sensitivity and stability (opening of an umbrella some distance from the puppy to see response) to show how pup reacts to a strange object, then structure. go to our web page for the correct information  (http://www.volhard.com). Please see her wonderful website and especially the sections on puppy selection and the Puppy Aptitude Test scoring, the interpretation of scores, and what do they mean.

CONFORMATION EVALUATION

PAWS Working Dog Evaluation

http://www.wtp.net/ASDK9SAR/articles/paws.html

This test, designed by Jona Decker, evaluates working potential of pups and dogs. Since several of Nyssa's pups are in SAR homes, we evaluated some of the pups as well. 

 Based on all these tests and my observation of the pups, Amy was pronounced the pick girl of the litter in both conformation and temperament, especially the working aspect. She is slightly indepedent, strong willed puppy (not very forgiving) who is very energetic and curious. Her attitude toward life is very outgoing and refreshing. So far all of the puppy predictions have come true.

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Contact us at mpshiloh@hotmail.com

Michelle Pelescak.
Copyright © 2000, 2001 MD Shilo Star Kennel. All rights reserved.
Revised: December 27, 2001 .