Quote:
Originally Posted by SecretMethod70
I'd never think of testing to see if the dog will bite me...and the idea kind of disturbs me, tempting fate like that :P...but that's really interesting!
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There are quite a few things you can do with a pup to see how's it's temperament will be. Granted, they should be tested anyway, but each dog performs differently with different people/owners. Getting the dog hyper and then sticking your hand out will let you know how dominant or bite prone he can be but it's not fool proof.
One thing I've always done is picked a pup up by it's belly and watched how it reacted. If it just layed limp then it was submissive, if it squirmed and barked and tried to bite, then it was overly alpha, try to find a good mix. Granted, you can't really do this with a dog that is older as they are a bit heavy but it's pretty easy to tell if a dog is alpha or not.
Even if a dog is alpha, exercise and training will create a harmony.
Just don't become a lazy owner who only showers attention on a dog. All dogs need some structure.