The results of the Profile will give you a better understanding of why your dog is the way he is and the most successful way to train him. You can then make use of his strengths, avoid needless confusion and greatly reduce the time it takes to train him.

When completing the Profile, keep in mind that it was devised for a house dog or pet with an enriched environment, perhaps even a little training, and not a dog tied out in the yard or kept solely in a kennel -- such dogs have fewer opportunities to express as many behaviors as a house dog. Answers should indicate those behaviors your dog would exhibit if he had not already been trained to do otherwise. For example, did he jump on people to greet them, or jump on the counter to steal food, before he was trained not to do so?

The fight part of the defense drive does not fully express itself until the dog is mature, around two to four years of age, depending on the breed, although you may see tendencies toward those behaviors earlier. Young dogs tend to exhibit more flight behaviors than older dogs.

The questionnaire for the profile suggests three possible answers to each question with a corresponding point value. The possible answers and their corresponding values are:

• Almost always - 10
• Sometimes - 5
• Hardly ever - 0

For example, if your dog is a Beagle, the answer to the question "when presented with the opportunity, does your dog sniff the ground or air?" is probably "almost always", giving him a score of 10.

When presented with the opportunity, does your dog

1. Sniff the ground or air _____
2. Get along with other dogs _____
3. Stand his ground or investigate strange objects or sounds _____
4. Run away from new situations _____
5. Get excited by moving object, such as bikes or squirrels _____
6. Get along with people _____
7. Like to play tug-of-war games to win _____
8. Hide behind you when he feels he can’t cope _____
9. Stalk cats, other dogs or things in the grass _____
10. Bark when left alone _____
11. Bark or growl in a deep tone of voice _____
12. Act fearful in unfamiliar situations _____
13. When excited, bark in a high pitched voice _____
14. Solicit petting, or like to snuggle with you _____
15. Guard his territory _____
16. Tremble or whine when unsure _____
17. Pounce on his toys _____
18. Like to be groomed _____
19. Guard his food or toys _____
20. Cower or turn upside down when reprimanded _____
21. Shake and "kill" his toys _____
22. Seek eye contact with you _____
23. Dislike being petted _____
24. Reluctant to come close to you when called _____
25. Steal food or garbage _____
26. Follow you around like a shadow _____
27. Guard his owner(s) _____
28. Have difficulty standing still when groomed _____
29. Like to carry things _____
30. Play a lot with other dogs _____
31. Dislike being groomed or petted _____
32. Cower or cringe when a stranger bends over him _____
33. Wolf down his food _____
34. Jump up to greet people _____
35. Like to fight other dogs _____
36. Urinate during greeting behavior _____
37. Like to dig and/or bury things _____
38. Show reproductive behaviors, such as mounting other dogs _____
39. Get picked on by older dogs when young _____
40. Tend to bite when cornered _____

You may not have had the chance to observe all of these behaviors, in which case you leave the answer blank.