Hello, Angus,

Of course dogs should be examined carefully by both the organization adopting them out (liability reasons among others) and by the potential owner. I am in favour of tryouts if there is any doubt and a fairly lenient return policy. A free vet check for a new pet has been offered by the SPCA for years. I am surprised that you were given so little information.

I think you are happy with your dog now. From what you say, your dog could well have failed this test and have been PTS. It all shows that a patient, loving owner can do wonders for any dog. It also shows that the predictive value of this type of test is questionable.

I have two cats that were deemed unadoptable,as they hissed, spat, fought other cats, and were aggressive to shelter staff, but we gave them a last try anyway. One is now sitting on my husband's lap watching television. The other is now sharing my computer chair with me. All most animals need are a steady home, good food and some caring.

It's the claim that this sort of checklist is "scientific" that is indefensible, unless clear proof of its effectiveness can be given. Making up a questionaire is so easy. If a dog is put down, it's difficult to say that it even had predictive uses, as dead dogs don't bite.

Judy is correct. The biggest problem is probably who is doing the testing and what their motives are. It's all in the "scoring" and how the test is used. Thanks to AAS, we have the test, now we need the manual to be able to understand how the ten tests are graded and what constitutes a "passing" or a "failing" grade.