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Old 06-18-2008, 11:40 AM   #61
octothorp
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Ditch View Post
The American Temperament Test Society, Inc. (ATTS) is a professional organization that objectively tests the temperaments of various dog breeds.
They do this by methodically exposing members of a breed to a series of confrontational situations, then measuring their reaction. The more aggressive the reaction, the lower the score the dog receives. The score is based on the percentage of dogs in a breed that passed the test:
Here are some of the most recent results available. We’ve included some widely considered “most friendly” (like beagles and poodles) and some labeled “dangerous” (like Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and of course, pit bulls.
Warning: you will be surprised by the results!
ATTS Scores by Breed
Afghan: 72%
Australian Shepard: 79.2%
Beagle: 78.2%
Cairn Terrier: 70.7%
Chihuahua: 70.6%
Cocker Spaniel: 81.5%
German Shepherd: 82.8%
Golden Retriever: 83.6%
Labrador Retriever: 91.1%
Rottweiler: 82.3%
Toy Poodle: 80.9%
Yorkshire Terrier: 80.0%
Now, compare these to the pit bull breeds:
American Pit Bull Terrier: 83.4%
American Staffordshire Terrier: 83.3%
Staffordshire Bull Terrier: 93.2%
For this study, the ATTS evaluated more than 25,000 dogs and more than 200 breeds. The average score for all breeds together: 81%. As you can see, when it comes to having a reliably friendly temperament, the pit bull breeds well exceed the average!
You can find these scores and more at www.ATTS.org
Your source completely misrepresents the test in stating that it is proof of a friendly temperment: friendliness is a very small component of the ATTS test. It also looks at protectiveness, alertness, confidence when confronted with unexpected stimuli, etc., all things that a bull terrier will do very well with. A dog can be very unfriendly toward strangers and still pass the test. A dog that is not confident is going to do a lot worse with these tests than a dog that is agressive.
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