Who is Your Dog?
Did you know that there is a personality test for dogs? Many people have been personality tested in their jobs and we can learn a lot about ourselves from these tests, but now there is a test for dogs called CBARQ, the canine behavior assessment questionnaire. We talk with Dr. James Serpell, the designer of the test to find out more. The CBARQ database at the University of Pennsylvania now contains detailed behavioral evaluations for approximately 50,000 pet dogs comprising more than 300 different breeds and cross-breeds. Where does your dog stack up? Are there traits that your dog shares with other dogs that might make a certain job a better fit for her?
Because of the database, we know more about what makes dogs act the way they do and finding out info about your own dog might help you address training issues or be sure that your dog is well suited for the tasks that you are asking of him. Finding out more about your own dog (and learning about other dogs and how they work) makes you a better dog parent. Learn more about CBARQ and some of the things it has shown us by listening for free!
BIO:
James Serpell holds the Marie A. Moore endowed Chair of Animal Welfare & Ethics at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. He received his bachelor’s degree in Zoology from University College London and his PhD in Animal Behavior from the University of Liverpool, UK. At Penn Vet he teaches veterinary ethics and animal welfare. His research focuses on the behavior and welfare of dogs and cats, the development of human attitudes to animals, and the history and impact of human-animal relationships. He has published more than 180 articles and book chapters on these and related topics, and is the author, editor or co-editor of several books including Animals & Human Society: Changing Perspectives (1994), In the Company of Animals (1996), Companion Animals & Us (2000), and The Domestic Dog (2016). He is also the creator of the widely-used Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ).